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Russia

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Russia. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Moscow

Head of State

President Vladimir Putin

Head of Government

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin

Acting president Iliana Iotova casts her ballot in Sofia on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Bulgaria

Iliana Iotova wins Bulgaria’s presidential run-off election

Acting president set to become country’s first elected female head of state with decisive victory.

21 minutes ago

Ukraine war

Longest truce of Ukraine war ends in Kherson region

56 minutes ago

US-China relations

Could a midterm defeat tame Trump? Not on foreign policy, Chinese experts say

1 Nov 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

China-Africa relations

From rifles to radar: China upgrades African arms trade as Russia, West retreat

Sales to continent’s militaries have shifted qualitatively to air-defence systems, armed drones and electronic warfare gear, analysts note.

1 Nov 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

A screenshot from footage released on September 1 by the office of Burkina Faso's presidency shows what observers say is a Chinese Sky Dragon 30 surface-to-air missile. Photo: Burkina Faso presidency/Facebook

China-Africa relations

Russia surpasses France in African youth appeal, still trails China: survey

Many young Africans now see Moscow as an ally, observers say, while warning Russia’s rivals to take the shift seriously.

1 Nov 2026 - 6:46PMvideocam

China's military weapons

In Focus | How the Zhuhai air show charted China’s path from catching up to flying high

Since the debut show in 1996, the country has gone from importing Russian planes to competing with the US at the cutting edge.

1 Nov 2026 - 6:17AMvideocam

Mainland China

G20 foreign ministers end Atlanta meeting without consensus on key issues

Top diplomats from the world’s largest economies worry about export restrictions and threats to supply chains but stop short of calling out China.

1 Nov 2026 - 4:21AM

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a news conference on Saturday in Atlanta. Photo: AP

Africa

‘Disgrace’: Africa suffering in ‘strongmen’ era, says governance watchdog

‘If you’re an African leader and you see all those strong people rising everywhere … you say, why not me too? I can get away with it’.

31 Oct 2026 - 6:06PM

Ukraine war

‘Escape from hell’: evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky arrive in Ukraine

‘We thought it would be a month or two but years have already passed,’ said a 19-year-old, waiting to see her father again.

31 Oct 2026 - 11:51PMvideocam

North Korea

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un calls for drone surge during dedicated arms exhibition

Kim Jong-un called for a rapid build-up of drone technology during North Korea’s first dedicated drone exhibition in Pyongyang.

31 Oct 2026 - 11:21AM

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits a drone exhibition on Thursday, in this handout released by state media. Pyongyang showcased more than 30 models of unmanned aircraft amid rising regional tensions. Photo: EPA

India

G20 talks expose deep rift as Russia stays defiant and Rubio engages Moscow

Rubio and Lavrov hold talks in Atlanta as European diplomats reject a photo op and accuse Russia of spreading lies over Ukraine conflict.

31 Oct 2026 - 9:45AM

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during the opening ceremony of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta on Friday. Photo: AFP

Ukraine war

Russia’s top independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta ‘killed’ by Kremlin pressure

The outlet – one of the last to openly criticise Moscow’s war in Ukraine – has seen its licence revoked and its journalists detained.

31 Oct 2026 - 5:52AMvideocam

Ukraine war

Russia-Ukraine truce for Oleshky allows aid mission to help starving residents

The first of its kind since the war began in 2022, the mission helps affected residents to evacuate and go to Russia or Ukraine.

30 Oct 2026 - 10:30PM

Ukraine war

Opinion | A Xi-Trump-Putin summit in Shenzhen could kick-start peace in Ukraine

There will be no diplomatic masterstroke in Ukraine’s absence but serious consideration of a ceasefire can lay the groundwork for peace.

30 Oct 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

Indonesia

Will diversifying fuel imports be enough to fix Indonesia’s energy shortfall?

Analysts say Indonesia will need to close its production gaps by stepping up refinery modernisation and investment in alternative fuels.

30 Oct 2026 - 6:35PM

Motorcyclists queue to refuel at a state-owned Pertamina petrol station amid a fuel supply shortage in Bali, Indonesia, on October 15. Photo: Reuters

Belt and Road Initiative

Chinese firms in Serbia not expecting big changes after change in government

After election, victorious Student List called for audit of public projects, including some involving Chinese contractors.

