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☆ Russian oil refinery partially suspends operations after drone attack, as thermal energy plants are damaged in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | Olga Voitovych | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A Russian oil refinery in the southern Krasnodar region was impacted by a suspected Ukrainian drone attack on Saturday, according to local officials. Meanwhile in Ukraine, four thermal energy plants were “severely damaged” after Russian attacks overnight, according to a statement from DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company. DTEK said that its thermal power plants have been attacked more than 170 times since the beginning of the war. A video surfaced online showing the head of the Belarusian KGB security service alleging the two medical facilities were housing soldiers. Videos shared online showed medical personnel hurrying to move patients and equipment to ambulances that were awaiting to receive them.

Persons: Veniamin Kondratyev, Eduard Trudnev, Trudnev, ”, Kondratyev, Herman Halushchenko, Halushchenko, Serhii Lysak, Lysak, ” Svitlana Onyshchuk, DTEK, Mykola Oleshchuk, Ivan Tertel, Vitali Klitschko, hurrying, Klitschko Organizations: CNN, Regional, Kyiv, TASS, Slavyansk ECO Group, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Ukraine’s Energy, Facebook, Frankivsk, Ivano, Ukrainian Air Force, Ukraine, Hospitals, Belarusian KGB, ”, Security Service of Ukraine Locations: Krasnodar, Ukrainian, Slavyansk, Kuban, Krasnodar Krai, Russia’s, Ukraine, DTEK, Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano, Lviv, Dnipro, Kryvyi, Rih, ”, Russia, Belarus, Belarusian, Kyiv, “

☆ Simone Biles thought ‘the world is going to hate me’ after experiencing the twisties at the Tokyo Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Simone Biles has revealed that she thought “the world is going to hate me” after withdrawing from the gymnastics team event at the Tokyo Olympics. “If I could have got on a plane and flown home, I would have done it,” Biles said. During last year’s world championships, Biles won four gold medals – in the team, all-around, beam and floor competitions – as well as a silver in the vault. The 27-year-old could add to her medal haul at this year’s Olympics in Paris, which begin on July 26. “Your body is going to try to do something, and your mind is like, ‘No, you’re not doing this, you’re going to open out, you’re going to do this’ … You’ve been doing something for so long and you now no longer have control.”

Persons: CNN — Simone Biles, Biles, Jordan Chiles, ” Biles, “, …, ‘ Don’t, don’t, ’, Loic Venance, Vitaly Scherbo’s, ”, you’re, You’ve Organizations: CNN, Tokyo, Games, Twitter, Paris Olympics, Getty Locations: America, AFP, Tokyo, Paris

☆ Eastern Europeans buy up property in the West as Putin steps up ‘war on nerves’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But several realtors told CNN that their clients are now citing another reason: Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the fear that the conflict could spread. A record-breaking number of Poles bought property in Spain in 2023, topping the previous record set the year before, according to Polish outlet Bizblog. Lopez said a client last month bought a property because they wanted to avoid being conscripted into the Polish military. “The trigger, really, was the war in Ukraine.”But most buy just for peace of mind – a back-up plan, for those wealthy enough to afford one. “Obviously, we are in NATO, but I must say there’s a big amount of people who are really, really afraid,” she said.

Persons: Agnes Marciniak, She’s, “, ”, Kostrzewa, Volodomyr Zelensky, Ukraine “, Donald Trump, Donald Tusk, –, Maria Ruiz Lopez, Lopez, Wieslaw, John Keeble, Liivia Illak, she’s, ” Illak, Alexey Navalny, Putin, they’ve Organizations: CNN, realtors, United States, NATO, Getty Locations: Baltic, Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Spain, Warsaw, Poland, Andalucia, Malaga, Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Russian

☆ Europe saved its bears from extinction. Now some countries want more rights to shoot them
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Billy Stockwell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Wild brown bear populations across Europe have bounced back from the brink of extinction, and animal conservationists are thrilled. Some countries are arguing that law lies too far in the bears’ favor at the expense of human lives. Several European Union (EU) countries who are in favor of watering down bear protections are now taking their fight to the bloc’s headquarters in Brussels. How to deal with bear attacks have been on the political agenda of some of the EU’s 27 member countries for years. But some people argue that there are more humane ways to prevent bear attacks.

