Electoral College electors will not receive any intelligence briefing concerning Russian interference in the 2016 US election, says the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on Friday, CNN reports.

The intelligence community said it will not discuss the Russian hacks until a review ordered by Obama is completed in January, <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/coming-soon-real-presidential-election-n696556">NBC </a>reports.&nbsp;

US intelligence agencies said as far back as October 7 they were &quot;confident&quot; Russia was involved in efforts to hack information related to the election, and Obama himself suggested&nbsp;Friday, in his last press conference of the year, that Putin&nbsp;was responsible for meddling in the US election. &quot;Not much happens in Russia without Vladimir Putin...this happened at the highest levels of the Russian government,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;

In the US election, citizens actually vote for the Electoral College voters, who then usually select the presidential candidate their state favoured. But with Trump winning the election despite&nbsp;losing the popular vote by millions, this year presents controversy.

Earlier this month, a group of electors for Clinton called for a briefing ahead of the vote in an open letter to Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, CNN reports.

They sought information on &quot;whether there are ongoing investigations into ties between Donald Trump, his campaign or associates, and Russian government interference in the election, the scope of these investigations, how far those investigations may have reached, and who was involved in those investigations,&quot; CNN reports.

&nbsp;

On Monday, CNN reported&nbsp;that Clinton&#39;s campaign manager, John Podesta, backed the electors seeking to be briefed on the question of foreign interventions, the closst Podesta and anyone from the Clinton camp came to calling into question the legitimacy of Trump&#39;s presidency.

Podesta said in a statement: &quot;We believe that the administration owes it to the American people to explain what it knows regarding the extent and manner of Russia&#39;s interference and this be done as soon as possible.

&nbsp;

Will the Electoral College&nbsp;not&nbsp;vote Trump?

While a total of 29 US states have laws that require the electors to cast their votes for whichever candidate won that state&#39;s popular vote,&nbsp;the penalties for not doing so are weak.

Christopher Suprun, a paramedic from Texas, said he will vote against Trump despite the result of&nbsp;his&nbsp;state&#39;s election. &quot;Donald Trump lacks the foreign policy experience and demeanor needed to be a commander in chief,&quot; he wrote in a New York Times op-ed, <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/coming-soon-real-presidential-election-n696556">NBC reports.</a>

Also from Texas is elector&nbsp;Art Sisneros, who resigned in November, saying a vote for Trump &quot;would bring dishonour to God,&#39;&quot; NBC quotes him as saying,

However, Republicans say that party lawyers have contacted 306 Republican electors, and they believe only a few may vote for someone other than Trump, NBC reports. An Associated Press survey, which interviewed 330 of the 538 electors, found &quot;widespread Democratic aggravation with the electoral process but little expectation that the hustle of anti-Trump maneuvering can derail him&quot;.

(WION)

On Monday the Electoral College will almost certainly vote to make Trump president, ignorant about his Russian connections

Electoral College electors will not receive any intelligence briefing concerning Russian interference in the 2016 US election, says the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on Friday, CNN reports. The intelligence community said it will not discuss the Russian hacks until a review ordered by Obama is completed in January, NBC reports. US intelligence agencies said as far back as October 7 they were "confident" Russia was involved in efforts to hack information related to the election, and Obama himself suggested Friday, in his last press conference of the year, that Putin was responsible for meddling in the US election. "Not much happens in Russia without Vladimir Putin...this happened at the highest levels of the Russian government," he said. In the US election, citizens actually vote for the Electoral College voters, who then usually select the presidential candidate their state favoured. But with Trump winning the election despite losing the popular vote by millions, this year presents controversy. Earlier this month, a group of electors for Clinton called for a briefing ahead of the vote in an open letter to Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, CNN reports. They sought information on "whether there are ongoing investigations into ties between Donald Trump, his campaign or associates, and Russian government interference in the election, the scope of these investigations, how far those investigations may have reached, and who was involved in those investigations," CNN reports. On Monday, CNN reported that Clinton's campaign manager, John Podesta, backed the electors seeking to be briefed on the question of foreign interventions, the closst Podesta and anyone from the Clinton camp came to calling into question the legitimacy of Trump's presidency. Podesta said in a statement: "We believe that the administration owes it to the American people to explain what it knows regarding the extent and manner of Russia's interference and this be done as soon as possible. Will the Electoral College not vote Trump? While a total of 29 US states have laws that require the electors to cast their votes for whichever candidate won that state's popular vote, the penalties for not doing so are weak. Christopher Suprun, a paramedic from Texas, said he will vote against Trump despite the result of his state's election. "Donald Trump lacks the foreign policy experience and demeanor needed to be a commander in chief," he wrote in a New York Times op-ed, NBC reports. Also from Texas is elector Art Sisneros, who resigned in November, saying a vote for Trump "would bring dishonour to God,'" NBC quotes him as saying, However, Republicans say that party lawyers have contacted 306 Republican electors, and they believe only a few may vote for someone other than Trump, NBC reports. An Associated Press survey, which interviewed 330 of the 538 electors, found "widespread Democratic aggravation with the electoral process but little expectation that the hustle of anti-Trump maneuvering can derail him". (WION)

Electoral College voters won't receive intel briefings about Russian election interference before vote

President Barack Obama has alleged that Russia possibly under President Vladimir Putin&#39;s directions carried out cyberattacks during the US polls, as he urged his successor Donald Trump to ensure that the American election process is not under potential &quot;foreign influence&quot;. 
 
&quot;What I can tell you is that the intelligence that I&#39;ve seen gives me great confidence in their assessment that the Russians carried out this hack. Not much happens in Russia without Vladimir Putin,&quot; Obama told reporters during a White House news conference, indicating Putin&#39;s involvement. 
 
&quot;They hacked into some Democratic Party e-mails that contained pretty routine stuff, some of it embarrassing or uncomfortable because I suspect that if any of us got our emails hacked into there might be some things that we would not want suddenly appearing on the front page of a newspaper or a telecast, even if there was not anything particularly illegal or controversial about it,&quot; he said yesterday. 
 
A worried Obama also lashed out at Russia for its alleged effort to influence the US election, saying the country does not produce anything and lacks innovation. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve got to think what is happening to our political culture here. The Russians can&#39;t change us or significantly weaken us. They are a smaller country, they are a weaker country, their economy doesn&#39;t produce anything that anybody wants to buy except oil and gas and arms. They don&#39;t innovate,&quot; Obama said. 
 
Obama assured Americans that the ballot itself was not rigged and promised to &quot;send a clear message to Russia or others not to do this to us, because we can do stuff to you.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;But they can impact us if we lose track of who we are. 
 
They can impact us if we abandon our values. Putin can weaken us just like he&#39;s trying to weaken Europe if we start buying into notions that it&#39;s OK to intimidate the press, or lock up dissidents, or discriminate against people because of their faith or what they look like,&quot; he said. 
 
Terming it a &quot;pretty hierarchical operation&quot;, Obama said there was not a lot of debate and democratic deliberation, particularly when it comes to policies directed at the US. 
 
&quot;We have said and I will confirm that this happened at the highest levels of the Russian government and I will let you make that determination as to whether there are high-level Russian officials who go off rogue and decide to tamper with the US election process without Vladimir Putin knowing about it,&quot; he said. 
 
Obama said he had raised the issue when he met Putin recently in China. 
 
Obama also hopedhis successor Donald Trump will show equal concern to ensure that the American election process is not under a potential &quot;foreign influence&quot;. 
 
&quot;My hope is that the president-elect is going to similarly be concerned with making sure that we don&#39;t have a potential foreign influence in our election process. I don&#39;t think any American wants that. And that shouldn&#39;t be a source of an argument,&quot; Obama said. 
 
The US President also called for bipartisan unity on the issue.

(PTI)

Outgoing US President Barack Obama lashed out at Russia for its alleged effort to influence the US election

President Barack Obama has alleged that Russia possibly under President Vladimir Putin's directions carried out cyberattacks during the US polls, as he urged his successor Donald Trump to ensure that the American election process is not under potential "foreign influence". "What I can tell you is that the intelligence that I've seen gives me great confidence in their assessment that the Russians carried out this hack. Not much happens in Russia without Vladimir Putin," Obama told reporters during a White House news conference, indicating Putin's involvement. "They hacked into some Democratic Party e-mails that contained pretty routine stuff, some of it embarrassing or uncomfortable because I suspect that if any of us got our emails hacked into there might be some things that we would not want suddenly appearing on the front page of a newspaper or a telecast, even if there was not anything particularly illegal or controversial about it," he said yesterday. A worried Obama also lashed out at Russia for its alleged effort to influence the US election, saying the country does not produce anything and lacks innovation. "We've got to think what is happening to our political culture here. The Russians can't change us or significantly weaken us. They are a smaller country, they are a weaker country, their economy doesn't produce anything that anybody wants to buy except oil and gas and arms. They don't innovate," Obama said. Obama assured Americans that the ballot itself was not rigged and promised to "send a clear message to Russia or others not to do this to us, because we can do stuff to you." "But they can impact us if we lose track of who we are. They can impact us if we abandon our values. Putin can weaken us just like he's trying to weaken Europe if we start buying into notions that it's OK to intimidate the press, or lock up dissidents, or discriminate against people because of their faith or what they look like," he said. Terming it a "pretty hierarchical operation", Obama said there was not a lot of debate and democratic deliberation, particularly when it comes to policies directed at the US. "We have said and I will confirm that this happened at the highest levels of the Russian government and I will let you make that determination as to whether there are high-level Russian officials who go off rogue and decide to tamper with the US election process without Vladimir Putin knowing about it," he said. Obama said he had raised the issue when he met Putin recently in China. Obama also hopedhis successor Donald Trump will show equal concern to ensure that the American election process is not under a potential "foreign influence". "My hope is that the president-elect is going to similarly be concerned with making sure that we don't have a potential foreign influence in our election process. I don't think any American wants that. And that shouldn't be a source of an argument," Obama said. The US President also called for bipartisan unity on the issue. (PTI)

US polls cyberattack orchestrated by Putin's Russia, Obama alleges

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia may relax rules for Japanese citizens to visit the islands in the Pacific that are the&nbsp;subject of a territorial dispute between Moscow and Tokyo.

Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo after meeting Japan&#39;s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Putin also said that a solution needs to be found to the territorial dispute, and he invited Abe to visit Russia.

The two leaders in their talks discussed the situation on the Korean peninsula, Putin told reporters.

(Reuters)

Following his meeting with Abe, Putin said that a solution needs to be found to the territorial dispute and invited Abe to visit Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia may relax rules for Japanese citizens to visit the islands in the Pacific that are the subject of a territorial dispute between Moscow and Tokyo. Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo after meeting Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Putin also said that a solution needs to be found to the territorial dispute, and he invited Abe to visit Russia. The two leaders in their talks discussed the situation on the Korean peninsula, Putin told reporters. (Reuters)

Russia may ease Japanese visits to disputed islands: Putin

President Vladimir Putin said he and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan are working to organise a new series of Syrian peace talks without the involvement of the United States or the United Nations.

In a snub to Washington, Putin made clear on Friday that the initiative was the sole preserve of Moscow and Turkey and that the peace talks, if they happened, would be in addition to intermittent UN-brokered negotiations in Geneva.

&quot;The next step is to reach an agreement on a total ceasefire across the whole of Syria,&quot; Putin said in Tokyo. &quot;We are conducting very active negotiations with representatives of the armed opposition, brokered by Turkey.&quot;

Putin, who has leveraged Russia&#39;s role in Syria to boost his diplomatic muscle, said the talks proposal was being put to the Syrian government and the opposition. Kazakhstan, the proposed venue, is a Russian ally, and Putin said the talks could take place in Astana, the Kazakh capital.

The surprise move underlines the growing strength of Moscow&#39;s rapprochement with Ankara, with which it fell out last year over the shooting down of a Russian plane, and reflects Russia&#39;s desire to cement its growing influence in the Middle East and more widely.

It also shows how fed up Russia is with what it sees as long and pointless talks with the Obama administration over Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier this week dismissed those talks as &quot;fruitless sitting around&quot; and said Ankara might prove a more effective partner on Syria.

Turkey, which wants to boost its global sway too, is also deeply frustrated by US&nbsp;policy in Syria, particularly Washington&#39;s support for Kurdish militia fighters it sees as a hostile force, and by what it views as Barack Obama&#39;s failure to give enough support to the rebels.

Putin played down the idea that the talks would sideline or overshadow similar talks brokered by the United Nations that have been held intermittently in Geneva.

&quot;It won&rsquo;t compete with the Geneva talks, but will complement them. Wherever the conflicting sides meet, in my view it is the right thing to do to try to find a political solution,&quot; he said.

The initiative is unlikely to go down well with UN&nbsp;envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura however. He told reporters in Paris on Thursday that it was time for all sides to return to the table, but the United Nations would have to broker any talks for them to have legitimacy.

&nbsp;

ODD COUPLE

Russia still hopes it can co-operate on Syria with the United States and join forces with Washington against Islamic State once President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

But Trump will not be inaugurated until January&nbsp;20, leaving a power vacuum, and is likely in any case to need some time to formulate foreign policy.

The alliance between Moscow and Ankara is at first glance an odd one. Russia is one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s closest allies, while Turkey, a NATO member, wants him removed.

But Ankara may be ready to accept a transition in which Assad is involved, provided he ultimately relinquishes power.

Turkey&#39;s main priority, on which it will want at least tacit Russian agreement, is to ensure that Kurdish militias are unable to gain further territory in Syria along its borders.

Ankara launched an incursion into Syria, &quot;Operation Euphrates Shield&quot;, in August to push Islamic State out of a 90-km (55-mile) stretch of frontier territory and prevent Kurdish groups from seizing ground in their wake.

Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli acknowledged two weeks ago that Turkey &quot;would not have moved so comfortably&quot; without the rapprochement with Russia, which effectively controls parts of northern Syrian air space.

Turkey now wants the rebels it supports to push further south into Syria and take the Islamic State-held city of al-Bab, around 40 kilometres northeast of Aleppo.

Erdogan is determined that the Turkish-backed rebels capture the city to prevent Kurdish militias from doing so. But that ambition could cause difficulties with Moscow, as al-Bab lies close to the front lines of Assad&#39;s allies.

&nbsp;

ALEPPO DEAL

Putin had only warm words for the prospect of deeper Russo-Turkish co-operation however and said the evacuation of rebels from Aleppo was something that he and Erdogan had agreed on.

He hoped the Syrian army would be able to consolidate its position in Aleppo and civilians return to normal life.

The RIA agency this week quoted Andrei Kelin, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official, as saying it had been easier to deal with Turkey on Aleppo than the United States.

&quot;It was much more straightforward to reach agreements with Turkey than with the Americans,&quot; he was cited as saying.

Putin played down the Syrian government&#39;s recent loss of Palmyra to Islamic State, blaming the lack of coordination between the US

led coalition, the Syrian authorities, and Russia for the setback.

&ldquo;Everything that is happening in Palmyra is the result of uncoordinated action,&quot; said Putin.

&ldquo;The question of Palmyra is purely symbolic. Aleppo is much more important from a military-political point of view.&rdquo;

(Reuters)

In a snub to Washington, Putin made clear on Friday that the initiative was the sole preserve of Moscow and Turkey

President Vladimir Putin said he and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan are working to organise a new series of Syrian peace talks without the involvement of the United States or the United Nations. In a snub to Washington, Putin made clear on Friday that the initiative was the sole preserve of Moscow and Turkey and that the peace talks, if they happened, would be in addition to intermittent UN-brokered negotiations in Geneva. "The next step is to reach an agreement on a total ceasefire across the whole of Syria," Putin said in Tokyo. "We are conducting very active negotiations with representatives of the armed opposition, brokered by Turkey." Putin, who has leveraged Russia's role in Syria to boost his diplomatic muscle, said the talks proposal was being put to the Syrian government and the opposition. Kazakhstan, the proposed venue, is a Russian ally, and Putin said the talks could take place in Astana, the Kazakh capital. The surprise move underlines the growing strength of Moscow's rapprochement with Ankara, with which it fell out last year over the shooting down of a Russian plane, and reflects Russia's desire to cement its growing influence in the Middle East and more widely. It also shows how fed up Russia is with what it sees as long and pointless talks with the Obama administration over Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier this week dismissed those talks as "fruitless sitting around" and said Ankara might prove a more effective partner on Syria. Turkey, which wants to boost its global sway too, is also deeply frustrated by US policy in Syria, particularly Washington's support for Kurdish militia fighters it sees as a hostile force, and by what it views as Barack Obama's failure to give enough support to the rebels. Putin played down the idea that the talks would sideline or overshadow similar talks brokered by the United Nations that have been held intermittently in Geneva. "It won’t compete with the Geneva talks, but will complement them. Wherever the conflicting sides meet, in my view it is the right thing to do to try to find a political solution," he said. The initiative is unlikely to go down well with UN envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura however. He told reporters in Paris on Thursday that it was time for all sides to return to the table, but the United Nations would have to broker any talks for them to have legitimacy. ODD COUPLE Russia still hopes it can co-operate on Syria with the United States and join forces with Washington against Islamic State once President-elect Donald Trump takes office. But Trump will not be inaugurated until January 20, leaving a power vacuum, and is likely in any case to need some time to formulate foreign policy. The alliance between Moscow and Ankara is at first glance an odd one. Russia is one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's closest allies, while Turkey, a NATO member, wants him removed. But Ankara may be ready to accept a transition in which Assad is involved, provided he ultimately relinquishes power. Turkey's main priority, on which it will want at least tacit Russian agreement, is to ensure that Kurdish militias are unable to gain further territory in Syria along its borders. Ankara launched an incursion into Syria, "Operation Euphrates Shield", in August to push Islamic State out of a 90-km (55-mile) stretch of frontier territory and prevent Kurdish groups from seizing ground in their wake. Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli acknowledged two weeks ago that Turkey "would not have moved so comfortably" without the rapprochement with Russia, which effectively controls parts of northern Syrian air space. Turkey now wants the rebels it supports to push further south into Syria and take the Islamic State-held city of al-Bab, around 40 kilometres northeast of Aleppo. Erdogan is determined that the Turkish-backed rebels capture the city to prevent Kurdish militias from doing so. But that ambition could cause difficulties with Moscow, as al-Bab lies close to the front lines of Assad's allies. ALEPPO DEAL Putin had only warm words for the prospect of deeper Russo-Turkish co-operation however and said the evacuation of rebels from Aleppo was something that he and Erdogan had agreed on. He hoped the Syrian army would be able to consolidate its position in Aleppo and civilians return to normal life. The RIA agency this week quoted Andrei Kelin, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official, as saying it had been easier to deal with Turkey on Aleppo than the United States. "It was much more straightforward to reach agreements with Turkey than with the Americans," he was cited as saying. Putin played down the Syrian government's recent loss of Palmyra to Islamic State, blaming the lack of coordination between the US led coalition, the Syrian authorities, and Russia for the setback. “Everything that is happening in Palmyra is the result of uncoordinated action," said Putin. “The question of Palmyra is purely symbolic. Aleppo is much more important from a military-political point of view.” (Reuters)

Putin and Erdogan push for Syria talks without US or UN

The White House on Thursday pointed to Russian President Vladimir Putin&#39;s direct involvement in&nbsp;cyber attacks designed to impact the US election, dramatically upping the stakes in a dispute&nbsp;between the world&#39;s leading nuclear powers.

