Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russia on Thursday intensified efforts to clean up a major fuel spill that environmentalists say is theworst such accident in the Arctic, as investigators made their first arrest. A diesel reservoir collapsed at a power station outside the northern Siberian city of Norilsk on Friday, releasing …
Read More »Strongman admirer Trump sees US protests in warlike terms
Washington, United States | AFP | From the White House, President Donald Trump delivered blunt — some say alarming — instructions to local leaders confronting nationwide street protests against police brutality: “dominate.” “If you don’t dominate, you’re wasting your time,” he told state governors. And if they tried, but failed? “Then I …
Read More »Trump says ‘common sense’ for Russia to rejoin G7
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump on Wednesday said it is “common sense” to bring Russia back into the G7, despite Moscow’s expulsion from the club after invading part of Ukraine. Speaking to Fox News radio, Trump said that the G7 countries — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United …
Read More »Putin declares state of emergency over Siberian fuel spill
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered a state of emergency and criticised a subsidiary of metals giant Norilsk Nickel after a massive diesel spill into a Siberian river. The spill of over 20,000 tonnes of diesel fuel took place on Friday. A fuel reservoir collapsed …
Read More »Putin rushes to move on from virus with vote on reforms
Moscow, Russia | AFP | It took less than a week after he said Russia’s coronavirus crisis had peaked for President Vladimir Putin to fast-track a vote on constitutional reforms allowing him to serve more Kremlin terms. By pushing ahead with the public vote on July 1 — despite Russia still …
Read More »Spectre of oil giant Rosneft looms over Russian independent media
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian oil giant Rosneft, run by a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, is wielding growing influence over Russia’s remaining independent media outlets, already squeezed by tightening press freedoms and pressure from the Kremlin. Now, reporters at the country’s top liberal business daily Vedomosti — shaken …
Read More »Russian women stuck in lockdown hell as abuse surges
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Ineta Akhtyamova’s husband flew into a rage in late April, about a month into Moscow’s coronavirus lockdown. She was preparing a meal in the small apartment she shares with her partner when he exploded, calling her names, hitting her and shouting at her to get out. …
Read More »Russian medics ask where Putin’s virus bonuses went
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Maria, a 24-year-old doctor working outside Moscow, expected to be paid extra if one of her patients tested positive for the coronavirus. Instead, her salary shrank. In a small town 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the capital, she visits patients at home and normally has around …
Read More »Egypt leverages ‘soft power’ through medical aid in pandemic
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | A slickly produced video from the office of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi showed crates of medical supplies — stamped in English and Arabic with the words “from the Egyptian people to the American people” — being loaded onto a military cargo plane. The dramatically scored …
Read More »As countries begin reopening, US virus expert warns of dangers
Washington, United States | AFP | France began reopening schools on Tuesday and Russia and India started getting back to work as the top US infectious disease expert warned that relaxing coronavirus lockdowns too quickly could have serious consequences. Government immunologist Anthony Fauci’s stark words fed concerns that even a cautious …
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