Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a campaign of hacking and media manipulation aimed at undermining the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton and boosting Donald Trump, US intelligence said in a report Friday.

The campaign first aimed at damaging a potential Clinton presidency, and then turned to supporting Trump after a victory by the Republican businessman appeared possible, said the report from the Director of National Intelligence.

&quot;We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia&#39;s goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency,&quot; it said.

The report said that Putin acted on grudges against the United States after being embarrassed by the Panama Papers on secret offshore banking and the Olympic doping scandal, and that he also blamed Clinton for ostensibly inciting mass protests against his regime in 2011-2012.

The report warned US allies that Russia will likely attempt to influence their elections, making use of its experience with the US vote.

&quot;We assess Moscow will apply lessons learned from its Putin-ordered campaign aimed at the US presidential election to future influence efforts worldwide, including against US allies and their election processes,&quot; it said.

The 25-page public report, which was half the length of the classified version presented to President Barack Obama on Thursday and President-elect Trump on Friday, provided little in the way of detailed evidence to link Putin and Russian intelligence to the hacking and release via WikiLeaks of Democratic Party files that hurt Clinton&#39;s campaign.

Russia has denied interfering in the election, and Trump has repeatedly questioned the US intelligence community`s conclusions on the issue.

(Reuters)

Parts of the declassified report hint at Russia's role in swaying elections in favour of Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a campaign of hacking and media manipulation aimed at undermining the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton and boosting Donald Trump, US intelligence said in a report Friday. The campaign first aimed at damaging a potential Clinton presidency, and then turned to supporting Trump after a victory by the Republican businessman appeared possible, said the report from the Director of National Intelligence. "We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency," it said. The report said that Putin acted on grudges against the United States after being embarrassed by the Panama Papers on secret offshore banking and the Olympic doping scandal, and that he also blamed Clinton for ostensibly inciting mass protests against his regime in 2011-2012. The report warned US allies that Russia will likely attempt to influence their elections, making use of its experience with the US vote. "We assess Moscow will apply lessons learned from its Putin-ordered campaign aimed at the US presidential election to future influence efforts worldwide, including against US allies and their election processes," it said. The 25-page public report, which was half the length of the classified version presented to President Barack Obama on Thursday and President-elect Trump on Friday, provided little in the way of detailed evidence to link Putin and Russian intelligence to the hacking and release via WikiLeaks of Democratic Party files that hurt Clinton's campaign. Russia has denied interfering in the election, and Trump has repeatedly questioned the US intelligence community`s conclusions on the issue. (Reuters)

US: Intelligence report reveals Putin sought to help Trump

Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson has agreed to sever all ties with ExxonMobil, putting deferred stock awards in an independently managed trust, the company he headed until last week said.

The agreement was reached in consultation with federal ethics regulators to comply with conflict of interest requirements, it said in a statement late Tuesday.

It is not immediately clear&nbsp;why Tillerson is required to formally sever all ties with his private business, while president-elect Donald Trump is aparently free not to.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-tweets-he-will-leave-business-never-says-he-will-sell-it-9533">Trump has so far refused to </a>sever his private business interests while serving in public office, saying via Twitter that instead he will give control of his business interests to his children, who are currently sitting in on official meetings with world leaders and are playing an active role on his transition team.

Trump was the first US presidential candidate in 40 years to conceal his tax return from the public. He pledged to release them, but said he was forbidden&nbsp;because his taxes&nbsp;were under audit by the IRS, who responded by saying&nbsp;that he was indeed under audit but was&nbsp;free to release them to the public. Then Trump pledged to release them if he won, and has so far still refused.&nbsp;His son, Donald Trump Jr,&nbsp;stated&nbsp;that his father didn&#39;t&nbsp;publicly release&nbsp;his&nbsp;tax returns&nbsp;because they were 12,000 pages <a href="http://time.com/money/4495037/donald-trump-release-tax-returns/">it would subject&nbsp;them&nbsp;to public scrutiny.</a>

Under the arrangement reached with ExxonMobil&#39;s board of directors, Tillerson will place the value of some two million company shares that he would have received over the next ten years in an independently managed trust.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-senator-mccain-has-concerns-about-tillerson-nomination-10714">Tillerson owned</a> $218 million in Exxon stock, a pension worth $70 million, and between 2012-2015 has had annual compensation packages worth between $28-40 million annually.

He will give up $4.1 million in cash bonuses that had been scheduled to be paid out over the next three years, as well as other benefits. &quot;The net effect of the agreement is a reduction of approximately $7 million in compensation owed to Tillerson,&quot; the company said in a statement.

Additionally, Tillerson has committed to selling the more than 600,000 Exxon shares he currently owns. The trust will not be permitted to hold Exxon stock, and Tillerson will be barred from working in the oil and gas industry for the next 10 years.

Despite making these concessions, it is unclear how Tillerson can keep&nbsp;his duties&nbsp;as Secretary of State separate from all the&nbsp;former industry colleagues and politicians he encountered as CEO of the world&#39;s largest private oil companies.

Tillerson, who was nominated last month to be President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s chief diplomat, retired December 31 after more than forty years at Exxon Mobil, the last ten years as CEO.

Tillerson is regarded as a controversial choice as secretary of state. He&nbsp;has only ever worked at ExxonMobil, and has no experience in politics. Democrats and Republicans have expressed concern over&nbsp;his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin personally awarded Tillerson with the Order of Friendship.

The FBI, CIA and the White House all have stated that they believe Putin interfered with the US election to help get Donald Trump elected.

Senior Republican senator John McCain, also the chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-senator-mccain-has-concerns-about-tillerson-nomination-10714">has called Putin a &quot;thug and a murderer&quot;, and has cast doubt on Tillerson&#39;s appointment.</a>

&quot;I and several of my colleagues have concerns about Mr Tillerson, and some of his past activities, specifically his relationship with Vladimir Putin,&quot; McCain told reporters on December 27.

Tillerson has also been criticised for deals struck on behalf of ExxonMobil that were at odds with US foreign policy. Tillerson criticised US sanctions against Russia after Putin invaded Crimea.

At the time, Exxon had discovered vast deposits of untapped oil in Russia. Oil and tax revenues fund&nbsp;half of Russia&#39;s budget, so this sanction badly affected Putin, while also preventing Exxon&nbsp;from making hundreds of millions of dollars, <a href="http://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2016/12/14/13940866/trump-rex-tillerson-sanctions-russia">if not trillions</a>.

(With inputs from AFP)

Tillerson, the multimillionaire with suspicious links to Putin, pledged to do what Trump has not: separate public office from private profit

Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson has agreed to sever all ties with ExxonMobil, putting deferred stock awards in an independently managed trust, the company he headed until last week said. The agreement was reached in consultation with federal ethics regulators to comply with conflict of interest requirements, it said in a statement late Tuesday. It is not immediately clear why Tillerson is required to formally sever all ties with his private business, while president-elect Donald Trump is aparently free not to. Trump has so far refused to sever his private business interests while serving in public office, saying via Twitter that instead he will give control of his business interests to his children, who are currently sitting in on official meetings with world leaders and are playing an active role on his transition team. Trump was the first US presidential candidate in 40 years to conceal his tax return from the public. He pledged to release them, but said he was forbidden because his taxes were under audit by the IRS, who responded by saying that he was indeed under audit but was free to release them to the public. Then Trump pledged to release them if he won, and has so far still refused. His son, Donald Trump Jr, stated that his father didn't publicly release his tax returns because they were 12,000 pages it would subject them to public scrutiny. Under the arrangement reached with ExxonMobil's board of directors, Tillerson will place the value of some two million company shares that he would have received over the next ten years in an independently managed trust. Tillerson owned $218 million in Exxon stock, a pension worth $70 million, and between 2012-2015 has had annual compensation packages worth between $28-40 million annually. He will give up $4.1 million in cash bonuses that had been scheduled to be paid out over the next three years, as well as other benefits. "The net effect of the agreement is a reduction of approximately $7 million in compensation owed to Tillerson," the company said in a statement. Additionally, Tillerson has committed to selling the more than 600,000 Exxon shares he currently owns. The trust will not be permitted to hold Exxon stock, and Tillerson will be barred from working in the oil and gas industry for the next 10 years. Despite making these concessions, it is unclear how Tillerson can keep his duties as Secretary of State separate from all the former industry colleagues and politicians he encountered as CEO of the world's largest private oil companies. Tillerson, who was nominated last month to be President-elect Donald Trump's chief diplomat, retired December 31 after more than forty years at Exxon Mobil, the last ten years as CEO. Tillerson is regarded as a controversial choice as secretary of state. He has only ever worked at ExxonMobil, and has no experience in politics. Democrats and Republicans have expressed concern over his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin personally awarded Tillerson with the Order of Friendship. The FBI, CIA and the White House all have stated that they believe Putin interfered with the US election to help get Donald Trump elected. Senior Republican senator John McCain, also the chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, has called Putin a "thug and a murderer", and has cast doubt on Tillerson's appointment. "I and several of my colleagues have concerns about Mr Tillerson, and some of his past activities, specifically his relationship with Vladimir Putin," McCain told reporters on December 27. Tillerson has also been criticised for deals struck on behalf of ExxonMobil that were at odds with US foreign policy. Tillerson criticised US sanctions against Russia after Putin invaded Crimea. At the time, Exxon had discovered vast deposits of untapped oil in Russia. Oil and tax revenues fund half of Russia's budget, so this sanction badly affected Putin, while also preventing Exxon from making hundreds of millions of dollars, if not trillions. (With inputs from AFP)

Rex Tillerson pledges to sever Exxon ties before becoming US state secretary

Opener Lokesh Rahul hit a career-best 199 to power India&#39;s strong reply as England bowlers struggled on day three of the fifth and final Test in Chennai on Sunday.

India were 391 for four at stumps with Karun Nair (71) and Murali Vijay (17) at the crease. The hosts still trail by 86 runs in response to England`s 477.

Rahul shared a 161-run fourth-wicket partnership with Nair before missing out on what could have been his maiden double century.

Rahul, who recorded his fourth Test century, was the ninth batsman in the world to get out on 199 after falling to leg-spinner Adil Rashid in the final moments of the day.

The 24-year-old batsman chased Rashid&#39;s widish delivery on the off-side to give away a catch to point as he crumpled into a heap with hands on head.

Earlier Rahul had surpassed his previous best of 158 as he entertained a raucous Sunday crowd with a couple of reverse sweeps.

He struck 16 fours and 3 sixes during his marathon knock, prompting England skipper Alastair Cook to rotate his bowling options.

The tourists took the second new ball in the 85th over of the innings but Rahul and Nair made sure that India continued to mount the runs.

Nair recorded his maiden Test fifty in just his third match to play the perfect sheet anchor role as Rahul piloted the Indian innings till his departure.

England pacemen worked hard on a batting-friendly MA Chidambaram pitch to claim two crucial wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara (16) and skipper Virat Kohli (15) in the afternoon session.

It was the first time in the series that Kohli, who leads the batting chart with 655 runs, had been out for less than 40. He chipped a drive to extra cover off Stuart Broad.

Overnight batsmen Parthiv Patel and Rahul made England`s bowlers toil earlier in the day with a 152-run opening stand, before Moeen Ali&#39;s off-spin prised out Patel -- the only wicket of the morning session.

It was India&#39;s first century opening partnership in 32 innings even though wicketkeeper Patel was filling in for regular opener Vijay, who got treated for a bruised shoulder before coming into bat.

Patel (71) was undone when he played against the spin of a flighted and sharply turning delivery from Ali to spoon a simple catch to Jos Buttler at cover.

India hold an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series.

(AFP)

Unlike Trump, the Republican senator was angry Russia interfered with the US election. 'When you attack a country, it's an act of war'

Opener Lokesh Rahul hit a career-best 199 to power India's strong reply as England bowlers struggled on day three of the fifth and final Test in Chennai on Sunday. India were 391 for four at stumps with Karun Nair (71) and Murali Vijay (17) at the crease. The hosts still trail by 86 runs in response to England`s 477. Rahul shared a 161-run fourth-wicket partnership with Nair before missing out on what could have been his maiden double century. Rahul, who recorded his fourth Test century, was the ninth batsman in the world to get out on 199 after falling to leg-spinner Adil Rashid in the final moments of the day. The 24-year-old batsman chased Rashid's widish delivery on the off-side to give away a catch to point as he crumpled into a heap with hands on head. Earlier Rahul had surpassed his previous best of 158 as he entertained a raucous Sunday crowd with a couple of reverse sweeps. He struck 16 fours and 3 sixes during his marathon knock, prompting England skipper Alastair Cook to rotate his bowling options. The tourists took the second new ball in the 85th over of the innings but Rahul and Nair made sure that India continued to mount the runs. Nair recorded his maiden Test fifty in just his third match to play the perfect sheet anchor role as Rahul piloted the Indian innings till his departure. England pacemen worked hard on a batting-friendly MA Chidambaram pitch to claim two crucial wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara (16) and skipper Virat Kohli (15) in the afternoon session. It was the first time in the series that Kohli, who leads the batting chart with 655 runs, had been out for less than 40. He chipped a drive to extra cover off Stuart Broad. Overnight batsmen Parthiv Patel and Rahul made England`s bowlers toil earlier in the day with a 152-run opening stand, before Moeen Ali's off-spin prised out Patel -- the only wicket of the morning session. It was India's first century opening partnership in 32 innings even though wicketkeeper Patel was filling in for regular opener Vijay, who got treated for a bruised shoulder before coming into bat. Patel (71) was undone when he played against the spin of a flighted and sharply turning delivery from Ali to spoon a simple catch to Jos Buttler at cover. India hold an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series. (AFP)

Senator McCain meets Ukraine president, says Russia must 'pay the price' for cyber attacks

US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump on Friday praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for refraining from retaliation in a dispute over spying and cyber attacks, in another sign that the Republican plans to patch up badly frayed relations with Moscow.

Putin on Friday ruled out tit-for-tat expulsions of Americans in response to US sanctions over alleged cyberattacks, a move that won plaudits from President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump&#39;s intervention -- in a tweet -- however illustrated the shifting political tide in Washington barely three weeks before the Republican is due to succeed Obama at the White House.

&quot;Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!&quot; the incoming US president wrote.

Putin&#39;s decision came despite the foreign ministry asking him to send home 35 US diplomats after President Barack Obama had turfed out the same number of Russian staff.

The alleged hacking of the US presidential election in November outraged Obama, culminating in the expulsions and other sanctions.

But outlining why he would not retaliate Putin cited Trump&#39;s imminent accession.

&quot;We will not expel anyone,&quot; Putin said in a statement, also inviting children of US diplomats to a holiday party at the Kremlin.

Instead, Moscow would plan its next steps &quot;based on the policies pursued by the administration of president Donald Trump&quot;, while warning that the Kremlin reserves the right to respond.