Publicly accusing Putin puts the White House under even greater pressure to respond forcefully to&nbsp;interference that may have swayed a tight November election between Republican President-elect&nbsp;Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Obama will hold a news conference Friday at 2:15 pm (1915 GMT) before leaving for a vacation in&nbsp;Hawaii. He is expected to be peppered with questions about the hacking dispute.

&quot;I don&#39;t think things happen in the Russian government of this consequence without Vladimir Putin&nbsp;knowing about it,&quot; said Ben Rhodes, a top adviser to President Barack Obama.

&quot;Everything we know about how Russia operates and how Putin controls that government would suggest&nbsp;that, again, when you&#39;re talking about a significant cyber intrusion like this, we&#39;re talking about&nbsp;the highest levels of government,&quot; he told MSNBC television.

&quot;And ultimately, Vladimir Putin is the official responsible for the actions of the Russian&nbsp;government.&quot;

His comments were echoed by White House spokesman Josh Earnest, who said that the decision by US&nbsp;intelligence agencies in October to publicly blame &quot;Russia&#39;s senior-most officials&quot; was not meant to&nbsp;be &quot;particularly subtle.&quot;

But blaming Putin now also puts the White House on a collision course with Trump himself, who&nbsp;continues to question Russian involvement in hacks of Democratic Party emails that were unflattering&nbsp;to Clinton.

&quot;If Russia, or some other entity, was hacking, why did the White House wait so long to act? Why did&nbsp;they only complain after Hillary lost?&quot; he tweeted.

&#39;Ridiculous nonsense&#39;

The 70-year-old billionaire-turned-incoming president appeared increasingly isolated in his stance,&nbsp;which runs against US intelligence estimates.

The conclusions by key bodies including the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of&nbsp;Investigation have been accepted throughout the government, including among top members of Trump&#39;s&nbsp;own party.

In just five weeks, Trump will be in charge of those agencies when he succeeds Obama on January 20.

On Wednesday, senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he was informed by the FBI in August&nbsp;that his own campaign had been hacked.&nbsp;

&quot;My goal is to put on President Trump&#39;s desk crippling sanctions against Russia. They need to pay a&nbsp;price,&quot; he said.

Former CIA director Michael Hayden called Trump &quot;the only prominent American that has not yet&nbsp;conceded that the Russians conducted a massive covert influence campaign against the United States.&quot;

&quot;On this particular event, what Mr Trump says about it is the same thing that Mr Putin says about&nbsp;it.&quot;

The Kremlin rejected the allegations of Putin&#39;s involvement.&nbsp;

&quot;Ridiculous nonsense cannot have any basis,&quot; his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists Thursday.

Trump&#39;s repeated dismissal of the CIA and FBI reports, and comments he made that former CIA&nbsp;officials call insulting to the intelligence community, threaten to undermine his relationship with&nbsp;an essential part of the government even before he takes office.

As for Trump&#39;s assertion that no one addressed the issue before his election win, Obama has&nbsp;repeatedly said both the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee were&nbsp;apprised of the hacking and the Russian threat well before November 8.

&quot;We determined and announced in October that it was the consensus of all the intelligence agencies&nbsp;and law enforcement that organizations affiliated with Russian intelligence were responsible for the&nbsp;hacking of the DNC, materials that were being leaked,&quot; Obama said Monday.

&quot;So that was a month before the election -- this was not a secret.&quot;

In Congress, some senior legislators are demanding a broad investigation and declassification of at&nbsp;least some of the secret CIA and FBI reports.

(AFP)

Obama will hold a news conference Friday before leaving for a vacation in Hawaii. He's expected to be peppered with questions on the issue

The White House on Thursday pointed to Russian President Vladimir Putin's direct involvement in cyber attacks designed to impact the US election, dramatically upping the stakes in a dispute between the world's leading nuclear powers. Publicly accusing Putin puts the White House under even greater pressure to respond forcefully to interference that may have swayed a tight November election between Republican President-elect Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. Obama will hold a news conference Friday at 2:15 pm (1915 GMT) before leaving for a vacation in Hawaii. He is expected to be peppered with questions about the hacking dispute. "I don't think things happen in the Russian government of this consequence without Vladimir Putin knowing about it," said Ben Rhodes, a top adviser to President Barack Obama. "Everything we know about how Russia operates and how Putin controls that government would suggest that, again, when you're talking about a significant cyber intrusion like this, we're talking about the highest levels of government," he told MSNBC television. "And ultimately, Vladimir Putin is the official responsible for the actions of the Russian government." His comments were echoed by White House spokesman Josh Earnest, who said that the decision by US intelligence agencies in October to publicly blame "Russia's senior-most officials" was not meant to be "particularly subtle." But blaming Putin now also puts the White House on a collision course with Trump himself, who continues to question Russian involvement in hacks of Democratic Party emails that were unflattering to Clinton. "If Russia, or some other entity, was hacking, why did the White House wait so long to act? Why did they only complain after Hillary lost?" he tweeted. 'Ridiculous nonsense' The 70-year-old billionaire-turned-incoming president appeared increasingly isolated in his stance, which runs against US intelligence estimates. The conclusions by key bodies including the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have been accepted throughout the government, including among top members of Trump's own party. In just five weeks, Trump will be in charge of those agencies when he succeeds Obama on January 20. On Wednesday, senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he was informed by the FBI in August that his own campaign had been hacked. "My goal is to put on President Trump's desk crippling sanctions against Russia. They need to pay a price," he said. Former CIA director Michael Hayden called Trump "the only prominent American that has not yet conceded that the Russians conducted a massive covert influence campaign against the United States." "On this particular event, what Mr Trump says about it is the same thing that Mr Putin says about it." The Kremlin rejected the allegations of Putin's involvement. "Ridiculous nonsense cannot have any basis," his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists Thursday. Trump's repeated dismissal of the CIA and FBI reports, and comments he made that former CIA officials call insulting to the intelligence community, threaten to undermine his relationship with an essential part of the government even before he takes office. As for Trump's assertion that no one addressed the issue before his election win, Obama has repeatedly said both the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee were apprised of the hacking and the Russian threat well before November 8. "We determined and announced in October that it was the consensus of all the intelligence agencies and law enforcement that organizations affiliated with Russian intelligence were responsible for the hacking of the DNC, materials that were being leaked," Obama said Monday. "So that was a month before the election -- this was not a secret." In Congress, some senior legislators are demanding a broad investigation and declassification of at least some of the secret CIA and FBI reports. (AFP)

White House backs intelligence claims on Putin's role in election hack

Russian president Vladimir Putin was &quot;personally involved&quot; in interfering in the US presidential elections, NBC quoted senior US intelligence officials as saying.

The Russian president &quot;personally directed&quot; how hacked materials from Democrats were to be leaked and used, two senior intelligence officials with direct access to the information told NBC.

The intelligence came from diplomatic sources and spies working for US allies, the officials said.&nbsp;

The CIA believes Russians facilitated in leaking embarrassing emails about Democrats so as to undermine Hillary Clinton&#39;s chances of winning the elections, US media has reported previously.

The officials further said that US intelligence officials have a &quot;high level of confidence&quot; that Putin was personally involved in the covert campaign to interfere in the US elections. He did so because of his &quot;vendetta&quot; against Hillary Clinton, to show corruption in American politics and to &quot;split off key American allies by creating the image that [other countries] couldn&#39;t depend on the US&nbsp;to be a credible global leader anymore,&quot; a highly placed intelligence official told NBC.

&quot;He has had a vendetta against Hillary Clinton, that has been known for a long time because of what she said about his elections back in the parliamentary elections of 2011. He wants to discredit American democracy and make us weaker in terms of leading the liberal democratic order. And most certainly he likes President-elect Trump&#39;s views on Russia,&quot; Michael McFaul, who was ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014, told NBC.

A CIA secret report concluded that Russian interference in the election helped Donald Trump win the White House, The Washington Post reported last week.

The Post reported that individuals connected to the Russian government provided Wikileaks with hacked emails from the Democratic National Commitee emails and Hillary Clinton&#39;s campaign chief John Podesta.

Donald Trump, meanwhile, has&nbsp;rejected Russian involvement in the elections.

(WION)

 
&nbsp;

Putin 'personally directed' how hacked materials from Democrats were to be leaked and used, two senior intelligence officials told NBC

Russian president Vladimir Putin was "personally involved" in interfering in the US presidential elections, NBC quoted senior US intelligence officials as saying. The Russian president "personally directed" how hacked materials from Democrats were to be leaked and used, two senior intelligence officials with direct access to the information told NBC. The intelligence came from diplomatic sources and spies working for US allies, the officials said. The CIA believes Russians facilitated in leaking embarrassing emails about Democrats so as to undermine Hillary Clinton's chances of winning the elections, US media has reported previously. The officials further said that US intelligence officials have a "high level of confidence" that Putin was personally involved in the covert campaign to interfere in the US elections. He did so because of his "vendetta" against Hillary Clinton, to show corruption in American politics and to "split off key American allies by creating the image that [other countries] couldn't depend on the US to be a credible global leader anymore," a highly placed intelligence official told NBC. "He has had a vendetta against Hillary Clinton, that has been known for a long time because of what she said about his elections back in the parliamentary elections of 2011. He wants to discredit American democracy and make us weaker in terms of leading the liberal democratic order. And most certainly he likes President-elect Trump's views on Russia," Michael McFaul, who was ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014, told NBC. A CIA secret report concluded that Russian interference in the election helped Donald Trump win the White House, The Washington Post reported last week. The Post reported that individuals connected to the Russian government provided Wikileaks with hacked emails from the Democratic National Commitee emails and Hillary Clinton's campaign chief John Podesta. Donald Trump, meanwhile, has rejected Russian involvement in the elections. (WION)

Putin 'personally' interfered in US elections: NBC

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been investigating Donald Trump&rsquo;s former campaign manager&rsquo;s foreign business connections, NBC news reported.&nbsp;

Paul Manafort&nbsp;is being investigated for his alleged business ties with Russia and Ukraine, NBC news reported on Monday night. &nbsp;

In August, Politoco reported&nbsp;that Manafort&nbsp;resigned from&nbsp;the Trump campaign amid revelations of his&nbsp;work lobbying for pro-Russian Ukrainian&nbsp;oligarchs, which Politico&nbsp;was at odds with Trump&#39;s claim to be free of moneyed interests.

