War

BEIJING, May 17 (Reuters) - A vaunted 'new era' of strategic partnership between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his counterpart Xi Jinping begun in Beijing on Thursday may not exactly have been sealed with a kiss, but it did lead to rare hugs between them.Russia, grappling with Western sanctions after its invasion of Ukraine, is increasingly reliant on its booming trade with China, which is challenging U.S. supremacy in areas from quantum computing to espionage and hard military power.Although President Xi, in keeping with the tenets of China's political culture, ...

BEIJING (Reuters) - A vaunted 'new era' of strategic partnership between Russian President Vladimir Putin[1] and his counterpart Xi Jinping[2] begun in Beijing on Thursday may not exactly have been sealed with a kiss, but it did lead to rare hugs between them.Russia, grappling with Western sanctions after its invasion of Ukraine, is increasingly reliant on its booming trade with China, which is challenging U.S. supremacy in areas from quantum computing to espionage and hard military power.Although President Xi, in keeping with the tenets of China's political culture, is not ...

The handshakes were warm, smiles beaming, as Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on Tuesday. As the two strongmen greeted flag-waving schoolchildren from a red carpet, the People’s Liberation Army band played the Soviet-era ditty Moscow Nights, whose waltzing lilt stood in stark contrast to the mayhem sown by Russia’s latest offensive[1] in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, which has forced almost 8,000 people from their homes.Officially, Putin’s trip is to mark 75 years since the Soviet Union recognized the ...

Zelenskyy says situation in Kharkiv region 'stabilized' after Russian forces make significant gainsUkraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky waits to greet US Secretary of State prior to their meeting in Kyiv on May 14, 2024. Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty ImagesUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that Russian forces had advanced 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, Reuters reported, citing the media outlet RBC-Ukraine.Zelenskyy told reporters that Ukrainian forces had now "stabilized" the situation, however. His comments come as Russian forces seek to build on recent gains in ...

“The Russians don’t have the numbers necessary to do a strategic breakthrough” and there are no indications they’re generating such forces, General Christopher Cavoli, Nato’s supreme allied commander for Europe, told reporters on Thursday after a two-day meeting of the alliance’s defence chiefs in Brussels.Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to Kharkiv. Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via AFP“They don’t have the skill and the capability to operate at the scale necessary to exploit any breakthrough to strategic advantage,” he said. “I’m in very close contact with our Ukrainian ...

Colombo: A Sri Lankan court has remanded till May 30 the five suspects, including a retired Major General, arrested in connection with a human smuggling operation to send former military personnel to serve in the Russian and Ukrainian forces amidst their ongoing war.The Sri Lankan mercenaries had joined Russian and Ukrainian forces after unscrupulous foreign employment agencies misled them in the name of foreign employment, according to police.The former major, a Sergeant of the Sri Lanka Army and three people from a foreign employment agency had facilitated the ex-military personnel's ...

BEIJING -- Russian President Vladimir Putin focused on trade and cultural exchanges Friday during his state visit to China[1] that started with bonhomie in Beijing and a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping that deepened their “ no limits ” partnership as both countries face rising tensions with the West.Putin praised China at a China-Russia Expo in the northeastern city of Harbin, hailing the growth in bilateral trade. He will also meet with students at Harbin Institute of Technology later Friday. Harbin, capital of China’s Heilongjiang province, was once home ...

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsAll Russian attempts to grab a foothold in Vovchansk, a town with a pre-war population of 17,000, “have been foiled”, Ukraine[1]’s General Staff confirmed in an update. Volodymyr Zelensky[2] also said the situation was “generally under control”.Geolocated footage of the Kharkiv[3] town assessed by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggests Russian forces have advanced no more than 8km (5 miles) from the ...

We’ve reached the end of A Gentleman in Moscow[1], but we can’t wrap things up without one final escapade for Alexander (Ewan McGregor[2]), Anna (Mary Elizabeth Winstead[3]), and Sofia (Beau Gadsdon). Before the finale wraps, they’ll need to become spies for the American government—this way, Sofia will have a ticket out of the corrupt Russian leadership.The plan sounds simple enough. While Sofia is off performing at the conservatory in Paris, she’ll sneak off in the middle of the show to deliver the important tapes Alex recorded from dinner a few ...

