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Russia & Central Asia

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Russia's alleged election meddling
Ukraine
Russia
Vladimir Putin
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An Orthodox priest blesses Russian conscripts during a ceremony in Bataysk, in the Rostov region of Russia on Friday. Photo: Reuters
Ukraine war

Easter truce between Ukraine and Russia ends after thousands of violations

A brief 32-hour lull in the war is shattered as Kyiv and Moscow trade accusations of drone strikes, artillery and tank fire.

China-Latin America relations

China, Russia rally behind Cuba as US squeezes Havana in deepening crisis

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Ukraine war

Ukrainians sceptical as Russia’s Putin orders Easter truce

United States

Russian special envoy in US to meet Trump administration officials: sources

Kirill Dmitriev’s reported trip comes before a US decision on ⁠whether to extend sanctions relief on Russian oil, ‌which expires on Saturday.

Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian presidential envoy, speaks to the media in Moscow on March 26. Photo: Reuters
Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian presidential envoy, speaks to the media in Moscow on March 26. Photo: Reuters
Russia

Russia criminalises denial of ‘Soviet genocide’ by Nazis during World War II

Under the law, anyone who damages monuments to victims of the Soviet occupation – in Russia and abroad – will be jailed for up to 4 years.

Britain

UK tracked Russian submarines in alleged Atlantic ‘covert’ op: defence secretary

John Healey said warships and military aircraft forced Russia to halt activity in UK waters near vital undersea cables and pipelines.

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India

Russia tempts energy-starved South Asia with 40% discounts on US-sanctioned LNG

China- and Russia-based intermediaries are reportedly also providing paperwork to make it appear that the fuel comes from legitimate sources.

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A tanker loads its cargo of liquefied natural gas from the Sakhalin-2 project in the port of Prigorodnoye, Russia, in October 2021. Photo: AP
A tanker loads its cargo of liquefied natural gas from the Sakhalin-2 project in the port of Prigorodnoye, Russia, in October 2021. Photo: AP
China food security

Beyond Russian oil, China also increases appetite for Ukrainian wheat flour

Chinese and Ukrainian officials sign a protocol in Kyiv on inspection, quarantine and sanitary requirements for exports.

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Ukraine war

Ukraine proposes ceasefire on striking energy targets to Russia

Ukraine’s president says the proposal has been conveyed to Moscow through the US.

Russia

Floods kill 5 in Russia, thousands evacuated after dam wall breaks

Social media videos showed villages and highways engulfed by water as the emergencies ministry said further heavy downpours are expected.

First responders carry out a search and rescue operation on Monday in the flood-hit village of Kala in Russia’s Derbent district, following heavy rains. Photo: TASS via Zuma Press / dpa
Afghanistan

Afghan mother demands answers after son dies in Pakistani hospital bombing

Human rights groups have called for an independent investigation into the March 16 strike on a drug treatment centre that killed 411.

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Samira Muhammadi holds up a photograph of her son, Aref Khan, who was killed by a Pakistani airstrike that struck a drug rehabilitation centre on March 16.Photo: AFP
Samira Muhammadi holds up a photograph of her son, Aref Khan, who was killed by a Pakistani airstrike that struck a drug rehabilitation centre on March 16.Photo: AFP
Ukraine war

Russian wheat freighter sinks after attack by Ukrainian drones

At least one sailor has died and two are still missing in the Sea of Azov after attack.

Hungary

Orban appears to blame Ukraine after explosives found on gas pipeline to Hungary

Discovery on Serbian border comes as the Hungarian leader faces a tight election and ‘false flag’ accusations from opposition.

Central Asia

Afghanistan wants US$10 billion in trade deals with Central Asia

Central Asia’s typical trade routes through Russia are hampered by heavy sanctions, while the Taliban is trying to trade with the world despite international sanctions.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi (centre, back), along with representatives from Central Asian states, takes part in the Afghanistan-Central Asia Consultative Dialogue at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Kabul on Sunday. Photo: AFP
Ukraine war

Zelensky fears Ukraine may get less US support to fight Russia due to Iran war

Zelensky has offered to share Ukraine’s battlefield expertise with the US and allies to develop countermeasures against Iranian attacks.

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Ukrainian experts work at the site of a Russian drone strike on a residential area in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Friday. Photo: EPA
Ukrainian experts work at the site of a Russian drone strike on a residential area in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Friday. Photo: EPA
Ukraine war

Ukraine and Russia trade fatal strikes as Zelensky travels to Turkey

The war began in February 2022 after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s troops invaded Ukraine.

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Ukraine war

Ukraine asks for Easter truce, 8 die in Russian strikes

President Zelensky has signalled his openness for a potential Easter ceasefire; his nation and Russia both mark the holiday on April 12.

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China energy security

Chinese airlines shed weight, add flights over Russia to trim fuel costs

Some carriers have even removed non-essential items like in-flight magazines from their planes.

An Air China plane at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. Photo: Shutterstock
An Air China plane at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. Photo: Shutterstock
Ukraine war

Russia is luring students with large financial packages to join drone units

Students are being offered attractive packages to sign up, with the prospect of ending their contracts after one year.

Ukraine war

Russia says it has taken full control of Ukraine’s Luhansk region

A small sliver of land in the area has remained beyond Moscow’s reach since 2022, and Kyiv denies that the situation has changed.

US-China trade war

US lawmakers call for major crackdown on China’s alleged sanctioned oil imports

Bipartisan panel argues sanctions have concentrated discounted oil in Beijing's hands – charges the Chinese government denies.

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This aerial picture taken on October 1, 2025 off the coast of the western France port of Saint-Nazaire shows the tanker Boracay from one of Russia’s “shadow fleets”. Photo: AFP
Russia

Russian military plane crashes into Crimea cliff, killing 29 people

The crash was likely due to a technical failure, with no survivors reported.

A Russian An-26 military transport plane crashed in Crimea on Wednesday, killing 29 people on board. File photo: Xinhua/Sputnik
A Russian An-26 military transport plane crashed in Crimea on Wednesday, killing 29 people on board. File photo: Xinhua/Sputnik
Crime

France convicts Chinese captain of oil tanker linked to Russian shadow fleet

Chen Zhangjie, who is currently at sea, was jailed for a year in absentia. The Borocay was thought to be transporting Russian oil to India.

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Americas and the Caribbean

US to allow Russian oil tanker to reach Cuba in lifeline for the island

Cuba has not received an oil tanker in three months, according to its president, leading to strict petrol rationing and blackouts.

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Ukraine war

Ukraine strikes Russian Baltic port, hundreds of drones shot down

Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian refineries, oil depots and ports justified as part of the effort to cut revenues funding the war.

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A storage tank of Russia’s state oil pipeline company Transneft, pictured at the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga, Russia in 2018. Photo: Reuters
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