News

In power hungry Philippines, some advocate a nuclear revival

Manolo Serapio Jr and Enrico Dela Cruz, Reuters
Updated as of May 23 08:35 AM

The Philippines splashed out $2.3 billion on the 621-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, but mothballed it after the collapse of a dictatorship and the devastating Chernobyl disaster. Read more »

Trump attacks ex-CIA chief over 'hit job' Russia probe

Agence France-Presse
Posted at May 22 08:16 AM

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump attacked the probe into possible collusion between his campaign and Russia as a "political hit job" on Monday, as a part of a mounting White House effort to paint the probe as politically motivated. Read more »

PH interested in Russian defense tech: Esperon

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of May 20 01:32 PM

The Philippines has expressed its interest in acquiring Russian defense technologies as the two countries reaffirmed security ties. Read more »

PH, Russia to push for OFW model employment contract

Niel Caburnay Tero, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
Posted at May 17 08:24 PM

MOSCOW – The Philippines and Russia have both agreed to have a model employment contract for overseas Filipino workers. Read more »

U.S. senators: 'No doubt' Russia sought to interfere in U.S. election

Reuters
Posted at May 17 03:39 AM

WASHINGTON - The leaders of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee said on Wednesday they agreed with intelligence agencies' assessment that Moscow sought to interfere with the 2016 U.S. election to boost Donald Trump's prospects of becoming president. Read more »

Putin opens new bridge to Crimea, provoking Ukraine, Western ire

Alexander Nemenov, Agence France-Presse
Posted at May 16 07:17 AM

President Vladimir Putin drew condemnation from the US, Europe and Ukraine on Tuesday after he opened a new bridge linking mainland Russia and Moscow-annexed Crimea by driving a truck across it to the peninsula.   Read more »

Putin sworn in for fourth term as Russian president

Ola Cichowlas, Agence France-Presse
Posted at May 08 07:59 AM

Vladimir Putin was sworn in as Russia's president for a fourth term on Monday, extending his almost 2-decade rule by another 6 years at a time of high tension with his Western rivals.   Read more »

Vladimir Putin: Russia's post-Soviet tsar

Agence France-Presse
Posted at May 07 04:33 PM

A KGB officer turned world leader, Vladimir Putin has stamped his total authority on Russia, silencing opposition and reasserting Moscow's lost might abroad while building a strongman image through macho stunts. Read more »

Russian business eyes reform in Putin's fourth term

Andrea Palasciano, Agence France-Presse
Posted at May 06 02:53 PM

Russian businesses are expecting wide-ranging reforms and are full of suggestions for a new government as Vladimir Putin begins a fourth Kremlin term with promises to revitalize the country's economy. Read more »

Putin 4.0 to launch amid crackdown on opposition

Victoria Loguinova-Yakovleva, Agence France-Presse
Posted at May 06 02:20 PM

Vladimir Putin will on Monday be inaugurated for his fourth Kremlin term under the shadow of hugely strained ties with the West and a crackdown on the opposition, with Alexei Navalny and hundreds more detained at the weekend. Read more »

Mueller hints at obstruction in Trump questions: report

Agence France-Presse
Posted at May 01 12:32 PM

WASHINGTON - Special Counsel Robert Mueller has submitted questions to the White House that indicate a focus on whether President Donald Trump tried to obstruct a probe into Russian interference, The New York Times reported Monday. Read more »

Protesters urge Russia to unblock Telegram app

Reuters
Posted at May 01 01:10 AM

MOSCOW - Thousands of people marched through Moscow, throwing paper planes and calling for authorities to unblock the popular Telegram instant messaging app on Monday. Read more »

US senators push banks for information on Russian 'oligarchs'

Patricia Zengerle, Reuters
Posted at Apr 25 08:42 AM

US senators are pressing many of the world's largest financial institutions to disclose any links between their companies and wealthy Russians allied with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a letter released on Tuesday. Read more »

Some U.S. allies caught in crossfire of sanctions on Russian arms

Sanjeev Miglani, Reuters
Posted at Apr 24 01:44 PM

NEW DELHI - U.S. sanctions on Russian military exports have put the brakes on a $6 billion deal with India and may derail the arms purchases of other U.S. allies around Asia, experts say. Read more »

US eases sanctions stance on Rusal; aluminum prices tumble

Agence France-Presse
Posted at Apr 24 06:59 AM

The US Treasury on Monday said that it could lift sanctions on Russian aluminum giant Rusal if tycoon Oleg Deripaska gives up control of the company.   Read more »

US calls China, Russia, Iran, N.Korea 'morally reprehensible' on rights

Lesley Wroughton and David Brunnstrom, Reuters
Updated as of Apr 22 04:53 PM

The United States labeled China, Russia, Iran and North Korea on Friday as "morally reprehensible" governments that it said violated human rights within their borders on a daily basis, making them "forces of instability". Read more »

Comey memos show president Trump obsessed with Russia probe

Agence France-Presse
Posted at Apr 20 01:11 PM

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump repeatedly complained to FBI director James Comey in early 2017 that the Russia meddling investigation was a cloud over his young administration, weeks before firing him, leaked memorandums showed Thursday. Read more »

Unsold aluminum piling up at sanctions-hit Rusal factory

Polina Ivanova, Reuters
Posted at Apr 19 10:01 PM

Russian aluminum giant Rusal is stockpiling large quantities of aluminum at one of its plants in Siberia because US sanctions imposed this month have prevented it from selling the metal to customers, five sources close to the company said.   Read more »

World economy at risk from trade, investment restrictions: opinion

John Kemp
Posted at Apr 18 09:19 AM

Taken together, a thickening web of restrictions on cross-border transactions is imposing a growing burden on business as well as complicating supply chains. Read more »

U.S., Britain blame Russia for global cyber attack

Reuters
Posted at Apr 17 06:32 AM

The United States and Britain on Monday accused Russia of launching cyber attacks on computer routers, firewalls and other networking equipment used by government agencies, businesses and critical infrastructure operators around the globe.   Read more »