• Russia says ‘evidence’ links Ukraine to Moscow attack

    MOSCOW, RUSSIA - Russia said on Thursday it had evidence the perpetrators of last week's massacre at a concert hall outside Moscow were linked to "Ukrainian nationalists", a claim that the United States called nonsense. President Vladimir Putin and his security services continue to allege Kyiv and the West were involved...
  • Geopolitical tensions boost oil, weigh on equities

    Geopolitical tensions sent oil prices climbing and weighed on equities as investors also continued to worry about prospects for interest rate cuts amid stubbornly-high inflation. "Heightened tensions between Ukraine and Russia have brought a halt to the rally in equity markets seen last week," said Russ Mould, investment director at...
  • UN adopts resolution on immediate Gaza truce as US abstains

    All 14 other members voted in favor of the resolution which "demands an immediate ceasefire" for Ramadan. The resolution calls for the truce to lead to a "lasting, sustainable ceasefire" and demands that Hamas and other groups free hostages.
  • Putin vows retribution on Moscow concert hall attacks, as toll rises

    Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to punish those behind a "barbaric terrorist attack" on a Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133, saying Russia had arrested four gunmen who were trying to flee to Ukraine. Kyiv has denied any connection, and Putin made no reference to the Islamic State...
  • Death toll climbs to ‘more than 60’ in Moscow concert attack: Agencies

    Meanwhile, the fire at a Moscow concert hall has been "mostly eliminated", the Russian capital's governor said on Saturday. "There are still some pockets of fire, but the fire has been mostly eliminated. Rescuers were able to enter the auditorium," Moscow Governor Andrey Vorobyov said on Telegram.
  • Russia’s central bank holds rates amid high inflation

    MOSCOW, RUSSIA – Russia's central bank held interest rates unchanged on Friday as Moscow's military offensive on Ukraine has led to stubbornly high inflation and labor shortages. The central bank raised rates to 16 percent in a series of hikes last year to cool the pace of price rises. Analysts are...
  • UNSC to vote on new Gaza truce resolution after Russia, China veto US bid

    The draft resolution, seen by AFP, "demands an immediate ceasefire" for the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan that leads "to a permanent sustainable ceasefire" respected by all sides. It also demands both the "immediate and unconditional" release of Israeli hostages.
  • Middle East oil policies not dictated by US, says Russia

    MOSCOW, RUSSIA – US will no longer be able to dictate oil prices in the Middle East, Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Chief Sergey Naryshkin said. The Russian official made the statement in the documentary "Oil" on the premier online platform. “The ‘hegemon’ has lost a step. It is...
  • Russia not in danger of trading oil at a loss, says Lavrov

    MOSCOW, RUSSIA – Russia does not see the risk of trading oil at a loss due to the redistribution of energy flows to the East - growing local markets will be able to "absorb" its supply, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. Lavrov said this in an interview for the...
  • EU members to discuss Bosnia entry into Union

    Brussels, Belgium - A group of EU countries including Germany on Tuesday pushed for a green light to start membership negotiations with Bosnia, but others such as France seemed reluctant to proceed. The EU's 27 leaders will debate at a summit on Thursday a proposal from the bloc's executive to launch...
  • Russia working to establish visa-free travel with Gulf nations: Bogdanov

    Moscow, Russia -- Russia is working to establish a visa-free regime with all Gulf countries, said Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia's deputy foreign minister and special presidential representative for the Middle East and African countries. "In principle, such work is going on systematically. Because, of course, I think it is in the...
  • Sovcomflot 2023 net profit $900m   

    In 2023, the firm demonstrated strong financial results.
  • Putin hails election victory, says would not be ‘intimidated’

    If he completes another full Kremlin term, Putin will have stayed in power longer than any Russian leader since Catherine the Great in the 18th century. Allies of the late Alexei Navalny - Putin's most prominent rival, who died in an Arctic prison last month - had tried to spoil...
  • Ground operations in Ukraine possible at some point, says Macron

    Last month French president refused to rule out putting troops on the ground in Ukraine, which prompted a stern response from Berlin and other European partners. But the French president has not recanted from his position, but stressed that Western allies would not take the initiative.
  • G7 vows ‘significant’ new sanctions if Iran sends missiles to Russia

    Washington, US - G7 countries warned Iran on Friday that they will impose "significant" new sanctions if Tehran transfers ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine. "We reiterate our call on third parties to immediately cease providing material support to Russia's illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine or...
  • Sweden’s gaming group Embracer divests Russian assets

    Stockholm, Sweden - Swedish gaming group Embracer, which owns the Borderlands franchise and the Tomb Raider license, announced on Thursday that it was ceasing all Russian operations through the sale of subsidiary Saber Interactive. Beacon Interactive, which is controlled by Saber Interactive co-founder Matthew Karch, will pay $247 million for the...
  • SpaceX Crew-7 returns after six-month mission on Space Station

