A new law that comes into force this week will see virtually all foreigners living in Russia, even young children, required to take a battery of tests on a regular basis to avoid falling foul of the immigration authorities, in a move unprecedented virtually anywhere in the world. Under the …
Read More »Japan holds drills in case ‘foreign forces’ invade disputed islands
The two-day military exercise involving Japan’s self-defense forces, coast guard, and police was conducted in late November on a remote uninhabited island. According to Kyodo news agency, citing unnamed Japanese government sources, the island was chosen specifically because its landscape closely resembles that of the disputed Senkaku Islands, which have …
Read More »Russia’s battles on world stage laid bare by Foreign Minister in RT interview
Speaking as part of an exclusive interview with RT on Wednesday, Sergey Lavrov said that Russia is facing a series of challenges on the world stage, both in terms of a growing standoff over Ukraine and in relations with other states. Freedom of Press According to the country’s top diplomat, …
Read More »Ex-RT host’s media company forced to register as foreign agent in US
The FARA registration, which the company announced on Monday, came after its legal team concluded that any attempts “to prove its independence … would be unlikely to yield a positive result without costly and time-consuming litigation,” Maffick LLC said in a statement provided to RT. It added that it had …
Read More »Ex-foreign correspondent explains what’s behind ‘media war’ against RT in Germany
RT launched its round-the-clock German-language TV channel this week to a storm of controversy in the West. Broadcasting into Germany from Serbia, the channel’s arrival was met with threats of legal action from the media authority of Berlin-Brandenburg, and RT was described by the EU regulators’ representative on Friday as …
Read More »Russian lawmakers consider tightening ‘foreign agent’ laws
A commission of lawmakers in the Federation Council, the upper house, released a report on Wednesday in which they rejected accusations that the measures infringe on civil rights, and suggested that they could be tightened if shown to be helpful to law enforcement. The laws’ critics “usually cite ‘infringement of …
Read More »New German foreign minister calls for renewed talks on eastern Ukraine
Speaking during a trip to Stockholm, Annalena Baerbock suggested restarting the Normandy Format talks – named after those first held informally in Normandy seven years ago – between Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and France, with the aim of bringing peace to the region. The conflict in the Donbass, in eastern Ukraine, …
Read More »Putin calls for review of ‘comical’ rules for ‘foreign agents’
Speaking during a meeting of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights on Thursday, Putin said: “We need to pay attention to this. That includes how the bill was created, and specifically why it wasn’t discussed with the professional community. Not only do we need to consider this, we’re …
Read More »Zelensky to allow foreign armies on Ukrainian soil
The draft law comes as tensions rise on the frontier between Ukraine and Russia, with multiple Western media outlets suggesting that a conflict is around the corner. Moscow has been accused of preparing for war. According to Ukrainian legislation, any type of military formation not written into the country’s law …
Read More »China bound Swiss foreign minister’s plane lands in Moscow after technical issues
Ignazio Cassis, who is also the country’s Vice President, was heading to the province of Zhejiang to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Writing on Twitter, the Swiss Foreign Ministry revealed that government plane carrying Cassis would be checked in order to determine whether onward journey to China is possible. …
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