NBC news further reported that the inquiry is only preliminary and not a criminal investigation.

Manafort told NBC news, &ldquo;None of it is true. There&#39;s no investigation going on by the FBI that I&#39;m aware of.&quot;

&quot;This is all political propaganda, meant to deflect,&quot; he added.

In that August article, Politico&nbsp;reported&nbsp;that a source close to the Trump campaign said the Trump family was particularly troubled by reports that Manafort was involved with Russia, activities which he reportedly&nbsp;hadn&#39;t disclosed.

The same source added that the Trump family was also unhappy about changes made to the Republican platform that were seen as beneficial to Russia, in which they felt Manafort played a role.

The Manafort inquiry comes just days after FBI director James Comey announced a reopened investigation into Hillary Clinton&rsquo;s emails mere days before the November 8 election.&nbsp;

The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/31/james-comey-fbi-clinton-trump-email-investigation-russia-hack">Guardian reports</a> that the Clinton campaign has been especially vocal of late,&nbsp;blasting Comey&#39;s decision as a &quot;jaw-dropping&quot; double standard after claims emerged that he had sought to withhold evidence of Russian support for Donald Trump, out of fear that it could influence the outcome of the US election.

(WION)

Manafort, who denies all,?resigned from?the campaign in August?amid revelations of his?work lobbying for pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarchs

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been investigating Donald Trump’s former campaign manager’s foreign business connections, NBC news reported. Paul Manafort is being investigated for his alleged business ties with Russia and Ukraine, NBC news reported on Monday night. In August, Politoco reported that Manafort resigned from the Trump campaign amid revelations of his work lobbying for pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarchs, which Politico was at odds with Trump's claim to be free of moneyed interests. NBC news further reported that the inquiry is only preliminary and not a criminal investigation. Manafort told NBC news, “None of it is true. There's no investigation going on by the FBI that I'm aware of." "This is all political propaganda, meant to deflect," he added. In that August article, Politico reported that a source close to the Trump campaign said the Trump family was particularly troubled by reports that Manafort was involved with Russia, activities which he reportedly hadn't disclosed. The same source added that the Trump family was also unhappy about changes made to the Republican platform that were seen as beneficial to Russia, in which they felt Manafort played a role. The Manafort inquiry comes just days after FBI director James Comey announced a reopened investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails mere days before the November 8 election. The Guardian reports that the Clinton campaign has been especially vocal of late, blasting Comey's decision as a "jaw-dropping" double standard after claims emerged that he had sought to withhold evidence of Russian support for Donald Trump, out of fear that it could influence the outcome of the US election. (WION)

FBI investigating former Trump campaign manager's ties to Russia

Russian warplanes on Tuesday flew a bombing run from an Iranian airstrip against jihadist groups in war-torn Syria, the defence ministry said. This is the first time Moscow has reported using an Iranian air base. 
 
The raids mark the first time that Russia has publicly stated that it has used a base in a Middle East country other than Syria since the Kremlin launched its bombing campaign in support of long-time ally Bashar al-Assad last September. 
 
&quot;On August 16 Tu-22M3 long-range bombers and Su-34 frontline bombers, flying with a full bomb load from the Hamedan air base (Islamic Republic of Iran), conducted a group air strike against targets of the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist groups in the provinces of Aleppo, Deir Ezzor and Idlib,&quot; the ministry said in a statement. 
 
The strikes resulted in the destruction of &quot;five large warehouses with weapons, ammunition and fuel&quot; and jihadist training camps near Aleppo, Deir Ezzor, the village of Saraqeb in the Idlib region and Al-Bab, an IS-held town in Aleppo province, the statement said. 
 
The bombing also targeted three command centres near the village of Jafra and Deir Ezzor, killing &quot;a large number of fighters&quot;, Moscow added.&nbsp;Conducting its bombing raids from Iran will dramatically cut the time it takes Moscow&#39;s long-range bombers to reach Syria. They had recently been flying from a base in southern Russia. 
 
 
US cooperation? 
 
Moscow has used warplanes stationed at its Hmeimim airbase outside the Syrian coastal city of Latakia, as well as warships stationed in the Caspian Sea and a submarine in the Mediterranean Sea to launch cruise missile attacks on Syrian territory.&nbsp;A Russian senator last week said the country was mulling plans to expand its airbase in Syria into a permanent military facility. 
 
An unnamed military source also told Interfax news agency Monday that the Russian army had sent requests to Iran and Iraq to fire cruise missiles across their airspace.&nbsp;Iran and Russia are the two firmest backers of the Assad regime, and have opposed international calls for the Syrian leader to step down in a bid to resolve a civil war that has killed more than 290,000 people since it erupted in March 2011. 
 
Iran is Assad&#39;s main regional ally and has provided steady military, financial, and political support to the regime.&nbsp;Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov was in Tehran on Monday, where he discussed the &quot;high mutual interest&quot; of deeper cooperation between Russia and Iran in the Middle East, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. 
 
Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu claimed separately in comments aired on Monday that Russia and the United States are also close to joining forces around Syria&#39;s ravaged second city of Aleppo, where Russian planes and regime forces are battling rebels for control. 
 
But in Washington, State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau refused to confirm any collaboration.&nbsp;A senior Russian diplomat in Geneva, Alexei Borodavkin, told Interfax Monday that the Russian and American militaries were in the process of &quot;agreeing some concrete practical issues&quot; regarding humanitarian aid deliveries to the city. 
 
Fighting for Aleppo has intensified after regime troops seized control of the last supply route into rebel-held areas in mid-July.&nbsp;The increased fighting has raised concerns for the estimated 1.5 million civilians still in Aleppo, including some 250,000 in rebel-held areas. 
 
(AFP)

This is the first time Moscow has ever publicly admitted it has used an air base in a Middle Eastern country other than Syria

Russian warplanes on Tuesday flew a bombing run from an Iranian airstrip against jihadist groups in war-torn Syria, the defence ministry said. This is the first time Moscow has reported using an Iranian air base. The raids mark the first time that Russia has publicly stated that it has used a base in a Middle East country other than Syria since the Kremlin launched its bombing campaign in support of long-time ally Bashar al-Assad last September. "On August 16 Tu-22M3 long-range bombers and Su-34 frontline bombers, flying with a full bomb load from the Hamedan air base (Islamic Republic of Iran), conducted a group air strike against targets of the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist groups in the provinces of Aleppo, Deir Ezzor and Idlib," the ministry said in a statement. The strikes resulted in the destruction of "five large warehouses with weapons, ammunition and fuel" and jihadist training camps near Aleppo, Deir Ezzor, the village of Saraqeb in the Idlib region and Al-Bab, an IS-held town in Aleppo province, the statement said. The bombing also targeted three command centres near the village of Jafra and Deir Ezzor, killing "a large number of fighters", Moscow added. Conducting its bombing raids from Iran will dramatically cut the time it takes Moscow's long-range bombers to reach Syria. They had recently been flying from a base in southern Russia. US cooperation? Moscow has used warplanes stationed at its Hmeimim airbase outside the Syrian coastal city of Latakia, as well as warships stationed in the Caspian Sea and a submarine in the Mediterranean Sea to launch cruise missile attacks on Syrian territory. A Russian senator last week said the country was mulling plans to expand its airbase in Syria into a permanent military facility. An unnamed military source also told Interfax news agency Monday that the Russian army had sent requests to Iran and Iraq to fire cruise missiles across their airspace. Iran and Russia are the two firmest backers of the Assad regime, and have opposed international calls for the Syrian leader to step down in a bid to resolve a civil war that has killed more than 290,000 people since it erupted in March 2011. Iran is Assad's main regional ally and has provided steady military, financial, and political support to the regime. Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov was in Tehran on Monday, where he discussed the "high mutual interest" of deeper cooperation between Russia and Iran in the Middle East, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu claimed separately in comments aired on Monday that Russia and the United States are also close to joining forces around Syria's ravaged second city of Aleppo, where Russian planes and regime forces are battling rebels for control. But in Washington, State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau refused to confirm any collaboration. A senior Russian diplomat in Geneva, Alexei Borodavkin, told Interfax Monday that the Russian and American militaries were in the process of "agreeing some concrete practical issues" regarding humanitarian aid deliveries to the city. Fighting for Aleppo has intensified after regime troops seized control of the last supply route into rebel-held areas in mid-July. The increased fighting has raised concerns for the estimated 1.5 million civilians still in Aleppo, including some 250,000 in rebel-held areas. (AFP)