The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic came with many “new normals,” not least hybrid working and rising prices. Suggestions are growing that the latter may not have been entirely the result of extraneous factors.A study of 17,000 British firms[1] by the country’s Unite Union found that on average they increased their profit margins by 30% in the post-COVID period compared with 2018-2019. The alleged price-gouging was rampant across industries, from supermarkets to energy firms and even private equity-backed veterinary chains. In total, 60%, or 9,651 of the companies analyzed increased their ...

Russian President Putin lays flowers at WWII memorial in Harbin during state visit to China  Yahoo! Voices

BEIJING (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin focused on trade and cultural exchanges Friday on his state visit to China that started with bonhomie in Beijing and a summit with China’s leader Xi Jinping that deepened their “no-limits” partnership as both countries face rising tensions with the West.Putin will attend the China-Russia Expo in the northeastern city of Harbin and meet with students at Harbin Institute of Technology. Harbin, capital of China’s Heilongjiang province, was once home to many Russian expatriates and retains some of these historical ties in the ...

BEIJING – Russian President Vladimir Putin focused on trade and cultural exchanges Friday during his state visit to China[1] that started with bonhomie in Beijing and a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping that deepened their “ no limits[2] ” partnership as both countries face rising tensions with the West.Putin praised China at a China-Russia Expo in the northeastern city of Harbin, hailing the growth in bilateral trade. He will also meet with students at Harbin Institute of Technology later Friday. Harbin, capital of China’s Heilongjiang province, was once home ...

COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan court has remanded till May 30 the five suspects, including a retired Major General, arrested in connection with a human smuggling operation to send former military personnel to serve in the Russian and Ukrainian forces amidst their ongoing war. The Sri Lankan mercenaries had joined the Russian and Ukrainian forces after unscrupulous foreign employment agencies misled them in the name of foreign employment, according to police.The former major, a Sergeant of the Sri Lanka Army and three people from a foreign employment agency had facilitated the ...

Washington — Aleksander Dugin, a Russian nationalist ideologue and strong supporter of President Vladimir Putin, has been bombarded with attacks on Chinese social media, where netizens criticized and mocked his Russian expansionist views that had once included the dismembering of China.Two years after Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine, pro-Russia sentiment has been prevalent on Chinese internet.But the backlash against Dugin has revealed a less mentioned side of what has so far appeared to be a cozy alliance between Beijing and Moscow -- hostility between Chinese nationalists and their Russian counterparts, ...

On May 7, as Russian President Vladimir Putin was inaugurated for his fifth term in office, no one in Russia was prepared to protest. Given the country’s protracted and costly war in Ukraine, its creeping autocracy, and now this spring a major terrorist attack and widespread floods, outsiders may have wondered why people are not taking to the streets in large numbers and calling for an end to Putin’s rule. Are Russians simply unable to think and act for themselves?The situation is more complicated than it appears. Yes, Russian society ...

Russian leader Vladimir Putin was in the northeastern city of Harbin on Friday, the final day of a visit aiming to promote crucial trade with China and win greater support for his war effort in Ukraine.Putin arrived Thursday on his first trip abroad since his March re-election, meeting President Xi Jinping for talks in which the leaders framed their nations' ties as a stabilising force in a chaotic world.China and Russia's strategic partnership has only grown closer since the invasion of Ukraine, and Beijing has rebuffed Western claims that it ...

Finally, the Soviet government specifically mentioned Siberia: “the return to the Chinese people of what was taken from them requires first of all putting an end to the robber invasion of Manchuria and Siberia”.If Russia is indeed the legal successor to the USSR, which it has claimed since invading Crimea in 2014, then Moscow is also liable to settle outstanding Soviet promises concerning the Karakhan Manifesto and the ultimate return of what is now the Russian Far East to China.Putin is desperate to import war material from China. That means ...

By Bernard OrrBEIJING (Reuters) - After sealing pledges of a "new era" of strategic partnership with China's Xi Jinping[1], Russian President Vladimir Putin[2] on Friday is set to highlight the growing importance of trade near the Russian border in China's northeast.Putin ends his two-day, red-carpet visit to China in Harbin in Heilongjiang province, which has long-running trade and cultural ties to Russia, touring a Russian-China Expo and a forum on interregional cooperation.Facing political isolation and Western sanctions over Russia's two-year-old invasion of Ukraine, Putin is increasingly turning to China to ...

