Russia
Russia’s birth rate falls to 200-year low
Russia's birth rate has fallen to its lowest level since the late 18th century, intensifying a long-standing demographic crisis with significant economic, social and geopolitical consequences.
New study reveals extent of Russian disinformation targeting Emerging Europe
'Pravda network' targeting regions of geopolitical interest for the Kremlin with negative impact on democracy and regional stability.
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Masked Moscow police accused of beating, humiliating dozens of Kyrgyz nationals in bathhouse raid
“We just don’t like you,” one officer reportedly said when asked about the violence used. “Outright fascism,” protest activists.
Venezuela's Maduro to attend Moscow's Victory Day parade
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will travel to Moscow to participate in Russia's Victory Day celebrations on May 9, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has announced.
Ukrainian pilot wanted for treason dodges jail by going to space on Russian rocket
A Ukrainian military pilot convicted of high treason has re-emerged in Earth’s orbit – rather than behind bars – after securing a spot aboard a Russian space mission.
Belarus now ‘untouchable’ under Russia’s nuclear umbrella
President Lukashenko says the new Union State security treaty guarantees Belarus “absolute security,” citing its alliance with nuclear-armed Russia as a strong deterrent against any potential foreign aggression.
Iran FM to visit Russia ahead of second round of US talks
Russia is heavily invested in Iran's nuclear programme, including removing spent fuel as part of the original 2015 nuclear agreement.
COMMENT: Could the US strike a deal to restart Nord Stream gas pipeline?
US President Donald Trump has made it clear that he wants to do business with Russia and tap into its vast raw material resources. But restarting the Nord Stream gas pipeline is the only US-Russian business project that looks viable.
Russia's IT sector fears re-entry of Western competitors
As discussions intensify around the possible return of Western companies to Russia, the domestic IT industry is increasingly concerned that renewed competition from foreign firms could deal a serious low to local tech players.
UPDATE: Hungary blocks EU sanctions on Serbia's deputy PM
Vulin claims Hungary and Slovakia have blocked EU sanctions on him after he made a series of controversial remarks in the European Parliament earlier this week.
Asian giants thrive in Russia despite sanctions
Maintaining a complex balance between profit, geopolitical alignment and risk management, the presence of Asian nations in Russia reveals a divergence between Western corporate exodus and Eastern mercantile strategy.
Siberian permafrost melt acceleration could release two times more CO₂ into the atmosphere than all of humanity since the dawn of history
Forget the damage US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” will do to the international trade system or slowing global growth. The real threat to global economic activity is his decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.
Syrian Alawites find refuge in Russia’s Perm
Russian officials have confirmed a steady flow of Syrian refugees that have begun settling in the Perm region of the country as sectarian attacks continue to target religious minorities, including Alawites.
Kremlin sets the conditions for foreign companies to return to Russian market
Thanks to the tangible thaw in US-Russian relations, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the government to work out the conditions for firms to return. The list is ready, The Bell reported on April 10.
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Russia posts RUB500bn budget surplus in March but hard landing risks increase
Russia posted a RUB500bn ($5.4bn) federal budget surplus in March 2025 amid falling oil revenues, according to preliminary data from the Ministry of Finance.
Russia to launch online marriage register to help women catch cheaters
Conservative lawmakers and Orthodox activists in Russia are advocating the creation of a national registry of married citizens, to be made accessible through the government’s digital platform Gosuslugi.
Gazprom abandons Bolivia's Azero project after 16 years of unfulfilled promises
Gazprom, Russia's state-owned gas giant, has withdrawn from the Azero gas exploration project in Bolivia, ending a 16-year energy venture once heralded as a cornerstone of Moscow's expanding influence in Latin America.
TULGAN: Of Cheese and Chelnoki, the return of shuttle trading
The Trump Administration’s clumsy introduction of punitive tariffs recalls the days when similarly capricious sanctions wreaked havoc over Moscow food supplies that ended up in a shuttle trade in cheese.
Trump’s and Putin’s men to talk Ukraine in Istanbul on April 10
The US and Russian delegations will on April 10 hold their next meeting in Istanbul, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters on April 8. The meeting will be launched at 10h Istanbul time in Russia’s consulate.
Lukashenko gifts Putin with foiled 580kg high explosives terrorist attack
Belarusian authorities intercepted a van carrying 580kg of the high explosive pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), believed to be of US origin, at the Belarus-Poland border, the State Customs Committee of Belarus reported on April 2.