All articles from Fred Weir
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Israel, US try full-court press to stop Russian weapons sale to Syria
The US and Israel argue the introduction of Russia's S-300 antiaircraft missile system could be a 'game changer' for the regime.
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Global News Blog US balks as Russia prepares to deliver missiles to Syria (+video)
Israel says Russia is preparing to deliver anti-aircraft missiles and launchers to the Assad regime, which the US warns will further destabilize a troubled region.
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Global News Blog 'Puppet-master' Putin advisor is shown the Kremlin door
Vladislav Surkov was once one of the president's most influential and deft advisers. His forced resignation suggests the Kremlin may be pursuing blunter ways of manipulating the political landscape.
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Russia steps up pressure with 'foreign agent' campaign
The Russian government's list is growing of NGOs being targeted for receiving some foreign funds. No major NGOs have agreed to the label, suggesting a wave of shutdowns may be looming.
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At Kerry-Putin meeting, US-Russia relations thaw – a little
Secretary of State John Kerry sought to ease diplomatic tensions with Russia in preparation for meetings between Putin and Obama later this year. But Syria remains a major sticking point.
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Anti-Putin protesters march in Moscow, but momentum weakened
Tens of thousands turned out for today's protest, but their numbers have dwindled from Putin's inauguration 12 months ago – likely due to the Kremlin's criminal cases against the protest leaders.
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Did someone fire missiles at a Russian jetliner flying over Syria?
Russian flights are being advised to avoid flying over combat zones after a passenger plane reportedly came under missile fire over Syria. But aviation experts are puzzled by the incident.
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Japan and Russia want to finally end World War II, agree it is 'abnormal' not to
Today's summit between Shinzo Abe and Vladimir Putin comes at an opportune moment but may founder on the old problem of the Kuril Islands, which Japan still wants back.
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Cover Story Boston bombing reveals a new American maturity toward insecurity
The post-9/11 'new normal' has evolved: The tactical and emotional responses to the Boston Marathon bombings show what experts call a national maturity toward terrorism that echoes longer experience with such crises in England, Spain, Russia, Japan, and Israel.
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Global News Blog Why the alleged Boston bombers' mom probably won't be extradited (+video)
Zubeidat Tsarnaeva may stay out of American custody because the US and Russia do not have a bilateral extradition treaty, despite efforts by Moscow to negotiate one.
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Putin says opportunity for better US-Russian ties in Boston aftermath (+video)
Speaking in his annual town-hall meeting, which this year ran nearly five hours, the Russian president called for greater US-Russian cooperation on terrorism after the Boston bombing.
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Chechnya: How a remote Russian republic became linked with terrorism
The main suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing are two brothers from Chechnya, a Russian republic that has been the scene of cyclical revolts and brutal crackdowns for the past 200 years.
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Chechen strongman corrects his minister - with a boxing glove to the head
Ramzan Kadyrov's sparring match – ostensibly good-natured 'criticism' of the minister's job performance – is seen by some as reflective of the darker undertones of Kadyrov's hard rule.
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US, Russia missed chances to intercept Tamerlan Tsarnaev
Russia warned the US about the future Boston Marathon bomber back in 2011. But when Mr. Tsarnaev returned to Russia the next year, authorities there apparently left him alone.
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Chechen identity looms over Boston Marathon bombing suspects
If true that the two suspects were raised in Chechnya, its warrior tradition - which stresses male independence and defiance of authority - would likely have shaped their childhood.
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Russia aims to set stern example with NGO prosecution
An election monitoring group has become the first to be charged under a law passed last year that requires nongovernmental organizations to register as 'foreign agents' or face punitive measures.
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Global News Blog Not so KGB cool: Putin blows top at his cabinet in new video
The Russian president is known for being unflappable, but a leaked video shows him shouting and cursing at his cabinet ministers over their 'extremely low' quality of work.
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Boston Marathon bombing has Russia concerned about its own event security
Russia is set to host three major international sporting events in the next year, including the 2014 Olympics. The Boston explosions are highlighting the security challenges it faces.
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US and Russia take tentative positive step amid blacklist battle
A Kremlin official said Obama's proposals on how to move forward on defense and trade were 'constructive' – high praise, considering Russia's frustration over US blacklisting of its officials.
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Putin and Merkel set for a prickly Russian-German summit?
The Russian and German leaders are set to meet Sunday. But while business between the two nations is good, Germans are concerned over the Kremlin's domestic crackdown.
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