News

Russia strike wounds US-backed Syria forces, coalition says

Rana Moussaoui, Agence France-Presse
Posted at Sep 17 08:43 AM

The US-led coalition said Saturday that Russian forces had bombed American-backed fighters battling the Islamic State group in eastern Syria, wounding several, despite denials from Moscow. Read more »

Trump administration orders purge of Kaspersky products

Reuters
Posted at Sep 14 04:51 AM

The Trump administration on Wednesday told U.S. government agencies to remove Kaspersky Lab products from their information systems, saying it was concerned the Moscow-based cyber security firm was vulnerable to Kremlin influence.   Read more »

Russia-based operation bought thousands of divisive ads on Facebook

Joseph Menn and David Ingram, Reuters
Posted at Sep 07 08:13 AM

SAN FRANCISCO - Facebook Inc said on Wednesday it had found that an influence operation likely based in Russia spent $100,000 on thousands of ads promoting divisive social and political messages in a two-year-period through May. Read more »

Russia-tied hackers can gain control of power network: report

Agence France-Presse
Posted at Sep 07 05:25 AM

A Russia-linked cyber-espionage group has hacked into the controls of electricity distribution networks in the US and Europe, raising the risk of malicious, remotely-caused blackouts, computer security firm Symantec said Wednesday. Read more »

Putin: Russia reserves right to cut further US mission

Denis Pinchuk, Reuters
Posted at Sep 06 08:43 AM

Russia reserves the right to cut further the number of US diplomatic staff in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday, in response to what he called Washington's "boorish" treatment of Russia's diplomatic mission on US soil. Read more »

Japan's Abe: agreed with Trump, Putin on cooperation over N Korea

Nobuhiro Kubo, Reuters
Posted at Sep 04 06:51 AM

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he and US President Donald Trump agreed on Sunday that the international community must step up its response to North Korea after Pyongyang announced it had tested a hydrogen bomb. Read more »

US retaliates against Russia, orders closure of consulate, annexes

Yeganeh Torbati, Reuters
Posted at Sep 01 10:37 AM

WASHINGTON - The United States has told Russia to close its consulate in San Francisco and buildings in Washington and New York that house trade missions, the State Department said on Thursday, in retaliation for Moscow cutting the U.S. diplomatic presence in Russia.   Read more »

Russian nuclear experts now studying BNPP for possible revival

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Aug 30 07:56 PM

Atomic energy experts from Russia and Slovenia are now in the Philippines to study the viability of reviving the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), the Department of Energy (DOE) said Wednesday.  Read more »

Trump eyed Moscow business deal during campaign: US media

Agence France Presse
Posted at Aug 29 08:41 AM

WASHINGTON - Donald Trump's real estate company actively pursued plans for a commercial development in Moscow while he was running for president, Trump Organization lawyers said in documents reviewed and reported by US media Monday. Read more »

Russian hackers feel the heat as Trump seeks warmer Moscow ties

Jack Stubbs and Joseph Menn, Reuters
Posted at Aug 25 03:16 PM

MOSCOW/SAN FRANCISCO - When Alexander Vinnik was arrested on money-laundering charges at a Greek hotel in late July, the status of his Jabber secure online messaging account was set to "away". Read more »

Forget oil, Russia goes crazy for cryptocurrency

Maxime Popov, Agence France Presse
Posted at Aug 16 11:53 AM

MOSCOW, Russia - Standing in a warehouse in a Moscow suburb, Dmitry Marinichev tries to speak over the deafening hum of hundreds of computers stacked on shelves hard at work mining for crypto money. Read more »

Trump thanks Putin for kicking out U.S. diplomats

Reuters
Posted at Aug 11 05:46 AM

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for slashing the number of U.S. diplomatic staff in Russia, "because now we have a smaller payroll." Read more »

Top cardinal aims to set up Pope visit to Russia

Agence France Presse
Posted at Aug 10 08:43 AM

A top cardinal due to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow this month says he will be seeking to clear the way for Pope Francis to make a historic visit to Russia. Read more »

Indonesia to barter palm oil, coffee for Russian fighter jets

Agence France Presse
Posted at Aug 08 05:24 PM

Jakarta, Indonesia - Indonesia said Tuesday it would trade palm oil, coffee and tea for Russian fighter jets, saying it wanted to capitalize on international sanctions on Moscow as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was due to arrive for a visit. Read more »

Bagong kambal ni Joel Cruz, ipinakilala

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Aug 08 02:34 AM

Ipinakilala ni Joel Cruz sa "Rated K" ang mga bagong miyembro ng kaniyang pamilya--ang bagong silang na kambal na sina Charles at Charlotte. Read more »

Tillerson says US, Russia can settle problems, ease tension

Karen Lema, Reuters
Posted at Aug 07 03:54 PM

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday he believes Washington and Russia can find a way to ease tension, saying it wouldn't be useful to cut ties over the single issue of suspected Russian meddling in the US election. Read more »

Russia's Lavrov meets Tillerson, feels U.S. ready to continue dialogue

Reuters
Posted at Aug 06 10:40 PM

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday he believed his U.S. colleagues were ready to continue dialogue with Moscow on complex issues despite bilateral tensions.   Read more »

Putin cultivates strongman persona with holiday adventures

Agence France-Presse
Posted at Aug 06 09:53 AM

Russia's President Vladimir Putin, who loves to cultivate a virile man-of-action image, was shown on Russian TV Saturday spear-fishing in a camouflage wetsuit, piloting a powerboat and catching some rays while on a Siberian holiday. Read more »

9 missing in Russia diamond mine flood

Agence France-Presse
Posted at Aug 05 03:51 AM

Rescuers at one of Russia's largest diamond mines were searching late into the night on Friday for nine miners still unaccounted for after water leaked into an underground shaft with more than 100 workers inside. Read more »

Senators head home, block Trump recess appointments

Agence France Presse
Posted at Aug 04 12:46 PM

WASHINGTON - The US Senate adjourned Thursday leaving Donald Trump deprived of any major legislative victory heading into summer break, as lawmakers also blocked the president from making so-called recess appointments during the rest period. Read more »