Persons: CNN —, Liptovský Mikuláš, John Linnell, ”, ’, Dominika Zarzycka, ” Linnell, “ It’s, Robin Rigg, Bruno, there’s, Linnell Organizations: CNN, Authorities, European Union, EU Environment Council, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, “, Getty, Slovak Wildlife Society, EU Locations: Slovakian, Liptovský, Slovakia, Europe, Brussels, Romania, Finland, EU’s, attractants, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Spain, Ireland, Malta, Cyprus, Japan

CNN —The final death toll from the Moscow concert hall attack last week could be higher than the 143 confirmed dead, as Russian investigators said they have received more than 100 reports of missing people. Investigators had said earlier that they had also received 143 reports of missing people since Friday. Russian social media channels have since been filled with appeals from friends and relatives to help find the victims still missing. Mourners lay flowers in Moscow on Saturday for the victims of the Crocus City Hall attack. Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty ImagesDespite ISIS sharing video evidence, Russian President Vladimir Putin has baselessly claimed that Ukraine was in some way responsible for the attack.

Persons: Olga Maltseva, Vladimir Putin, – Putin, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, “, Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, –, Tajikistan – Organizations: CNN, Russia’s, Crocus City, ISIS, Saturday, Kremlin Locations: Moscow, Russia, Crocus, AFP, Russian, Ukraine, Belarus, Soviet, Tajikistan

☆ Much of Putin's inner circle thinks Ukraine had nothing to do with the Moscow terror attack, badly undermining him, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewMany Kremlin insiders disagree with President Vladimir Putin's claims that Ukraine may be connected to last Friday's terror attack in Moscow, Bloomberg reported. Ukraine has denied any connection to the attack, and no credible evidence has emerged for its involvement. Addressing the nation the day after the attack, Putin said that Ukraine had provided the attackers with an escape route at its border. Related storiesOn Monday, Putin switched to blaming ISIS-K for the attack, but continued to allude to a Ukrainian connection. AdvertisementAsked whether ISIS or Ukraine was responsible, Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia's security council, said it was Ukraine, adding later that there were "many" indications of Kyiv's involvement, per Reuters.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Alexandr Lukashenko, Alexander Bortnikov, Nikolai Patrushev, Andrei Soldatov, Putin's Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, Business, Crocus, Hall, ISIS, NPR, CNBC, Belarusian Telegraph Agency, Reuters, Islamic Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Moscow's, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Ukrainian, United States, Belarus, Russia, Russian, Islamic State

☆ Russia claimed the West, Kyiv ordered the Moscow terror attack. Now it has the problem of proving it
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin at an expanded Prosecutor General's Office meeting on March 26, 2024, in Moscow. An investigation into the attack is ongoing, but the latest, outlandish accusations give Moscow a problem: It now has to find the evidence to back up its unsubstantiated claims. What's particularly awkward for the Kremlin is that the Islamic State militant group has already claimed responsibility for the attack. Ukraine denies any involvement in the attack, saying it was "absolutely predictable" that Moscow would look to blame it. The White House said Ukraine had "no involvement whatsoever" in the attack and that any claim to the contrary was "Kremlin propaganda."