Russia uses Iran's airstrip to bomb jihadists in Syria

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi and the&nbsp;Chief Minister of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha,&nbsp;video conferenced&nbsp;with the President of Russia Vladimir Putin to&nbsp;inaugurate Unit 1 of Kudankulam nuclear power plant on August 10, 2016. 
&nbsp; 
India has an uphill task to accomplish its energy needs. In the long term strategy, nuclear forms a part of it is overall energy mix. 
&nbsp; 
Tarapore atomic power station was the first nuclear power plant in India, established with the help of two boiling water reactors provided by the United States. The US also agreed to provide fuel for this reactor for the next 30 years. However, the deal was suspended when India used the nuclear fuel provided by Canada for its power plants to conduct nuclear weapon tests in 1974. 
&nbsp; 
In 1998, the Vajpayee Government in India again conducted nuclear tests at Pokhran, understanding very well that India&rsquo;s strategic objectives were more important than the sanctions that the world would impose on India. Every country refused to provide nuclear fuel to India. The only country willing to support India was Russia. 
&nbsp; 
The sanctions were eventually lifted by the Bush Government in 2001. Consequently, India and the US initiated the civil nuclear agreement, also called the 123 agreement in 2005. The agreement was heavily debated in Parliament, as many politicians voiced opposition to being sold to the Americans with limited liability in case of a nuclear accident. The deal underwent many discussions and changes, and was finally ratified in 2016 by the Narendra Modi government in India. 
&nbsp; 
Also, India is not signatory to the major nuclear treaties, such as Non Proliferation treaty, Missile Technology Control Regime, or the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty, discouraging other countries to sign civil nuclear deals with India. 
&nbsp; 
While all other negotiations were ongoing, the Russian steadily made progress. In 2002, Russia started constructing the Kudankulam nuclear plant. The nuclear plant is the result of 1988 inter-government agreement between India and USSR. It has come out of the good relationship between the two nations. 
&nbsp; 
India and the US signed on to the historic nuclear civilian deal, but it is Russia that actually built up the plant and has harnessed the huge nuclear energy potential of India. The lack of trust between India and the US has put America long behind in the race of the economic benefit it could have harnessed by establishing power plants in India. 
&nbsp; 
Now, even, India and Australia have signed the nuclear civil agreement, and Australia will soon start providing uranium to the power plants of India. For the first time, Australia will provide nuclear fuel to a country that is not signatory to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. 
&nbsp; 
But in the long term, the Americans are on their way to establish long term presence in India in the nuclear energy business. It would be companies like Honeywell and GE that stand to gain from their long standing expertise in the business. The Canadians are hoping they will be the future suppliers of nuclear fuel for India. India&rsquo;s energy needs will continue to grow, as an average Indian consumes only 1/16th of energy than an American, and this is bound to change. 
 
(WION)

Retrospective comes as India and Russia announce the inauguration of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi and the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha, video conferenced with the President of Russia Vladimir Putin to inaugurate Unit 1 of Kudankulam nuclear power plant on August 10, 2016. India has an uphill task to accomplish its energy needs. In the long term strategy, nuclear forms a part of it is overall energy mix. Tarapore atomic power station was the first nuclear power plant in India, established with the help of two boiling water reactors provided by the United States. The US also agreed to provide fuel for this reactor for the next 30 years. However, the deal was suspended when India used the nuclear fuel provided by Canada for its power plants to conduct nuclear weapon tests in 1974. In 1998, the Vajpayee Government in India again conducted nuclear tests at Pokhran, understanding very well that India’s strategic objectives were more important than the sanctions that the world would impose on India. Every country refused to provide nuclear fuel to India. The only country willing to support India was Russia. The sanctions were eventually lifted by the Bush Government in 2001. Consequently, India and the US initiated the civil nuclear agreement, also called the 123 agreement in 2005. The agreement was heavily debated in Parliament, as many politicians voiced opposition to being sold to the Americans with limited liability in case of a nuclear accident. The deal underwent many discussions and changes, and was finally ratified in 2016 by the Narendra Modi government in India. Also, India is not signatory to the major nuclear treaties, such as Non Proliferation treaty, Missile Technology Control Regime, or the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty, discouraging other countries to sign civil nuclear deals with India. While all other negotiations were ongoing, the Russian steadily made progress. In 2002, Russia started constructing the Kudankulam nuclear plant. The nuclear plant is the result of 1988 inter-government agreement between India and USSR. It has come out of the good relationship between the two nations. India and the US signed on to the historic nuclear civilian deal, but it is Russia that actually built up the plant and has harnessed the huge nuclear energy potential of India. The lack of trust between India and the US has put America long behind in the race of the economic benefit it could have harnessed by establishing power plants in India. Now, even, India and Australia have signed the nuclear civil agreement, and Australia will soon start providing uranium to the power plants of India. For the first time, Australia will provide nuclear fuel to a country that is not signatory to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. But in the long term, the Americans are on their way to establish long term presence in India in the nuclear energy business. It would be companies like Honeywell and GE that stand to gain from their long standing expertise in the business. The Canadians are hoping they will be the future suppliers of nuclear fuel for India. India’s energy needs will continue to grow, as an average Indian consumes only 1/16th of energy than an American, and this is bound to change. (WION)

India's nuclear energy and Russian, US part in its development

Vladimir Putin will step up Russia&#39;s campaign to end European Union sanctions with a visit to Slovenia on Saturday, encouraged by signs his tactic of lobbying what he views as more pliant southern and eastern European states is starting to pay off. 
 
The sanctions, imposed over the Ukraine crisis, are designed to block access to Western credit and technology for people and businesses linked to President Putin. 
 
Combined with American and Group of Seven sanctions, they have made it harder for Russia to weather an economic crisis fuelled by low oil prices. 
 
The EU earlier this month extended economic sanctions on Russia until the start of 2017, despite misgivings from some countries such as Slovakia who are keen to debate their effectiveness. 
 
Several Moscow-based EU diplomats say Russia&#39;s tactic of methodically lobbying southern and eastern EU member states is starting to seriously erode the bloc&#39;s unity on the issue, making it potentially harder to renew them next time. 
 
&quot;Russia is constantly trying to find a way around the sanctions, targeting countries it thinks are softer. They are trying to kill the sanctions with a softly softly approach,&quot; one of the diplomats, from a country which favours their continuation, told Reuters. 
 
&quot;The result is that we are seeing more and more countries saying we should analyse the sanctions, assess what effect they are having, and review them again.&quot; Italy, 
 
Greece, Hungary, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia and Bulgaria were among Moscow&#39;s prime targets, diplomats said. 
 
Slovenia, where Putin will preside over a summit focused on trade and investment, will be the fourth of those countries he has visited since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and a pro-Russian separatist revolt broke out in eastern Ukraine. 
 
The Kremlin sees Slovenia, which Putin has visited before, as an ally in its sanctions quest. 
 
Russia was a big export market for Slovenian food products before the Ukraine crisis and Slovenia remains keen to be a transit country for a potential pipeline carrying Russia gas to southern Europe. 
 
Some EU members, such as Poland, have angered Moscow by tearing down monuments commemorating Soviet soldiers killed during World War Two. 
 
Slovenia is taking the opposite approach and the Kremlin said Putin would attend the unveiling of a new monument to Soviet soldiers in Ljubljana. 
 
Flagging Unity 
 
Russia says it will not discuss returning Crimea to Ukraine, meaning there is no prospect that the EU sanctions specifically linked to the annexation will be removed anytime soon. 
 
But there is flexibility about wider EU sanctions on Russia that were imposed in response to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where the Kremlin was accused of giving military aid to separatist rebels. Moscow denies that. 
 
Two EU diplomats said they thought the impact of Putin&#39;s widening charm offensive, accompanied by offers of lucrative trade deals and polite reminders of lost export revenues, could see those watered down next year. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s getting harder to hold the line,&quot; said one, from another country which wants the sanctions maintained. &quot;The sanctions would probably not all be lifted at once, but there could be a decision to lift them in one sector next year.&quot; 
 
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in May she expected a broader review of the bloc&#39;s policy towards Russia later in the year. 
 
Diplomats said there was a feeling that EU unity over the issue was starting to break down because those countries hurt most by Russia&#39;s counter-sanctions, which banned many EU food imports, were coming under increased pressure from their own farmers and companies. 
 
Putin in June extended Russia&#39;s counter-sanctions, which have kept products from Italian hams to French cheeses off supermarket shelves, until the end of next year. 
 
The measures have stung Italy and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi&#39;s decision to attend Russia&#39;s main annual economic forum in St Petersburg in June and share a platform with Putin was seen by some as a sign Rome was wavering. 
 
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker also attended, riling some countries such as Lithuania and Latvia who fear Russian aggression and are uneasy that high-level contacts with Moscow are intensifying despite the Ukraine crisis. 
 
But one of the diplomats said Juncker&#39;s decision to fly to Russia was at least partly motivated by a fear that the bloc&#39;s unity on sanctions was flagging. 
 
&quot;Juncker came because he was worried that member states were talking to Russia separately. He wanted to try to take back the initiative,&quot; said the diplomat. 
 
Ukranian Gridlock 
 
Russia&#39;s official line is that it will not seek to get sanctions lifted, because it did not impose them. 
 
The EU has made lifting sanctions contingent upon Russia doing more to ensure that the Minsk peace accords, which introduced a shaky ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, are fully implemented. 
 
That requires Moscow to leverage its influence on pro-Kremlin separatists who still exchange fire, with often fatal results, &nbsp;on a regular basis with Ukrainian forces. 
 
Ukraine, which accuses Moscow of continuing to stir violence, has its part to play too. But despite numerous rounds of talks, there is little progress on either side. 
 
The violence, albeit at a much lower intensity, continues; elections haven&#39;t been held in the breakaway eastern regions, Kiev has not granted them special status, and both sides accuse each other of using heavy weaponry meant to have been withdrawn. 
 
The Kremlin&#39;s tactic internationally is to say Kiev is the chief cause of the impasse. With no sign of a breakthrough, friendly EU member states might start to do the same, say some diplomats. 
 
&quot;One scenario is that those countries that want the sanctions lifted say Ukraine is not doing enough to fulfil the Minsk peace accords,&quot; said one diplomat. &quot;That would be true, but then neither is Russia. However that could be the pretext for lifting the sanctions.&quot; 
 
Fredrik Wesslau, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations&#39; Wider Europe Programme, thinks Russia is playing a calculated waiting game. 
 
