Blagoveshchensk russia

SAINT PETERSBURG: A 19-year-old American tourist arrested in Russia while carrying marijuana for personal medical use could face up to three years in prison in the country known for its harsh drug policy. Audrey Elise Lorber had 19g of cannabis and a medical use permit with her when she was searched in Pulkovo airport in Saint Petersburg, the city's courts press service said this week. She was arrested and charged with possession. Lorber "kept the narcotic substance for her personal use" but the US use permit "is not valid on Russian territory", according to the press service. She remains in custody pending a hearing at a district court in Russia's second-largest city. Lorber is a film student from New York who was in Russia with her mother on a tourist visit, according to local media, referring to her social media accounts. It is not the first case of nationals from countries where cannabis is legal being arrested in Russia for possession. Naama Issachar, a … [Read more...] about US teen arrested in Russia for medical marijuana

Donald Trump has a Russia problem. Throughout his chaotic campaign, and into his free-wheeling presidency, critics have accused his administration of being unusually, inappropriately close to Moscow. On Monday night, these allegations claimed their highest-profile victim . A mere 24 days into his role as Trump's national security adviser, Michael Flynn resigned, saying he had inadvertently mislead then Vice President-elect Mike Pence about his phone calls with the Russian ambassador. According to leaks from current and former U.S. officials , Flynn discussed easing sanctions with Russia before Trump had even taken the oath of office. Hours after Flynn left, a new blow struck the Trump administration. On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that several of Trump's aides had been in regular contact with Russian intelligence officers and members of the government. One of the implicated people, the Times' sources say, is Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort , … [Read more...] about Donald Trump Is Learning the Cost of Business in Russia

The debate about Russia's influence on the U.S. presidential election has just gotten a lot more intense. Senior aides in Donald Trump's presidential campaign team allegedly had frequent contact with high-level Russian intelligence officials in the run-up to the November 2016 election, according to a New York Times report on Monday night. CNN also reported that some of Trump's aides were in "constant communication" with senior Russian officials during the campaign. Related: Trump campaign had contact with Russian intelligence: NYT The allegations come a day after Trump's national security advisor, Michael Flynn, resigned after failing to properly brief Trump and Vice President Mike Pence properly on the substance of a December conversation with the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak. White House spokesperson Sean Spicer said Trump knew there were problems with Flynn's phone call weeks before they were made public, sparking congressional calls … [Read more...] about What We Know So Far About the Russia-Trump Campaign Contacts

MOSCOW: Moscow hit back at western countries on Wednesday (Mar 3) for sanctioning senior Russian officials over the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, warning its foes "not to play with fire". The Kremlin accused Washington and Brussels of interference after the US and the EU introduced fresh penalties Tuesday over Navalny, who was jailed last month when he returned from Germany where he was recovering from exposure to a nerve agent. The sanctions further erode ties between Moscow and the West since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. "We believe such measures are absolutely unacceptable because they significantly damage already bad relations" with Washington and Brussels, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday. READ: US and EU impose sanctions on Russia over Navalny poisoning, jailing He said the new sanctions amounted to "interference" in Russia's domestic affairs and vowed to take action in response, without specifying measures. His … [Read more...] about Russia warns western countries after ‘unacceptable’ sanctions

VIENNA: The OPEC bloc of oil producers on Tuesday (Jul 2) formally signed a new charter of cooperation with major allies including Russia, one day after thrashing out the document at a marathon meeting. The new agreement between OPEC and its so-called OPEC+ partners is being seen as a sign of the cartel's efforts to stay relevant in a market which has been transformed by booming US shale oil output. Saudi Oil Minister Khalid al-Falih hailed this week's meeting as "historic" and said that "market volatility" meant that a new framework was needed with "more producer power than OPEC alone can provide". OPEC Secretary-General Mohammed Barkindo compared the new partnership to a marriage, telling reporters: "It's for eternity!" "We're confident that with the course of time, probably by next time we meet, we may have some new members joining the charter," Barkindo said. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak declared on Monday that all of OPEC's ministers had agreed to prolong … [Read more...] about OPEC inks new charter with Russia and other allies