Persons: Vladimir Putin, It's, Andrius, Putin, David Cameron, concertgoers, Alexander Bortnikov, Nikolai Patrushev, Sergei Karpukhin, Nikolai Patrushev —, —, Patrushev, Maria Zakharova, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Moscow, Margarita Simonyan, Putin's, Alexander Lukashenko, Rachabalizoda, Barotovich, Muhammadsobir, Shamsidin Fariduni, Tatyana Makeyevaolga Maltseva, Max Hess Organizations: General's, Getty, Ukraine, Crocus City Hall, Islamic State, West, Kremlin, Russia's Federal Security Service, Russian Security, AFP, Security, Islamic, RIA Novosti, Russian Foreign, U.S, Kremlin's, CNBC Wednesday, Institute for, Afp, Analysts, Foreign Policy Research Institute, CNBC, CIA Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Crocus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Ukrainian, Europe, Russian, U.S, Kyiv, Belarusian, Belarus, Basmanny, Soviet Union

☆ Belarus' leader undermined the Kremlin's dubious claims that Ukraine backed ISIS attackers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

President Lukashenko claims Belarus and Russian security prevented Moscow shooting suspects from entering Belarus. AdvertisementBelarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said his country's security, with the help of Russia's Federal Security Service, tried to prevent Crocus City Hall shooting suspects from entering Belarus. "There was no chance they could enter Belarus," Lukashenko said, reported the state-run Belarusian Telegraph Agency. Lukashenko's statements on the concert hall terror suspects fleeing towards Belarus undermine the Kremlin's claims that the suspects tried to escape to Ukraine first, in an attempt to link Ukraine to the attack. No credible evidence has emerged to suggest that Ukraine was involved in the attack that killed at least 139 people.

Persons: Lukashenko, Putin, —, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Maria Zakharova, Crocus Organizations: Service, Federal Security Service, Crocus, Belarusian Telegraph Agency, ISIS, Russian Ministry of Foreign Locations: Belarus, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Washington

☆ Lukashenko undermines Putin’s Ukraine claim on Moscow concert hall attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko appears to have cast doubt on Russia’s claims that Ukraine was involved in the brutal attack at a Moscow concert hall last week. Putin on Saturday claimed that a “window” had been prepared for the attackers to escape to Ukraine, which Kyiv has denied. But Lukashenko, one of Putin’s most loyal allies, on Tuesday appeared to contradict the Kremlin’s claims, saying that the attackers initially intended to enter Belarus rather than Ukraine. Putin lights a candle on Sunday in memory of victims of the Crocus City Hall attack. Shamil Zhumatov/ReutersA total of 11 people have been arrested in connection with the attack on the concert hall, Russian officials said.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, Lukashenko, …, ” Lukashenko, Belta, “, Alexander Bortnikov, Putin “, Dalerdzhon, Shamil Zhumatov, It’s Organizations: CNN, Belarusian, ISIS, Saturday, Kyiv, Crocus City, Central, Monday, Putin, Russia’s Federal Security Services, Reuters Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Belarus, “, Belarusian, Russia, Crocus, Tajikistan, Russia’s Bryansk, Kremlin, Bryansk, Basmanny

☆ Aryna Sabalenka wins at Miami Open in first match since death of her former partner
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Aryna Sabalenka defeated Paula Badosa in the second round at the Miami Open on Friday, playing just days after the death of her ex-partner, former professional ice hockey player Konstantin Koltsov. “Konstantin’s death is an unthinkable tragedy, and while we were no longer together, my heart is broken,” Sabalenka said in a statement on Wednesday. Paula Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka embraced at the net afterwards. Robert Prange/Getty Images“No, I wasn’t surprised at all (by Sabalenka’s play)”, Badosa told reporters after losing to Sabalenka. “She’s a very, very strong woman, strong personality, you can see it on the court.

Persons: Aryna Sabalenka, Paula Badosa, Konstantin Koltsov, Spain’s Badosa, Koltsov, “, ” Sabalenka, Robert Prange, Badosa, Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Nadia Podoroska Organizations: CNN, Miami, NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, Miami - Dade Police Department, Sabalenka, Argentine, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Befrienders

☆ IOC blasts Russia’s Friendship Games for what it says is a violation of the Olympic Charter and its politicization of sport
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( George Ramsay | Jill Martin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has criticized Russia’s so-called Friendship Games as being “purely politically motivated” and a violation of the Olympic Charter. According to Russian state news agency TASS, 5,500 people are expected to participate at the Friendship Games, competing for a total prize purse of 4.6 billion rubles (around $50 million). Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the event ensures “free access of Russian athletes and sports organizations to international sports activities,” TASS reported. The Friendship Games were first staged in 1984 in the Soviet Union, the same year that the country had boycotted the Los Angeles Olympics that year. CNN has contacted the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) in response to the IOC’s Tuesday press release.