By Bernard OrrBEIJING (Reuters) - After sealing pledges of a "new era" of strategic partnership with China's Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday is set to highlight the growing importance of trade near the Russian border in China's northeast.Putin ends his two-day, red-carpet visit to China in Harbin in Heilongjiang province, which has long-running trade and cultural ties to Russia, touring a Russian-China Expo and a forum on interregional cooperation.Facing political isolation and Western sanctions over Russia's two-year-old invasion of Ukraine, Putin is increasingly turning to China to ...

Item 1 of 4 Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend the gala event celebrating 75th anniversary of China-Russia relations in Beijing, China May 16, 2024. Sputnik/Alexander Ryumin/Pool via REUTERS [1/4]Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend the gala event celebrating 75th anniversary of China-Russia relations in Beijing, China May 16, 2024. Sputnik/Alexander Ryumin/Pool via REUTERS Purchase Licensing RightsNew Tab, opens new tab[1]BEIJING, May 17 (Reuters) - After sealing pledges of a "new era"[2] of strategic partnership with China's Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin[3] on ...

In 2021, Patrushev’s spokesperson informed[1] the press that he would soon be reporting to Putin on Western attacks on Russian moral and spiritual values, as well as attempts to impose “alien ideals and norms” that would undermine social stability.  Among those[2] are professing LGBT+ values — another attempt by the “golden billion” (see point 2) to rid the world of “superfluous people.”Using NGOs as agents, the West targeted vulnerable groups in Russia, such as ethnic minorities and religious groups, with the aim of “destabilizing the sociopolitical situation, and discrediting the Russian ...

As the war enters its 813th day, these are the main developments.Here is the situation on Friday, May 17, 2024.FightingVisiting Kharkiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the situation in the northeast was “extremely difficult” but “under control[1]” after the military partially halted a Russian advance, most notably thwarting an invasion of Vovchansk, 5km (3 miles) from the border with Russia.Sergiy Bolvinov, the head of police investigations in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, accused Russia of taking “30 to 40” civilians captive in Vovchansk to use as “human shields” near their command ...

STORY: :: Russian President Vladimir Putin[1] arrives in Harbin on the second leg of his visit to China:: Harbin, China:: May 17, 2024:: The northeastern Chinese city has strong historic ties to RussiaPutin's arrival at Harbin came a day after China's President Xi Jinping greeted him on a red carpet outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.China and Russia declared a "no limits" partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing just days before he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine, triggering the deadliest land war ...

Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping met at the historic Great Hall of the People, seat of power of the Chinese Communist Party, on Thursday (May 16), where a welcome ceremony for Russia’s leader included a guard of honour by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).Calling Xi “my dear friend”, Putin said it is of fundamental importance that relations between Russia and China[1] are “not opportunistic”, and “are not directed against anyone”. Xi said the China-Russia friendship was “everlasting”, and had “become a model for a new type of international relations”. ...

Dan Sabbagh writes[1] that Russia’s rapid advances in Kharkiv raise serious questions about Kyiv’s ability to defend itself. Russia had telegraphed the operation in advance and Ukraine was warned by western intelligence, Sabbagh writes – though military analysts stress there are explanations for why Ukraine has been forced back. “It’s suicidal for Ukraine to have its main line of defence on the border, where the Russians can hit you with artillery and glide bombs and the Ukrainians don’t have weapons available like Himars rocket artillery to hit back because of ...

Russia[1] has expelled the British defence attaché in a tit-for-tat response after the UK kicked out Moscow's counterpart and accused him of being a spyCaptain Adrian Coghill, a Royal Naval officer based at the British Embassy in Moscow[2], has been given a week to leave the country, the Russian foreign ministry confirmed on its Telegram channel.Britain last week announced several measures to target Moscow's intelligence gathering operations in the UK, including the expulsion of Colonel Maxim Elovik.The UK also rescinded the diplomatic status of several Russian-owned properties because they are believed to have been ...

Ukraine knew Russia was planning a summer offensive, but not where it would start. That became clear on 10 May, as Russian forces penetrated the border area north of Ukraine’s second largest city of Kharkiv.They have since grabbed a number of villages not far from the frontier, and are trying to push forward as Ukraine’s outgunned forces try to shore up a weakened front line.A buffer zone or a deeper push?By entering Vovchansk, only 5km (3 miles) inside Ukraine, and seizing large areas of Ukrainian territory in the Kharkiv region, ...

