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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ruled out expanding military ties with Japan any time soon, insisting that historical grievances must be resolved first. The two countries have come under growing pressure to strengthen defence ties as North Korea, China and Russia draw closer together. But analysts say such a move remains politically risky for Lee’s government given deep-seated public resentment in South Korea towards Japan. To explain why his country could not yet embrace military...

Russia should re-evaluate its policies toward Armenia after Sunday’s election, Moscow-based analyst Fyodor Lukyanov told RT Read Full Article at RT.com

The E3, represented by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gathered in Downing Street and issued a joint five-point declaration.

NATO has been building up its military presence in the Arctic as Russia vows to defend its interests in the region Read Full Article at RT.com

On a rare visit to North Korea, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, projected unity but also sought to remind Kim Jong-un that he is the senior partner in their alliance.

CIS observers were allegedly pressured during Armenia’s controversial parliamentary election, a Russian official has said Read Full Article at RT.com

Russian experts assess Armenia’s election result, Pashinyan’s 49.81% win, opposition pressure claims, and Yerevan’s course away from Moscow Read Full Article at RT.com

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has held talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on collaboration in various fields Read Full Article at RT.com

A senior Russian diplomat has warned of efforts by the United States to rally support for a resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that distorts facts about Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.

As part of its decades-old “multi-vector” foreign policy, based on balancing relations between major powers such as China, Russia, the United States and the European Union, Kazakhstan – Central Asia’s largest country – is now actively diversifying its economic and financial policies. While in the past, Astana sought to strengthen cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the leading international financial hub in the Middle East, today, Hong Kong seems to be becoming a key partner for...

Drone incidents have been reported in Latvia and Moldova as Ukraine continues long-range strikes on Russia Read Full Article at RT.com

India denies being directed not to buy Russian oil, saying its energy purchases are dictated by prices Read Full Article at RT.com

Kiev’s reburials expose the deeper problem in Ukraine’s national myth: A search for friends that ends with enemy-of-Russia heroes instead Read Full Article at RT.com

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan should not mistake his party’s victory as permission to unilaterally change the country’s strategic course Read Full Article at RT.com

When Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Monday, he was entering a country undergoing notable development in both its nuclear programme and conventional combat capacity. North Korea has been aided in these developments by Russian military technology and economic aid, which Pyongyang received in exchange for sending troops and equipment to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine. These advances could help Pyongyang threaten the balance of power against South Korea and the United...

Chinese President Xi Jinping started his first visit to North Korea since 2019 pledging “unwavering” friendship and deeper ties with a country that boasts a growing nuclear arsenal and increasing ties with Russia. “No matter how times change or how the international situation evolves, the friendship between China and North Korea remains invincible,” Xi said in an article published on Monday by Rodong Sinmun, a state-run North Korean newspaper. The two countries should “strengthen exchanges at...

In destroying what remained of a relatively free internet, Vladimir Putin has broken a longstanding social contract.

He used the pandemic to ruthlessly tighten his grip on the country. Then he energized its economy by leveraging Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Yerevan risks losing economic preferences from Moscow that many take for granted, Aleksandr Bobrov has told RT Read Full Article at RT.com

A Ukrainian drone attack on a passenger train in Crimea has left one person dead and another injured, governor Sergey Aksyonov has said Read Full Article at RT.com

Armenians voted Sunday in a closely watched parliamentary election that could determine whether the South Caucasus nation continues its gradual shift toward the European Union or restores closer ties with traditional ally Russia, which has warned of serious consequences should Armenia continue its westward course. The post Armenians Vote In Crucial Election (Worthy News Focus) appeared first on Worthy Christian News.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has exploited a fractured opposition to sell voters perceived stability and a dream, Farhad Ibragimov told RT Read Full Article at RT.com

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky received the backing of the leaders of the UK, France and Germany in calling for direct ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine, according to a joint statement issued following defence talks in London on Sunday. Zelensky met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at 10 Downing Street for talks as Russia’s war has stretched into its fifth year. The leaders “supported the proposal for a...