Persons: Russia’s, John Coates, Vladimir Putin, “, ”, WADA Organizations: CNN, Olympic Committee, Olympic Charter, Paris, IOC, Friendship Games, ” TASS, Friendship, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Games, Los Angeles Olympics, Olympic, Russian Olympic Committee, Doping Agency Locations: Moscow, Russian, Russia, Sochi, Milan, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Belarusian

☆ Putin scores a resounding win, but what’s next for Russia?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Sovfoto/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Putin poses for a picture with his wife, Lyudmila, and daughters, Yekaterina and Maria. Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images Putin rides a horse during a vacation in Southern Siberia in August 2009. Dmitry Astakhov/RIA Novosti/AFP via Getty Images Putin plays with his dogs Yume, left, and Buffy at his home in Novo-Ogaryovo, Russia, in March 2013. Chris McGrath/Getty Images Putin and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend the G20 summit in Buenos Aires in November 2018. Getty Images Putin speaks with American right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson during an interview in February 2024.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, Dmitry Kiselyov, Mikhail Mishustin, Ukraine –, Kiselyov, “, Maria Putina, Archivio GBB, ZUMA Press Wire Putin, Laski, Maria, Vladimir, Anatoly Sobchak, Lyudmila, Yekaterina, Boris Yeltsin, Yeltsin, Fidel Castro, Reuters Putin, George W, Bush, Stephen Jaffe, Camp David, Brooks Kraft, Alexey Druzhinin, Alexey Nikolsky, Mikhail Metzel, Ivan Sekretarev, AP Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Dmitry Astakhov, Buffy, Angela Merkel, Jochen Lübke, Thomas Bach, Medvedev, Vladimir Konstantinov, Alexei Chalyi, Sergei Aksyonov, Sergei Ilnitsky, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Alexander Lukashenko, Merkel, Francois Hollande, Petro Poroshenko, Mykola Lazarenko, Barack Obama, Ban, Chip Somodevilla, Turkey Andrei Karlov, Karlov, Donald Trump, Chris McGrath, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, LUDOVIC MARIN, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky, Eliot Blondet, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Biden, Sergey Lavrov, Denis Balibouse, Macron, Sergey Ponomarev, Mikhail Gorbachev, —, Alexander Nemenov, Alexey Danichev, Xi Jinping, Pavel Byrkin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Pavel Bednyakov, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Tucker Carlson, Zuma Press Putin, Maxim Shemetov, – what’s, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, ” Putin Organizations: CNN, coy, Kremlin, Getty, Russian, ZUMA Press, Putin, KGB, ZUMA Press Wire, Getty Images, Reuters, US, White House, Camp, Brooks, Brooks Kraft LLC, RIA Novosti, AP, AFP, International Olympic, Crimean, Ukrainian, United Nations, UN, Assembly, Russian Foreign Ministry, Sputnik, World, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Macron, SPUTNIK, New York Times, Central Clinical Hospital, AP Putin, Belarus, State Russian Museum, AP North Korean, Vostochny, Tucker Carlson Network, Zuma Press Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Putin Russia, Russian, Bakhmut, St . Petersburg, Leningrad, Germany, Moscow, AFP, Kazan, Cuba, Soviet Union, Southern Siberia, Russia's Tver, Novo, Ogaryovo, Hanover, Sevastopol, Crimea, Belarusian, Minsk, Belarus, France, Turkey, Helsinki, Finland, Buenos Aires, Ukrainian, Paris, Geneva, Switzerland, Taganrog, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Tsiolkovsky, Russia's, North Korea, United States