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s trip to China, the Netherlands’ new far-right governing coalition, and a U.S.-built floating pier off the Gaza Strip. Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s trip to China, the Netherlands’ new far-right governing coalition, and a U.S.-built floating pier off the Gaza Strip. Sign up[1] to receive World Brief in your inbox every weekday. Sign up to receive World Brief in your inbox every weekday. Show of UnityRussian President Vladimir Putin ...

SEOUL, May 17 (Reuters) - Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, again denied arms exchanges with Russia, state media KCNA reported on Friday.The U.S. and South Korea accused North Korea of transferring weapons to Russia for use against Ukraine, which it invaded in February 2022. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the accusations, but vowed last year to deepen military relations.Ties between the two countries have strengthened dramatically following North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's visit to Russia's far east in September and ...

Putin, Xi meet in China to reaffirm close ties - CBS News Watch CBS News [1]

Former President Donald Trump[1] warned that as he sits in the "icebox" Manhattan courtroom, China and Russia are strengthening their relationship, which he says poses danger to the U.S. and world. "President Xi of China, I know him well. President Putin of Russia, I know him well. They're right now together working on plans, where they combine — where they get together and do damage. Because that's ultimately what they're thinking about: doing damage," Trump said Thursday outside of the Manhattan courtroom[2]. "And you take a look at what President Xi said ...

The New York Islanders[1] have signed 25-year-old winger Maxim Tsyplakov from the KHL's Moscow Spartak. Tsyplakov had a breakout season, posting career highs with 31 goals and 16 assists, and was fourth in KHL goal scoring. As a new free agent addition, his entry-level contract (ELC) poses minimal financial risk while offering potential upside. The Islanders hope his offensive skills and physical presence, with 145 hits last season, bolster their roster. Concerns remain due to the mixed success of European imports in previous years. By the Numbers47 points (31 goals, ...

A 71st Jager Brigade gunner.71st Jager Brigade photoWhatever the Russian military is trying to accomplish in northern Ukraine—open a new front for a major offensive or, alternatively, create a diversion[1] to distract Ukrainian troops from the ongoing Russian offensives in the east—it’s not going great for the Russians.Heavy Ukrainian forces have reinforced the lightly armed territorial units that fought alone in northern Kharkiv Oblast in the early hours of the Russian incursions on May 9. When Russia’s new northern grouping of forces tried to bolster the infantry assault groups with ...

Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Beijing this week, spending two days meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.In Putin’s first trip abroad since his reelection in March, Moscow and Beijing reaffirmed their commitment to tightening the two Eurasian power’s relationship. In early 2022, just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia and China entered into a “no limits” partnership. “Our cooperation in world affairs today is one of the main stabilizing factors in the international arena,” Putin claimed. “Together we uphold the principles of justice and a democratic world order ...

Executive Summary:A month ago, Moscow feared it was losing its influence across the South Caucasus, most dramatically by pulling its “peacekeepers” early from Azerbaijan and some border guards from Armenia.Russia never lost the leverage that history, geography, and policy gave it and has not recovered what it gave up, but any losses have paradoxically helped it make important gains elsewhere.The Kremlin has managed to convince Azerbaijan that Russia will remain the paramount power in the region through exploiting massive protests in both Armenia and Georgia.What a difference a few weeks ...

A British diplomat has been given a week to leave Russia in an escalation of a diplomatic spat over spying. The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement the removal of Capt Adrian Coghill was in response to "unfriendly anti-Russian actions" from Britain.On 8 May, external[1], the Russian defence attache was expelled from London for alleged espionage as an "undeclared military intelligence officer". Russia says its response "does not end with this measure". It added the "initiators of the escalation will be informed about further retaliatory steps". It was inevitable ...

05/16/2024May 16, 2024Ukraine accuses Russian troops of war crimes in Kharkiv regionUkraine has accused Russian troops of kidnapping civilians and killing a non-combatant in the city of Vovchansk in the northeastern Kharkiv region[1], which has again become a key front in the war."The first shootings of civilians by the Russian military have become known," Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on his Telegram channel.According to Klymenko, a resident who tried to flee and defied Russian orders was killed. Other residents of the embattled city were prevented from leaving, "kidnapped and driven ...