The Russian leader chided the outgoing Obama for &quot;unfriendly steps&quot; amounting to &quot;a provocation aimed at further undermining Russian-American relations&quot;.

Putin&#39;s remarks confirmed that Moscow is pinning its hopes on Trump to help rebuild ties -- which have plunged to their lowest point since the Cold War -- when he takes office next month.

Trump has repeatedly praised Putin and nominated people seen as friendly toward Moscow to senior administration posts, but it is unclear whether he would seek to roll back Obama&#39;s actions.

&nbsp;

State Deptartment silent

Putin had ended his statement on the sanctions by wishing Obama and Trump a Happy New Year, separately congratulating the US president-elect in a New Year message.

Prior to Trump&#39;s remarks, a State Department official&#39;s limited response had symbolised the gulf between the Obama adminstration and the soon to be inaugurated new US president.

&quot;We have seen President Putin&#39;s remarks. We have nothing further to add,&quot; the official said.

Obama on Thursday unleashed a barrage of sanctions against Russia over alleged cyberattacks aimed at tilting the November election in Trump&#39;s favour.

The move came after years of bad blood with Putin that had seen Washington slap sanctions on Moscow over its interference in Ukraine and Syria.

In response to the purported hacks, dubbed &quot;Grizzly Steppe&quot; by US officials, Obama announced penalties against Russia&#39;s military and domestic intelligence agencies, and gave the 35 suspected &quot;intelligence operatives&quot; 72 hours to leave.

The Kremlin said it was sending a special plane to fly diplomats and their families from the United States, following reports they are not able to purchase plane tickets at such short notice.&nbsp;

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Russian news agencies that 96 people would be leaving the US.

US intelligence has concluded that the Kremlin ordered a hack-and-release of Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton campaign staff emails in a bid to put Trump in the Oval Office.

Moscow has repeatedly denied the hacking allegations.

&nbsp;

&#39;Americans should be alarmed&#39;

Trump too has questioned whether Russia tipped the electoral scale, painting Obama&#39;s accusations as a thinly veiled effort by a Democratic president to cover up for his party&#39;s loss.&nbsp;

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency have both stated that Russia interfered with the US election.&nbsp;

For weeks while he was campaigning, Donald Trump said the 2016 US election was &quot;rigged&quot;, and when pressed on the issue he refused to say that he would accept its results if&nbsp;he lost. Now that he has won, he accepts the results.

Trump, however, has said he will meet intelligence leaders next week for a briefing on the situation.

Obama -- who has also clashed with Trump over his Israel policy in recent days -- pointedly stated that &quot;all Americans should be alarmed by Russia&#39;s actions&quot;.

It remains unclear whether Trump will move to roll back the sanctions. Leading Republican lawmakers have publicly warned him to stay tough on Putin.

Beyond the election row, Obama also linked the fresh sanctions to harassment of US diplomats in Moscow, which Washington described as &quot;unprecedented&quot; in the post-Cold War era.

US officials, meanwhile, played down the impact sanctions against the GRU and the FSB could have on intelligence-sharing on issues like counterterrorism, saying cooperation was already limited.

Both agencies will face penalties, along with GRU agency chief Igor Korobov and three of his deputies.

In addition, the US Treasury hit two individuals, Evgeniy Bogachev and Aleksey Belan, with sanctions for &quot;involvement in malicious cyber-enabled activities&quot;.

The sanctions freeze any assets they may have in the United States and block US companies from doing business with them.

The US government is also declassifying technical information on Russian cyber activity to help companies defend against future attacks.

(With inputs from agencies)

Putin did not expel US diplomats after Obama, reacting to Russian interference with the US election, sent 35 Russian intel ops home

US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for refraining from retaliation in a dispute over spying and cyber attacks, in another sign that the Republican plans to patch up badly frayed relations with Moscow. Putin on Friday ruled out tit-for-tat expulsions of Americans in response to US sanctions over alleged cyberattacks, a move that won plaudits from President-elect Donald Trump. Trump's intervention -- in a tweet -- however illustrated the shifting political tide in Washington barely three weeks before the Republican is due to succeed Obama at the White House. "Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!" the incoming US president wrote. Putin's decision came despite the foreign ministry asking him to send home 35 US diplomats after President Barack Obama had turfed out the same number of Russian staff. The alleged hacking of the US presidential election in November outraged Obama, culminating in the expulsions and other sanctions. But outlining why he would not retaliate Putin cited Trump's imminent accession. "We will not expel anyone," Putin said in a statement, also inviting children of US diplomats to a holiday party at the Kremlin. Instead, Moscow would plan its next steps "based on the policies pursued by the administration of president Donald Trump", while warning that the Kremlin reserves the right to respond. The Russian leader chided the outgoing Obama for "unfriendly steps" amounting to "a provocation aimed at further undermining Russian-American relations". Putin's remarks confirmed that Moscow is pinning its hopes on Trump to help rebuild ties -- which have plunged to their lowest point since the Cold War -- when he takes office next month. Trump has repeatedly praised Putin and nominated people seen as friendly toward Moscow to senior administration posts, but it is unclear whether he would seek to roll back Obama's actions. State Deptartment silent Putin had ended his statement on the sanctions by wishing Obama and Trump a Happy New Year, separately congratulating the US president-elect in a New Year message. Prior to Trump's remarks, a State Department official's limited response had symbolised the gulf between the Obama adminstration and the soon to be inaugurated new US president. "We have seen President Putin's remarks. We have nothing further to add," the official said. Obama on Thursday unleashed a barrage of sanctions against Russia over alleged cyberattacks aimed at tilting the November election in Trump's favour. The move came after years of bad blood with Putin that had seen Washington slap sanctions on Moscow over its interference in Ukraine and Syria. In response to the purported hacks, dubbed "Grizzly Steppe" by US officials, Obama announced penalties against Russia's military and domestic intelligence agencies, and gave the 35 suspected "intelligence operatives" 72 hours to leave. The Kremlin said it was sending a special plane to fly diplomats and their families from the United States, following reports they are not able to purchase plane tickets at such short notice. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Russian news agencies that 96 people would be leaving the US. US intelligence has concluded that the Kremlin ordered a hack-and-release of Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton campaign staff emails in a bid to put Trump in the Oval Office. Moscow has repeatedly denied the hacking allegations. 'Americans should be alarmed' Trump too has questioned whether Russia tipped the electoral scale, painting Obama's accusations as a thinly veiled effort by a Democratic president to cover up for his party's loss. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency have both stated that Russia interfered with the US election. For weeks while he was campaigning, Donald Trump said the 2016 US election was "rigged", and when pressed on the issue he refused to say that he would accept its results if he lost. Now that he has won, he accepts the results. Trump, however, has said he will meet intelligence leaders next week for a briefing on the situation. Obama -- who has also clashed with Trump over his Israel policy in recent days -- pointedly stated that "all Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions". It remains unclear whether Trump will move to roll back the sanctions. Leading Republican lawmakers have publicly warned him to stay tough on Putin. Beyond the election row, Obama also linked the fresh sanctions to harassment of US diplomats in Moscow, which Washington described as "unprecedented" in the post-Cold War era. US officials, meanwhile, played down the impact sanctions against the GRU and the FSB could have on intelligence-sharing on issues like counterterrorism, saying cooperation was already limited. Both agencies will face penalties, along with GRU agency chief Igor Korobov and three of his deputies. In addition, the US Treasury hit two individuals, Evgeniy Bogachev and Aleksey Belan, with sanctions for "involvement in malicious cyber-enabled activities". The sanctions freeze any assets they may have in the United States and block US companies from doing business with them. The US government is also declassifying technical information on Russian cyber activity to help companies defend against future attacks. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump praises 'very smart' Putin for holding back amid hacking row

In a series of retaliatory measure against Russia over vote meddling, the&nbsp;United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on two top Russian intelligence agencies, expelled 35 agents, and ordered the shutting down of two Russian compounds on US soil.

&quot;I have ordered a number of actions in response to the Russian government&#39;s aggressive harassment of US officials and cyber operations aimed at the US election,&quot; Obama said.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests,&#39; said Obama</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests,' said Obama" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&quot;These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests in violation of established international norms of behaviour.&quot;

Obama imposed sanctions against Russia&#39;s FSB and GRU intelligence agencies and ordered the closing down of two Russian compounds that the US says are used &quot;for intelligence-related purposes&quot;. The 35 intelligence operative -- based at the Russian embassy in Washington and the consulate in San Francisco -- have been declared &quot;persona non grata&quot; and ordered to leave the country within 72 hours.

US officials also moved to close two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland.

The latter facility, a summer house a short drive from the US capital, was once featured in a Washington lifestyle magazine and was described as a stately home surrounded by lush gardens on the banks of the Chester River.&nbsp;

The US government said it is now used &quot;for intelligence-related purposes&quot;.

&quot;All Americans should be alarmed by Russia&#39;s actions,&quot; Obama said.&nbsp;

&quot;Moreover, our diplomats have experienced an unacceptable level of harassment in Moscow by Russian security services and police over the last year. Such activities have consequences.&quot;

The US intelligence community all agree that Russia interfered in US elections to put Trump in the White House. They also believe in Russian hand in the hacking and release of Democratic Party and Clinton staff emails.

People tied to a Russian disinformation campaign that US intelligence officials say targeted Clinton&#39;s campaign may also be named under the plans, according to CNN.

Republican Lindsey Graham said in an interview on Dec. 27 that 99 per cent of US senators believe Russia interfered in the US presidential elections.

Washington accuses the Russian military&#39;s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of hacking information with the intent to interfere with the US election -- and says the Federal Security Service (FSB) helped, AFP reported.

Four individual GRU officers including agency chief Igor Valentinovich Korobov and three other entities will face sanctions.

AFP reported that the US Treasury slapped sanctions on two individuals, Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev and Aleksey Alekseyevich Belan, for &quot;involvement in malicious cyber-enabled activities.&quot;

The sanctions will freeze their assets in the US and block business with US companies.

Obama said that the government will continue to take actions,&#39;some of which will not be publicised&#39;.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Obama said that the government will continue to take actions, &#39;some of which will not be publicised&#39;</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Obama said that the government will continue to take actions, 'some of which will not be publicised'" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&quot;These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russia&#39;s aggressive activities. We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicised,&quot; Obama said.

&quot;The United States and friends and allies around the world must work together to oppose Russia&#39;s efforts to undermine established international norms of behavior and interfere with democratic governance.&quot;

Trump denied any links with Russia and said,&quot;I think we ought to get on with our lives,&quot; on Wednesday.

The White House had warned Russia to stop cyber-meddling pre-elections, The Washington Post reported.

And about a week before the election, Washington sent a message to Moscow using a special crisis communication channel for the first time, asking it to stop targeting state voter registration and election systems, according to AFP.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow will respond to any &quot;hostile steps&quot; from Washington.

(With inputs from agencies)

It expels 35 Russian intelligence operatives, imposes sanctions on the FSB & GRU, and orders closing down of 2 Russian compounds on US soil

In a series of retaliatory measure against Russia over vote meddling, the United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on two top Russian intelligence agencies, expelled 35 agents, and ordered the shutting down of two Russian compounds on US soil. "I have ordered a number of actions in response to the Russian government's aggressive harassment of US officials and cyber operations aimed at the US election," Obama said. These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests,' said Obama × "These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests in violation of established international norms of behaviour." Obama imposed sanctions against Russia's FSB and GRU intelligence agencies and ordered the closing down of two Russian compounds that the US says are used "for intelligence-related purposes". The 35 intelligence operative -- based at the Russian embassy in Washington and the consulate in San Francisco -- have been declared "persona non grata" and ordered to leave the country within 72 hours. US officials also moved to close two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland. The latter facility, a summer house a short drive from the US capital, was once featured in a Washington lifestyle magazine and was described as a stately home surrounded by lush gardens on the banks of the Chester River. The US government said it is now used "for intelligence-related purposes". "All Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions," Obama said. "Moreover, our diplomats have experienced an unacceptable level of harassment in Moscow by Russian security services and police over the last year. Such activities have consequences." The US intelligence community all agree that Russia interfered in US elections to put Trump in the White House. They also believe in Russian hand in the hacking and release of Democratic Party and Clinton staff emails. People tied to a Russian disinformation campaign that US intelligence officials say targeted Clinton's campaign may also be named under the plans, according to CNN. Republican Lindsey Graham said in an interview on Dec. 27 that 99 per cent of US senators believe Russia interfered in the US presidential elections. Washington accuses the Russian military's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of hacking information with the intent to interfere with the US election -- and says the Federal Security Service (FSB) helped, AFP reported. Four individual GRU officers including agency chief Igor Valentinovich Korobov and three other entities will face sanctions. AFP reported that the US Treasury slapped sanctions on two individuals, Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev and Aleksey Alekseyevich Belan, for "involvement in malicious cyber-enabled activities." The sanctions will freeze their assets in the US and block business with US companies. Obama said that the government will continue to take actions,'some of which will not be publicised'. Obama said that the government will continue to take actions, 'some of which will not be publicised' × "These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russia's aggressive activities. We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicised," Obama said. "The United States and friends and allies around the world must work together to oppose Russia's efforts to undermine established international norms of behavior and interfere with democratic governance." Trump denied any links with Russia and said,"I think we ought to get on with our lives," on Wednesday. The White House had warned Russia to stop cyber-meddling pre-elections, The Washington Post reported. And about a week before the election, Washington sent a message to Moscow using a special crisis communication channel for the first time, asking it to stop targeting state voter registration and election systems, according to AFP. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow will respond to any "hostile steps" from Washington. (With inputs from agencies)

US retaliates against Russian 'interference' in election

President Vladimir Putin ruled out on Friday expelling anyone in retaliation for Washington&#39;s decision to throw out 35 Russian diplomats and impose sanctions on two of the country&#39;s intelligence agencies.

RIA news agency quoted Putin as saying he would consider the actions of President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office next month, when deciding on further steps in Russia-US&nbsp;relations.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov proposed to Putin that Moscow expel 35 US&nbsp;diplomats and ban US&nbsp;diplomatic staff from using two facilities in Moscow, his ministry said.

This followed President Barack Obama&#39;s decision to expel the 35 Russian diplomats suspected of spying and to impose sanctions on the two Russian intelligence agencies over their alleged involvement in hacking US&nbsp;political groups in the 2016 presidential election. Lavrov said the allegations that Russia interfered in U.S. elections were baseless.

Putin rejected Lavrov&#39;s plan. &quot;We will not expel anyone,&quot; he said in a statement. He also said he saw the sanctions as another step to undermine relations between Moscow and Washington, and he regretted that the Obama administration was ending its term in such a way.

Russian officials have portrayed the US&nbsp;sanctions as a last act of a lame-duck president and suggested that Trump could reverse them when he takes over the White House in January.

