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☆ First-of-its-kind saber-toothed kitten mummy find is covered in soft fur
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-23 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Woolly mammoths, giant sloths and saber-toothed cats were a fact of life for early humans. Fantastic creaturesScientists compared the mummified saber-toothed baby cat (top) with a modern lion cub (bottom). courtesy Prof. Alexey V. LopatinPaleontologists excavating in Russia’s Yakutia region uncovered the first known mummy of a saber-toothed cat. The well-preserved remains, uncovered in Siberian permafrost, are nearly intact, including surprisingly soft fur and even the “toe beans” — as cat lovers call feline footpads — on its front paws. The red supergiant star, called WOH G64, is about 160,000 light-years from Earth in the Large Magellanic Cloud, which orbits the Milky Way.

Persons: Alexey V, Homotherium latidens, Amelia Earhart’s, Earhart, ”, Tony Romeo, “, Ohnaka, Jacco van, Kelly, Zach Weinersmith, Elon, Blain, we’ve, Aviv, —, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt, Jackie Wattles Organizations: CNN, Lockheed, ESO, Keele Observatory, UK’s Keele University, Institut, la Vision, HCL, Human Cell, SpaceX, CNN Space, Science Locations: Russia’s Yakutia, Asia, Homotherium, Howland Island, Jacco van Loon, Mars, Paris, Lyon, England

☆ Sabre-toothed ‘kitten’ mummy unearthed in Siberia is first of its kind
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A mummified ice age cub from Siberia is the first known mummy of a sabre-toothed cat, and its discovery is generating ripples of excitement among paleontologists. A, B and C reveal views of the mummified Homotherium latidens specimen: A is a thumb claw; B a second digit claw; and С a plantar view. However, the mummy also showed that sabre-toothed cubs differed dramatically from modern lion cubs of a similar age, Lopatin said. Its coat was darker, and its ears were smaller than those of lion cubs; it had longer forelimbs, a larger mouth opening and a more massive neck. Its paw is also more circular than that of a lion cub; in fact, its shape more closely resembles the paw of a bear, Tseng added.

Persons: Alexey V, “, ” Lopatin, Lopatin, leo, Jack Tseng, ”, Tseng, it’s, ” Tseng, ” Mindy Weisberger, С . Organizations: CNN, Russian Academy of Sciences, University of California, Scientific Locations: Siberia, Moscow, Asia, Netherlands, Canadian Yukon, Yakutia, Russia, Yakutia’s, Berkeley

☆ Dear Santa: Please bring me a Skibidi Toilet for Christmas
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-08 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Now in Walmart aisles: a Skibidi Toilet action figure — a $45 mystery toilet bowl. For $44.95, I could be the proud owner of the Skibidi Toilet — complete with toilet-themed toys in the bowl. The Skibidi Toilet is marketed as a "mystery surprise toilet" by Bonkers Toys. AdvertisementThe original Skibidi Toilet was the creation of animator Alexey Gerasimov, who made it for his YouTube channel DaFuq! He said the Skibidi Toilet was outselling LankyBox by around double.

Persons: Bonkers, —, you've, Lindsay Dodgson, Dan Meyer, Meyer, it's, Blake Droesch, Emarketer, Alexey Gerasimov, Gerasimov, Adam Goodman, DreamWorks SKG, Goodman, Logan Paul, KSI, they've Organizations: Service, Walmart, YouTube, Bonkers, DreamWorks, Paramount Pictures Locations: San Diego, discounters, Santa

☆ The plot to topple Putin
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Paul Starobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +32 min

But it was only when Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine , in 2022, that Ammosov began to plot the overthrow of his homeland. As I found in months of wide-ranging interviews, everyone aspiring to a new Russian revolution grasps the seemingly impossible odds of their bid to topple Putin. Ponomarev — who was profiled last year in The Washington Post under the headline "Could this man bring down Putin?" Most applicants live in Russia, Sokolov tells me, but submissions have come from as far away as Uruguay. "I know a lot of good officers" in the CIA, Ponomarev told me, who "sympathize" with the anti-Putin insurgency.

