Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, February 17th

Ukraine does not allow transit deliveries

Despite the EU’s position, Hungary and Slovakia did not refuse high-quality Russian energy supplies at competitive prices

In Grayvoron, two cars, as well as the fence of a private home and a commercial facility, were damaged in a drone strike

Maxim Sokolov noted a significant decline in the volume of auto loans, with about two-thirds of buyers using loans

Russian presidential aide Nikolay Patrushev has urged a military response to Western attempts to stifle the country’s sea trade Read Full Article at RT.com

From regional escalation to global energy shocks – a strike could trigger a cascade of strategic, economic, and geopolitical consequences Read Full Article at RT.com

[New Times] Africa faces a major rural road access challenge, with nearly 60 per cent of its population unable to reach all-weather roads, a gap that continues to limit economic opportunities and access to essential services.

[New Times] The government has hired a new firm to prepare and design settlement sites, commonly referred to as detailed physical plans along with related urban design projects in Kigali City and other districts nationwide, The New Times has learned.

[New Times] Districts across Rwanda are grappling with growing losses after floods swept away bridges, disrupted movement, and claimed lives, as authorities warn of heightened risks during the upcoming rainy season.

PropertyLimBrothers (PLB) is in hot water again — this time for an unruly Chinese New Year celebration that had staff flinging food at each other. The real estate agency posted a video on Thursday (Feb 12) of their annual shou gong fan — a meal held before Chinese New Year meant to celebrate a company's achievements — and is drawing criticism for their chaotic yusheng toss. In the video, staff are seen gathered around several tables to lohei and are heard shouting «huat ah» excitedly. While most staff toss the yusheng upwards, some are seen cheekily flinging the food towards other tables and colleagues. Other staff are seen using plastic lids from the yusheng boxes to shield themselves from the food, with one staff even putting a plastic bag over his head. «The celebration peaked as we rolled up our sleeves for hands-on CNY activities, creative showcases, and a meaningful Lo Hei — the PLB way,» the caption reads. Lohei is a Chinese New Year tradition where families and friends gather to toss yusheng while reciting auspicious phrases for the year ahead. 

Hot and humid weather has made way for cooler temperatures on Tuesday (Feb 17), the first day of Chinese New Year, after heavy downpours swept across the country. Temperatures across Singapore dipped amid the gloomy weather, reaching a low of 21.8 deg C at Newton at 12.11pm, according to data from the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS). Light to moderate rain persisted into the afternoon, with checks by AsiaOne at 4.22pm showing a low of 23.1 deg C in Admiralty and a high of 24.7 deg C in Semakau Island.  Temperatures ranged between 23.1 and 24.7 deg C at 4.22pm.PHOTO: Screengrab/Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) Wet weather across the island is expected to persist for a few days before transitioning into relatively drier weather, said the MSS in a media advisory on Monday. 

The EU’s relations with Latin America and the Caribbean are multifaceted and conducted at different levels. Guided by the New Agenda for Relations between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean, the EU seeks to strengthen and modernise the bi-regional strategic partnership. The EU interacts with the entire region through summits with the heads of state and government and through parliamentary diplomacy, while agreements and political dialogue bind the EU and the Caribbean, Central America, the Andean Community, Mercosur and individual countries. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

With Member States responsible for their own policies for the cultural sector, the EU’s action is aimed at supplementing and supporting them, with a focus on the preservation of European cultural heritage, cooperation between various countries’ cultural institutions and the promotion of mobility among creative workers. The cultural sector is also affected by provisions of the Treaties that do not explicitly pertain to culture. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

David and Victoria threw their youngest son Cruz a lavish 21st birthday party at The MAINE in Mayfair, London over the weekend as they celebrated with family and friends.

Pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's notorious properties from around the world were searched by the FBI after the financier's 2019 death.

Rachel Reeves is facing renewed pressure over Labour's economic plans today after unemployment rose by

Hillary Clinton claimed that she and Bill have 'no links' to Jeffrey Epstein while also admitting that her husband 'took some rides on his airplane.'

Robert Dorgan, 56, who killed two people at a youth hockey game in Rhode Island on Monday, appeared to post an ominous warning just days before the shooting.

The Supreme Court declined to entertain a plea for mandatory constitutional morality guidelines for public officials, citing the petition's focus on specific individuals. The court suggested a broader code of conduct for public figures, similar to that for public servants, emphasizing uniform application of constitutional values.

New research suggests wildlife's fear of humans is not uniform. Animals exhibit strong fear responses to hunters and fishers but less so to tourists or researchers. Surprisingly, some passive human structures like roads can even act as perceived refuges for certain species.

US Ambassador Brent Bozell has said he will use his post to challenge South Africa’s ties with Russia, China and Iran Read Full Article at RT.com

Russia, Ukraine and the US have sent their top negotiators to attempt to broker the end to the four-year Ukraine conflict Read Full Article at RT.com

British ‘nuclear umbrella’ will not provide extra security to its European allies, Russia’s ambassador to London has said Read Full Article at RT.com

Andrey Maslov says the US has been “forced onto an isolationist path,” including imposing tariffs on African countries Read Full Article at RT.com

Donald Trump has commented on a possible operation to abduct Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Read Full Article at RT.com

Swiss commentator Stephane Renner has accused the IOC of double standards over Israeli participation at the Winter Olympics Read Full Article at RT.com

According to the newspaper, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk tasked a group of historians to examine events of World War II and the subsequent decades of the Cold War, as well as the negative consequences reportedly caused by Soviet influence

According to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, some 4.8 million foreign tourists have visited Russia in 2025

Alexey Overchuk emphasized that the global economy remained in a state of flux

It was as if neither Greenland, nor corruption in the upper echelons of Zelensky’s usurping machine, nor the kidnapping of Venezuela’s legally elected president, nor the broader crisis of compliance with international law and the looming collapse of Euro-Atlantic unity existed," Leonid Slutsky said