Politics Vladimir Putin

*His lawyer says Russia has presented no proof. *Lithuania has history of refusing Russian extradition requests. VILNIUS, July 19- Roman Ruzhechko, a suspect in a Russian probe into a major oil pipeline contamination earlier this year, has asked for political asylum in Lithuania, a Vilnius district court spokesman told Reuters on Friday.

Temerko, born in what was then Soviet Ukraine, presents himself in public as an entrepreneur who opposes Britain's departure from the European Union because it's bad for his UK energy business, and as a dissident critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. These new insights into Temerko's private thinking about Johnson, Brexit and Russia come as the ruling...

LONDON/ MOSCOW, July 17- A small oil transport firm accused of pumping toxic chemicals into Russia's crude pipeline network that then polluted oil exports to Europe received daily documents from Russian state pipeline monopoly Transneft giving its oil deliveries a clean bill of health. Prosecutors identified them as Nefteperevalka General Director...

*Russia is world's top wheat exporter. MOSCOW, July 16- The Agriculture Ministry said on Tuesday it saw Russia's grain crop rising as high as 150.3 million tonnes by 2035 in an "optimistic scenario" as it outlined a draft strategy to invest billions of dollars in grain infrastructure and logistics. Russian grain supplies could play a key role in President Vladimir...

KIEV, July 12- A comedian and entrepreneur, 29- year-old Roman Hryshchuk had only been in politics for a few weeks when he found himself in front of a semicircle of voters in a park in western Kiev, fielding questions from a testy audience. Another voter heckled that Ukraine's president didn't appear to know what the capital of Canada was, after his team mistakenly...

CAPE TOWN, July 11- South Africa needs to start planning now for new nuclear power capacity to come online after 2045, Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe said on Thursday, reopening a heated debate about whether the country should build more nuclear reactors. But senior officials in Ramaphosa's governing African National Congress party have said South Africa...

*Salvini denies party received cash from Moscow. League leader Matteo Salvini, who serves as both deputy prime minister and interior minister in the government, has denied that his party received any money from Moscow. Italian news magazine L'Espresso reported in February that Salvini's former spokesman Gianluca Savoini had held talks in Moscow last...

MOSCOW, July 10- The dispute between Rosneft and Transneft is not a matter for Russian President Vladimir Putin to intervene in because it is a corporate matter, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

*Moscow vexed by anti-Kremlin protests in Georgia. MOSCOW, July 9- Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected on Tuesday a parliamentary call to impose sanctions against Georgia, saying patching up strained relations was more important than reacting to provocations by "scumbags." Moscow has complained in recent weeks about anti-Kremlin protests in Georgia...

*Moscow vexed by anti-Kremlin protests in Georgia. The proposed sanctions would ban imports of Georgian wine and mineral water and halt financial remittances back home by Georgians working in Russia among a suite of measures that could badly hurt Georgia's economy. Moscow in recent weeks has complained about anti-Kremlin protests in Georgia and on Monday...

MOSCOW, July 9- Russian oil production fell close to a three-year low in early July, as output was undermined by a row between Russian oil pipeline monopoly Transneft and the country's biggest producer Rosneft. Industry sources said Russian oil output fell to 10.79 million barrels per day in early July, meaning output is lower than the level agreed under a deal on...

MOSCOW, July 9- Russian oil production fell close to a three-year low in early July, as output was undermined by a row between Russian oil pipeline monopoly Transneft and the country's biggest producer Rosneft. Industry sources said Russian oil output fell to 10.79 million barrels per day in early July, meaning output is lower than the level agreed under a deal on...

ROME, July 4- Russia is ready to step up dialog with the United States over disarmament and strategic stability, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, adding that he discussed these issues with his American counterpart Donald Trump in Japan. Russia has the political willingness to do it. "Recently, it seems that Washington has started to reflect about...

*OPEC, allies extend output curbs until March 2020. NEW YORK, July 2- Oil prices fell more than 4% on Tuesday, even after OPEC and allies including Russia agreed to extend supply cuts until next March, as weak manufacturing data had investors worried that a slowing global economy could dent oil demand. Signs of a global economic slowdown, which could hit oil demand...

*OPEC, allies agree nine-month extension until March 2020. VIENNA, July 2- OPEC and its allies led by Russia agreed to extend oil output cuts until March 2020 on Tuesday, seeking to prop up the price of crude as the global economy weakens and U.S. production soars. Benchmark Brent crude has climbed more than 25% so far this year after Washington tightened sanctions on...

*OPEC, allies agree nine-month extension until March 2020. VIENNA, July 2- OPEC and its allies led by Russia agreed to extend oil output cuts until March 2020 on Tuesday seeking to prop up the price of crude as the global economy weakens and U.S. production soars. Benchmark Brent crude has climbed more than 25% so far this year after Washington tightened sanctions on...

*OPEC extends oil output curbs by 9 months until March 2020. *OPEC slated to meet with Russia, other producers on Tuesday. LONDON, July 2- Oil prices slipped on Tuesday as concerns that the global economy could be slowing outweighed an agreement by producer club OPEC on Monday to extend supply cuts until next March.