Vladimir Putin

US imposes new Russia sanctions, hoping to reduce oil sales to China, India

11 Jan 2025 - 1:25AMvideocam

Donald Trump

Trump says Putin ‘wants to meet ... we are setting it up’

10 Jan 2025 - 1:46PM

Donald Trump

Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda shifts towards imperialist rhetoric

Trump’s rhetoric, reminiscent of 19th-century colonialism, has alarmed allies and emboldened adversaries, raising concerns about the potential for conflict.

10 Jan 2025 - 1:33AMvideocam

Donald Trump’s second term sees a shift from ‘America First’ to imperialist rhetoric, eyeing Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal, alarming allies. Photo: TNS

Diplomacy

Opinion | Spurned by the West, Russia ally Belarus is extravagantly courting China

Sanctioned by the West and unsure of Russia’s support, Belarus is banking on economic ties with China as Lukashenko plans pre-election visit.

8 Jan 2025 - 4:30PMvideocam

Opinion | China-North Korea relations start the new year on a new low

Between Kim’s outpourings to Putin and hardly a mention of Xi’s greeting is a message: North Korea cares little about saving face over relations with Beijing.

7 Jan 2025 - 9:30AMvideocam

Germany

Germany’s Scholz outraged over ‘indecent’ Moscow visit speculation

CDU lawmaker claimed that the chancellor would go to Moscow or meet with Vladimir Putin before Germany’s elections.

6 Jan 2025 - 1:25PM

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Ukraine launches new attack in Kursk region of western Russia

Andriy Yermak, head of President Zelensky’s office, said there was ‘good news’ from Kursk, adding: ‘Russia is getting what it deserves’.

6 Jan 2025 - 3:46AMvideocam

Hong Kong economy

Swiss stance on Russia may boost family office business in Hong Kong: minister

Switzerland’s neutral image affected by Russia-Ukraine war, treasury secretary Christopher Hui says.

5 Jan 2025 - 10:36PM

Crimean officials declare emergency as oil spill reaches Sevastopol

Russian-appointed officials in Crimea announced an emergency on Saturday, as oil was detected on the shores of the peninsula’s largest city.

4 Jan 2025 - 10:01PM

Employees of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations collecting oil-soaked beach sand during an oil spill clean-up operation in the Kerch Strait, Russia, on December 18, 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE

My Take | North Korea’s New Year’s greetings signal shift from China to Russia

Kim Jong-un’s outreach to Moscow and the absence of greetings for Xi Jinping suggest Pyongyang is exploiting Russia’s need for support while testing Beijing.

3 Jan 2025 - 10:30AMvideocam

North Korea’s Kim vows to further solidify Russia ties in letter to Putin

Kim and Putin signed a mutual defence treaty in June, which calls for each side to come to the other’s aid in case of an armed attack.

31 Dec 2024 - 6:14AM

Aviation accidents

Azerbaijan’ president demands Russia admits to shooting at plane before crash

Ilham Aliyev accused Moscow of initially trying to cover up cause of the fatal disaster that killed 38 of the 67 people on board.

30 Dec 2024 - 2:45AMvideocam

North Korea declares ‘strongest’ US strategy in key party meeting

The meeting was held to review the ruling party’s work throughout the year and to discuss strategies and policies for 2025.

29 Dec 2024 - 9:38AM

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un chairs a meeting of the country’s ruling party, in Pyongyang, North Korea. Photo: Reuters

Central Asia

Russia’s Putin apologises to Azerbaijan over ‘tragic’ plane crash

The apology was the closest Moscow had come to accepting blame for the disaster, though only noting that a criminal case had been opened.

29 Dec 2024 - 12:11AM

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Photo: Pool via Reuters / File Photo

North Korean troops experience mass casualties in Ukraine: White House

White House spokesman said Russia and North Korea are treating troops as expendable, ordering them on ‘hopeless assaults’ against Ukraine.

28 Dec 2024 - 3:49AMvideocam

Kazakhstan

Azerbaijan believes missile downed plane, Russia warns against ‘hypotheses’

38 people died in Wednesday’s crash in Kazakhstan. Azerbaijani source said Baku expects Russia ‘to confess’ to shooting down the plane.

27 Dec 2024 - 1:04PMvideocam

US-China relations

Opinion | 2024 shows US-China tensions no longer the biggest story

Unrestrained regional powers jostling for control, building weapons and taking bolder risks are influencing trajectory of world politics.

26 Dec 2024 - 8:35AMvideocam

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives to meet US President Joe Biden at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Lima, Peru, on November 16. Photo: AFP

Aviation accidents

Azerbaijani plane crashes in Kazakhstan, killing 38 and injuring 29

The aircraft, which was carrying 67 people, was diverted from an area of Russia that Moscow recently defended against Ukrainian drones.

26 Dec 2024 - 1:26PMvideocam

TikTok ban

Trump favours keeping TikTok in US after ‘billions of views’ during election

US president-elect offers strongest signals yet that he opposes a potential exit of TikTok from the US market.

23 Dec 2024 - 3:14PMvideocam

Putin meets Slovakia’s Fico, in rare visit to Russia by an EU leader

The leaders discussed the future of Russian natural gas deliveries, and the conflict in Ukraine.

23 Dec 2024 - 1:40PM

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Sputnik via AP

Ukraine capital hit by Russian missiles after cyberattack

The barrage came hours after Putin said he is willing to meet with US president-elect Trump, who has said he wants to end the war.

20 Dec 2024 - 8:34PMvideocam

Cars are seen damaged on Friday after Russian attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine, in which at least one person was killed. Photo: AFP

North Korean soldiers take selfie on Ukraine battlefield

20 Dec 2024 - 6:33PM

China-EU relations

EU finds pursuit of unity hampered by war, trade threats and Trump factor

‘Everyone talks about unity, but actually everybody is out to get the best deal for themselves and to avoid the absolute worst’: diplomat.

20 Dec 2024 - 2:39PMvideocam

Putin says Russia is ready to compromise with Trump on Ukraine war

Putin also said he was ready to organise another missile launch at Ukraine and see if Western air defence systems could shoot it down.

19 Dec 2024 - 8:48PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin answers questions during his annual live broadcast press conference with Russian federal, regional, and foreign media at the Gostiny Dvor forum hall in Moscow. Photo: EPA-EFE

Nato chief wants Ukraine in position of strength for any talks with Russia

Ukraine leader Zelensky is in Brussels to meet European leaders to shore up support for the war against Putin’s forces.

19 Dec 2024 - 5:04AM

Russia warns Ukraine faces imminent revenge for killing of top general

Kirillov, the head of Russia’s nuclear defence forces, died along with his aide in a hit carried out by Kyiv’s intelligence service.

17 Dec 2024 - 8:51PMvideocam