Persons: Vladislav Ammosov, Ukraine —, Ammosov, wondrously, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Simona Supino, Alexey Navalny —, Ilya Ponomarev, Ponomarev —, —, Sean Guillory, Denis Sokolov, Sokolov, Galina Starovoytova, Anastasia Sergeeva, Sergeeva, Valter, Putin —, Tatiana Kosinova, Yelena Bonner, Itil, Boris Nemtsov, Nemtsov, Vladimir Lenin, specter, NurPhoto, Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Boris Akunin, Ponomarev, Trotsky, Mao, Castro, Alexei Sobchenko, Sergei Chuzavkov, Ilya Ponomarev Ponomarev, Michał Kamiński, Kosinova, Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, Nikolai Gogol's, . Barnum, Bernie, Madoff, Donald, Leonid Nevzlin, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Navalny, King George III, Khodorkovsky, Garry Kasparov, Putin's, Andrey Volna, Brian Fitzpatrick, Charlie Wilson's, Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Daniel Fried, William Burns, Fried, Biden, We're, Evgenia, it's Organizations: Putin, Ukrainian, Russian Federation, The Washington Post, University of Pittsburgh, Civic Council, Kennan, Wilson Center, GRU, Russia, BI, International Republican Institute, CIA, Kremlin, Russian, Memorial, Soviet Union, of America, Civic, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, Russian Volunteer Corps, European, Human Rights, Siberian Battalion, Ammosov, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Putin's Defense Ministry, True, Bolsheviks, of Russia Legion, People's Deputies, State Department, Justice Department, Polish Senate, Trump University, Trump, Khodorkovsky, FBI, Intelligence, Senate, Ukrainian Security Services, Bolshevik Locations: Siberia, Russia, Warsaw, Poland, Ukraine, Sakha, India, Putin Russia, Russian, Kyiv, The, restive North Caucasus, Washington, Soviet Union, Moscow, WhatsApp, Ukrainian, Soviet, Crimean, USSR, Europe, Uruguay, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, America, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Australia, Belgorod, Kursk, Kremlin, China, Cuba, True Russia, Ponomarev, Northern Virginia, Polish, ., Lviv, Yukos, London, Pennsylvania, Texas, Afghanistan, Putin Russian, Tallinn, Estonia

☆ Nearly all Chinese banks are refusing to process payments from Russia, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Fearful of the US' secondary sanctions, nearly all Chinese banks are refusing payment transfers from Russia. Russia has used smaller banks and non-US dollar currencies to bypass sanctions since the Ukraine invasion. AdvertisementThe impact of the West's sanctions just seems to be getting worse and worse for Russia. Now, 98% of Chinese banks — even small regional ones — are refusing to accept direct Chinese payment transfers from Russia, Alexey Razumovsky, the commercial director of payments company Impaya Rus, told the pro-Kremlin Izvestia media outlet. Such issues appear to have intensified over the last three weeks, because smaller Chinese financial companies were still processing Russian payments in May and June, per Izvestia.

Persons: —, Alexey Razumovsky, Impaya Rus Organizations: Service, Impaya, Kremlin, Business Locations: Russia, Ukraine

☆ Gershkovich advocates for Russian dissidents in first comments after arriving in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Aurora Almendral | Aurora Almendral Is A London-Based Editor With Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich chose to advocate for dissidents languishing in Russian prisons, in his first public comments on U.S. soil after he was freed as part of a prisoner exchange. “I just spent a month in prison in Yekaterinburg where basically everyone I was sat with is a political prisoner,” he added. Seven Russian citizens, including four who worked with the late opposition figure, Alexey Navalny, were among the the 24 people freed in Thursday’s major multinational prisoner exchange. On the dissidents he’d met behind bars Gershkovich said no one knew them publicly, but they had various political beliefs. President Joe Biden called the deal a “feat of diplomacy and friendship.” It was cut among seven nations, involving 24 people, including five Germans and seven Russian citizens held in Russia, and eight Russians imprisoned in the U.S., Germany, Slovenia, Norway and Poland.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, “, ” Gershkovich, Andrew Roth, ”, Alexey Navalny, he’d, Gershkovich, “ They’re, Paul Whelan, Joe Biden, Alsu Kurmasheva, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Biden, Whelan, ” “, ” Whelan, Putin, “ I’m Organizations: Guardian, Base Andrews, AP, Getty, Marine Locations: Russian, Maryland, Yekaterinburg, Russia, U.S, Germany, Slovenia, Norway, Poland, Turkey, United States