NATO countries are outfitting Ukraine with additional long-range precision missiles that have already been used by the country to strike Russian airfields, naval headquarters, bridges, and other high-value targets.These Western-provided missiles give Ukraine's deep-strike capability a major firepower boost. Former US military officers told Business Insider that the munitions could help Kyiv go after locations that are essential to Russia's operations, and leave its combat and support forces with "nowhere to hide."Ukraine is facing Russian offensives that may get more intense going into the summer, but these weapons could help ...

In New York, the fifth week of Donald Trump’s criminal hush-money trial has drawn to a close, as disbarred lawyer Michael Cohen testified for a third[1] day[2] about his interactions with the former United States president.But Trump’s defence team again took the opportunity to try to poke holes in Cohen’s testimony on Thursday, blasting his credibility, his motivations and even his recollection of key events in the criminal case.Cohen, formerly a member of Trump’s inner circle, is the prosecution’s star witness[3] — and likely the last it will call before ...

Good morning,Joe Biden and Donald Trump will debate each other on 27 June and 10 September, it has been agreed[1], after the Biden re-election campaign proposed two TV debates, bucking a tradition of three.CNN said it would host the first debate in the battleground state of Georgia, and ABC will host the second in a location to be announced. Trump proposed a third date but the Biden campaign rejected the offer. In 2020, Trump pulled out of the second debate as he refused to appear remotely, as the Commission on ...

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia on Thursday declared Britain's defense attaché persona non grata and gave the diplomat a week to leave the country in response to London's decision to expel the Russian defense attaché earlier this month[1] over spying allegations.Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it summoned a representative of the British Embassy in Moscow on Thursday to express its “strong protest in connection with the unfriendly and groundless decision” to expel the Russian attaché from London. “We emphasized that we regard this step as a politically motivated ...

As Americans witness the spectacle of a grimacing Donald Trump, fidgeting nervously as he faces criminal charges in a Manhattan courtroom, an even more consequential drama continues to unfold some 5,000 miles away, where the Russian military is capitalizing on the months-long effort of Vladimir Putin’s GOP puppets to withhold military aid to Ukraine.Whether that delay, caused by members of the GOP House’s so-called “Freedom Caucus,” seals Ukraine’s fate has yet to be seen. [1]As The New York Times’ David Sanger, Julian E. Barnes, and Kim Barker wrote, “Because of the ...

Spokane, WA (99201) Today A mix of clouds and sun with gusty winds. High 78F. Winds WSW at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Partly cloudy. Low 48F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. Updated: May 16, 2024 @ 2:25 pm

President Joe Biden falsely claimed in two recent interviews that inflation was 9% when he took office in January 2021. It was actually much lower. On May 8, President Joe Biden claimed[1] the inflation rate was at 9% when he took office in January 2021 during an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett. “No president has had the run we’ve had in terms of creating jobs and bringing down inflation. It was 9% when I came into office, 9%,” Biden said. The president cited the same statistic during an interview[2] with ...

President Joe Biden falsely claimed in two recent interviews that inflation was 9% when he took office in January 2021. It was actually much lower. On May 8, President Joe Biden claimed[1] the inflation rate was at 9% when he took office in January 2021 during an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett. “No president has had the run we’ve had in terms of creating jobs and bringing down inflation. It was 9% when I came into office, 9%,” Biden said. The president cited the same statistic during an interview[2] with ...

President Joe Biden falsely claimed in two recent interviews that inflation was 9% when he took office in January 2021. It was actually much lower. On May 8, President Joe Biden claimed[1] the inflation rate was at 9% when he took office in January 2021 during an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett. “No president has had the run we’ve had in terms of creating jobs and bringing down inflation. It was 9% when I came into office, 9%,” Biden said. The president cited the same statistic during an interview[2] with ...

Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Become a member [1] Support us just once [2] Key updates on May 16: Zelensky in Kharkiv: Situation 'difficult' but 'under control,' Russia suffers lossesDenmark announces more than $815 million in new military assistance for UkraineMinister: Russia captures, shoots civilians in northern VovchanskSource: Ukrainian drones attack Russian defense manufacturer's facilities in TulaPartisans: Ammunition depot hit at Belbek airfield in occupied CrimeaPresident Volodymyr Zelensky visited Kharkiv on May 16 and received reports from military commanders on the battlefield situation in the ...