☆ 2024 Olympic Games: Paris mayor says she would prefer Russian athletes to be banned
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Chris Liakos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said on Wednesday that she is against Russian athletes participating in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and attending the Opening Ceremony scheduled for July 26. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said earlier this month that Russian and Belarusian Paralympic athletes will not take part in their Opening Ceremony on August 28. Loic Venance/AFP/Getty ImagesAccording to Russian state news agency TASS, Russian sports minister Oleg Matytsin told reporters on Wednesday that Russia should not boycott the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. “Now, the question of competing at the Olympic Games is on everyone’s lips, my position is this: we should not turn away, close ourselves or boycott this movement,” Matytsin said. The Paralympic Games begin on August 28 and end on September 8.

Persons: CNN — Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, “, ” Hidalgo, Vladimir, Putin, –, ”, Hidalgo, Israel, Loic Venance, Oleg Matytsin, ” Matytsin, Matytsin Organizations: CNN — Paris Mayor, Russian, Games, Reuters, Ukraine, Olympic Committee, Paris, IOC, International Paralympic Committee, Belarusian Paralympic, Paralympic, International Olympic Committee, Tokyo, Olympic Locations: Paris, Russian, Europe, Belarusian, Gaza, ”, AFP, Russia, Belarus

☆ Analysis: As Putin sails to re-election, Russia’s leader has a succession problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin is widely expected to sail to re-election in a nationwide vote that begins on March 15, securing a fifth term in office and a full third decade as Russia’s paramount leader. As Kremlin chairman, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin would become the country's leader temporarily if Putin were to die or be incarcerated while in office. In 2008, Putin reached the end of his second presidential term, and stepped aside for a handpicked placeholder, Dmitry Medvedev. Some Russian political observers speculate that the real competition to succeed Putin is not likely until the 2030s, when Putin reaches his sixth term. Even the former president Medvedev, who lost the number two slot in 2020 when he stepped down in a government shakeup, may still have aspirations.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexey Navalny, Joseph Stalin, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Putin “, Joe Biden, Putin’s, …, ”, Andreas Umland, “ Putin, ” Umland, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin –, “ It’s, Umland, Mikhail Mishustin, Gleb Schelkunov, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Irina Buzhor, Leonid Brezhnev, Alexander Lukashenko, Xi Jinping, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Nazarbayev, President Kassym, Tokayev, Andrey Pertsev Organizations: CNN, Stockholm Centre, Eastern European Studies, Russian, Russian Federation, Soviet, Air Force One, United Russia, Russian Security Council, AP, Chinese Communist Party, country’s Security, Kremlin Locations: Soviet, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Belarusian, Kazakhstan

☆ The 'accidental' politicians: Meet three women risking everything to fight for democracy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

That's what one Ukrainian lawmaker said of the wife of the late Alexei Navalny, who vowed to continue her husband's political work fighting for democracy in Russia after he died in a Siberian prison last month. As the first reports of Navalny's death started to emerge, Navalnaya was in Munich at a security conference. Yulia Navalnaya (L) is applauded by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola after addressing the European Parliament on Feb. 28, 2024. "I will continue the work of Alexei Navalny. Belarusian political opposition in exile leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya clutches a folder with a portrait of her husband, jailed opposition figure Sergei Tikhanovsky, in November, 2023 Sean Gallup | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Persons: Yulia Navalnaya, Alexei Navalny, Kai Pfaffenbach, Navalnaya, Alexei, Roberta Metsola, Frederick Florin, Lisa Yasko, Cristina Quicler, Yasko, Viktor Yanukovych, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Monique Jaques, Aleksandr Lukashenko —, Vladimir Putin, Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Sergei Tikhanovsky, Sean Gallup Organizations: Munich Security, Afp, Getty, European Union, CNBC, Zoom, Corbis, Munich, Conference Locations: Munich, Germany, Russia, Ukrainian, Georgia, Kyiv, Kiev, Ukraine, Belarus, Belarusian