Earlier Russian Prime Minster Dmitry Medvedev said the Obama administration was ending its term in &quot;anti-Russia death throes&quot;.

&quot;It is regrettable that the Obama administration, which started out by restoring our ties, is ending its term in an anti-Russia death throes. RIP,&quot; Medvedev, who served as president in 2009 when Obama tried to improve Russia-US&nbsp;relations, wrote on his official Facebook page.

The US&nbsp;sanctions also closed two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that the administration said were used by Russian personnel for &quot;intelligence-related purposes&quot;.

(Reuters)

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had earlier proposed to expel US?diplomats in retaliation

President Vladimir Putin ruled out on Friday expelling anyone in retaliation for Washington's decision to throw out 35 Russian diplomats and impose sanctions on two of the country's intelligence agencies. RIA news agency quoted Putin as saying he would consider the actions of President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office next month, when deciding on further steps in Russia-US relations. Earlier, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov proposed to Putin that Moscow expel 35 US diplomats and ban US diplomatic staff from using two facilities in Moscow, his ministry said. This followed President Barack Obama's decision to expel the 35 Russian diplomats suspected of spying and to impose sanctions on the two Russian intelligence agencies over their alleged involvement in hacking US political groups in the 2016 presidential election. Lavrov said the allegations that Russia interfered in U.S. elections were baseless. Putin rejected Lavrov's plan. "We will not expel anyone," he said in a statement. He also said he saw the sanctions as another step to undermine relations between Moscow and Washington, and he regretted that the Obama administration was ending its term in such a way. Russian officials have portrayed the US sanctions as a last act of a lame-duck president and suggested that Trump could reverse them when he takes over the White House in January. Earlier Russian Prime Minster Dmitry Medvedev said the Obama administration was ending its term in "anti-Russia death throes". "It is regrettable that the Obama administration, which started out by restoring our ties, is ending its term in an anti-Russia death throes. RIP," Medvedev, who served as president in 2009 when Obama tried to improve Russia-US relations, wrote on his official Facebook page. The US sanctions also closed two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that the administration said were used by Russian personnel for "intelligence-related purposes". (Reuters)

Russia's Putin rules out expelling US diplomats

Vladimir Putin praised US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, saying he had his finger on the pulse of US&nbsp;society, and launched a scathing attack on the Democrats, saying they had forgotten the meaning of their own name and were sore losers.

Speaking at his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia&#39;s president said that only Russia had believed that Trump would become the next president of the United States, but that did not mean the Democrats had the right to blame him for their defeat.

&quot;The current administration and the leadership of the Democratic Party are trying to blame all their failures on external factors,&quot; Putin told reporters.

&quot;(We are talking about) a party which has clearly forgotten the original meaning of its own name,&quot; Putin said, accusing the Democrats of &quot;shamelessly&quot; abusing their status as the ruling party to try to influence public opinion.

&quot;Outstanding figures in American history from the ranks of the Democratic Party would likely be turning in their graves. Roosevelt certainly would be,&quot; he said.

The White House and US&nbsp;intelligence officials have accused Russia of trying to interfere with the US&nbsp;election by hacking Democratic Party accounts. Information from those hacks was leaked online, causing political problems for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Putin dismissed suggestions Moscow had helped Trump to victory in any way however.

&quot;It&#39;s not like that,&quot; he said. &quot;All of this (the accusations) speaks of the current administration&#39;s systemic problems.&quot;

Sore losers

The question of who hacked the US&nbsp;Democratic party was not important anyway, said Putin, but what the hacks revealed - that public opinion in the United States was being manipulated - was.

&quot;They (the Democrats) are losing on all fronts and looking elsewhere for things to blame. In my view this, how shall I say it, degrades their own dignity. You have to know how to lose with dignity.&quot;

Putin, who spoke positively of Trump before his election win, said that Moscow had believed in his victory.

&quot;Trump understood the mood of the people and kept going until the end, when nobody believed in him,&quot; Putin said, adding with a smile. &quot;Except for you and me.&quot;

Putin addressed Trump&#39;s comments about the need to boost the US&nbsp;nuclear arsenal, saying they were perfectly normal.

Trump&#39;s comments, made in a tweet on Thursday, alarmed non-proliferation experts who said that a boost to the US&nbsp;arsenal could fuel global tensions.

But Putin said he was surprised by the fuss Trump&#39;s tweet had caused and how it had been linked to his own statements about Russia&#39;s plans to modernise its own nuclear arsenal.

Putin said on Thursday Russia&#39;s military was &quot;stronger than any potential aggressor&quot;. He made clear on Friday he did not regard the United States as a potential aggressor.

&quot;I was a bit surprised by the statements from some representatives of the current US&nbsp;administration who for some reason started to prove that the US&nbsp;military was the most powerful in the world,&quot; said Putin.

&quot;Nobody is arguing with that.&quot;

(Reuters)

Only Russia believed Trump would win the election, says President Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin praised US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, saying he had his finger on the pulse of US society, and launched a scathing attack on the Democrats, saying they had forgotten the meaning of their own name and were sore losers. Speaking at his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia's president said that only Russia had believed that Trump would become the next president of the United States, but that did not mean the Democrats had the right to blame him for their defeat. "The current administration and the leadership of the Democratic Party are trying to blame all their failures on external factors," Putin told reporters. "(We are talking about) a party which has clearly forgotten the original meaning of its own name," Putin said, accusing the Democrats of "shamelessly" abusing their status as the ruling party to try to influence public opinion. "Outstanding figures in American history from the ranks of the Democratic Party would likely be turning in their graves. Roosevelt certainly would be," he said. The White House and US intelligence officials have accused Russia of trying to interfere with the US election by hacking Democratic Party accounts. Information from those hacks was leaked online, causing political problems for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Putin dismissed suggestions Moscow had helped Trump to victory in any way however. "It's not like that," he said. "All of this (the accusations) speaks of the current administration's systemic problems." Sore losers The question of who hacked the US Democratic party was not important anyway, said Putin, but what the hacks revealed - that public opinion in the United States was being manipulated - was. "They (the Democrats) are losing on all fronts and looking elsewhere for things to blame. In my view this, how shall I say it, degrades their own dignity. You have to know how to lose with dignity." Putin, who spoke positively of Trump before his election win, said that Moscow had believed in his victory. "Trump understood the mood of the people and kept going until the end, when nobody believed in him," Putin said, adding with a smile. "Except for you and me." Putin addressed Trump's comments about the need to boost the US nuclear arsenal, saying they were perfectly normal. Trump's comments, made in a tweet on Thursday, alarmed non-proliferation experts who said that a boost to the US arsenal could fuel global tensions. But Putin said he was surprised by the fuss Trump's tweet had caused and how it had been linked to his own statements about Russia's plans to modernise its own nuclear arsenal. Putin said on Thursday Russia's military was "stronger than any potential aggressor". He made clear on Friday he did not regard the United States as a potential aggressor. "I was a bit surprised by the statements from some representatives of the current US administration who for some reason started to prove that the US military was the most powerful in the world," said Putin. "Nobody is arguing with that." (Reuters)

Putin praises Trump, calls out 'shameless' Democrats

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday condemned the killing of Russia&#39;s ambassador to Ankara as a &quot;provocation&quot; aimed at ruining improving relations.

&quot;We know that this is a provocation aimed at destroying the process of normalisation in relations between Turkey and Russia,&quot; Erdogan said in televised comments.&nbsp;

After the attack,&nbsp;Erdogan spoke&nbsp;with Russian President Vladimir Putin&nbsp;to share information about the shooting of Moscow&#39;s ambassador to Ankara, a Turkish official said.

Turkey will not allow the shooting of Russia&#39;s ambassador to Ankara&nbsp;&quot;cast a shadow&quot; over Turkish-Russian friendship, Turkey&#39;s foreign ministry said, expressing deep sadness and condemning the &quot;lowly terrorist attack&quot;.

The statement, paying tribute to the ambassador as being a well respected diplomat, said the attacker had been &quot;neutralised&quot; and that those responsible for the attack would be brought to justice.

Russian envoy to Turkey, Andrei Karlov was killed by a gunman, an off-duty policeman&nbsp;at an art gallery in Ankara. According to Turkish interior minister,&nbsp;Suleyman Soylu the police officer worked for Ankara riot police and said the incident &quot;deeply saddened&quot; the Turkish nation.&nbsp;

Soylu also said three people had been wounded in the attack, not critically and that one had already been released.&nbsp;

(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

Condemning the 'lowly terrorist attack', Turkey's foreign ministry said incident will not 'cast a shadow' on Turkish-Russian friendship

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday condemned the killing of Russia's ambassador to Ankara as a "provocation" aimed at ruining improving relations. "We know that this is a provocation aimed at destroying the process of normalisation in relations between Turkey and Russia," Erdogan said in televised comments. After the attack, Erdogan spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin to share information about the shooting of Moscow's ambassador to Ankara, a Turkish official said. Turkey will not allow the shooting of Russia's ambassador to Ankara "cast a shadow" over Turkish-Russian friendship, Turkey's foreign ministry said, expressing deep sadness and condemning the "lowly terrorist attack". The statement, paying tribute to the ambassador as being a well respected diplomat, said the attacker had been "neutralised" and that those responsible for the attack would be brought to justice. Russian envoy to Turkey, Andrei Karlov was killed by a gunman, an off-duty policeman at an art gallery in Ankara. According to Turkish interior minister, Suleyman Soylu the police officer worked for Ankara riot police and said the incident "deeply saddened" the Turkish nation. Soylu also said three people had been wounded in the attack, not critically and that one had already been released. (Reuters)

Turkey's Erdogan condemns attack, says 'provocation' to ruin relations

US President Barack Obama on Friday said he warned Russian President Vladimir Putin to &quot;cut it out&quot; after Democratic Party emails were hacked.&nbsp;

During a pre-Christmas press briefing, Obama said in the sidelines of the G 20 meetings held in China he asked Putin to stop interefering in US politics.&nbsp;

He added that after the warning there was no more evidence of Russian hacking.&nbsp;

Russia&nbsp;denied the accusations.&nbsp;

&quot;The intelligence that I&#39;ve seen gives me great confidence in their assessment that the Russians carried out this hack,&quot; Obama said refering to the latest evidence by CIA that Russia meddled in the November 8 presidential election.

Obama also said he hoped Trump would be concerned over Russia and that this must not become a &quot;political football&quot; between Democrats and Republicans.&nbsp;

He cautioned Trump that change in US policy towards Taiwan will have consequences from China.

&quot;For China, the issue of Taiwan is as important as anything on their docket.&quot;

&nbsp;&quot;The idea of one China is at the heart their conception as a nation and so if you are going to upend this understanding, you have to have thought through what the consequences are.&quot;

&#39;United in horror&#39; 
Obama said the world was &quot;united in horror&quot; at the battle in Aleppo and that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies were responsible for atrocities committed against the people in Syria.&nbsp;

&quot;Responsibility for this brutality lies in one place alone: with the Assad regime and its allies Russia and Iran. And this blood and these atrocities are on their hands.&quot;

The President also defended US involvement in Syria saying he understood the need to take action against what was happening but&nbsp;&quot;Unless we were all in and willing to take over Syria, we were going to have problems.&quot; &nbsp;Adding it would need &quot;putting large numbers of US&nbsp;troops on the ground, uninvited, without any international law mandate.&quot;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

Obama said the intelligence gives him 'great confidence' that Russians carried out the hack

US President Barack Obama on Friday said he warned Russian President Vladimir Putin to "cut it out" after Democratic Party emails were hacked. During a pre-Christmas press briefing, Obama said in the sidelines of the G 20 meetings held in China he asked Putin to stop interefering in US politics. He added that after the warning there was no more evidence of Russian hacking. Russia denied the accusations. "The intelligence that I've seen gives me great confidence in their assessment that the Russians carried out this hack," Obama said refering to the latest evidence by CIA that Russia meddled in the November 8 presidential election. Obama also said he hoped Trump would be concerned over Russia and that this must not become a "political football" between Democrats and Republicans. He cautioned Trump that change in US policy towards Taiwan will have consequences from China. "For China, the issue of Taiwan is as important as anything on their docket." "The idea of one China is at the heart their conception as a nation and so if you are going to upend this understanding, you have to have thought through what the consequences are." 'United in horror' Obama said the world was "united in horror" at the battle in Aleppo and that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies were responsible for atrocities committed against the people in Syria. "Responsibility for this brutality lies in one place alone: with the Assad regime and its allies Russia and Iran. And this blood and these atrocities are on their hands." The President also defended US involvement in Syria saying he understood the need to take action against what was happening but "Unless we were all in and willing to take over Syria, we were going to have problems." Adding it would need "putting large numbers of US troops on the ground, uninvited, without any international law mandate." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Warned Putin to stop cyber attacks, says Obama

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a second day of talks on Friday after Abe made little headway a day earlier in his quest to resolve a territorial row that has festered since World War II.

Putin looked set to come away with a slew of economic deals and achieve what experts said was a key goal - easing his international isolation when Moscow is under fire over the destruction of eastern Aleppo in Syria, where Russia is backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&rsquo;s forces.

&quot;Abe must be bitterly disappointed,&quot; said James Brown, a professor at Temple University&#39;s Japan campus.

&quot;Putin has given away absolutely nothing and, in return, he has received the offer of enhanced economic cooperation. Just as valuably, he has demonstrated divisions in G-7 (Group of Seven) policy on Russia and has encouraged Japan to distance itself from US&nbsp;policy,&quot; Brown added.

Japan and Russia agreed on day one of the summit, held at a hot spring resort in south-west Japan, to revive security talks and start discussing economic cooperation on the disputed islands, a row over which has kept them from signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II.

The islands in the Western Pacific, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kuriles in Russia, were seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War II.

Day two of the summit will be held in Tokyo.

Kremlin economic aide Yuri Ushakov said the two sides would issue a statement about possible joint economic activity on the disputed islands on Friday, adding such activity would be based on Russian legislation.

A Japanese spokesman, however, reiterated Japan&#39;s policy that any joint economic activity should not infringe on Tokyo&#39;s legal stance, underscoring a remaining gap.

Abe has hoped the lure of economic cooperation for Russia&#39;s economy, hit by low oil prices and Western sanctions, would pave the path for progress.

Abe has pledged to resolve the territorial dispute, in hopes of leaving a diplomatic legacy and building better ties with Russia to counter a rising China.

Putin, however, does not want to tarnish his domestic image as a staunch defender of Russian sovereignty.

Japan has long insisted its sovereignty over all four islands be confirmed before a peace treaty is signed, but has recently been rethinking that stance.

(Reuters)

Kremlin economic aide Yuri Ushakov said the two sides would issue a statement about possible joint economic activity on the disputed islands

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a second day of talks on Friday after Abe made little headway a day earlier in his quest to resolve a territorial row that has festered since World War II. Putin looked set to come away with a slew of economic deals and achieve what experts said was a key goal - easing his international isolation when Moscow is under fire over the destruction of eastern Aleppo in Syria, where Russia is backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces. "Abe must be bitterly disappointed," said James Brown, a professor at Temple University's Japan campus. "Putin has given away absolutely nothing and, in return, he has received the offer of enhanced economic cooperation. Just as valuably, he has demonstrated divisions in G-7 (Group of Seven) policy on Russia and has encouraged Japan to distance itself from US policy," Brown added. Japan and Russia agreed on day one of the summit, held at a hot spring resort in south-west Japan, to revive security talks and start discussing economic cooperation on the disputed islands, a row over which has kept them from signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II. The islands in the Western Pacific, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kuriles in Russia, were seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War II. Day two of the summit will be held in Tokyo. Kremlin economic aide Yuri Ushakov said the two sides would issue a statement about possible joint economic activity on the disputed islands on Friday, adding such activity would be based on Russian legislation. A Japanese spokesman, however, reiterated Japan's policy that any joint economic activity should not infringe on Tokyo's legal stance, underscoring a remaining gap. Abe has hoped the lure of economic cooperation for Russia's economy, hit by low oil prices and Western sanctions, would pave the path for progress. Abe has pledged to resolve the territorial dispute, in hopes of leaving a diplomatic legacy and building better ties with Russia to counter a rising China. Putin, however, does not want to tarnish his domestic image as a staunch defender of Russian sovereignty. Japan has long insisted its sovereignty over all four islands be confirmed before a peace treaty is signed, but has recently been rethinking that stance. (Reuters)

Abe, Putin head into day two of summit with little to show on isles row

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ranked among the top 10 most powerful people in the world by Forbes in a list that has been topped by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the fourth straight year and had US President-elect Donald Trump in the second place.

Modi ranks 9th on the Forbes list of 74 of the World&#39;s Most Powerful People.

Forbes said India&#39;s populist prime minister remains hugely popular in his country of 1.3 billion people.

&quot;Modi has raised his profile as a global leader in recent years during official visits with Barack Obama and Xi Jinping. He has also emerged as a key figure in the international effort to tackle climate change, as planetary warming will deeply affect millions of his country&#39;s rural and most vulnerable citizens,&quot; Forbes said.

It also took note of the unexpected decision made by Modi last month to demonetise India&#39;s two high value currency notes in a bid to reduce money laundering and corruption, creating a nationwide frenzy to quickly swap out the bills.

The list has been topped by Putin, who retains the title of the world&#39;s most powerful person for four years running. US President Obama comes in on the 48th spot.

&quot;There are nearly 7.4 billion humans on planet Earth, but these 74 men and women make the world turn. Forbes&#39; annual ranking of the World&#39;s Most Powerful People identifies one person out of every 100 million whose actions mean the most,&quot; it said.

Forbes said Russia&#39;s 64-year-old president has exerted his country&#39;s influence in nearly every corner of the globe; from the motherland to Syria to the US presidential elections, continuing to &quot;get what he wants&quot;.

On the second spot is 70-year-old Trump who will become the first billionaire president of the United States, after upsetting Hillary Clinton in a surprising election victory.

The list includes Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani on the 38the spot. Forbes said the 59-year-old oil and gas tycoon sparked a price war in India&#39;s hyper competitive telecom market with the launch of 4G phone service Jio at the annual shareholder meeting of his Reliance Industries in September.

&quot;The USD 44.7 billion (revenue) Reliance Industries is locked in a legal battle with the government related to the recovery of costs associated with developing a gas field,&quot; it said, adding that his wife Nita, who sits on Reliance&#39;s board, is a member of the International Olympic Committee.

The list also includes Microsoft&#39;s India-born CEO Satya Nadella on the 51st spot, with Forbes saying the 49-year-old has steered the company away from a failing mobile strategy and focused on other lines of business, including cloud computing and augmented reality.

The third most powerful person in the world also happens to be the most powerful woman: Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany and the backbone of the European Union.

The list includes Xi on the 4th spot, Pope Francis (5), Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates (7), Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (10), French President Francois Hollande (23), Apple CEO Tim Cook (32), North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (43) and ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (57). 
 
(PTI)

The list has been topped by Putin, who retains the title of the world's most powerful person for four years running

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ranked among the top 10 most powerful people in the world by Forbes in a list that has been topped by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the fourth straight year and had US President-elect Donald Trump in the second place. Modi ranks 9th on the Forbes list of 74 of the World's Most Powerful People. Forbes said India's populist prime minister remains hugely popular in his country of 1.3 billion people. "Modi has raised his profile as a global leader in recent years during official visits with Barack Obama and Xi Jinping. He has also emerged as a key figure in the international effort to tackle climate change, as planetary warming will deeply affect millions of his country's rural and most vulnerable citizens," Forbes said. It also took note of the unexpected decision made by Modi last month to demonetise India's two high value currency notes in a bid to reduce money laundering and corruption, creating a nationwide frenzy to quickly swap out the bills. The list has been topped by Putin, who retains the title of the world's most powerful person for four years running. US President Obama comes in on the 48th spot. "There are nearly 7.4 billion humans on planet Earth, but these 74 men and women make the world turn. Forbes' annual ranking of the World's Most Powerful People identifies one person out of every 100 million whose actions mean the most," it said. Forbes said Russia's 64-year-old president has exerted his country's influence in nearly every corner of the globe; from the motherland to Syria to the US presidential elections, continuing to "get what he wants". On the second spot is 70-year-old Trump who will become the first billionaire president of the United States, after upsetting Hillary Clinton in a surprising election victory. The list includes Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani on the 38the spot. Forbes said the 59-year-old oil and gas tycoon sparked a price war in India's hyper competitive telecom market with the launch of 4G phone service Jio at the annual shareholder meeting of his Reliance Industries in September. "The USD 44.7 billion (revenue) Reliance Industries is locked in a legal battle with the government related to the recovery of costs associated with developing a gas field," it said, adding that his wife Nita, who sits on Reliance's board, is a member of the International Olympic Committee. The list also includes Microsoft's India-born CEO Satya Nadella on the 51st spot, with Forbes saying the 49-year-old has steered the company away from a failing mobile strategy and focused on other lines of business, including cloud computing and augmented reality. The third most powerful person in the world also happens to be the most powerful woman: Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany and the backbone of the European Union. The list includes Xi on the 4th spot, Pope Francis (5), Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates (7), Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (10), French President Francois Hollande (23), Apple CEO Tim Cook (32), North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (43) and ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (57). (PTI)

India's PM Modi in Forbes list of world's 10 most powerful people

US President Barack Obama said he told Vladimir Putin on Sunday that he wants to reach a settlement that solves the Ukraine crisis before he leaves office in January.

&quot;I talked to him about Ukraine and the need for us to get things done,&quot; Obama told a press conference in Peru, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.&nbsp;

&quot;I urged him to instruct his negotiators to work with ourselves, with France, with Germany, with Ukraine to see if we can get that done before my term is up.&quot;

Russia backs a separatist, pro-Moscow insurgency in eastern Ukraine that has claimed nearly 10,000 lives.

Moscow, which annexed Crimea from pro-Western Ukraine in 2014, denies either sending troops or weapons across its border to fuel the conflict, despite eyewitness testimony to the contrary.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande launched efforts in October to revive a stalled peace process during talks with Putin and Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko in Berlin.

Those involved are trying to draw up a roadmap for applying the frayed 2015 Minsk peace accords following months of impasse.

The shock election victory of Donald Trump in the United States has been met with trepidation in Kiev because of the mogul&#39;s praise for Putin.

(AFP)

'I talked to him about Ukraine and the need for us to get things done,' he told a press conference in Peru, on the sidelines of APEC summi

US President Barack Obama said he told Vladimir Putin on Sunday that he wants to reach a settlement that solves the Ukraine crisis before he leaves office in January. "I talked to him about Ukraine and the need for us to get things done," Obama told a press conference in Peru, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. "I urged him to instruct his negotiators to work with ourselves, with France, with Germany, with Ukraine to see if we can get that done before my term is up." Russia backs a separatist, pro-Moscow insurgency in eastern Ukraine that has claimed nearly 10,000 lives. Moscow, which annexed Crimea from pro-Western Ukraine in 2014, denies either sending troops or weapons across its border to fuel the conflict, despite eyewitness testimony to the contrary. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande launched efforts in October to revive a stalled peace process during talks with Putin and Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko in Berlin. Those involved are trying to draw up a roadmap for applying the frayed 2015 Minsk peace accords following months of impasse. The shock election victory of Donald Trump in the United States has been met with trepidation in Kiev because of the mogul's praise for Putin. (AFP)

Obama wants Ukraine deal 'before term is up'

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump confirmed to him he was willing to mend ties, though he also said he would welcome President Barack Obama in Russia.

&quot;The President-elect confirmed he is willing to normalise Russian-American relations. I told him the same. We did not discuss where and when we would meet.&quot;

Putin also told a news conference in Lima after the APEC summit that Russia is ready to freeze oil output at current levels.

Putin said he thanked Obama during Sunday&#39;s meeting in Lima &quot;for the years of joint work&quot;.

&quot;I told him that we would be happy to see him (Obama) in Russia anytime if he wants, can and has desire&quot;, Putin said.

(Reuters)

'The President-elect confirmed he is willing to normalise Russian-American relations. I told him the same,' said Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday US President-elect Donald Trump confirmed to him he was willing to mend ties, though he also said he would welcome President Barack Obama in Russia. "The President-elect confirmed he is willing to normalise Russian-American relations. I told him the same. We did not discuss where and when we would meet." Putin also told a news conference in Lima after the APEC summit that Russia is ready to freeze oil output at current levels. Putin said he thanked Obama during Sunday's meeting in Lima "for the years of joint work". "I told him that we would be happy to see him (Obama) in Russia anytime if he wants, can and has desire", Putin said. (Reuters)

Putin says Trump confirmed willing to mend ties

US President Barack Obama hopes President-elect Donald Trump will stand up against Russia when needed and cooperate when &quot;values and interests align&quot;.&nbsp; 
&quot;In order for us to solve many big problems around the world, it is in our interest to work with Russia,&quot; he told reporters in Berlin.&nbsp;

The President who is on his last leg of the Europe tour before he leaves office addressed a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.&nbsp;

&quot;My hope is that the president-elect coming in takes a similarly constructive approach, finding areas where we can cooperate with Russia where our values and interests align, but that the president-elect also is willing to stand up to Russia when they are deviating from our values and international norms,&quot; he continued.&nbsp;

&quot;My hope is that he does not simply take a realpolitik approach and suggest that we just cut some deals with Russia even if it hurts people, even if it violates international norms or even if it leaves smaller countries vulnerable or creates long term problems in countries like Syria,&quot; Obama said.

The President also warned that the sanctions imposed on Russia must remain until Moscow abided the Minsk peace agreement.&nbsp;

Democracy will break down

Obama warned Americans &quot;If we can&#39;t discriminate between serious arguments and propaganda, then we have problems.&quot;

&quot;If people - whether they are conservative or liberal, left or right - are unwilling to compromise and engage in the democratic process and are taking absolutist views and demonising opponents, then democracy will break down,&quot; he added.

Work in Syria to continue

&quot;We are going to continue to work as we have over the last five, six years to push towards a political transition and settlement. It would be naive of me to suggest that with Russia committed militarily as it is to supporting what, in many cases, are barbarous tactics by the Assad regime to crush the opposition,&quot; Obama said in reference to Russia&nbsp;backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime.

He added that he would continue to try to &quot;obtain cessations of hostilities that lessen the human tragedy and the migration that&#39;s taking place&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;You cannot purchase people&#39;s consent through killing them. They haven&#39;t made that transition yet but we are going to keep on trying,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

He urged Trump to follow US long standing policy towards Russia, adding there must be cooperation where 'values and interests align'

US President Barack Obama hopes President-elect Donald Trump will stand up against Russia when needed and cooperate when "values and interests align". "In order for us to solve many big problems around the world, it is in our interest to work with Russia," he told reporters in Berlin. The President who is on his last leg of the Europe tour before he leaves office addressed a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. "My hope is that the president-elect coming in takes a similarly constructive approach, finding areas where we can cooperate with Russia where our values and interests align, but that the president-elect also is willing to stand up to Russia when they are deviating from our values and international norms," he continued. "My hope is that he does not simply take a realpolitik approach and suggest that we just cut some deals with Russia even if it hurts people, even if it violates international norms or even if it leaves smaller countries vulnerable or creates long term problems in countries like Syria," Obama said. The President also warned that the sanctions imposed on Russia must remain until Moscow abided the Minsk peace agreement. Democracy will break down Obama warned Americans "If we can't discriminate between serious arguments and propaganda, then we have problems." "If people - whether they are conservative or liberal, left or right - are unwilling to compromise and engage in the democratic process and are taking absolutist views and demonising opponents, then democracy will break down," he added. Work in Syria to continue "We are going to continue to work as we have over the last five, six years to push towards a political transition and settlement. It would be naive of me to suggest that with Russia committed militarily as it is to supporting what, in many cases, are barbarous tactics by the Assad regime to crush the opposition," Obama said in reference to Russia backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. He added that he would continue to try to "obtain cessations of hostilities that lessen the human tragedy and the migration that's taking place" "You cannot purchase people's consent through killing them. They haven't made that transition yet but we are going to keep on trying," he added. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Obama hopes Trump will stand up against Russia

US President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on&nbsp;phone over normalising relations,economic issues and challenges that both countries face on Monday.&nbsp;

A statement issued by Trump camp stated both agreed on &quot;the extremely unsatisfactory state of Russian-US relations at present&quot; and &quot;declared the need for active joint work to normalise them.&quot;

The Kremlin issued a statement saying Putin was ready to &quot;create a dialogue of partnership with the new administration on the basis of equality, mutual respect and non-intervention in each other&#39;s domestic affairs.&quot;

Both &quot;agreed on the need to unite efforts in the struggle with the enemy number one: international terrorism and extremism,&quot; in reference to solving the Syrian crisis.&nbsp;

&quot;The importance of creating a solid basis for bilateral ties was underscored, in particularly by developing the trade-economic component,&quot; Reuters quoted Kremlin&#39;s statement.&nbsp;

Obama assures NATO

Before setting out for his farewell visit to Europe, US President Barack Obama reassured Europe that Trump will maintain US&nbsp;&quot;commitment to NATO&quot; and that &quot;there is no weakening of resolve&quot; when it comes to ties with NATO.

During the presidential campaign, Trump had said if any NATO country was attacked, under his presidency the&nbsp;US would not defend until the ally does not increase its contribution to NATO.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s unexpected victory has left NATO countries worried, with future ties uncertain.&nbsp;

US defense secretary Ashton Carter told NATO leaders to talk to Donald Trump saying &quot;We&#39;re much better at protecting ourselves if we can find a way to work together.&quot;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

 
&nbsp;

Putin and Trump agreed on the 'unsatisfactory state of Russian-US relations at present,' and 'need for active joint work to normalise them'

US President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on phone over normalising relations,economic issues and challenges that both countries face on Monday. A statement issued by Trump camp stated both agreed on "the extremely unsatisfactory state of Russian-US relations at present" and "declared the need for active joint work to normalise them." The Kremlin issued a statement saying Putin was ready to "create a dialogue of partnership with the new administration on the basis of equality, mutual respect and non-intervention in each other's domestic affairs." Both "agreed on the need to unite efforts in the struggle with the enemy number one: international terrorism and extremism," in reference to solving the Syrian crisis. "The importance of creating a solid basis for bilateral ties was underscored, in particularly by developing the trade-economic component," Reuters quoted Kremlin's statement. Obama assures NATO Before setting out for his farewell visit to Europe, US President Barack Obama reassured Europe that Trump will maintain US "commitment to NATO" and that "there is no weakening of resolve" when it comes to ties with NATO. During the presidential campaign, Trump had said if any NATO country was attacked, under his presidency the US would not defend until the ally does not increase its contribution to NATO. Trump's unexpected victory has left NATO countries worried, with future ties uncertain. US defense secretary Ashton Carter told NATO leaders to talk to Donald Trump saying "We're much better at protecting ourselves if we can find a way to work together." (WION with inputs from agencies)

Trump, Putin speak on phone, aim to 'normalise' relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated president-elect&nbsp;Donald Trump on his victory in the US presidential election in a telegram on Wednesday, the Kremlin said.

&quot;Putin expressed hope for joint work to restore Russian-American relations from their state of crisis, and also to address pressing international issues and search for effective responses to challenges concerning global security,&quot; the Kremlin said in a statement.

Putin also said he was sure a constructive dialogue between Moscow and Washington would serve the interests of both countries, the Kremlin said. 
&nbsp;

(Reuters)

In a telegram to Trump, Putin hoped to restore Russian-American relations, address international issues and dealing with global security

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated president-elect Donald Trump on his victory in the US presidential election in a telegram on Wednesday, the Kremlin said. "Putin expressed hope for joint work to restore Russian-American relations from their state of crisis, and also to address pressing international issues and search for effective responses to challenges concerning global security," the Kremlin said in a statement. Putin also said he was sure a constructive dialogue between Moscow and Washington would serve the interests of both countries, the Kremlin said. (Reuters)

Russia's Putin congratulates Trump on election win

The state-owned media was seen aggressively pushing for Trump and showed reports that Clinton had the backing of 'oligarchic' corporations

As the race for the White House is hotting up, the Russian state-owned media is devoting most of its time elaborating Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's allegations that his rival Democract candidate Hillary Clinton is corrupt and the "rigged elections". "Clinton has a choice. Either she gets the presidency or she goes behind bars," pro-Kremlin journalist Dmitry Kiselyov said during his flagship Sunday program on the state-controlled Vesti channel, news agency PTI reported. The state media did little to hide its preference in the upcoming US election, telling viewers that Clinton had the full backing of the US security services, "oligarchic" corporations and the media. Several other reports highlighted concerns about Clinton's health, linked her to sex scandals and suggested that the Democratic Party is "panicking" over recent polls, PTI said. However, the Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly denied claims that the Kremlin would like to see Trump win the elections. But he did not fail to point out the string similarities between their positions on major foreign policy issues, including Syria and Ukraine. The Russian media is widely covering the presidential battle and is pushing for Trump's candidacy aggressively, according to a European Union official. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Russian media backs Trump, questions US democracy

Controversial transparency group Wikileaks on Saturday released&nbsp;three of US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton&#39;s &nbsp;&#39;paid speeches&#39; to heavyweight Goldman Sachs.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

For more than a week, the transparency group has been publishing &#39;hacked emails&#39; from the account of John Podesta, Clinton&#39;s campaign chairman, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In its &#39;latest batch&#39; of hacked emails, Wikileaks claims that the documents show &nbsp;&quot;question-and-answer sessions with Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein and Tim O&#39;Neill, the bank&#39;s head of investment management, at three separate events in 2013 in Arizona, New York and South Carolina&quot;, the international news agency highlighted in its report.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In what appear to be the &#39;transcripts&#39; &nbsp;of the speeches that Clinton made to the financial giant between the time she left her position as secretary of state in 2013 and launched the presidential campaign in 2015, Clinton is shown offering her opinions on a range of issues. &nbsp;She is talking about financial regulations, relations with Russia and negative effects of previous WikiLeaks releases on US foreign policy, AFP reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;There was also a need to do something because for political reasons, if you were an elected member of Congress and people in your constituency were losing jobs and shutting businesses and everybody in the press is saying it&#39;s all the fault of Wall Street, you can&#39;t sit idly by and do nothing,&quot; Clinton reportedly said as she talked about how something had to be done to &quot;rein in Wall Street abuses&quot;.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Clinton collected &quot;at least $1.8 million for at least eight speeches to big banks&quot;, CNN reports quoting the figures released by Clinton&#39;s campaign and tax documents she released earlier this year.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Clinton&#39;s campaign refused to comment over the leaks, however, the US government has repeatedly&nbsp;stressed that Wikileaks is working in collaboration with Russia.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;There is no getting around it: Donald Trump is cheering on a Russian attempt to influence our election through a crime reminiscent of Watergate but on a more massive scale,&quot; Glen Caplin, a Clinton campaign spokesman was quoted as saying by CNN.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;We&#39;re witnessing another effort to steal private campaign documents in order to influence an election.&quot;

&nbsp;

According to Reuters, Clinton has previously come under fire for not releasing her speeches made to the big banks while opponents accused her of having a &nbsp;&quot;cozy relationship with the bankers and other firms&quot;.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Earlier, Democratic primary rival Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont had argued that she could not be relied upon to regulate firms by which she has been paid, AFP reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Trump has also attacked the Democratic presidential&nbsp;nominee over the leaked emails while referring to the private speeches to major banks in 2013 and 2014 where she apparently expressed views in favour of free trade and Wall Street self-regulation that are at odds with her positions as a candidate.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP, Reuters)&nbsp;

The Democratic presidential candidate earlier came under fire for not releasing her speeches made to big banks

Controversial transparency group Wikileaks on Saturday released three of US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's 'paid speeches' to heavyweight Goldman Sachs. For more than a week, the transparency group has been publishing 'hacked emails' from the account of John Podesta, Clinton's campaign chairman, Reuters reported. In its 'latest batch' of hacked emails, Wikileaks claims that the documents show "question-and-answer sessions with Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein and Tim O'Neill, the bank's head of investment management, at three separate events in 2013 in Arizona, New York and South Carolina", the international news agency highlighted in its report. In what appear to be the 'transcripts' of the speeches that Clinton made to the financial giant between the time she left her position as secretary of state in 2013 and launched the presidential campaign in 2015, Clinton is shown offering her opinions on a range of issues. She is talking about financial regulations, relations with Russia and negative effects of previous WikiLeaks releases on US foreign policy, AFP reported. "There was also a need to do something because for political reasons, if you were an elected member of Congress and people in your constituency were losing jobs and shutting businesses and everybody in the press is saying it's all the fault of Wall Street, you can't sit idly by and do nothing," Clinton reportedly said as she talked about how something had to be done to "rein in Wall Street abuses". Clinton collected "at least $1.8 million for at least eight speeches to big banks", CNN reports quoting the figures released by Clinton's campaign and tax documents she released earlier this year. Meanwhile, Clinton's campaign refused to comment over the leaks, however, the US government has repeatedly stressed that Wikileaks is working in collaboration with Russia. "There is no getting around it: Donald Trump is cheering on a Russian attempt to influence our election through a crime reminiscent of Watergate but on a more massive scale," Glen Caplin, a Clinton campaign spokesman was quoted as saying by CNN. "We're witnessing another effort to steal private campaign documents in order to influence an election." According to Reuters, Clinton has previously come under fire for not releasing her speeches made to the big banks while opponents accused her of having a "cozy relationship with the bankers and other firms". Earlier, Democratic primary rival Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont had argued that she could not be relied upon to regulate firms by which she has been paid, AFP reported. Trump has also attacked the Democratic presidential nominee over the leaked emails while referring to the private speeches to major banks in 2013 and 2014 where she apparently expressed views in favour of free trade and Wall Street self-regulation that are at odds with her positions as a candidate. (WION with inputs from AFP, Reuters)

Wikileaks releases Clinton's 'paid speeches' for Goldman Sachs

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met today&nbsp;for the ninth time in over two years but the salubrious weather in western Indian state of Goa&nbsp;did not appear to bridge the chasm that divides the two Asian neighbours.

&nbsp;

Modi and Xi agreed to disagree on issues that are of immediate concern to India, namely India&#39;s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the proposed United Nations ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, who India accuses of having had a hand in a series of terrorist attacks in India, including the September 18 Uri attack in northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir.

&nbsp;

Indian ministry of external affairs spokesperson, Vikas Swarup, told reporters that Modi spoke &quot;frankly&quot; about the need for finding a common ground on the proposed UN ban on Masood Azhar.

&nbsp;

&quot;China has proposed that second round of consultations on the NSG issue will be held soon. Also, Chinese state councillor Yanj Jiechi can be expected to hold talks with national security adviser AK Doval,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;

India, Swarup added, has had a &quot;continuous dialogue&quot; with China on terrorism and it remains hopeful of China&#39;s cooperation on these and other issues bilateral, regional and global issues of interest to both Beijing and New Delhi.

&nbsp;

Modi has pursued high-velocity diplomacy, logging frequent flyer miles along the way but his attempts to forge a modus vivendi with Beijing has come unstuck and in the process exposed the limits of his personalised diplomacy.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In fact, in the run-up to the Modi-Xi Goa meet, Beijing pre-empted New Delhi by iterating its positions on NSG and Masood Azhar, partly in deference to the sentiments of its all-weather ally Pakistan but also as a lever to pin India down geopolitically in South Asia.

&nbsp;

Modi&#39;s first meeting with Xi after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power was at the BRICS Summit hosted by Brazil in July 2014. &nbsp;Modi invited Xi to Gujarat&nbsp;in September the same year in an apparent effort to extricate the Sino-Indian ties from a diplomatic cul-de-sac and introduce an element of personalised diplomacy into India&#39;s foreign policy.

&nbsp;

Although Modi has met both Xi and US President Barack Obama eight times each, his personal chemistry with Xi couldn&#39;t really take off. This, in spite of Modi and Xi sharing some similarities. For one, both have risen to the pinnacle of their political careers around the same time. Both appear to revel in popular nationalism.

&nbsp;

As Avinash Godbole writes in a paper for the New Delhi-based Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), Xi and Modi enjoy a significant mandate as the leaders of their respective constituents. &quot;There is [also] the case of their overlapping foreign policies that focus on neighbourhoods and a vocal approach to engagements,&quot; Godbole points out.

&nbsp;

However, Modi&#39;s engagements with Putin stand in sharp contrast to Xi. Modi and Putin share some personality traits, including their penchant for a muscular approach to diplomacy -- Ukraine in the case of Putin and Pakistan so far as Modi is concerned. It helps that India&#39;s ties with Russia stand on a different pedestal than China.

&nbsp;

As foreign secretary of India, S Jaishankar points out, Russia has been a time-tested partner and friend of India and it is reflected in Putin&#39;s &quot;unequivocal condemnation&quot; of terrorism directed against India. Diplomats everywhere are not seldom given to making off-the-cuff remarks, so when Jaishankar uses the phrase &quot;a meeting of minds&quot; to describe the Modi-Putin talks, it assumes a special significance of its own.

&nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp;

Indian PM and Chinese President met today and agreed to disagree on issues that are of immediate concern to India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met today for the ninth time in over two years but the salubrious weather in western Indian state of Goa did not appear to bridge the chasm that divides the two Asian neighbours. Modi and Xi agreed to disagree on issues that are of immediate concern to India, namely India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the proposed United Nations ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, who India accuses of having had a hand in a series of terrorist attacks in India, including the September 18 Uri attack in northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir. Indian ministry of external affairs spokesperson, Vikas Swarup, told reporters that Modi spoke "frankly" about the need for finding a common ground on the proposed UN ban on Masood Azhar. "China has proposed that second round of consultations on the NSG issue will be held soon. Also, Chinese state councillor Yanj Jiechi can be expected to hold talks with national security adviser AK Doval," he said. India, Swarup added, has had a "continuous dialogue" with China on terrorism and it remains hopeful of China's cooperation on these and other issues bilateral, regional and global issues of interest to both Beijing and New Delhi. Modi has pursued high-velocity diplomacy, logging frequent flyer miles along the way but his attempts to forge a modus vivendi with Beijing has come unstuck and in the process exposed the limits of his personalised diplomacy. In fact, in the run-up to the Modi-Xi Goa meet, Beijing pre-empted New Delhi by iterating its positions on NSG and Masood Azhar, partly in deference to the sentiments of its all-weather ally Pakistan but also as a lever to pin India down geopolitically in South Asia. Modi's first meeting with Xi after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power was at the BRICS Summit hosted by Brazil in July 2014. Modi invited Xi to Gujarat in September the same year in an apparent effort to extricate the Sino-Indian ties from a diplomatic cul-de-sac and introduce an element of personalised diplomacy into India's foreign policy. Although Modi has met both Xi and US President Barack Obama eight times each, his personal chemistry with Xi couldn't really take off. This, in spite of Modi and Xi sharing some similarities. For one, both have risen to the pinnacle of their political careers around the same time. Both appear to revel in popular nationalism. As Avinash Godbole writes in a paper for the New Delhi-based Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), Xi and Modi enjoy a significant mandate as the leaders of their respective constituents. "There is [also] the case of their overlapping foreign policies that focus on neighbourhoods and a vocal approach to engagements," Godbole points out. However, Modi's engagements with Putin stand in sharp contrast to Xi. Modi and Putin share some personality traits, including their penchant for a muscular approach to diplomacy -- Ukraine in the case of Putin and Pakistan so far as Modi is concerned. It helps that India's ties with Russia stand on a different pedestal than China. As foreign secretary of India, S Jaishankar points out, Russia has been a time-tested partner and friend of India and it is reflected in Putin's "unequivocal condemnation" of terrorism directed against India. Diplomats everywhere are not seldom given to making off-the-cuff remarks, so when Jaishankar uses the phrase "a meeting of minds" to describe the Modi-Putin talks, it assumes a special significance of its own. (WION)

Modi-Xi talks hint at limits of personalised diplomacy

India is expected to continue with its diplomatic offensive against Pakistan on the issue of terrorism originating from there when it plays host to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and leaders of Brazil and South Africa at the Summit of five-nation BRICS grouping here on Sunday.

Even preceding the BRICS Summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to raise these issues with Putin and Xi on Saturday when a series of bilateral meetings are slated at the seaside venue.

With the summit&nbsp;taking place within weeks of Uri terror strike by Pak-based terrorists, India will be forceful in its demand at BRICS Summit, which will also have a BIMSTEC outreach meet, for intensified efforts to tackle terrorism including action against countries providing safe havens to terrorists and arming them.

India has made strong references both at UNGA as well as G-20 regarding Pakistan&#39;s continued support to cross-border terrorism.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, without naming Pakistan at G-20, had said that &quot;one single nation in South Asia&quot; is spreading &quot;agents of terror&quot; in the region and it must be isolated while External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the UNGA had said confessions of captured terrorists involved in terror strikes in India including in Uri &quot;is a living proof of Pakistan&#39;s complicity in cross-border terror&quot;.

Apart from the heads of governments of BRICS to attend the Summit on October 16, Prime Ministers of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar (State Counsellor) will be here to participate in the BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach meet.

New Delhi will also make all out efforts to revive Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) when Prime Ministers of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar (State Counsellor) attend the BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach meet.

This also assumes significance given the collapse of recent SAARC Summit after four countries apart from India pulled out of the meet to be hosted by Pakistan over the issue of cross-border terrorism, maintaining that environment was not conducive to hold such an event.

Indian officials have made it clear that India&#39;s effort would be to have strong language in the BRICS outcome document on terrorism including how to deal with countries that provide sanctuaries, safe havens and finances.&nbsp;

&quot;Terrorism is a global problem. It cannot be tackled individually and has to be tackled collectively. We cannot have a differential policy towards terrorism. There is no good terrorist or bad terrorist. So, these are the issues on which there will reiteration of national positions,&quot; Secretary (Economic Relations) in External Affairs Ministry Amar Sinha had said.

During the meeting of NSAs of BRICS grouping, India had strongly pitched that action should not only be taken against sources of finances but also sources from where terrorists get arms and ammunition.

Three MoUs including those on cooperation in the area of environment and customs have been agreed upon by the BRICS countries, Sinha had said, adding the pact pertaining to customs will help in breaking the trade barriers between these countries.

The other key issues to be taken up during these significant diplomatic outreach events include cooperation in areas of economy, tourism, connectivity, cultural, education and sports.

The main BRICS Summit on October 16 will begin with a photo opportunity followed by restricted talks between the leaders and later a meeting of business captains from the member-countries. In the second half, after the speech of the leaders, there will be BRICS and BIMSTEC retreat. 
&nbsp;

Security situation in Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan is also expected to be discussed when the BRICS leaders take up important regional and international issues.&nbsp;

(PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to raise the issue with Russian President Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping

India is expected to continue with its diplomatic offensive against Pakistan on the issue of terrorism originating from there when it plays host to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and leaders of Brazil and South Africa at the Summit of five-nation BRICS grouping here on Sunday. Even preceding the BRICS Summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to raise these issues with Putin and Xi on Saturday when a series of bilateral meetings are slated at the seaside venue. With the summit taking place within weeks of Uri terror strike by Pak-based terrorists, India will be forceful in its demand at BRICS Summit, which will also have a BIMSTEC outreach meet, for intensified efforts to tackle terrorism including action against countries providing safe havens to terrorists and arming them. India has made strong references both at UNGA as well as G-20 regarding Pakistan's continued support to cross-border terrorism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, without naming Pakistan at G-20, had said that "one single nation in South Asia" is spreading "agents of terror" in the region and it must be isolated while External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the UNGA had said confessions of captured terrorists involved in terror strikes in India including in Uri "is a living proof of Pakistan's complicity in cross-border terror". Apart from the heads of governments of BRICS to attend the Summit on October 16, Prime Ministers of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar (State Counsellor) will be here to participate in the BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach meet. New Delhi will also make all out efforts to revive Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) when Prime Ministers of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar (State Counsellor) attend the BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach meet. This also assumes significance given the collapse of recent SAARC Summit after four countries apart from India pulled out of the meet to be hosted by Pakistan over the issue of cross-border terrorism, maintaining that environment was not conducive to hold such an event. Indian officials have made it clear that India's effort would be to have strong language in the BRICS outcome document on terrorism including how to deal with countries that provide sanctuaries, safe havens and finances. "Terrorism is a global problem. It cannot be tackled individually and has to be tackled collectively. We cannot have a differential policy towards terrorism. There is no good terrorist or bad terrorist. So, these are the issues on which there will reiteration of national positions," Secretary (Economic Relations) in External Affairs Ministry Amar Sinha had said. During the meeting of NSAs of BRICS grouping, India had strongly pitched that action should not only be taken against sources of finances but also sources from where terrorists get arms and ammunition. Three MoUs including those on cooperation in the area of environment and customs have been agreed upon by the BRICS countries, Sinha had said, adding the pact pertaining to customs will help in breaking the trade barriers between these countries. The other key issues to be taken up during these significant diplomatic outreach events include cooperation in areas of economy, tourism, connectivity, cultural, education and sports. The main BRICS Summit on October 16 will begin with a photo opportunity followed by restricted talks between the leaders and later a meeting of business captains from the member-countries. In the second half, after the speech of the leaders, there will be BRICS and BIMSTEC retreat. Security situation in Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan is also expected to be discussed when the BRICS leaders take up important regional and international issues. (PTI)

India expected to continue diplomatic offensive against Pak terror at BRICS summit

Russia and India will sign a multi-billion dollar deal for S-400 &#39;Triumf&#39; long-range air defence missile systems on Saturday following talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Goa, state media in Moscow reported on Thursday.

&quot;Following the results of the negotiations between our president and (Indian Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, an agreement will be signed on the delivery of S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile systems to India, as well as some other documents,&quot; Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying by TASS news agency. India is interested in getting five systems of the most modern air defence system, capable of firing three types of missiles, creating a layered defence, and simultaneously engaging 36 targets.

It has the capability to destroy incoming hostile aircraft, missiles and even drones at ranges of up to 400 km. If India signs the deal, it would be the second customer of the prized missile system after China which had struck a $3 billion (Rs 20,054 crore) contract last year.

The S-400, an upgraded version of the S-300, had previously only been available to the Russian defence forces. It is manufactured by Almaz-Antey and has been in service in Russia since 2007.

Ushakov said part of the documents will be signed behind closed doors. The Kremlin aide declined to comment on the details of the deal, suggesting that first the document should be signed. Russia also plans to sign an agreement on building Project 11356 frigates for the Indian Navy and setting up a Russian- Indian joint venture to produce Kamov Ka-226T helicopters, the agency reported.

Following the results of their talks, Putin and Modi will adopt a joint statement to reflect their common approaches towards solving various global and regional issues. Both sides will also approve a roadmap of measures timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Overall, Russia and India are set to sign about 18 documents, he said.

The Russian presidential aide said Putin and Modi will hold their talks in Goa ahead of the summit of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) grouping of leading emerging economies. The Russian and Indian leaders are first expected to talk in a narrow format and then negotiations will be held at the level of delegations.

Russia&#39;s delegation will also be represented by Vice- Premier Dmitry Rogozin, the heads of the Industry and Trade, Energy and Economics Ministries, state civil nuclear power corporation Rosatom and others.

After the talks, the Russian and Indian leaders will take part in the ceremony of laying the foundation for the third and fourth power units of India&#39;s Kudankulam nuclear power plant via a video conference, make statements for the media and hold a tete-a-tete lunch.

(PTI)

India aims to build a modern air defence by procuring five systems capable of firing three types of missiles and engaging 36 targets

Russia and India will sign a multi-billion dollar deal for S-400 'Triumf' long-range air defence missile systems on Saturday following talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Goa, state media in Moscow reported on Thursday. "Following the results of the negotiations between our president and (Indian Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, an agreement will be signed on the delivery of S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile systems to India, as well as some other documents," Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying by TASS news agency. India is interested in getting five systems of the most modern air defence system, capable of firing three types of missiles, creating a layered defence, and simultaneously engaging 36 targets. It has the capability to destroy incoming hostile aircraft, missiles and even drones at ranges of up to 400 km. If India signs the deal, it would be the second customer of the prized missile system after China which had struck a $3 billion (Rs 20,054 crore) contract last year. The S-400, an upgraded version of the S-300, had previously only been available to the Russian defence forces. It is manufactured by Almaz-Antey and has been in service in Russia since 2007. Ushakov said part of the documents will be signed behind closed doors. The Kremlin aide declined to comment on the details of the deal, suggesting that first the document should be signed. Russia also plans to sign an agreement on building Project 11356 frigates for the Indian Navy and setting up a Russian- Indian joint venture to produce Kamov Ka-226T helicopters, the agency reported. Following the results of their talks, Putin and Modi will adopt a joint statement to reflect their common approaches towards solving various global and regional issues. Both sides will also approve a roadmap of measures timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Overall, Russia and India are set to sign about 18 documents, he said. The Russian presidential aide said Putin and Modi will hold their talks in Goa ahead of the summit of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) grouping of leading emerging economies. The Russian and Indian leaders are first expected to talk in a narrow format and then negotiations will be held at the level of delegations. Russia's delegation will also be represented by Vice- Premier Dmitry Rogozin, the heads of the Industry and Trade, Energy and Economics Ministries, state civil nuclear power corporation Rosatom and others. After the talks, the Russian and Indian leaders will take part in the ceremony of laying the foundation for the third and fourth power units of India's Kudankulam nuclear power plant via a video conference, make statements for the media and hold a tete-a-tete lunch. (PTI)

Russia, India to sign $5 billion S-400 missile deal ahead of BRICS summit

Accepting the United States is probably the world`s sole superpower, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow was ready to work with Washington. 
 
Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, Putin said: &quot;America is a great power.&nbsp;Today, probably, the only superpower. We accept that.&quot; 
 
&quot;We want to and are ready to work with the United States,&quot; Putin added. 
 
Hinting to the US-EU sanctions on Russia in response to its military actions in Ukraine, Putin said: &quot;The world needs such strong nations, like the US. And we need them.&nbsp;But we don`t need them constantly getting mixed up in our affairs, instructing us how to live, preventing Europe from building a relationship with us.&quot; 
 
When asked about presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, Putin called him as a &quot;flamboyant&quot; or &quot;colourful&quot; man. 
 
Putin also spoke about the presumptive Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, saying he did not work much with her directly when she was the secretary of state. 
 
&quot;She probably has her own view of US-Russian relations,&quot; he said. The Russian President, however, praised her husband and former US president Bill Clinton. 
 
&quot;We had a very nice relationship,&quot; the Guardian quoted Putin as saying.&nbsp; 
(ANI)

Russian President doesn't really know Hillary Clinton but praises Bill

Accepting the United States is probably the world`s sole superpower, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow was ready to work with Washington. Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, Putin said: "America is a great power. Today, probably, the only superpower. We accept that." "We want to and are ready to work with the United States," Putin added. Hinting to the US-EU sanctions on Russia in response to its military actions in Ukraine, Putin said: "The world needs such strong nations, like the US. And we need them. But we don`t need them constantly getting mixed up in our affairs, instructing us how to live, preventing Europe from building a relationship with us." When asked about presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, Putin called him as a "flamboyant" or "colourful" man. Putin also spoke about the presumptive Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, saying he did not work much with her directly when she was the secretary of state. "She probably has her own view of US-Russian relations," he said. The Russian President, however, praised her husband and former US president Bill Clinton. "We had a very nice relationship," the Guardian quoted Putin as saying. (ANI)

Putin says America 'probably' the only superpower and calls Donald Trump 'flamboyant'

US officials say Russia is using US President Barack Obama&#39;s last days in office, and the intervening months before an administration with a tougher policy on Syria could possibly&nbsp;take&nbsp;charge, to help strengthen Bashar al-Assad&#39;s hold on power in Syria, AFP reported.

Russian President Putin&#39;s strategy, according to US officials, is to use this time -- when Obama will not be able to intervene in Syria&#39;s escalating conflict --&nbsp;to consolidate gains in the war-ravaged country.&nbsp;

It is still not certain however what the new, if any, US policy on Syria will be.&nbsp;

Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence on Tuesday described Putin as a &ldquo;bullying leader&rdquo; whose provocations need to be met with &ldquo;American strength&rdquo;.

&ldquo;The United States of America should be prepared to use force to strike military targets of the Assad regime,&rdquo; Pence added on Russia&#39;s alleged goal to help Syria retake the besieged city of Aleppo.

His potential boss,&nbsp;Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, however&nbsp;seems unsure of his relationship with the Russian leader.

&quot;I don&#39;t love Putin, I don&#39;t hate. We&#39;ll see how it works. We&#39;ll see,&quot; Trump told supporters on Wednesday in Nevada.&nbsp;

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has also called for stronger action on Syria by suggesting the US military enforce a no-fly zone to protect civilian&nbsp;areas.

Russia has supported Assad, sending him troops and warplanes, in the bloody conflict&nbsp;that has killed over 300,000 people over the past&nbsp;five years.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

US officials fear the Kremlin is racing to consolidate its gains in Syria before a new, possibly tougher administration takes charge

US officials say Russia is using US President Barack Obama's last days in office, and the intervening months before an administration with a tougher policy on Syria could possibly take charge, to help strengthen Bashar al-Assad's hold on power in Syria, AFP reported. Russian President Putin's strategy, according to US officials, is to use this time -- when Obama will not be able to intervene in Syria's escalating conflict -- to consolidate gains in the war-ravaged country. It is still not certain however what the new, if any, US policy on Syria will be. Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence on Tuesday described Putin as a “bullying leader” whose provocations need to be met with “American strength”. “The United States of America should be prepared to use force to strike military targets of the Assad regime,” Pence added on Russia's alleged goal to help Syria retake the besieged city of Aleppo. His potential boss, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, however seems unsure of his relationship with the Russian leader. "I don't love Putin, I don't hate. We'll see how it works. We'll see," Trump told supporters on Wednesday in Nevada. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has also called for stronger action on Syria by suggesting the US military enforce a no-fly zone to protect civilian areas. Russia has supported Assad, sending him troops and warplanes, in the bloody conflict that has killed over 300,000 people over the past five years. (WION with inputs from AFP)

With US focused on vote, Russia steps up efforts to secure Syria's Assad in power

&nbsp;

The United States has suspended bilateral talks with Russia on renewing the ceasefire deal in Syria, the US state department said on Monday.&nbsp;

US state department spokesman&nbsp;John Kirby&nbsp;said, &quot;The United States is suspending its participation in bilateral channels with Russia that were established to sustain the Cessation of Hostilities.&quot;

The US blames Russia for failing to comply with the ceasefire agreement, so that aid could be provided to Syrians trapped in the besieged city of Aleppo.&nbsp;

&quot;Unfortunately, Russia failed to live up to its own commitments - including its obligations under international humanitarian law and UNSCR 2254 - and was also either unwilling or unable to ensure Syrian regime adherence to the arrangements to which Moscow agreed,&quot; Kirby told reporters during the daily news briefing.&nbsp;

&quot;Russia and the Syrian regime have chosen to pursue a military course, inconsistent with the Cessation of Hostilities, as demonstrated by their intensified attacks against civilian areas, targeting of critical infrastructure such as hospitals, and preventing humanitarian aid from reaching civilians in need, including through the September 19 attack on a humanitarian aid convoy,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces and his allies have been&nbsp;aggressively attacking Aleppo since last week, bombing hospitals and water pumps.&nbsp;

The US&#39;s decision comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended a treaty on cleaning up weapons-grade plutonium, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

However, a senior state department official denied Putin&#39;s decision had anything to do with the suspension of the ceasefire deal.&nbsp;

Kirby assured that channels of communication with Russia will continue to be used to ensure the armies of both countries are safe and to allow them to fight the Islamic State group.&nbsp;

&quot;The US will also withdraw personnel that had been dispatched in anticipation of the possible establishment of the Joint Implementation Centre,&quot; Reuters quoted Kirby as saying.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council began drafting a resolution&nbsp;Monday to try and get&nbsp;the US and Russia to agree to a temporary truce in Aleppo.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

 
&nbsp;

The US blames Russia for failing to comply with their ceasefire agreement, so that aid could be provided to Syrians trapped in Aleppo

The United States has suspended bilateral talks with Russia on renewing the ceasefire deal in Syria, the US state department said on Monday. US state department spokesman John Kirby said, "The United States is suspending its participation in bilateral channels with Russia that were established to sustain the Cessation of Hostilities." The US blames Russia for failing to comply with the ceasefire agreement, so that aid could be provided to Syrians trapped in the besieged city of Aleppo. "Unfortunately, Russia failed to live up to its own commitments - including its obligations under international humanitarian law and UNSCR 2254 - and was also either unwilling or unable to ensure Syrian regime adherence to the arrangements to which Moscow agreed," Kirby told reporters during the daily news briefing. "Russia and the Syrian regime have chosen to pursue a military course, inconsistent with the Cessation of Hostilities, as demonstrated by their intensified attacks against civilian areas, targeting of critical infrastructure such as hospitals, and preventing humanitarian aid from reaching civilians in need, including through the September 19 attack on a humanitarian aid convoy," he added. President Bashar al-Assad's forces and his allies have been aggressively attacking Aleppo since last week, bombing hospitals and water pumps. The US's decision comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended a treaty on cleaning up weapons-grade plutonium, Reuters reported. However, a senior state department official denied Putin's decision had anything to do with the suspension of the ceasefire deal. Kirby assured that channels of communication with Russia will continue to be used to ensure the armies of both countries are safe and to allow them to fight the Islamic State group. "The US will also withdraw personnel that had been dispatched in anticipation of the possible establishment of the Joint Implementation Centre," Reuters quoted Kirby as saying. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council began drafting a resolution Monday to try and get the US and Russia to agree to a temporary truce in Aleppo. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US suspends talks with Russia over Syria ceasefire

The ruling United Russia party cruised to victory with 44.5 percent of the votes in the parliamentary election on Sunday.&nbsp; 
 
An exit poll showed President Vladimir Putin&#39;s party in the lead, despite the longest economic crisis of his 16-year rule. &nbsp; 
 
&quot;We can announce already with certainty that the party secured a good result, that it won,&quot; Putin said after the vote. 
 
The win paves the way for Putin&#39;s fourth term as president in 2018 elections.&nbsp; 
 
So far United Russia has won 66 out the 76 single candidate seats that have been counted so far, the electoral commission said.&nbsp; 
 
The overall tally for United Russia could be down slightly on the 49 percent they claimed in 2011 but Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that party would still end up with an &quot;absolute majority&quot; in the Duma.&nbsp; 
 
The nationalist LDPR party was in second place with 15.3 percent, according to the exit poll by state-run pollster VTsIOM. The Communists were in third on 14.9 percent and the Just Russia party was fourth with 8.1 percent. 
 
Liberal opposition parties, the only grouping openly critical of Putin, failed to get over the five percent threshold needed for party representation. 
 
The ruling party faced mass protests last time with many Russians miffed by the near total-power that Kremlin wields.&nbsp; 
 
But despite a low turnout the numbers were still enough to preserve Putin&#39;s dominance in Parliament.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The situation is tough and difficult but the people still voted for United Russia,&quot; Putin said.&nbsp; 
 
For the first time since Moscow seized the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in 2014, residents there voted for Russia&#39;s parliament. 
 
The vote in Crimea stirred anger in Ukraine, sparking protests in Kiev.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

President Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party claimed absolute majority with 44.5 percent of the votes counted so far

The ruling United Russia party cruised to victory with 44.5 percent of the votes in the parliamentary election on Sunday. An exit poll showed President Vladimir Putin's party in the lead, despite the longest economic crisis of his 16-year rule. "We can announce already with certainty that the party secured a good result, that it won," Putin said after the vote. The win paves the way for Putin's fourth term as president in 2018 elections. So far United Russia has won 66 out the 76 single candidate seats that have been counted so far, the electoral commission said. The overall tally for United Russia could be down slightly on the 49 percent they claimed in 2011 but Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that party would still end up with an "absolute majority" in the Duma. The nationalist LDPR party was in second place with 15.3 percent, according to the exit poll by state-run pollster VTsIOM. The Communists were in third on 14.9 percent and the Just Russia party was fourth with 8.1 percent. Liberal opposition parties, the only grouping openly critical of Putin, failed to get over the five percent threshold needed for party representation. The ruling party faced mass protests last time with many Russians miffed by the near total-power that Kremlin wields. But despite a low turnout the numbers were still enough to preserve Putin's dominance in Parliament. "The situation is tough and difficult but the people still voted for United Russia," Putin said. For the first time since Moscow seized the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in 2014, residents there voted for Russia's parliament. The vote in Crimea stirred anger in Ukraine, sparking protests in Kiev. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Putin's party dominates Russian parliamentary vote

After being suspended from next month&#39;s Rio Paralympics, Russia has now been banned from the 2018 Paralympics to be held in &nbsp;Pyeongchang, South Korea. 
 
The ban comes in the wake of the allegations of Russia running a state-sponsored doping programme for its atheletes. A World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report had found that Russian government had, over years, covered up hundreds of doping cases across Olympic and Paralympic events.&nbsp; 
 
Ban from Winter Paralympics comes a week after Russia lost an appeal against suspension issued over evidence of state-sponsored doping. Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected the appeal.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The decision taken by the IPC, upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding Russian Paralympians being excluded from the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, has also been extended to include the Winter Games in 2018 in Pyeongchang,&quot; the Russian Paralympic Committee said on their website. 
 
Russia have appealed to the Swiss Federal Court against the CAS ruling. The result is expected to come on Monday or on Tuesday.&nbsp; 
 
Russian Presdident Vladimir Putin had earlier lashed out at anti-doping organisations, calling the Rio ban immoral and cynical.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The decision to disqualify our Paralympic team is outside the law, outside morality and outside humanity,&quot; he added. 
 
He had also said that the organisations singled out Russia because of &ldquo;political pressure&rdquo;.&nbsp; 
 
Russia finished fourth in the Rio Olympic medal table with 56 medals, including 19 gold.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Russia have appealed to the Swiss Federal Court against the ruling, the result of which will come on Monday or on Tuesday

After being suspended from next month's Rio Paralympics, Russia has now been banned from the 2018 Paralympics to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The ban comes in the wake of the allegations of Russia running a state-sponsored doping programme for its atheletes. A World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report had found that Russian government had, over years, covered up hundreds of doping cases across Olympic and Paralympic events. Ban from Winter Paralympics comes a week after Russia lost an appeal against suspension issued over evidence of state-sponsored doping. Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected the appeal. "The decision taken by the IPC, upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding Russian Paralympians being excluded from the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, has also been extended to include the Winter Games in 2018 in Pyeongchang," the Russian Paralympic Committee said on their website. Russia have appealed to the Swiss Federal Court against the CAS ruling. The result is expected to come on Monday or on Tuesday. Russian Presdident Vladimir Putin had earlier lashed out at anti-doping organisations, calling the Rio ban immoral and cynical. "The decision to disqualify our Paralympic team is outside the law, outside morality and outside humanity," he added. He had also said that the organisations singled out Russia because of “political pressure”. Russia finished fourth in the Rio Olympic medal table with 56 medals, including 19 gold. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

After Rio Paralympics, Russia banned from 2018 Winter Games

A ban on Russia&#39;s Paralympic team competing in Rio next month is cynical and immoral, Russian President Vladimir Putin said today.&nbsp; 
 
He lashed out the anti-doping organisations, saying they singled out Russia because they were subjected to &quot;political pressure&quot;. 
 
&quot;I used to say this before and I still believe that these international anti-doping structures should be rid of political pressure,&quot; Putin told Russian Olympians in a speech at Kremlin ceremony to welcome home participants of Rio Olympics 2016.&nbsp; 
 
Putin said the decision to ban atheletes, even those who had tested negative for consuming banned drugs, shows &ldquo;how the humanistic foundations of sport and Olympism are shamelessly flouted by politics&quot;. 
 
He, however, added that Moscow has acknowledged its mistakes and will try to rectify them in the most &ldquo;transparent ways&rdquo;.&nbsp;He also pledged to organise competitions for the banned Paralympians to show how skilled its atheletes are.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The decision to disqualify our Paralympic team is outside the law, outside morality and outside humanity,&quot; Putin said. 
 
Russia narrowly escaped a blanket ban from the Rio Olympics last month after the world doping authorities accused Moscow of running a state-sponsored sports doping programme. Its track-and-field team was, however, excluded from the Games.&nbsp; 
 
Russia&#39;s Paralympic team has been suspended over the same doping allegations.&nbsp; 
 
Russia had last week appealed a decision to suspend the country over evidence of state-sponsored doping. The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) however said that Russia had lost its appeal.&nbsp; 
 
Russia finished fourth in the Olympic medal table with 56 medals, including 19 gold. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

He said the anti-doping organisations targeted Russia under 'political pressure' and pledged to organise competitions for banned athletes

A ban on Russia's Paralympic team competing in Rio next month is cynical and immoral, Russian President Vladimir Putin said today. He lashed out the anti-doping organisations, saying they singled out Russia because they were subjected to "political pressure". "I used to say this before and I still believe that these international anti-doping structures should be rid of political pressure," Putin told Russian Olympians in a speech at Kremlin ceremony to welcome home participants of Rio Olympics 2016. Putin said the decision to ban atheletes, even those who had tested negative for consuming banned drugs, shows “how the humanistic foundations of sport and Olympism are shamelessly flouted by politics". He, however, added that Moscow has acknowledged its mistakes and will try to rectify them in the most “transparent ways”. He also pledged to organise competitions for the banned Paralympians to show how skilled its atheletes are. "The decision to disqualify our Paralympic team is outside the law, outside morality and outside humanity," Putin said. Russia narrowly escaped a blanket ban from the Rio Olympics last month after the world doping authorities accused Moscow of running a state-sponsored sports doping programme. Its track-and-field team was, however, excluded from the Games. Russia's Paralympic team has been suspended over the same doping allegations. Russia had last week appealed a decision to suspend the country over evidence of state-sponsored doping. The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) however said that Russia had lost its appeal. Russia finished fourth in the Olympic medal table with 56 medals, including 19 gold. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Russian President Putin slams Paralympic ban, calls it immoral

Russian President Vladimir Putin today arrived in annexed Crimea, Russian news agencies reported, days after he accused Kiev of attempting an armed incursion into the peninsula. 
 
Putin is to chair a meeting of his powerful security council in Crimea and visit a youth forum on his fifth visit to the strategic Black Sea peninsula since annexing it from Ukraine in March 2014. 
 
The visit comes after Putin last week lashed out at Kiev over an incident on the frontier between Crimea and Ukraine, accusing it of &quot;practising terror&quot; and sending a group of saboteurs into Crimea ahead of the elections. 
 
Two Russian officers were killed in the incident, in which Ukraine denied any involvement. 
 
Ukraine&#39;s President Petro Poroshnko on Thursday said he considered the likelihood of an escalation &quot;high&quot; and could not rule out a &quot;full-scale Russian invasion along all fronts&quot;. 
 
Kiev said Thursday heavy rebel shelling killed three soldiers in its east, where the government has been battling pro-Russian separatists since 2014.&nbsp;Western leaders expressed alarm at the possibility of any escalation. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The visit comes after Putin last week lashed out at Kiev, and accused it of 'practising terror'

Russian President Vladimir Putin today arrived in annexed Crimea, Russian news agencies reported, days after he accused Kiev of attempting an armed incursion into the peninsula. Putin is to chair a meeting of his powerful security council in Crimea and visit a youth forum on his fifth visit to the strategic Black Sea peninsula since annexing it from Ukraine in March 2014. The visit comes after Putin last week lashed out at Kiev over an incident on the frontier between Crimea and Ukraine, accusing it of "practising terror" and sending a group of saboteurs into Crimea ahead of the elections. Two Russian officers were killed in the incident, in which Ukraine denied any involvement. Ukraine's President Petro Poroshnko on Thursday said he considered the likelihood of an escalation "high" and could not rule out a "full-scale Russian invasion along all fronts". Kiev said Thursday heavy rebel shelling killed three soldiers in its east, where the government has been battling pro-Russian separatists since 2014. Western leaders expressed alarm at the possibility of any escalation. (AFP)

Putin arrives in Crimea after Ukraine incursion claims

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin today jointly inaugurated the first unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Plant in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. 
 
Speaking from Moscow via video conference, President Putin highlighted that the plant was mostly about bringing advanced technology to India, adding that Russia has huge plans regarding this matter and that the deed for the third unit of the plant should be signed by the end of this year. 
 
&quot;Russia is a world leader in the&nbsp;nuclear market. Nuclear power plants build by Russians are of high standards and safe. 85 per cent fund comes from the Russia federation. I thank all who worked in implementing the project,&quot; Putin said. 
 
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi, speaking from the national capital via video conference, asserted that the plant marks another step in Indo-Russian cooperation, and is a celebration of the collaboration between the two nations. 
 
&quot;The first unit is the single largest power plant in India and we have planned for five more. Today&#39;s event is a joyful occasion for the experts and scientists of Russia and India in the nuclear field. I&#39;m grateful to President Putin and I deeply value our friendship. I looking forward to meeting you in G20 in China,&quot; he said. 
 
Speaking at the inauguration from Chennai, chief minister of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa, asserted that the Nuclear Plant is a monument of the long-standing relationship between India and Russia, adding this project is important to Tamil Nadu, which is trying to rise above in all sectors. 
 
&quot;As chief minister, I have always extended support of the Kudankulam projects and also allayed the fears of local people regarding the plant. This project has overcome many hurdles so far, politically, financially and technically. The successful commission is a testimony of how the fear of the people should be allayed,&quot; she said. 
 
She further requested that the second unit of the plant also be commissioned at the earliest, considering their need for the growing industrial and farming sectors.The first unit of Kudankulam nuclear power plant attained criticality in July 2013. 
 
Till now, more than 10,800 million units of power have been generated from the first unit according to site director R S Sundar. The 1,000 megawatt Kudankulam nuclear power plant was built with Russian expertise following a pact between the then Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in November 1988. The first unit was synchronised with southern power grid on October 22 in 2013 and commercial power generation started by the end of December 2014. 
 
(ANI)

The Indian PM said the plant is a celebration of the collaboration between the two nations

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin today jointly inaugurated the first unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Plant in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Speaking from Moscow via video conference, President Putin highlighted that the plant was mostly about bringing advanced technology to India, adding that Russia has huge plans regarding this matter and that the deed for the third unit of the plant should be signed by the end of this year. "Russia is a world leader in the nuclear market. Nuclear power plants build by Russians are of high standards and safe. 85 per cent fund comes from the Russia federation. I thank all who worked in implementing the project," Putin said. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi, speaking from the national capital via video conference, asserted that the plant marks another step in Indo-Russian cooperation, and is a celebration of the collaboration between the two nations. "The first unit is the single largest power plant in India and we have planned for five more. Today's event is a joyful occasion for the experts and scientists of Russia and India in the nuclear field. I'm grateful to President Putin and I deeply value our friendship. I looking forward to meeting you in G20 in China," he said. Speaking at the inauguration from Chennai, chief minister of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa, asserted that the Nuclear Plant is a monument of the long-standing relationship between India and Russia, adding this project is important to Tamil Nadu, which is trying to rise above in all sectors. "As chief minister, I have always extended support of the Kudankulam projects and also allayed the fears of local people regarding the plant. This project has overcome many hurdles so far, politically, financially and technically. The successful commission is a testimony of how the fear of the people should be allayed," she said. She further requested that the second unit of the plant also be commissioned at the earliest, considering their need for the growing industrial and farming sectors.The first unit of Kudankulam nuclear power plant attained criticality in July 2013. Till now, more than 10,800 million units of power have been generated from the first unit according to site director R S Sundar. The 1,000 megawatt Kudankulam nuclear power plant was built with Russian expertise following a pact between the then Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in November 1988. The first unit was synchronised with southern power grid on October 22 in 2013 and commercial power generation started by the end of December 2014. (ANI)

Modi in Delhi, Putin in Moscow inaugurate Kudankulam nuclear plant via video conference

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan today looked to rebuild ties as they met for the first time since Ankara downed one of Moscow&#39;s warplanes in November. 
 
Erdogan&#39;s visit to Putin&#39;s hometown of Saint Petersburg is also his first foreign trip since the failed coup against him last month that sparked a purge of opponents and cast a shadow over Turkey&#39;s relations with the West.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Your visit today, despite a very difficult situation regarding domestic politics, indicates that we all want to restart dialogue and restore relations between Russia and Turkey,&quot; Putin said after the two leaders shook hands.&nbsp; 
 
Erdogan, who has said the trip represents a &quot;new milestone&quot;, told Putin that ties had entered a &quot;very different phase&quot; and thanked the Kremlin leader for his backing after the coup attempt.&nbsp; 
 
Thaw after jet downing rift&nbsp; 
 
The shooting down of a Russian fighter jet by a Turkish F-16 over the Syrian border last fall saw a furious Putin slap economic sanctions on Turkey and launch a blistering war of words with Erdogan that seemed to irrevocably damage burgeoning ties. 
 
But in late June, Putin surprisingly accepted a letter expressing regret over the incident from Erdogan as an apology and quickly rolled back a ban on the sale of package holidays to Turkey and signalled Moscow would end measures against Turkish food imports and construction firms. 
 
Now in the wake of the failed July 15 coup attempt, there are fears in Western capitals that NATO-member Turkey could draw even closer to Moscow -- with Erdogan bluntly making it clear he feels let down by the United States and the European Union. 
 
Putin was one of the first foreign leaders to phone Erdogan offering support after the coup attempt and shares none of the scruples of EU leaders about the ensuing crackdown. 
 
In the latest sign of rocky relations with the West, Turkey&#39;s justice minister today warned that the United States will &quot;sacrifice relations&quot; unless it extradites Pennsylvania-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for the failed coup.&nbsp; 
 
Relations between Turkey and Russia -- two powers vying for influence in the strategic Black Sea region and Middle East -- have historically not been straightforward.&nbsp; 
 
Yet before the plane downing crisis, Moscow and Ankara managed to prevent disputes on Syria and Ukraine harming strategic cooperation on issues like the TurkStream gas pipeline to Europe and a Russian-built nuclear power station in Turkey. 
 
Those projects were all put on ice with trade between the two countries falling 43 per cent to $6.1 billion in January-May this year and Turkey&#39;s tourism industry seeing visitor numbers from Russia fall by 93 per cent. 
 
Now with Russia mired in economic crisis due to Western sanctions over Ukraine and low oil prices along with Turkey&#39;s outlook flagging, both men want to get business started again. 
 
&#39;Assad must go&#39; 
 
Turkish media said Erdogan&#39;s entourage was made up of over half a dozen ministers including his son-in-law energy minister Berat Albayrak and the powerful head of the country&#39;s National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) Hakan Fidan. 
 
The earlier uptick in relations between Turkey and Russia was built on a macho friendship between Putin and Erdogan, two combative leaders in their early 60s credited with restoring confidence to their nations in the wake of financial crises but also criticised for clamping down on human rights. 
 
But after such a bitter dispute -- which saw Putin accuse Erdogan of stabbing Russia in the back and profiting from an illegal oil trade with the Islamic State group -- it will take a lot for the pair to reheat relations. 
 
Russia, which is conducting a bombing campaign in support of Erdogan&#39;s foe President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, transformed the balance of the Syrian civil war last September when it intervened militarily, to Turkey`s consternation. 
 
Erdogan has insisted that Assad must still go -- a position opposed by Putin -- but told Russian media that the conflict at the heart of the falling out with Moscow could now become the focus for renewed cooperation between the two sides. 
 
&quot;Russia is a main, key and very important player in establishing peace in Syria,&quot; Erdogan said in comments translated into Russian. &quot;The problem needs to be solved with the help of joint steps between Russia and Turkey.&quot; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

'Your visit today indicates we all want to restart dialogue and restore relations,' Putin said after the two leaders shook hands

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan today looked to rebuild ties as they met for the first time since Ankara downed one of Moscow's warplanes in November. Erdogan's visit to Putin's hometown of Saint Petersburg is also his first foreign trip since the failed coup against him last month that sparked a purge of opponents and cast a shadow over Turkey's relations with the West. "Your visit today, despite a very difficult situation regarding domestic politics, indicates that we all want to restart dialogue and restore relations between Russia and Turkey," Putin said after the two leaders shook hands. Erdogan, who has said the trip represents a "new milestone", told Putin that ties had entered a "very different phase" and thanked the Kremlin leader for his backing after the coup attempt. Thaw after jet downing rift The shooting down of a Russian fighter jet by a Turkish F-16 over the Syrian border last fall saw a furious Putin slap economic sanctions on Turkey and launch a blistering war of words with Erdogan that seemed to irrevocably damage burgeoning ties. But in late June, Putin surprisingly accepted a letter expressing regret over the incident from Erdogan as an apology and quickly rolled back a ban on the sale of package holidays to Turkey and signalled Moscow would end measures against Turkish food imports and construction firms. Now in the wake of the failed July 15 coup attempt, there are fears in Western capitals that NATO-member Turkey could draw even closer to Moscow -- with Erdogan bluntly making it clear he feels let down by the United States and the European Union. Putin was one of the first foreign leaders to phone Erdogan offering support after the coup attempt and shares none of the scruples of EU leaders about the ensuing crackdown. In the latest sign of rocky relations with the West, Turkey's justice minister today warned that the United States will "sacrifice relations" unless it extradites Pennsylvania-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for the failed coup. Relations between Turkey and Russia -- two powers vying for influence in the strategic Black Sea region and Middle East -- have historically not been straightforward. Yet before the plane downing crisis, Moscow and Ankara managed to prevent disputes on Syria and Ukraine harming strategic cooperation on issues like the TurkStream gas pipeline to Europe and a Russian-built nuclear power station in Turkey. Those projects were all put on ice with trade between the two countries falling 43 per cent to $6.1 billion in January-May this year and Turkey's tourism industry seeing visitor numbers from Russia fall by 93 per cent. Now with Russia mired in economic crisis due to Western sanctions over Ukraine and low oil prices along with Turkey's outlook flagging, both men want to get business started again. 'Assad must go' Turkish media said Erdogan's entourage was made up of over half a dozen ministers including his son-in-law energy minister Berat Albayrak and the powerful head of the country's National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) Hakan Fidan. The earlier uptick in relations between Turkey and Russia was built on a macho friendship between Putin and Erdogan, two combative leaders in their early 60s credited with restoring confidence to their nations in the wake of financial crises but also criticised for clamping down on human rights. But after such a bitter dispute -- which saw Putin accuse Erdogan of stabbing Russia in the back and profiting from an illegal oil trade with the Islamic State group -- it will take a lot for the pair to reheat relations. Russia, which is conducting a bombing campaign in support of Erdogan's foe President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, transformed the balance of the Syrian civil war last September when it intervened militarily, to Turkey`s consternation. Erdogan has insisted that Assad must still go -- a position opposed by Putin -- but told Russian media that the conflict at the heart of the falling out with Moscow could now become the focus for renewed cooperation between the two sides. "Russia is a main, key and very important player in establishing peace in Syria," Erdogan said in comments translated into Russian. "The problem needs to be solved with the help of joint steps between Russia and Turkey." (AFP)

Putin, Erdogan meet for first time since Ankara downed Moscow warplane

More than 168,000 Russians have signed an online petition calling for Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev&#39;s resignation after he suggested a low-paid lecturer get a different job. 
 
His comments -- widely seen as out of touch and uncaring -- unleashed a torrent of bile in the press and on social media, with a petition on Change.org calling for his ouster garnering 168,000 signatures by today afternoon. 
 
&quot;The cabinet should be led by a person who is competent, educated and cares about the country,&quot; wrote the petition&#39;s author, Alexander Li. 
 
&quot;We are seeing the opposite right now.&quot; 
 
The lower house of parliament is obliged to debate any petition that gets 100,000 signatures. 
 
What plunged Medvedev into trouble&nbsp; 
 
At a youth education forum on Tuesday, Medvedev was asked by a university lecturer from the impoverished Dagestan region why teachers receive only around 15,000 rubles ($230) per month, while police are significantly better paid. 
 
&quot;There&#39;s no need to compare,&quot; Medvedev said. &quot;The issue is what you choose in life. 
 
Teaching, he said, &quot;is a vocation. If you want to earn money, there are a bunch of great places where you can do that quicker and better in business. And you didn&#39;t go into business.&quot; 
 
Official statistics show the average monthly salary in Russia is around 37,000 rubles (507 euros/$566). Teachers make an average 32,000 rubles per month but the figure varies greatly depending on the region. 
 
In the Dagestan region, teachers earn a monthly average of 18,000 rubles, Kommersant daily reported. 
 
&#39;Hang in there&#39; remark by premier also drew public ire&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The prime minister&#39;s impressions are completely understandable,&quot; said a wry editorial in tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets. 
 
&quot;We all know very well of government officials who successfully manage to combine their main job with business, including big business.&quot; 
 
Novaya Gazeta lashed out at the premier over his remarks. 
 
&quot;Cynism cannot be at the foundation of the state&#39;s domestic policy. That usually ends badly for the state and the bureaucrats,&quot; it said. 
 
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the petition. 
 
In May, Medvedev -- who served as president from 2008 to 2012, between current President Vladimir Putin&#39;s terms -- once again sparked public ire after telling a group of pensioners: &quot;There&#39;s no money, but hang in there.&quot; 
 
The phrase has since gone viral. 
 
Russia&#39;s energy-reliant economy is reeling from the fall in oil prices and Western sanctions over Moscow&#39;s meddling in Ukraine. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Medvedev told a university lecture to get a different job if he was looking for a better pay scale

More than 168,000 Russians have signed an online petition calling for Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's resignation after he suggested a low-paid lecturer get a different job. His comments -- widely seen as out of touch and uncaring -- unleashed a torrent of bile in the press and on social media, with a petition on Change.org calling for his ouster garnering 168,000 signatures by today afternoon. "The cabinet should be led by a person who is competent, educated and cares about the country," wrote the petition's author, Alexander Li. "We are seeing the opposite right now." The lower house of parliament is obliged to debate any petition that gets 100,000 signatures. What plunged Medvedev into trouble At a youth education forum on Tuesday, Medvedev was asked by a university lecturer from the impoverished Dagestan region why teachers receive only around 15,000 rubles ($230) per month, while police are significantly better paid. "There's no need to compare," Medvedev said. "The issue is what you choose in life. Teaching, he said, "is a vocation. If you want to earn money, there are a bunch of great places where you can do that quicker and better in business. And you didn't go into business." Official statistics show the average monthly salary in Russia is around 37,000 rubles (507 euros/$566). Teachers make an average 32,000 rubles per month but the figure varies greatly depending on the region. In the Dagestan region, teachers earn a monthly average of 18,000 rubles, Kommersant daily reported. 'Hang in there' remark by premier also drew public ire "The prime minister's impressions are completely understandable," said a wry editorial in tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets. "We all know very well of government officials who successfully manage to combine their main job with business, including big business." Novaya Gazeta lashed out at the premier over his remarks. "Cynism cannot be at the foundation of the state's domestic policy. That usually ends badly for the state and the bureaucrats," it said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the petition. In May, Medvedev -- who served as president from 2008 to 2012, between current President Vladimir Putin's terms -- once again sparked public ire after telling a group of pensioners: "There's no money, but hang in there." The phrase has since gone viral. Russia's energy-reliant economy is reeling from the fall in oil prices and Western sanctions over Moscow's meddling in Ukraine. (AFP)

Angered by 'careless remark', 168,000 Russians demand PM  Dmitry Medvedev's resignation

vladimir-putin

Vladimir Putin, News on Vladimir Putin, stories on Vladimir Putin, articles on Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Putin stories at Wion, Vladimir Putin news, Vladimir Putin latest news

vladimir putin