Polls close in Armenian’s decisive election for the South Caucasus country and the region’s future, against the backdrop of a Russia-West clash

Footage released by the Russian Defense Ministry shows Rubicon drone operators intercepting Ukrainian kamikaze UAVs Read Full Article at RT.com

Armenians are voting on Sunday in parliamentary elections as the incumbent government, under mounting Russian pressure, seeks to loosen ties with Moscow and deepen cooperation with the West. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his ruling Civil Contract party are looking for a strong mandate for a new geopolitical course. The opposition they face includes some parties that are vocally pro-Russian. Casting his vote on Sunday, Pashinyan said that Armenia would continue strengthening its...

The Iranian ambassador to Russia says BRICS plays a decisive role in ensuring global energy security.

Russia’s decline has given Turkey the freedom to pursue its interests, and Ukraine is the beneficiary.

Armenians are voting in parliamentary elections that could shape PM Nikol Pashinyan’s future and Armenia’s ties with Russia and the EU Read Full Article at RT.com

Armenians will decide their future on Sunday against the backdrop of a Russia-West clash, as both the EU and the US support PM Pashinyan’s cautious pro-Western drive, while Russia embarked on an onslaught of economic and political pressures on Yerevan to keep the former Soviet state in its orbit.

A major eruption of the Shiveluch volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula has triggered a red aviation alert for nearby regions Read Full Article at RT.com

It was the second such attack in days and came just hours after President Vladimir V. Putin spoke at an economic forum in the city.

The EU is luring Armenia into a trap with false promises as it wants Yerevan only to break ties with Moscow, Ara Abramyan has told RT Read Full Article at RT.com

Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call for direct peace talks Friday, even as rare public criticism emerged from members of Russia’s political and business elite over the direction of the country’s wartime economy. The post Putin Rejects Zelenskyy Peace Talks Amid Rare Elite Criticism In Russia appeared first on Worthy Christian News.

Russian tennis player Mirra Andreeva has won her first Grand Slam, beating Poland’s Maja Chwalinska in the French Open in Paris Read Full Article at RT.com

Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart for now after Zelensky proposed it in an open letter.

Indian MP Sujeet Kumar thanked Russia for giving a voice to the Global South at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Read Full Article at RT.com

Russian President Vladimir Putin blasts the US over its unprovoked war on Iran.

Russia said on Saturday it intercepted hundreds of Ukrainian drones including near St Petersburg, where Moscow is hosting a major economic forum, as Ukraine reported at least three people killed by Russian strikes. Moscow and Kyiv have intensified drone strikes on each other in recent months as US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war, now in its fifth year, remain stalled over the conflict in the Middle East. The St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) – once dubbed “Russia’s Davos”...

NASA temporarily moved astronauts into an evacuation spacecraft while Russian cosmonauts worked to repair an air leak in the ISS Read Full Article at RT.com

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he currently saw no reason to meet Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian president published an open letter proposing they hold face-to-face talks to agree an end to a war now in its fifth year. In his letter, which was sent to other countries, including the US, Zelensky said most Russians ‌had grown tired of Ukrainian missile and drone attacks, high inflation and fuel shortages, and were ready for peace. He also suggested that continuing the war...

The EU’s outreach to Armenia is aimed at weakening Russia, famed Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica has told RT Read Full Article at RT.com

The US House has passed a Ukraine aid and Russia sanctions bill, which is likely to be defeated in the Senate Read Full Article at RT.com

At the St. Petersburg economic forum, business and political elites said Russia faced a choice of halting the conflict or sacrificing more. Vladimir Putin seemed to signal more war.

India is “very interested in the Northern Sea Route more amid Hormuz disruptions, says Russian minister Alexey Chekunkov Read Full Article at RT.com

Incumbent Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is seeking a mandate to seek EU integration at the expense of ties with Russia Read Full Article at RT.com

A worsening air leak aboard the International Space Station prompted five astronauts to take shelter and prepare for evacuation for roughly two hours on Friday as Russia attempted to ‌fix a crack on its portion of the orbital laboratory, Nasa said. The four astronauts of Nasa’s Crew-12 mission aboard the station – two Americans, a French astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut – along with another US astronaut were ordered by Nasa mission control at 9.04am on Friday to enter their SpaceX-built Crew...

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he sees little sense in a personal meeting with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky at the moment Read Full Article at RT.com

The share of employed Russians reached 61.5% as unemployment continues to hold at a record low of 2.2%, Deputy PM Tatyana Golikova said Read Full Article at RT.com

Russia could attack a Nato country within four years according to western intelligence assessments, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned on Friday. He made the comments as he pledged his government would publish a long-delayed defence investment plan before next month’s Nato summit. “It is our intelligence assessment and the assessment of other countries in Nato that there could be an attack by Russia on Nato as soon as 2030,” Starmer said. “So you can see the urgency and the priority that...