☆ Alexander Lukashenko: Belarus’ president to stand for re-election in 2025
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Sophie Tanno | Robbert Iddiols | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says he will run for another term in elections set to be held in 2025, a move likely to extend the long rule of a key ally of Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Lukashenko, while speaking to journalists at a polling station after voting in parliamentary and local council elections, was asked whether he planned to stand in the next contest. Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, will be confident of winning again, with votes in Belarus widely seen as neither free nor fair. The last presidential vote, in 2020, triggered riots when preliminary results showed Lukashenko had won in a landside victory. Tihkhanovskaya demanded a recount after the country’s Central Election Commission announced Lukashenko had won with 80.23% of the vote, while Tikhanovskaya stood at 9.9%.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, “, ”, BelTA, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, “ Lukashenka, Putin, –, “ Europe’s, ” Lukashenko, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin’s Wagner, Tihkhanovskaya, Tikhanovskaya Organizations: CNN, Belarusian, Belarus –, Russian, Observers, Commission Locations: Belarusian, Belarus, Ukraine, Soviet, Kyiv, Moscow

☆ Belarus Holds an Election, but the Outcome Is Not Hard to Predict
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Amid a number of high-stakes elections to be held around the world this year, the East European nation of Belarus on Sunday offered an alternative to the unpredictability of democracy: a vote for Parliament without a single candidate critical of the country’s despotic leader. For the government, the election on Sunday — the first since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which neighbors Belarus to the south — is important as an opportunity to show Moscow, its ally, that it has snuffed out all domestic opposition and survived economic and other strains imposed by the war. Russia, which has in the past had doubts about Mr. Lukashenko’s durability and reliability, launched its invasion in February 2022 in part from Belarusian territory. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, an exiled opponent of Mr. Lukashenko, said: “These so-called elections are nothing more than a circus show. It’s not even entertaining.”

Persons: Aleksandr G, Lukashenko, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Mr, It’s Organizations: East, Sunday Locations: Belarus, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia

☆ The war in Ukraine in 12 key moments
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

We’ve been taking a look at some of the most significant moments of the war so far. Putin’s announcement signaled the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has so far cost the lives of over 10,300 civilians, according to the United Nations. May 20, 2023: Russia takes control of BakhmutUkrainian army medics treat wounded soldiers at a stabilisation point near Bakhmut frontline. June 2023: Ukraine counteroffensiveUkrainian soldiers shoot rounds into Russian positions with an S60 anti-aircraft canon placed on a truck, outside Bakhmut. February 8, 2024: Ukraine military chief firedCommander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi during an event dedicated to Ukraine's Independence Day on August 24, 2023 in Kyiv.

Persons: Vladmir Putin, Putin, We’ve, ’, Volodymyr Zelensky, Pavel Klimov, ”, Marko Djurica, Russia's, Kolya Serga, Ed Ram, Sefa, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Moscow, Bakhmut, Wojciech Grzedzinski, Wagner, Prigozhin, Reuters Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russia’s Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Mike Johnson, Samuel Corum, Ukraine Valerii, Yan Dobronosov, Zelensky, Ukraine’s, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, CNN’s Jennifer Hauser, Victoria Butenko, Daria Tarasova, Andrew Carey Organizations: CNN, NATO, Reuters, Ukraine, United Nations, Presidential Press, Snake, Social Media, Anadolu Agency, Concord, Putin, Getty, Republican, Armed Forces, Moscow Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia’s, Kyiv, United States, Russian, West, Dnipro, Hroza, Kharkiv, Bucha, Moskva, Crimea, Kherson, Ukrainian, Kremlin, Belgorod, Bakhmut, NATO, Robotyne, Mariupol, Washington , DC, Avdiivka

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russian military chief visits Ukraine after gains; Belarus signals armed patrols could take to streets
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko called on law enforcement agencies on Tuesday to organise patrols with small arms on the streets of Belarusian cities to ensure the safety of people. Lukashenko said that while the crime rate in Belarus was decreasing, the country was at risk of crimes of an "extremist nature." Our patrol guys must be on the streets...Patrols must be armed with small arms, at least pistols." Lukashenko backed Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 by allowing Moscow to use its territory to launch the war and agreed last year to deploy Russian tactical nuclear weapons in his country on Russia's western border. In power since 1994, Lukashenko staged a new crackdown on dissent after stamping out unprecedented demonstrations against what his opponents say was his rigged re-election in 2020.