    Washington, United States - Four astronauts splashed down off Florida in the Gulf of Mexico on their return to Earth early Tuesday, following a more than six-month mission on the International Space Station. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft landed in the waters off Pensacola at 5:47 am (0947 GMT), with a...
  • Potential investors value Telegram at $30bn, says co-founder Pavel Durov

    MOSCOW, RUSSIA – The Telegram is valued by potential investors at more than US$30 billion, the co-founder of the social network Pavel Durov said. The US$30 billion valuation was made by global technology funds in particular, Durov said in an interview with The Financial Times. “Generally speaking, we see value...
  • China, Russia and Iran to launch joint navy drills in Gulf of Oman

    Beijing, China - The navies of China, Russia and Iran are staging joint drills in the Gulf of Oman this week, Beijing said Monday. The military activities -- to be conducted from Monday through Friday -- are aimed at "jointly maintaining regional maritime security", according to a statement published on social...
  • Putin set for election coronation in vote with no opposition

    Ballots will also be cast in the four Ukrainian regions Moscow claimed to have annexed in 2022, as well as the Crimean peninsula, seized in 2014. Moscow is no longer worried about trying to present the vote as a legitimate democratic exercise to the West, or even Russian society.
  • Aramco profit down in 2023

    The oil giant posted a 24.7% fall in net profit to US$121.25bn.
  • Zelensky to discuss war, Black Sea security during Turkey visit

    NATO member Turkey has sought to maintain good relations with Moscow and Kyiv throughout the two-year war, with Erdogan pitching himself as a key go-between and possible peace-maker.
  • Indian man fighting for Russia against Ukraine killed in action

    New Delhi, India - India's embassy in Moscow has confirmed the death of a citizen recruited by the Russian army, days after a relative told AFP he had been sent to fight in Ukraine. Two years after Russia's invasion began, tens of thousands of its soldiers have been killed in Ukraine...
  • Iran and Russia to sign new contracts to develop oil, gas fields

    Tehran, Iran-- Iran and Russia have agreed to sign new contracts on developing oil and gas fields, according to the oil ministers of the two countries. Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji held talks with Nikolay Shulginov, the Minister of Energy of Russia, on the sidelines of the GECF Summit in Algeria...
  • Saudi, UAE and Iraq extend oil cuts, Russia to slash output by 471,000 bpd

    An energy ministry source said Riyadh "will extend its voluntary cut of one million barrels per day, which was implemented in July 2023, until the end of the second quarter of 2024," the official Saudi Press Agency reported. "Afterwards, in order to support market stability, these additional cut volumes will...
  • UAE and Russia look to deepen parliamentary cooperation

    Abu Dhabi, UAE-- The UAE and Russia have held talks to enhance the parliamentary cooperation between the two countries. In this connection, a remote meeting was held between Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federal National Council (FNC), and Grigory...
  • Split over Gaza and Ukraine, G20 meeting ends in discord

    Brazil's Finance Minister Fernando Haddad told a news conference in Sao Paulo that it was "impossible" to reach a final joint statement. The minister said the impasse was over the ongoing conflicts without explicitly mentioning Russia's invasion of Ukraine or Israel's ongoing military campaign in the besieged Gaza Strip.
  • Iran launches imaging satellite Pars 1 from Russia

    Iran announced the launch of a remote sensing and imaging satellite into orbit from Russia, according to state media. The launch of "Pars-I" with the Russian Soyuz-2.1b launcher was broadcast live by state television in Iran. The satellite was launched "from Russia's Vostochny launch base", some 8,000 kilometers east of...
  • Russia to ban petrol exports for six months to meet domestic demand

    Despite being the world's third largest oil producer, Russia has suffered sporadic fuel shortages since last summer amid high demand and repair works on refineries. Wholesale gasoline prices have risen since the start of the year, a problem exacerbated by repeated Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries.
  • Russia in contact with OIC on upcoming presidential vote

    Moscow, Russia -- Moscow is maintaining close contact with officials from the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Russia’s upcoming presidential election, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Tuesday. Bogdanov, who serves as Russian special presidential envoy for the Middle East and Africa, told TASS,...
  • France says ‘nothing ruled out’ to thwart Russia in Ukraine

    French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told the RTL broadcaster that there was "no consensus" on any "official" deployment of ground troops. "But no dynamic can be ruled out. We will do whatever it takes to ensure that Russia cannot win this war," he said, using the same words as Macron...
  • G7 vows more Russia sanctions after virtual talks on Ukraine

    In a statement after the meeting, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also attended, the leaders vowed to "raise the cost" of Russia's war on Ukraine. The G7 leaders didn't make any public statement about further military aid to Ukraine, but urged "the approval of additional support to close Ukraine's remaining...
  • New Delhi confirms few Indians involved with Russian army