30 Oct 2026 - 4:21PM

United States

Pentagon accuses fired US general of leaking sensitive information

Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia referred to the Justice Department after officials claim he failed three lie-detector tests.

30 Oct 2026 - 10:12AM

Canada

EU considering Canada as ‘associate member’ despite internal opposition

Deeper ties to ⁠Europe are part of PM Carney’s strategy to reduce reliance on the US amid strained relations under Trump.

30 Oct 2026 - 3:43AM

(From left)European Council President Antonio Costa, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attend a roundtable with business leaders during the 21st EU-Canada summit in Montreal on Thursday. Photo: AFP

US-China trade war

US should spy on Chinese firms to maintain edge in tech race: ex-CIA official

Former CIA deputy director’s call to repeal Obama-era ban on economic espionage comes as Beijing rushes to protect trade secrets.

29 Oct 2026 - 9:00AM

Vladimir Putin

Russia’s Putin woos African leaders at summit, slams ‘colonial’ West

Putin says the West is ‘enriching themselves fabulously’ at Africa’s expense and trying to drive Africans back into debt bondage.

28 Oct 2026 - 11:42PM

The Philippines

Philippines holds oil storage talks with Saudi Arabia, Russia, US

The move is aimed at hedging against surges in fuel prices due to the Iran war and the impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon.

28 Oct 2026 - 6:12PM

An attendant refuels vehicles at a fuel station in Manila. Like other countries, the Philippines has been feeling pressure from surging oil prices amid the ongoing Iran war. Photo: EPA

India

Beyond ammo: India’s bid for a lasting role in Europe’s defence

A US$872 million ammo export windfall gave New Delhi a foot in the door. Turning crisis sales into a lasting presence may prove harder.

28 Oct 2026 - 12:30PM

Indian soldiers attend tactical drills in Kargil, Ladakh, with the army's latest weapons, including launchers, machine guns and modern assault rifles, in July 2025. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images

South Korea

Why is the US reluctant to give South Korea wartime control of its troops?

Seoul wants full military command returned by 2028, but Washington is holding back – and analysts say China is the reason.

28 Oct 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo’s cancer is ‘game changer’ for papacy, Vatican foreign minister says

The illness has revealed that the ‘Superman’ pontiff is a ‘poor mortal like the rest of us’, Archbishop Paul Gallagher says.

28 Oct 2026 - 3:02AMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

Rubio invokes China, Russia to defend disputed Venezuela oil deal

US secretary of state says agreement gives access to reserves in a crisis, as opposition leader Maria Corina Machado challenges arrangement.

28 Oct 2026 - 4:21AMvideocam

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Washington’s oil agreement in Venezuela offered the US “a huge strategic advantage” by providing access to reserves in times of need. Photo: AFP

China-Latin America relations

Lula’s win in Brazil deals blow to Trump’s Latin America push: former China envoy

Brazilian leader’s re-election described as representing ‘major setback’ for US president’s effort to assert American primacy in region.

28 Oct 2026 - 12:00AMvideocam

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gestures as he addresses supporters after his victory in the presidential run-off election, in Sao Paulo on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

China energy security

China’s energy supply chain is withstanding test of Middle East war, expert says

Stronger domestic gas output and growing storage have shielded Beijing from global supply shocks, the chief of London-based firm says.

28 Oct 2026 - 2:25AM

United States

Opinion | With diesel deal, Trump is teaching Reagan’s lesson to a larger class

Like Ronald Reagan, who lifted sanctions on a Russian pipeline in time for the midterm elections, Trump is showing his allies that American restrictions are for sale.

27 Oct 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

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Russia

Iliana Iotova wins Bulgaria’s presidential run-off election

Acting president set to become country’s first elected female head of state with decisive victory.

Longest truce of Ukraine war ends in Kherson region

Could a midterm defeat tame Trump? Not on foreign policy, Chinese experts say

From rifles to radar: China upgrades African arms trade as Russia, West retreat

Sales to continent’s militaries have shifted qualitatively to air-defence systems, armed drones and electronic warfare gear, analysts note.

Russia surpasses France in African youth appeal, still trails China: survey

Many young Africans now see Moscow as an ally, observers say, while warning Russia’s rivals to take the shift seriously.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}In Focus | How the Zhuhai air show charted China’s path from catching up to flying high

Since the debut show in 1996, the country has gone from importing Russian planes to competing with the US at the cutting edge.