The US is set to cancel the deployment of Tomahawks to Germany over fears it would escalate tensions with Russia, Politico reports Read Full Article at RT.com

Scientists and U.S. military briefers have linked short, widespread interference incidents to Russia, revealing vulnerabilities in a technology essential to everyday society.

The cargo vessels Natra and Zirkon — both bearing hallmarks of Russia's shadow fleet and heading to load grain at a port linked to looted Ukrainian supplies — were struck overnight near Taganrog.

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 185 prisoners of war each, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said Read Full Article at RT.com

The EU’s trade chief has confirmed publicly for the first time that the bloc is considering a specific rule to compel companies to diversify their suppliers, as Europe looks to unwind its dependencies on China. “Diversification now requires a dedicated instrument,” commissioner for trade and economic security Maros Sefcovic said on Friday, adding that he would model it on the manner in which the EU reduced its reliance on Russian energy following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. “Recent...

China and Russia have largely moved away from the US dollar in bilateral trade settlement, with most transactions now settled in their own currencies. Yet cross-border payment bottlenecks persist as Chinese banks carefully manage their exposure to Washington’s sanctions regime, according to a senior Russian banker. At the heart of the friction is a stark balancing act facing Chinese lenders: how to ease trade with Russia while safeguarding access to the US dollar-based global financial system –...

Russia must “ignore” Western sanctions, central bank deputy chief Vladimir Chistyukhin has said Read Full Article at RT.com

The sanctions on Russia have failed to achieve their goals and more will not help end the Ukraine conflict, Robert Agee says Read Full Article at RT.com

Russian President Vladimir Putin is speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum’s headline event Read Full Article at RT.com

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has weighed in on Ukraine’s chances of joining the EU and NATO Read Full Article at RT.com

A PLA inspection team visited several facilities in Russia’s Eastern Military District this week, including an air defence missile unit in the far-eastern Jewish Autonomous Region, Russian media reported. The visit, conducted under a decades-old confidence-building mechanism, came as President Vladimir Putin described China and Russia as “natural allies and partners”, while emphasising that their deepening military cooperation was not directed against any third party. The June 2-3 inspection...

Fearing a loss of influence, groups linked to the Kremlin and intelligence agencies have sought to discredit the country’s prime minister.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia is seeking re-election as his country weighs questions of war and peace, of autocracy and democracy, and of subjugation and independence.

The US pressure on India regarding ties with Russia is “futile,” President Vladimir Putin has said Read Full Article at RT.com

The EU has pledged €50 million to Armenia ahead of a key parliamentary election and amid trade tensions with Russia Read Full Article at RT.com

While some powerful Russians shun the West, others want to restore ties and embrace friendly Westerners. President Vladimir V. Putin’s annual economic conference illustrates the conflicting impulses.

Germany’s own policies have alienated the global majority and made it lose its UN Security Council bid, Russian media have said Read Full Article at RT.com

The trip comes just weeks after Xi separately hosted US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing.

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump ‘personally called for China’s help’ to end Ukraine war in summit with Xi US President Donald Trump personally urged President Xi Jinping to help end the Ukraine war, seeking to leverage Beijing’s influence over Moscow to...

The latest Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russia, NATO maneuvers in the Baltic Sea and German-Ukrainian arms cooperation show: NATO is de facto waging war against Russia and risking a nuclear catastrophe.

While some powerful Russians shun the West, others want to restore ties and embrace friendly Westerners. President Vladimir V. Putin’s annual economic conference illustrates the conflicting impulses.

Iran's ambassador to Russia announces a $25 billion nuclear cooperation agreement between Tehran and Moscow.

As Xi Jinping visits Pyongyang, he faces an emboldened North Korean dictator, whose alliance with Russia has reduced his dependence on China.

The monument to the Kiev-born author was removed after officials branded him a symbol of Russian imperial policy Read Full Article at RT.com

“After 26 years in power, age is beginning to take its toll,” President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine wrote of his Russian counterpart, bragging of a recent strike on St. Petersburg.