Persons: Lukashenko, Alexander Lukashenko, — Organizations: of Internal Affairs, KGB Locations: Belarus, Ukraine, Moscow, Ukrainian

☆ Belarus Prepares Law Against 'LGBT Propaganda', State Media Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Belarus has prepared a draft law punishing the "promotion of non-traditional relationships," referring to LGBT relationships, Belarusian state news agency Belta reported on Monday. The draft law is undergoing an approval procedure, he said. An anti-gay propaganda law has been on the books in neighbouring Russia since 2013 and has effectively outlawed any public expression of the behaviour or lifestyle of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals or transgender people. Photos You Should See View All 33 ImagesHomosexuality was decriminalised in Belarus in 1994, but the country does not recognise same-sex marriages and authorities have cracked down on LGBT pride parades. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has publicly mocked LGBT people, calling gay men "perverts" and "the ultimate abomination" in a speech to politicians last year.

Persons: Belta, Andrei Shved, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin's staunchest, Lucy Papachristou, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Reuters, LGBT Locations: Belarus, Russia

☆ Yaroslava Mahuchikh: ‘When I see Russian athletes …. I see every city destroyed,’ says Ukrainian high jumper
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Mahuchikh won her first world championship title in August, then successfully defended her Diamond League Final victory in September. That’s often a source of anxiety for Mahuchikh, especially when Russian attacks target the eastern city. This year’s Olympics, Mahuchikh believes, will enable Ukrainian athletes to promote a message of peace, though perhaps inevitably, the Games have also become entwined in geopolitics. However, international federations have the first say on whether Russian and Belarusian athletes can qualify for the Olympics. “When I see Russian athletes … I see every city destroyed, every life that was destroyed by Russian people, by the Russian Federation,” she says, adding that she would find it “difficult” to compete against athletes from Russia and Belarus.

Persons: Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Mahuchikh, “, ” Mahuchikh, –, Ben Stansall, itinerancy, ”, ‘, it’s, ’ ”, General’s, Kirby Lee, Vadim Guttsait, Greg Baker, shouldn’t, …, Emmanuel Macron, Dean Mouhtaropoulos, Guttsait, Karsten Warholm, Duplantis, Puma – Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, Diamond League, Paris Olympics, Getty, Department, USA, Reuters, Olympic Committee, International Olympic Committee, Games, Olympics, Athletics, Ukrainian, Russian Federation, IOC, Millrose, Puma Locations: Ukraine, New York, Glasgow, Budapest, AFP, Europe, Dnipro, That’s, “, ’, ’ ” Dnipro, Russia, Belarus, Xiamen, China, Paris, Belarusian, Russian, Silesia, Poland, Tokyo, Cottbus, Germany

☆ Grigory Rodchenkov: ‘The Russian flag and anthems have become symbols of murder and rape,’ says doping whistleblower
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Molly Stazicker | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Much like Mark Twain, Russian doping whistleblower Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov says that reports of his death have been greatly exaggerated. “There is no question that – if the IOC wants to have any credibility – it would ban them [Russian athletes] for 10 years, no less,” Rodchenkov said. Michel Euler/AP/FILEInternational sporting federations have the first say on whether Russian and Belarusian athletes can even attempt to qualify for the Olympics. “The only way to bring it to an end is to prosecute the organizers under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act. Lira is the first person to be charged and convicted under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act.