G20 foreign ministers end Atlanta meeting without consensus on key issues

Top diplomats from the world’s largest economies worry about export restrictions and threats to supply chains but stop short of calling out China.

‘Disgrace’: Africa suffering in ‘strongmen’ era, says governance watchdog

‘If you’re an African leader and you see all those strong people rising everywhere … you say, why not me too? I can get away with it’.

‘Escape from hell’: evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky arrive in Ukraine

‘We thought it would be a month or two but years have already passed,’ said a 19-year-old, waiting to see her father again.

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un calls for drone surge during dedicated arms exhibition

Kim Jong-un called for a rapid build-up of drone technology during North Korea’s first dedicated drone exhibition in Pyongyang.

G20 talks expose deep rift as Russia stays defiant and Rubio engages Moscow

Rubio and Lavrov hold talks in Atlanta as European diplomats reject a photo op and accuse Russia of spreading lies over Ukraine conflict.

Russia’s top independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta ‘killed’ by Kremlin pressure

The outlet – one of the last to openly criticise Moscow’s war in Ukraine – has seen its licence revoked and its journalists detained.

Russia-Ukraine truce for Oleshky allows aid mission to help starving residents

The first of its kind since the war began in 2022, the mission helps affected residents to evacuate and go to Russia or Ukraine.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | A Xi-Trump-Putin summit in Shenzhen could kick-start peace in Ukraine

There will be no diplomatic masterstroke in Ukraine’s absence but serious consideration of a ceasefire can lay the groundwork for peace.

Will diversifying fuel imports be enough to fix Indonesia’s energy shortfall?

Analysts say Indonesia will need to close its production gaps by stepping up refinery modernisation and investment in alternative fuels.

Chinese firms in Serbia not expecting big changes after change in government

After election, victorious Student List called for audit of public projects, including some involving Chinese contractors.

Pentagon accuses fired US general of leaking sensitive information

Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia referred to the Justice Department after officials claim he failed three lie-detector tests.

EU considering Canada as ‘associate member’ despite internal opposition

Deeper ties to ⁠Europe are part of PM Carney’s strategy to reduce reliance on the US amid strained relations under Trump.

US should spy on Chinese firms to maintain edge in tech race: ex-CIA official

Former CIA deputy director’s call to repeal Obama-era ban on economic espionage comes as Beijing rushes to protect trade secrets.

Russia’s Putin woos African leaders at summit, slams ‘colonial’ West

Putin says the West is ‘enriching themselves fabulously’ at Africa’s expense and trying to drive Africans back into debt bondage.

Philippines holds oil storage talks with Saudi Arabia, Russia, US

The move is aimed at hedging against surges in fuel prices due to the Iran war and the impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon.

Beyond ammo: India’s bid for a lasting role in Europe’s defence

A US$872 million ammo export windfall gave New Delhi a foot in the door. Turning crisis sales into a lasting presence may prove harder.

Why is the US reluctant to give South Korea wartime control of its troops?

Seoul wants full military command returned by 2028, but Washington is holding back – and analysts say China is the reason.

Pope Leo’s cancer is ‘game changer’ for papacy, Vatican foreign minister says

The illness has revealed that the ‘Superman’ pontiff is a ‘poor mortal like the rest of us’, Archbishop Paul Gallagher says.

Rubio invokes China, Russia to defend disputed Venezuela oil deal

US secretary of state says agreement gives access to reserves in a crisis, as opposition leader Maria Corina Machado challenges arrangement.

Lula’s win in Brazil deals blow to Trump’s Latin America push: former China envoy

Brazilian leader’s re-election described as representing ‘major setback’ for US president’s effort to assert American primacy in region.

China’s energy supply chain is withstanding test of Middle East war, expert says

Stronger domestic gas output and growing storage have shielded Beijing from global supply shocks, the chief of London-based firm says.

Opinion | With diesel deal, Trump is teaching Reagan’s lesson to a larger class

Like Ronald Reagan, who lifted sanctions on a Russian pipeline in time for the midterm elections, Trump is showing his allies that American restrictions are for sale.

In Focus | How the Zhuhai air show charted China’s path from catching up to flying high

Opinion | A Xi-Trump-Putin summit in Shenzhen could kick-start peace in Ukraine