    New Delhi, India - India's foreign ministry confirmed on Friday that some of the country's citizens had signed up for "support jobs" with the Russian army and said it was working with Moscow to secure their discharge. The Hindu newspaper reported on Wednesday that around 18 Indians were stranded in...
  • Price of natural gas in Europe falls to a 3-year low

    LONDON, UK – The price of natural gas in Europe fell again on Friday, taking it to its lowest in almost three years as mild winter weather continues and European stockpiles hold up. Mid-morning on Friday, the benchmark Dutch TTF futures contract was down 3.2 percent at US$24.3 (22.45 euros) a...
  • Glencore 2023 profit down 75%

    The company said lower energy prices cut into its profits.
  • Europe’s gas demand at 10-year low, to peak in 2025: report

    The invasion of Ukraine by Russia triggered a massive shift by European nations away from Russian natural gas delivered by pipelines, with prices for LNG soaring as they competed on international markets for limited supplies. With a limited number of import terminals, European nations were also forced to undertake measures...
  • Dutch court upholds $50bn payment award in Yukos case

    THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS -  A Dutch court quashed an appeal by Russia in a record $50-billion case on Tuesday, paving the way for a payment to former shareholders of dismantled oil giant Yukos. The decision is the latest in a legal tug-of-war over Yukos which broke up in the early 2000s...
  • Israeli apartheid against Palestinians worse than in S.Africa: Pretoria

    "We as South Africans sense, see, hear and feel to our core the inhumane discriminatory policies and practices of the Israeli regime as an even more extreme form of the apartheid that was institutionalized against black people in my country," said Vusimuzi Madonsela, South Africa's ambassador to the Netherlands, where...
  • Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny dies in prison

    Western governments immediately attacked the Kremlin over the death of the most outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin. Navalny lost consciousness after a walk and could not be revived by medics, the prison service said. "Navalny felt bad after a walk, almost immediately losing consciousness. Medical staff arrived immediately and...
  • Putin says prefers more ‘predictable’ Biden over Trump

    Asked by a journalist who Russia would like to see win in the likely contest between the Democratic incumbent and Republican frontrunner Trump, Putin said: "Biden, he's more experienced. He's predictable, he's an old-school politician."
  • EU adopts fallow land exemption after farmer protests

    Brussels, Belgium - The European Commission on Tuesday officially extended an exemption from contested rules to leave a share of agricultural lands fallow, which had become a flashpoint for protesting farmers across the bloc. First lifted in 2023 in response to market disruptions caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the rules...
  • Global conflicts herald ‘dangerous decade’, says military think-tank

    "The current military-security situation heralds what is likely to be a more dangerous decade, characterized by the brazen application by some of military power to pursue claims," the report said.
  • NATO chief calls on Europe to ramp up arms production

    Ahead of a key meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels and the second anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war, Jens Stoltenberg insisted that "we need to reconstitute and expand our industrial base faster, to increase deliveries to Ukraine and refill our own stocks." "This means shifting from slow peacetime to...
  • Russia cannot be defeated in Ukraine: Putin

    During a two-hour long interview with the former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Russia's President Vladimir Putin defended his decision to invade Ukraine in February 2022. The president said the West now realizes that Russia will not be defeated, despite US, European and NATO help to Ukraine.
  • Equinor reports 59% fall in net profit

    Its earnings were US$36.2bn, half of what is was in 2022.
  • TotalEnergies reports record annual profit

    Net profit came in at $21.4 bn, an increase of 4% over 2022.
  • UAE, Russian Presidents discuss regional and global developments

    ABU DHABI, UAE - President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke by telephone to President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to discuss bilateral relations and opportunities to further strengthen UAE-Russia ties. During the telephonic conversation on Monday, Putin expressed his gratitude to Sheikh Mohamed for the UAE’s successful...
  • BP posts US$15.2bn net annual profit

    It will deliver US$1.75bn in buybacks for Q4 of last year.
  • China, Russia blame US for stoking Middle East tensions

    The US forces targeted many positions in Syria and Iraq in retaliation for a drone attack on a base in Jordan that killed three US soldiers. The strikes, which targeted elite Iranian units and pro-Iranian militant groups, have led to fears that the ongoing war in Gaza could spiral into...
  • Russian foreign minister to speak at Valdai Middle East Conference

    MOSCOW, RUSSIA - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will take part in the 13th Middle East Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club to be held on February 13-14, the club told TASS. “About 50 foreign and Russian experts and current political figures from 16 countries, including Algeria, the UK, Egypt,...
  • Saudi, UAE ‘prior’ countries for Russia’s inbound tourism push

    Moscow, Russia -- China, India, Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia will become prior countries for Russia in development of inbound tourism in 2024, according to the concept for promoting Russia’s tourism potential on foreign markets presented by Director General of the Center for Strategic Research Pavel...