Tag: Russia

Renewed US-Russia rift threatens slim Syria peace hope

by Francesco Fontemaggi/ and Dave Clark © Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The latest US and Russian bid to find enough common ground on which to build some hope for Syria is in trouble, just days ahead of talks that could make or break the peace process. A United Nations mediator has called on Bashar al-Assad’s regime and a beleaguered opposition coalition to send envoys to Geneva on November 28 to resolve the seven-year-old civil […]

Russia again vetoes bid to renew Syria gas attacks probe

by Carole LANDRY Agence France-Presse UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) – Russia on Friday cast a second veto in as many days at the UN Security Council to block the renewal of a UN-led investigation to identify the perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks in Syria. A draft resolution put forward by Japan would have extended the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) for 30 days to allow time for negotiations on a wider compromise. But Russia used its veto […]

Venezuela suffers another blow as PDVSA declared in default

  NEW  YORK, United States (AFP) — Crisis-plagued Venezuela suffered another blow Thursday as a committee of creditors ruled that state oil company PDVSA has defaulted on its debt, a decision that triggers payment of default insurance to investors. The setback for the oil-rich but cash-poor nation came as no surprise, as the government of President Nicolas Maduro has missed payments on sovereign bonds as well as PDVSA debt, even as the population continues to suffer from […]

Erdogan, Putin, Rouhani to hold Syria summit next week in Sochi: Turkish state media

ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin will next week host Turkish and Iranian counterparts Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hassan Rouhani for summit talks on Syria, Turkish state media said Thursday. The three presidents will meet at Putin’s official residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi for talks on developments in Syria and the region on November 22, the Anadolu news agency said. © Agence France-Presse

Venezuela, in ‘selective default’, signs debt deal with Russia

by Andrea Palasciano with Maria Isabel Sanchez in Caracas Agence France-Presse MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) – Venezuela signed a debt restructuring deal with major creditor Russia on Wednesday, as ratings agencies declared Caracas in partial default. The country is seeking to restructure its foreign debts, estimated at around $150 billion, after it was hit hard by tumbling oil prices and American sanctions. A Venezuelan delegation led by Finance Minister Simon Zerpa signed the deal restructuring $3.15 billion of […]

Russia says May’s criticism an attempt to distract Britons

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia’s foreign ministry on Tuesday dismissed Prime Minister Theresa May’s biting criticism, saying she was vilifying Moscow in an attempt to distract the British public from domestic problems. “British society is not going through the best of times due to the process of the country’s departure from the European Union and an internal schism,” spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement published on the ministry’s website. “It is quite clear that […]

President Duterte vows fair trial for Russian drug smuggling suspects

President Rodrigo Duterte has pledged two accused Russian drug traffickers would get a “fair trial.” Duterte made the commitment at a meeting late Monday with Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev on the sidelines of a regional summit in Manila. “I would just like to say that we have a working functional justice system here and they will get a fair trial and that they will be detained in a comfortable house,” Duterte told Medvedev, according […]

Putin and Erdogan agree on need to boost efforts for Syria peace

SOCHI, Russia (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed Monday on the need to boost efforts to achieve a lasting political settlement in Syria. Despite being on opposing sides of the Syrian conflict, Russia and Turkey have been working together since a 2016 reconciliation deal ended a crisis caused by the shooting down of a Russian warplane. During four hours of talks at the Black Sea resort of […]

Trump backs US intelligence agencies on Russia election meddling, but says Putin denial was also sincere

DANANG, Vietnam (AFP) — United States President Donald Trump said Sunday he backs US intelligence agencies who concluded Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election, but repeated his trust in the sincerity of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s personal denials. “As to whether or not I believe it or not, I’m with our agencies. I believe in our… intelligence agencies,” Trump told reporters in Hanoi. US intelligence chiefs have told congress Russia meddled in the […]

News in photo: Duterte beside Putin, behind Xi in APEC family photo in Vietnam

  (Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte attended the picturing taking for the so-called family photo of world leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit in the central Vietnamese city of Danang on November 11, 2017. He stood beside Russian President Vladimir Putin and behind China’s President Xi.   On Duterte’s other side is Peru’s President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. United States President Donald Trump stood next to Putin. Pictured from left to right […]

Bilateral talks on APEC sidelines: Duterte thanks Putin for “timely” military assistance in ending Marawi war

  (Eagle News) — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a bilateral meeting on Friday, November 10, on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam, where they discussed issues on terrorism, trade, as well as cooperation for further development and strengthening of ties. The 72-year old Duterte met with the 65-year old Putin and thanked him for his timely assistance when the Philippine troops were fighting the war against […]

Toll hits 6 after collapse of Russian high rise

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — The death toll climbed to six people on Friday after the corner section of a nine-storey residential building collapsed in the provincial city of Izhevsk, officials said. “There are three injured and six dead,” said the health ministry in the Udmurtia region of which Izhevsk is the capital. The sixth body was discovered earlier Friday, an emergencies ministry official told AFP. “A woman has been found in the building’s basement,” the […]