☆ Champagne and cheers: The Wall Street Journal fought for Evan Gershkovich’s release for 16 months. It finally paid off
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

When official word made its way to The Wall Street Journal newsroom that Evan Gershkovich had been released from Russian custody Thursday, unadulterated elation washed over the journalists who had taken part in a 16-month-long pressure campaign to seek his freedom. Meanwhile, The Journal labored behind the scenes with President Joe Biden and his administration on efforts to secure Gershkovich’s release. The Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker reacts to the news of Evan Gershkovich’s release. Chase Gaewski/The Wall Street JournalRobert Thomson, chief executive of News Corporation, which owns The Journal, offered his “sincere gratitude” to the U.S. government for its efforts. “Unfortunately, many journalists remain unjustly imprisoned in Russia and around the world.”Throughout it all, Gershkovich never lost his spirit as a journalist.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, “, ” Emma Tucker, Gershkovich, Vladimir Putin’s, Alexey Navalny, Alsu Kurmasheva, Gershkovich’s, Joe Biden, Emma Tucker, Evan Gershkovich’s, Chase Gaewski, Robert Thomson, Thomson, Rupert, Lachlan Murdoch, ”, Tucker, Biden, Evan, Almar Latour, Putin Organizations: CNN, Wall Street Journal, New York, American Radio Free, Radio Liberty, U.S, Street, News Corporation Locations: York, Russian, Yekaterinburg, Moscow, Russia, American Radio Free Europe, Gershkovich

☆ What a historic prisoner swap means for Vladimir Putin’s Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Among those headed back to Russia are convicted hackers and several Russian nationals detained in the West for spying. And the biggest prize for Russia was the return of Vadim Krasikov, a convicted hitman whose release had been publicly sought by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Anna Chapman, one of 10 Russian sleeper agents deported from the US in a 2010 prisoner swap, was also feted on her return to Russia. Britain blamed the poisoning on Russia; Russia has consistently denied involvement, although Putin referred to Skripal as a “scumbag” and a “traitor,” his contempt suggesting that Skripal had gotten his just desserts. The release of Russians in the swap means that Russia’s political climate is no less repressive.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, Vladimir Kara, John le, Vadim Krasikov, Vladimir Putin, Krasikov, Zelimkhan, Tucker Carlson, Putin, Khangoshvili, ” Krasikov, Viktor Bout, Brittney, US Department of Justice –, Bout, Anna Chapman, Chapman, ”, Sergei Skripal, Skripal, Yulia, Novichok, Frank Augstein, Alexander Litvinenko, Litvinenko, Andrei Lugovoi, Dmitri Kovtun –, Lugovoi, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Roman Abramovich, Hillary Clinton, Murza –, –, Alexandra Skochilenko Organizations: CNN, Wall Street, Russia, Berlin Police, US Department of Justice, Hollywood, St ., Economic, Russian, Kremlin, European, of Human Rights Locations: American, Ukraine, Russia, Chechen, Berlin, Russian, St, St . Petersburg, United Kingdom, English, Salisbury, Britain, England, British, Moscow, Washington, United States