Persons: Mark Twain, Grigory Rodchenkov, Rodchenkov, –, Grigory Rodchenkov ”, Jim Walden, Oscar, Russia’s, Rodchenkov’s, ” Rodchenkov, That’s, ” Grigory Rodchenkov, Vladimir Putin, ”, Dmitry Peskov, Michel Euler, it’s, doesn’t, Walden, “, didn’t, ‘, “ It’s, haven’t, Matthieu Reeb, WADA, Eric Lira, Lira, who’s, Dewayne Barrett, Wright –, Barrett’s, Wright didn’t Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, Netflix, International Olympic Committee, IOC, Paris, Russian Olympic, Olympic, Athletics, BBC, Weightlifting, Doping Agency, Tokyo Games, Liberian, Tokyo Olympics Locations: Sochi, Russia, Russian, Paris, Ukraine, Belarus, Soviet, Ukrainian, Bucha, Belarusian, ’, Texas, Walden, Nigeria, Switzerland, United Kingdom

☆ The Kremlin may be retaliating against anti-war Russian celebs abroad — even trying to get countries to send them back, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

On January 25, seven members of Bi-2, a popular Russian-Belarusian rock band, were arrested in Thailand before a planned performance. The band left Russia after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has been performing for Russian expats abroad while also speaking out against the war. VPI Event, the concert organizer, said it had obtained the incorrect permit, according to The Times, but said the band members' arrest was unusual. But Dmitri Gudkov, an exiled Russian politician who knows the band, told The Times the push to send the band to Russia was a "special operation." Maksim Galkin, an anti-war Russian comedian, also said he was being targeted by Russia.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Dmitri Gudkov, Ekaterina Schulmann, Schulmann, Maksim Galkin, Galkin, wouldn't Organizations: Service, Russian, Business, Authorities, Human Rights Watch, The Times, Russian Foreign Ministry, New York Times, Times, Bloomberg, Russia's Foreign, Russia Locations: Ukraine, Thailand, Indonesia, Russian, Belarusian, Russia, Moscow, Israel, Australia, Germany, Bali

TORONTO (AP) — NHL players are returning to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade. The world's top hockey league will allow its players to participate in the Games in 2026 in Milan and in 2030 under an agreement announced Friday by the NHL, the NHL Players’ Association, International Ice Hockey Federation and the IOC. NHL players have not been at the Olympics since 2014 in Sochi. "There is a recognition of how important this is to the players," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said at a news conference during All-Star Weekend. “Extremely badly want to play in the Olympics,” McDavid said Thursday.

Persons: Gary Bettman, Luc Tardif, “, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Adam Fox, Sidney Crosby, Connor Bedard, ” McDavid, haven’t, Bettman, Tardif, Charlie McAvoy, ” McAvoy, Ralph Lauren, Marty Walsh, ” Bettman, McDavid, MacKinnon, Matthews, Eichel, hasn't, Russia —, Pavel Datsyuk, Kirill Kaprizov, It’s, Sebastian Aho, ” Organizations: TORONTO, — NHL, Olympics, Games, NHL, NHL Players ’ Association, Ice Hockey Federation, IOC, ” IIHF, Beijing, IIHF, U.S, Hockey, Team North America, Olympic, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Locations: Milan, Sochi, McDavid, South Korea, North America, Pyeongchang, Beijing, U.S, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, France, Nice, Russia, Paris

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — The leaders of Russia and Belarus met Monday to discuss ways to further expand their close alliance that has seen the deployment of some of Russia's nuclear weapons on the territory of its neighbor. President Vladimir Putin emphasized that Russia and Belarus have developed a “strategic partnership” as part of their 25-year union agreement. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesLast year, Russia moved some of its short-range nuclear weapons into Belarus, closer to Ukraine and onto NATO’s doorstep. Their declared deployment was widely seen as part of Moscow's efforts to discourage the West from increasing military support to Kyiv. Lukashenko said last month that the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons was finalized in October.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko Locations: PETERSBURG, Russia, Belarus, St . Petersburg, Belarusian, Soviet, Ukraine, Kyiv

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