&quot;Instead of implementing Minsk, Moscow is trying to split Europe and undermine the sanctions policy,&quot; he wrote. 
 
&quot;It believes that the sanctions policy will eventually collapse. It sees European leaders sending mixed messages ... and has taken note of certain European countries&#39; wavering commitment to the policy.&quot; 
 
Countries worried by what they see as the bloc&#39;s faltering resolve fret that Britain&#39;s decision to leave the EU is likely to undermine sanctions further since London has been one of the most vocal champions of keeping them in place. 
 
One Kremlin official said Moscow would be watching with interest to see if the EU&#39;s stance on sanctions would change now that Britain is leaving the bloc. 
 
Supporters of continued sanctions also worry about Germany, where Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a member of the Social Democrats, last month spoke in favour of gradually phasing out the sanctions. 
 
That is at odds with the position of his coalition partner Chancellor Angela Merkel. But some diplomats say she faces a difficult election next year and that pressure from German business, which has been buffeted by sanctions, will only grow. 
 
With Russia&#39;s Finance Ministry warning that the country&#39;s Reserve Fund, designed to cover budget shortfalls, will be depleted by the end of next year if nothing changes, 
 
Moscow needs some movement. Chris Weafer, senior partner at economic and political consultancy Macro-Advisory Ltd, said in a note that even minor sanctions relief could help as that might start to dispel the perception that Russia was a dangerous place in which to invest or conduct business. 
 
Otherwise, he said, the Russian economy looked vulnerable to further financial crisis. 
 
(Reuters)

The EU has made lifting sanctions contingent upon Russia doing more to ensure that the Minsk peace accords are fully implemented

Vladimir Putin will step up Russia's campaign to end European Union sanctions with a visit to Slovenia on Saturday, encouraged by signs his tactic of lobbying what he views as more pliant southern and eastern European states is starting to pay off. The sanctions, imposed over the Ukraine crisis, are designed to block access to Western credit and technology for people and businesses linked to President Putin. Combined with American and Group of Seven sanctions, they have made it harder for Russia to weather an economic crisis fuelled by low oil prices. The EU earlier this month extended economic sanctions on Russia until the start of 2017, despite misgivings from some countries such as Slovakia who are keen to debate their effectiveness. Several Moscow-based EU diplomats say Russia's tactic of methodically lobbying southern and eastern EU member states is starting to seriously erode the bloc's unity on the issue, making it potentially harder to renew them next time. "Russia is constantly trying to find a way around the sanctions, targeting countries it thinks are softer. They are trying to kill the sanctions with a softly softly approach," one of the diplomats, from a country which favours their continuation, told Reuters. "The result is that we are seeing more and more countries saying we should analyse the sanctions, assess what effect they are having, and review them again." Italy, Greece, Hungary, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia and Bulgaria were among Moscow's prime targets, diplomats said. Slovenia, where Putin will preside over a summit focused on trade and investment, will be the fourth of those countries he has visited since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and a pro-Russian separatist revolt broke out in eastern Ukraine. The Kremlin sees Slovenia, which Putin has visited before, as an ally in its sanctions quest. Russia was a big export market for Slovenian food products before the Ukraine crisis and Slovenia remains keen to be a transit country for a potential pipeline carrying Russia gas to southern Europe. Some EU members, such as Poland, have angered Moscow by tearing down monuments commemorating Soviet soldiers killed during World War Two. Slovenia is taking the opposite approach and the Kremlin said Putin would attend the unveiling of a new monument to Soviet soldiers in Ljubljana. Flagging Unity Russia says it will not discuss returning Crimea to Ukraine, meaning there is no prospect that the EU sanctions specifically linked to the annexation will be removed anytime soon. But there is flexibility about wider EU sanctions on Russia that were imposed in response to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where the Kremlin was accused of giving military aid to separatist rebels. Moscow denies that. Two EU diplomats said they thought the impact of Putin's widening charm offensive, accompanied by offers of lucrative trade deals and polite reminders of lost export revenues, could see those watered down next year. "It's getting harder to hold the line," said one, from another country which wants the sanctions maintained. "The sanctions would probably not all be lifted at once, but there could be a decision to lift them in one sector next year." EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in May she expected a broader review of the bloc's policy towards Russia later in the year. Diplomats said there was a feeling that EU unity over the issue was starting to break down because those countries hurt most by Russia's counter-sanctions, which banned many EU food imports, were coming under increased pressure from their own farmers and companies. Putin in June extended Russia's counter-sanctions, which have kept products from Italian hams to French cheeses off supermarket shelves, until the end of next year. The measures have stung Italy and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's decision to attend Russia's main annual economic forum in St Petersburg in June and share a platform with Putin was seen by some as a sign Rome was wavering. European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker also attended, riling some countries such as Lithuania and Latvia who fear Russian aggression and are uneasy that high-level contacts with Moscow are intensifying despite the Ukraine crisis. But one of the diplomats said Juncker's decision to fly to Russia was at least partly motivated by a fear that the bloc's unity on sanctions was flagging. "Juncker came because he was worried that member states were talking to Russia separately. He wanted to try to take back the initiative," said the diplomat. Ukranian Gridlock Russia's official line is that it will not seek to get sanctions lifted, because it did not impose them. The EU has made lifting sanctions contingent upon Russia doing more to ensure that the Minsk peace accords, which introduced a shaky ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, are fully implemented. That requires Moscow to leverage its influence on pro-Kremlin separatists who still exchange fire, with often fatal results, on a regular basis with Ukrainian forces. Ukraine, which accuses Moscow of continuing to stir violence, has its part to play too. But despite numerous rounds of talks, there is little progress on either side. The violence, albeit at a much lower intensity, continues; elections haven't been held in the breakaway eastern regions, Kiev has not granted them special status, and both sides accuse each other of using heavy weaponry meant to have been withdrawn. The Kremlin's tactic internationally is to say Kiev is the chief cause of the impasse. With no sign of a breakthrough, friendly EU member states might start to do the same, say some diplomats. "One scenario is that those countries that want the sanctions lifted say Ukraine is not doing enough to fulfil the Minsk peace accords," said one diplomat. "That would be true, but then neither is Russia. However that could be the pretext for lifting the sanctions." Fredrik Wesslau, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations' Wider Europe Programme, thinks Russia is playing a calculated waiting game. "Instead of implementing Minsk, Moscow is trying to split Europe and undermine the sanctions policy," he wrote. "It believes that the sanctions policy will eventually collapse. It sees European leaders sending mixed messages ... and has taken note of certain European countries' wavering commitment to the policy." Countries worried by what they see as the bloc's faltering resolve fret that Britain's decision to leave the EU is likely to undermine sanctions further since London has been one of the most vocal champions of keeping them in place. One Kremlin official said Moscow would be watching with interest to see if the EU's stance on sanctions would change now that Britain is leaving the bloc. Supporters of continued sanctions also worry about Germany, where Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a member of the Social Democrats, last month spoke in favour of gradually phasing out the sanctions. That is at odds with the position of his coalition partner Chancellor Angela Merkel. But some diplomats say she faces a difficult election next year and that pressure from German business, which has been buffeted by sanctions, will only grow. With Russia's Finance Ministry warning that the country's Reserve Fund, designed to cover budget shortfalls, will be depleted by the end of next year if nothing changes, Moscow needs some movement. Chris Weafer, senior partner at economic and political consultancy Macro-Advisory Ltd, said in a note that even minor sanctions relief could help as that might start to dispel the perception that Russia was a dangerous place in which to invest or conduct business. Otherwise, he said, the Russian economy looked vulnerable to further financial crisis. (Reuters)

Putin steps up drive to kill sanctions amid signs of EU disunity

US secretary of state John Kerry met with Russian President Vladimir Putin about boosting military and intelligence cooperation against Islamic State and al-Qaeda in Syria and told him that without &quot;concrete, near-term steps&quot;, diplomatic efforts to end the war could not go on indefinitely. 
 
Kerry met Putin for three hours at the Kremlin and their talks lasted until 1am local time on Friday. 
 
The state department said Kerry expressed concern about repeated violations of a cessation of hostilities by the Moscow-backed Syrian government. It said the two also discussed the need to increase pressure on groups like Islamic State and the Al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda&#39;s affiliate in Syria. 
 
Kerry &quot;emphasized that absent concrete, near-term steps, diplomatic efforts could not continue indefinitely&quot;, a statement said, adding that discussions between Kerry and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday were expected to explore initiatives in more detail. 
 
On Thursday, the Washington Post published a leaked document it said Kerry would put forward in Moscow calling for intelligence sharing to identify leadership targets, training camps, supply lines and headquarters of the Nusra Front, al Qaeda&#39;s affiliate in Syria. 
 
It said strikes against those targets could be carried out by US or Russian jets and expanded coordination would be channelled through a Joint Implementation Group based in the vicinity of the Jordanian capital, Amman. 
 
The extent of cooperation proposed in the document would represent a major US shift after years of rivalry between Washington and Moscow, which support opposing sides in Syria&#39;s five-year civil war, but the idea has raised doubts among US defense and intelligence officials. 
 
Putin said at the start of his meeting with Kerry that his last conversation with US President Barack Obama had convinced him that both sides were sincere in their efforts to find a solution in Syria. 
 
&quot;I hope after today&#39;s consultations you&#39;ll be able to advise him of the progress made and possible headway for us to make,&quot; he told Kerry. 
 
A test of Russia 
 
US officials described the visit as a test of Moscow&#39;s willingness to use its influence on the Syrian government to help revive the country&#39;s peace process. 
 
Under the leaked plan, the US and Russia would establish separate headquarters and a shared coordination office, where they would deploy senior officials, intelligence personnel and experts in strike planning and targeting. 
 
They would decide on a date to simultaneously begin strikes against Al-Nusra Front targets and to stop all Syrian military air activities in designated areas, except for non-combat purposes and against areas where Nusra Front has acquired territory. 
 
The proposal also allows for Russia to use air power to defend Syrian forces from attack from AL-Nusra Front within a designated area, if agreed in advance with the United States. 
 
Washington sceptical 
 
The White House and Pentagon offered lukewarm support for the plan and demanded that Moscow show it was serious about fighting Islamic State, not just propping up President Bashar al-Assad. Kerry himself took a tough line after his meeting on Thursday with Putin, state department spokesman John Kirby told reporters in Moscow. 
 
&quot;Secretary Kerry emphasized that absent concrete, near-term steps, diplomatic efforts could not continue indefinitely,&quot; Kirby said. 
 
A senior US official said before the talks that expectations were &quot;very low&quot;, but added: &quot;Either we find a way to do something about it or not. 
 
&quot;And if we don&rsquo;t, the entire thing breaks down. That would be an end of the cessation of hostilities and that would not be a good thing for Russia, or the United States, or the world, or, most importantly, for the Syrian people.&quot; 
 
Kerry faces some strong opposition to his efforts to woo Russia from US defense and intelligence officials who say Washington and Moscow have diametrically opposed objectives in Syria. 
 
(Reuters)

US secretary of state seeks concrete, near-term steps from Moscow

US secretary of state John Kerry met with Russian President Vladimir Putin about boosting military and intelligence cooperation against Islamic State and al-Qaeda in Syria and told him that without "concrete, near-term steps", diplomatic efforts to end the war could not go on indefinitely. Kerry met Putin for three hours at the Kremlin and their talks lasted until 1am local time on Friday. The state department said Kerry expressed concern about repeated violations of a cessation of hostilities by the Moscow-backed Syrian government. It said the two also discussed the need to increase pressure on groups like Islamic State and the Al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria. Kerry "emphasized that absent concrete, near-term steps, diplomatic efforts could not continue indefinitely", a statement said, adding that discussions between Kerry and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday were expected to explore initiatives in more detail. On Thursday, the Washington Post published a leaked document it said Kerry would put forward in Moscow calling for intelligence sharing to identify leadership targets, training camps, supply lines and headquarters of the Nusra Front, al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria. It said strikes against those targets could be carried out by US or Russian jets and expanded coordination would be channelled through a Joint Implementation Group based in the vicinity of the Jordanian capital, Amman. The extent of cooperation proposed in the document would represent a major US shift after years of rivalry between Washington and Moscow, which support opposing sides in Syria's five-year civil war, but the idea has raised doubts among US defense and intelligence officials. Putin said at the start of his meeting with Kerry that his last conversation with US President Barack Obama had convinced him that both sides were sincere in their efforts to find a solution in Syria. "I hope after today's consultations you'll be able to advise him of the progress made and possible headway for us to make," he told Kerry. A test of Russia US officials described the visit as a test of Moscow's willingness to use its influence on the Syrian government to help revive the country's peace process. Under the leaked plan, the US and Russia would establish separate headquarters and a shared coordination office, where they would deploy senior officials, intelligence personnel and experts in strike planning and targeting. They would decide on a date to simultaneously begin strikes against Al-Nusra Front targets and to stop all Syrian military air activities in designated areas, except for non-combat purposes and against areas where Nusra Front has acquired territory. The proposal also allows for Russia to use air power to defend Syrian forces from attack from AL-Nusra Front within a designated area, if agreed in advance with the United States. Washington sceptical The White House and Pentagon offered lukewarm support for the plan and demanded that Moscow show it was serious about fighting Islamic State, not just propping up President Bashar al-Assad. Kerry himself took a tough line after his meeting on Thursday with Putin, state department spokesman John Kirby told reporters in Moscow. "Secretary Kerry emphasized that absent concrete, near-term steps, diplomatic efforts could not continue indefinitely," Kirby said. A senior US official said before the talks that expectations were "very low", but added: "Either we find a way to do something about it or not. "And if we don’t, the entire thing breaks down. That would be an end of the cessation of hostilities and that would not be a good thing for Russia, or the United States, or the world, or, most importantly, for the Syrian people." Kerry faces some strong opposition to his efforts to woo Russia from US defense and intelligence officials who say Washington and Moscow have diametrically opposed objectives in Syria. (Reuters)

Kerry meets Putin about cooperating against Islamic State in Syria

A former editor of a Russian media group described how he and colleagues were pushed out over reporting that angered officials, in the first public account of the taming of Russia&#39;s last big news organisation willing to take on the Kremlin.&nbsp; 
 
In his first public comments since his dismissal along with two other top editors from RBC media group in May, Roman Badanin said that he and his colleagues were fired in the wake of a campaign of pressure on the group&#39;s billionaire owner that came to a head after they published a story on the &#39;Panama Papers&#39; leaks. 
 
Last week, RBC managers presented the replacement editors, recruited from state-owned news agency Tass, who told a tense meeting with staff that there would be limits on what and how they could report, according to someone who was present. 
 
RBCs owner Mikhail Prokhorov, a metals magnate who also owns the Brooklyn Nets US basketball team, had previously shielded its journalists. The group&#39;s news agency, newspaper and television station wrote stories about Putins friends and family, and other taboo subjects like the presence of Russian troops in Ukraine. But after the Panama Papers story in April, which was illustrated with a picture of Putin and alleged that a close childhood friend of the President had offshore accounts, the official pressure was turned up a notch. 
 
&quot;It was precisely after this, so Im told, that the problems started,&quot; said Badanin. Days after the story appeared, masked law-enforcement officers raided the headquarters of Prokhorovs holding company Onexim in what officials called a tax investigation. 
 
A short while after, the head of a utility company owned by Onexim group was arrested on suspicion of fraud. 
 
&quot;Apparently the build-up of attacks on the owner became very powerful,&quot; Badanin said. &quot;Listen: searches, criminal cases against the management of the company, demonstrations under their windows. Everything at the same time.&quot; 
 
&#39;People who don&#39;t like us&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Badanin said he had long been aware that officials were angry at RBCs reporting: messages had been passed to its Kremlin reporters and other journalists. A nationalist group led by a pro-Kremlin member of parliament staged several protests in front of the group&#39;s offices, accusing it of spreading pro-Western propaganda. &quot;Of course there are people in the Kremlin who dont like us, that is nothing new,&quot; said Badanin. 
 
Under Putin&#39;s 17-year rule, major television stations and newspapers have, one by one, come under the control of state firms or oligarchs loyal to the Kremlin, and their coverage has gone from combative to deferential. However, RBC under Prokhorovs ownership gained a reputation as the last big media company willing to write stories about the most sensitive issues. In the past two years it published articles on Putin&#39;s daughter and the business interests of Kirill Shamalov, who Reuters reported last year is Putins son-in-law. 
 
On May 13, the group announced that it was firing Badanin, the editor of its news agency, as well as group editor-in-chief Elizaveta Osetinskaya, and the editor of its daily newspaper Maxim Solyus. 
 
One of the aims of the sackings &quot;was that the editorial policy would become more cautious&quot;, Badanin said. 
 
Badanin said he had learned from executives in the media group that officials had, on occasion, called people close to the groups owners to ask to have some articles removed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied this: &quot;Nobody, and they will confirm this, ever went to them (RBC) with a demand or a request to not publish anything, and certainly nothing was said to the owner. It is a gross exaggeration, an absolutely gross exaggeration.&quot; RBC declined to comment, as did Onexim, Prokhorovs holding group. 
 
By July 7, when RBC general director Nikolai Molibog presented the new editors recruited from Tass, Elizaveta Golikova and Igor Trosnikov, many journalists had already handed in their notice and others were considering their positions. 
 
Several journalists pressed the new bosses to say if there would be restrictions on what they could report to avoid angering the authorities. 
 
&quot;If someone thinks that you can (publish) whatever, just absolutely everything - thats not the case,&quot; Trosnikov said, according to a transcript of the staff meeting published by news site meduza.io and which was confirmed as authentic by the person present. &quot;I can&#39;t say to you that there are no restrictions at all. They exist. If someone believes there aren&#39;t any, they should write for themselves on Facebook.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Campaign of pressure peaked after publishing stories on 'Panama Papers' leaks. New editors have been recruited from state-owned agency Taas

A former editor of a Russian media group described how he and colleagues were pushed out over reporting that angered officials, in the first public account of the taming of Russia's last big news organisation willing to take on the Kremlin. In his first public comments since his dismissal along with two other top editors from RBC media group in May, Roman Badanin said that he and his colleagues were fired in the wake of a campaign of pressure on the group's billionaire owner that came to a head after they published a story on the 'Panama Papers' leaks. Last week, RBC managers presented the replacement editors, recruited from state-owned news agency Tass, who told a tense meeting with staff that there would be limits on what and how they could report, according to someone who was present. RBCs owner Mikhail Prokhorov, a metals magnate who also owns the Brooklyn Nets US basketball team, had previously shielded its journalists. The group's news agency, newspaper and television station wrote stories about Putins friends and family, and other taboo subjects like the presence of Russian troops in Ukraine. But after the Panama Papers story in April, which was illustrated with a picture of Putin and alleged that a close childhood friend of the President had offshore accounts, the official pressure was turned up a notch. "It was precisely after this, so Im told, that the problems started," said Badanin. Days after the story appeared, masked law-enforcement officers raided the headquarters of Prokhorovs holding company Onexim in what officials called a tax investigation. A short while after, the head of a utility company owned by Onexim group was arrested on suspicion of fraud. "Apparently the build-up of attacks on the owner became very powerful," Badanin said. "Listen: searches, criminal cases against the management of the company, demonstrations under their windows. Everything at the same time." 'People who don't like us' Badanin said he had long been aware that officials were angry at RBCs reporting: messages had been passed to its Kremlin reporters and other journalists. A nationalist group led by a pro-Kremlin member of parliament staged several protests in front of the group's offices, accusing it of spreading pro-Western propaganda. "Of course there are people in the Kremlin who dont like us, that is nothing new," said Badanin. Under Putin's 17-year rule, major television stations and newspapers have, one by one, come under the control of state firms or oligarchs loyal to the Kremlin, and their coverage has gone from combative to deferential. However, RBC under Prokhorovs ownership gained a reputation as the last big media company willing to write stories about the most sensitive issues. In the past two years it published articles on Putin's daughter and the business interests of Kirill Shamalov, who Reuters reported last year is Putins son-in-law. On May 13, the group announced that it was firing Badanin, the editor of its news agency, as well as group editor-in-chief Elizaveta Osetinskaya, and the editor of its daily newspaper Maxim Solyus. One of the aims of the sackings "was that the editorial policy would become more cautious", Badanin said. Badanin said he had learned from executives in the media group that officials had, on occasion, called people close to the groups owners to ask to have some articles removed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied this: "Nobody, and they will confirm this, ever went to them (RBC) with a demand or a request to not publish anything, and certainly nothing was said to the owner. It is a gross exaggeration, an absolutely gross exaggeration." RBC declined to comment, as did Onexim, Prokhorovs holding group. By July 7, when RBC general director Nikolai Molibog presented the new editors recruited from Tass, Elizaveta Golikova and Igor Trosnikov, many journalists had already handed in their notice and others were considering their positions. Several journalists pressed the new bosses to say if there would be restrictions on what they could report to avoid angering the authorities. "If someone thinks that you can (publish) whatever, just absolutely everything - thats not the case," Trosnikov said, according to a transcript of the staff meeting published by news site meduza.io and which was confirmed as authentic by the person present. "I can't say to you that there are no restrictions at all. They exist. If someone believes there aren't any, they should write for themselves on Facebook." (Reuters)

Russian editor alleges he was fired for angering Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a package of controversial anti-terror amendments dubbed &quot;Big Brother&quot; measures by critics that may cost internet companies billions. 
 
The measures, posted online Thursday by the government, boost the surveillance powers for the security services by requiring communication providers to store users&#39; calls, messages, photographs and videos for six months, as well as metadata for up to three years. 
 
They also have to provide security services with access to this data and any necessary encryption mechanisms necessary to use it. 
 
They also criminalise several offences, lower the age of criminal responsibility to 14 for some crimes and extend prison sentences for online crimes like abetting terrorism. 
 
The passage of the bills through Russia&#39;s lower and upper houses of parliament sent shockwaves through the internet and telecoms industries. 
 
In an interview with Kommersant daily published on Thursday, CEO of Megafon mobile provider Sergei Soldatenkov, said that the law as it stands would require the company to spend 200 billion Rubles ($3.1 billion) to ensure the data storage requirement -- four times its annual profit. 
 
&quot;This bill financially kills the telecommunication industry,&quot; he said, instead proposing that the government tax the industry by an additional one percent and use the money to build the necessary infrastructure. 
 
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Thursday that Putin also tasked the government to monitor &quot;how this law is realised&quot; 
and take measures if there are &quot;undesirable&quot; consequences. 
 
The law inspired the former US intelligence contractor turned privacy activist Edward Snowden to issue a rare comment on a domestic policy in Russia, where he is currently living in exile. 
 
Snowden said on Thursday on Twitter it was a &quot;dark day for Russia&quot;. 
 
&quot;Signing the #BigBrother law must be condemned,&quot; he said, adding that he would criticise the law despite fearing retaliation from Russian authorities. 
 
(AFP)

The measures will require the communication providers to store users' calls, messages, photographs and videos for six months

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a package of controversial anti-terror amendments dubbed "Big Brother" measures by critics that may cost internet companies billions. The measures, posted online Thursday by the government, boost the surveillance powers for the security services by requiring communication providers to store users' calls, messages, photographs and videos for six months, as well as metadata for up to three years. They also have to provide security services with access to this data and any necessary encryption mechanisms necessary to use it. They also criminalise several offences, lower the age of criminal responsibility to 14 for some crimes and extend prison sentences for online crimes like abetting terrorism. The passage of the bills through Russia's lower and upper houses of parliament sent shockwaves through the internet and telecoms industries. In an interview with Kommersant daily published on Thursday, CEO of Megafon mobile provider Sergei Soldatenkov, said that the law as it stands would require the company to spend 200 billion Rubles ($3.1 billion) to ensure the data storage requirement -- four times its annual profit. "This bill financially kills the telecommunication industry," he said, instead proposing that the government tax the industry by an additional one percent and use the money to build the necessary infrastructure. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Thursday that Putin also tasked the government to monitor "how this law is realised" and take measures if there are "undesirable" consequences. The law inspired the former US intelligence contractor turned privacy activist Edward Snowden to issue a rare comment on a domestic policy in Russia, where he is currently living in exile. Snowden said on Thursday on Twitter it was a "dark day for Russia". "Signing the #BigBrother law must be condemned," he said, adding that he would criticise the law despite fearing retaliation from Russian authorities. (AFP)

Putin signs controversial anti-terror measures into law

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the market turbulence caused by Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union will subside in the medium term, but it remains to be seen if Britain will uphold its democratic principles.&nbsp; 
 
Addressing his biannual meeting with Russian ambassadors abroad and special envoys, Putin said Russia had not influenced the British referendum. 
 
&quot;I would like to stress yet again that the so-called Brexit is the choice of the British people, we did not interfere with this process and are not tampering with it in anyway,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Now let&#39;s see how they will implement the principles of democracy,&quot; Putin said. &quot;The referendum results have rocked the markets, but in the medium term everything will recover.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

The Russian President told his ambassadors that his country has not influenced the British referendum

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the market turbulence caused by Britain's vote to leave the European Union will subside in the medium term, but it remains to be seen if Britain will uphold its democratic principles. Addressing his biannual meeting with Russian ambassadors abroad and special envoys, Putin said Russia had not influenced the British referendum. "I would like to stress yet again that the so-called Brexit is the choice of the British people, we did not interfere with this process and are not tampering with it in anyway," he said. "Now let's see how they will implement the principles of democracy," Putin said. "The referendum results have rocked the markets, but in the medium term everything will recover." (Reuters)

Let's see how British democracy works after Brexit, says Putin

British singer Elton John told a concert in Moscow he still wanted to meet President Vladimir Putin to discuss his concerns about gay rights and AIDS in Russia, despite the Kremlin leader not having time to meet him this time round.

John, performing at a luxury shopping and&nbsp;entertainment&nbsp;centre in the Russian capital on Monday night as part of a world tour, sounded disappointed about not getting to meet Putin, but said he would return to try to see him.

&quot;As some of you may know I hoped to meet with President Putin on this trip,&quot; said John, whose music has been popular in Russia since the Soviet era, told the audience.

&quot;Although it wasn&#39;t possible, I&#39;m deeply grateful to him for inviting me to discuss some serious issues in Russia including LGBT, HIV and AIDS, and I very much hope we will find time in future to meet.&quot;

Putin&#39;s spokesman said last week that the Russian leader&#39;s schedule did not match up with John&#39;s, but that a meeting might take place &quot;next time.&quot; Putin had to fly to Kazakhstan on Tuesday morning for a meeting.

In September Putin phoned the singer, who has used his status as one of the world&#39;s most famous gay celebrities to push for equal rights for homosexuals around the world, to say he would be willing to meet up after John, 69, requested a meeting.

Western governments and human rights activists have criticised the Russian authorities for their treatment of gay people, and John has previously spoken out against a 2013 law banning the dissemination of &quot;gay propaganda&quot; among young Russians.

Putin has said he is not prejudiced against gay people.

John has also expressed alarm about the scale of Russia&#39;s AIDS epidemic.

The number of people registered HIV-positive passed the 1 million mark earlier this year and the country&#39;s top AIDS specialist warned the rate of infection had reached record levels.

British singer Elton John told a concert in Moscow he still wanted to meet President Vladimir Putin to discuss his concerns about gay rights and AIDS in Russia, but the Kremlin leader didn't have time

British singer Elton John told a concert in Moscow he still wanted to meet President Vladimir Putin to discuss his concerns about gay rights and AIDS in Russia, despite the Kremlin leader not having time to meet him this time round. John, performing at a luxury shopping and entertainment centre in the Russian capital on Monday night as part of a world tour, sounded disappointed about not getting to meet Putin, but said he would return to try to see him. "As some of you may know I hoped to meet with President Putin on this trip," said John, whose music has been popular in Russia since the Soviet era, told the audience. "Although it wasn't possible, I'm deeply grateful to him for inviting me to discuss some serious issues in Russia including LGBT, HIV and AIDS, and I very much hope we will find time in future to meet." Putin's spokesman said last week that the Russian leader's schedule did not match up with John's, but that a meeting might take place "next time." Putin had to fly to Kazakhstan on Tuesday morning for a meeting. In September Putin phoned the singer, who has used his status as one of the world's most famous gay celebrities to push for equal rights for homosexuals around the world, to say he would be willing to meet up after John, 69, requested a meeting. Western governments and human rights activists have criticised the Russian authorities for their treatment of gay people, and John has previously spoken out against a 2013 law banning the dissemination of "gay propaganda" among young Russians. Putin has said he is not prejudiced against gay people. John has also expressed alarm about the scale of Russia's AIDS epidemic. The number of people registered HIV-positive passed the 1 million mark earlier this year and the country's top AIDS specialist warned the rate of infection had reached record levels.

Elton John tells Russians he still wants to meet Putin to discuss gay rights

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