☆ Who was freed in major prisoner swap between Russia and the West?
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The German court that convicted Krasikov in 2021 said he acted on behalf of the Russian state, shooting Khangoshvili “execution style” in broad daylight. Vadim Konoshchenok, 48An undated photo of Vadim Konoshchenok included in a 2022 court document. He was arrested in February 2022, according to the Polish state news agency PAP. Lilia Chanysheva, 42Lilia Chanysheva stands is seen during a hearing at the Kirovskiy District Court in Ufa, Russia, on June 14, 2023. He was sentenced to four years in a penal colony in July 2022, according to Amnesty International.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Vadim Krasikov, Vadim Krasikov Berlin Police Krasikov, Krasikov, Zelimkhan, Khangoshvili, Ramzan Kadyrov, Putin, Viktor Bout, Whelan, Brittney, Biden, Alexey Navalny, Vadim Konoshchenok, Konoshchenok, Vladislav Klyushin, Klyushin, Roman Seleznev, US Department of Justice Roman Seleznev, Seleznev, Artem Dultsev, Ludvig Gish, Anna Dultseva, Dultsev, Maria Rosa Mayer Munos, Mikhail Mikushin, Pavel Rubtsov, Pablo Gonzalez, Oihana Goiriena, Vincent West, Pablo Gonzales, Natalia Kolesnikova, Kirill Kudryavtsev, US Marine Whelan, Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, Liberty Alsu Kurmasheva, Alexey Nasyrov, Kurmasheva, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Kara, Vladimir Putin’s “, ”, Rico Krieger, Krieger, Alexander Lukashenko, Kevin Lik, Lick, Dieter, Voronin, Ivan Safronov, Roscosmos, Demuri Voronin, Safronov, Herman Moyzhes, Moyzhes, Patrick Schoebel, Schoebel, Ilya Yashin, Yuri Kochetkov, ” Alexandra Skochilenko, Alexandra Skochilenko, Anton Vaganov, Skochilenko, “, ” Oleg Orlov, Oleg Orlov, Lilia Chanysheva, Chanysheva, Ksenia Fadeeva, Maxim Shemetov, Fadeeva, Vadim Ostanin, Alexei Navalny’s, Ostanin, Andrei Pivovarov, Pivovarov Organizations: CNN, Vadim Krasikov Berlin Police, Chechen, Russian, Krasikov, US Department of Justice, US, Office, Eastern, of, Attorney's, University of Tromsø, Reuters, Court, Getty, Street, US Marine, US State Department, Radio Free, Liberty, AP, Belarusian TV, Belteleradio, Human Rights, German Red Cross, TASS, German Federal Intelligence Service, Pulkovo, Ukraine, Amnesty International Locations: American, Russia, Moscow, Berlin’s Kleiner, Russian, Georgia, Estonia, of New York, Boston, Sion , Switzerland, United States, Maldives, Slovenia, Ljubljana, Norway, Brazilian, Nabarniz, Spain, Poland, Spanish, Sverdlovsk, AFP, Irish, Radio Free Europe, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Belarusian, German, Belarus, Berlin, Germany, Europe, St . Petersburg, St, Petersburg, Meshansky, Bucha, Kyiv, Saint Petersburg, Kirovskiy, Ufa, Bashkortostan, Tomsk, Krasnodar

The Russian officials took the proposal back to Moscow. It was a remarkably swift conclusion to years of painstaking negotiations between the US and more than half a dozen countries. Key to the deal was President Biden’s ability to persuade German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to release Krasikov, the Russian prisoner most keenly sought by Putin. Officials worked quietly throughout this year to get the German government to agree to release Krasikov — including entreaties from both Biden and Harris. President Biden sent a letter to Scholz in April, and the Germans at last agreed to release Krasikov in early June.

Persons: CNN —, Vadim Krasikov, who’d, who’s, Vladimir Putin, Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Bill Burns, Gershkovich, Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Kurmasheva, Joe Biden, Biden, Kamala Harris, Serdar Ozsoy, Biden’s, Olaf Scholz, Putin, Krasikov, Brittney Griner, Burns, –, Viktor Bout, Alexey Navalny, Brendan Smialowski, Antony Blinken, James Rubin, Blinken, Annalena Baerbock, Jake Sullivan, Harris, Scholz, “ Chancellor Scholz, “, Jake, ‘, ’, Sullivan, Navalny, Paul, Evan, ”, Ronald Wittek, Kara, Robert Golob, Kurmasheva’s, Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, Carstens, Jeff Flake, ” Flake, Flake, ” Sullivan Organizations: CNN, CIA, Wall Street, White, Base Andrews, Aircraft, Ankara Esenboga Airport, US Marine, WNBA, State Department, National Security Council, Krasikov, Getty, German, National, Biden, Munich, Conference, US, Munich Security, Aspen Security, Street, Hostage Affairs Locations: Eastern, Russia, Russian, Berlin, Moscow, American, Turkey, