Russia — news through its media
Stories followed in this country, with their framing set against the rest of the world.
379 subjects found
In Bishkek, the SCO marks 25 years by casting itself as an alternative order to the West
The 25th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was held in Bishkek on 31 August and 1 September 2026, bringing together Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi and Masoud Pezeshkian. Xi and the Kyrgyz president signed a treaty of permanent good-neighbourliness; Putin proposed China-Russia cooperation on artificial intelligence; Modi publicly called for an end to the war in Ukraine. Pakistan takes over the chairmanship for 2026-2027.
+3
US strikes Hormuz, Iran hits back at Jordan and the Emirates: first exchange of fire in a month
After a month of calm during which Washington had shifted its effort to an economic war, US forces struck missile launchers on an island in the Strait of Hormuz on 31 August 2026. Tehran retaliated against two US bases in Jordan and targets in the United Arab Emirates, which called the attack a dangerous escalation. A tanker was hit by three projectiles in the strait's southern lane and a Saudi supertanker was intercepted. Brent rose to around 91 dollars.
+10
An ammunition depot hit near Kyiv: the deadliest strike of the year in Ukraine
On the night of Friday 28 to Saturday 29 August 2026, a Russian drone hit a warehouse in Myla, west of Kyiv, where Ukrainian authorities say ammunition for their army was stored. The blast spread fire to dozens of homes. The toll was revised from 37 to 38 dead on Sunday, with four people still missing; two of the seven countries covering the episode still report 37. Kyiv points to negligence in siting the depot, Moscow to a legitimate military target.
+3
Northern Cyprus: a ferry carrying nearly 270 people capsizes on the route to Turkey
On Sunday 30 August 2026, a catamaran ferry running from Kyrenia, in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, to the Turkish port of Taşucu capsized and sank about 7.5 km off the island's northern coast. It was carrying between 260 and 270 people. Eight countries cover the sinking and no two report the same toll: six to eight dead, seventeen to twenty-four missing. The TRNC, recognised only by Turkey, declared three days of national mourning.
+4
Iceland rejects resuming EU accession talks, with Reykjavik voting against the rest of the country
On 29 August 2026 Icelanders voted in a referendum on resuming EU accession talks, suspended since 2013. The final figures give 118,040 votes to no against 105,339 to yes — 52.8% against 47.2%, a gap of 12,701 ballots — on the highest turnout since 1944. Yes wins in both Reykjavik constituencies, no passes 60% in the three rural constituencies. The vote does not withdraw the application filed in 2009.
+13
Trump announces a deal giving the United States control of 65 billion Venezuelan barrels
On 28 August 2026 Donald Trump announced a deal with Caracas covering, according to both governments, 17 fields with a proven potential of 65 billion barrels and an expected $100 billion in investment. Axios, which had revealed the talks the day before, puts the figure at 90 billion barrels across a dozen fields. The US strategic reserve is at a forty-year low.
+9
Trump renames Lake Ontario "Lake America" by executive order
On 27 August 2026 Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America", as trade talks with Ottawa collapsed. The lake is a shared border water between New York State and the Canadian province of Ontario, and its name comes from an Iroquoian word. The order applies only to US federal nomenclature and does not bind Canada, which rejected it. The move follows the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America".
+8
The CIA director makes a confidential visit to Moscow
CIA director John Ratcliffe travelled discreetly to Moscow for talks with Russian officials, according to several US outlets; the Kremlin confirmed contacts between intelligence services. The visit comes as Vladimir Putin has just rejected the peace plan put forward by Volodymyr Zelensky. It is read very differently in Kyiv, Moscow and Washington.
+7
The United States removes Syria from its state sponsors of terrorism list after forty-seven years
Washington formally removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, where it had been designated since 1979. The decision lifts a major part of US sanctions and opens the way to investment and reconstruction. It comes as Damascus and Israel have resumed security talks under American mediation, following an Israeli strike on a Syrian airbase, and as Turkey, the Gulf monarchies and Russia reposition their interests in the country.
+2
A South Korean container ship sails to Europe via the Arctic route, a first triggered by the closure of Hormuz
South Korea sent its first container ship from Busan to Europe via the Northern Sea Route, after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz made the usual Gulf and Suez itinerary unusable. The crossing, estimated at 45 days, cuts thousands of kilometres off the distance but depends on Russian permits and on a navigation window limited to a few months a year.
+2
Washington declares 'economic war' on Iran and urges allies and China to cut all ties
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a campaign to collapse Iran's economy, telling other capitals they are either with Washington or against it. Tehran calls the economic war a breach of international law and threatens a military response. Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is falling.
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