Russian President Vladimir Putin answered questions on domestic and foreign policy from international media at SPIEF Read Full Article at RT.com

Zelensky has published an open letter to Putin, urging a face-to-face meeting and a full ceasefire to finally end the war.

West’s ultraliberal model has reached a civilizational dead end, fueling a deepening ideological crisis in Europe, Maria Zakharova has said Read Full Article at RT.com

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump’s proposals for peace in Ukraine could end the fighting, but said Kyiv needed to compromise – and that he saw no signs of that, so was ready to fight on to victory. Speaking to foreign media editors on the sidelines of Russia’s annual economic forum in what is the fifth ‌year of Europe’s deadliest land war since World War II, Putin said Russia would defeat Ukraine on the battlefield if necessary. But he said it was also...

The Russian bank PSB has built out banking across Russia’s new regions, expanded cross-border payments and is eyeing Africa next Read Full Article at RT.com

The EU endorsed Armenia’s PM Nikol Pashinyan and announced a support package to counter Russian sanctions, just days before Armenia’s historic elections. Meanwhile, Pashinyan said he would go to Moscow after the vote and proclaimed that "abandoning Karabakh was my greatest service to Armenia".

Vladimir Putin is holding his traditional meeting with heads of international news agencies at SPIEF Read Full Article at RT.com

On western criticism of India-Russia friendship, Jaiveer Shergill says the ties are ‘not hostage to weather patterns’ Read Full Article at RT.com

Ukrainian drones struck energy and military facilities in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, just hours before international guests gathered for Russia’s flagship economic forum, in what appeared to be retaliation for deadly Russian attacks on Ukraine. The post Ukraine Drones Strike St. Petersburg Ahead Of Putin Economic Forum appeared first on Worthy Christian News.

Nara Lokesh, IT minister of Andhra Pradesh state, wants Russia to partner in his state’s journey to a $2.4 trillion economy Read Full Article at RT.com

US journalist Christopher Helali has asked President Vladimir Putin for Russian citizenship   Read Full Article at RT.com

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov has outlined Moscow’s rare earth minerals strategy at SPIEF Read Full Article at RT.com

Despite adverse external conditions, Russia has maintained financial and economic independence, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has said Read Full Article at RT.com

New Delhi and Moscow have pledged to deliver on commitments to reach $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030 Read Full Article at RT.com

Relations between the two states date back far beyond Soviet times Read Full Article at RT.com

Candace Owens told RT that Moscow defies Western stereotypes about the city and dismissed US media coverage of her Russia trip as “fiction” Read Full Article at RT.com

France witnessed renewed debate over foreign influence in the media on 3 June as dozens of protesters gathered outside CNews headquarters in Paris to denounce Ksenia Fedorova, the former head of RT France.

As concern rises in Europe over threats from an emboldened Russia, the Irish government says it’s working to plug gaps in its military, which reflect a tradition of neutrality.

Over 40 patients have now been selected for Russia’s personalized cancer vaccine program, ex-Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova told RT Read Full Article at RT.com

Three people were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on the city of Simferopol in Russia’s Crimea, the local governor has said Read Full Article at RT.com

The US is reportedly mulling deploying nuclear weapons to more NATO countries in Europe, with states bordering Russia showing interest Read Full Article at RT.com

After G.O.P. leaders blocked additional aid to Ukraine, six Republicans and an Independent joined Democrats to force the measure to the floor against the wishes of the speaker.

Despite recent back-to-back visits to Beijing by US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, no new trilateral framework or major diplomatic breakthrough has emerged. Yet, according to observers, the summits highlight Beijing’s growing ability to manage its two most important relationships on separate tracks: sustaining a deep strategic partnership with Moscow, while pursuing a more transactional, stability-focused engagement with Washington. Several analysts said the pattern...

Since the Ukraine war began in 2022, Asia has been watching conflict as if enrolled in a study course. We have heard every argument: Nato enlargement, Russian insecurity, Ukrainian sovereignty, European fear, American power, energy politics, sanctions, nationalism and resistance. We have watched Gaza burn. We have watched the United States capture Venezuela’s president and defend the act as lawful. We have watched Iran absorb attacks and retaliate. For Asians, these are no longer distant events....

Large Russian companies are increasingly turning to small and medium-sized domestic suppliers, a SPIEF panel has heard Read Full Article at RT.com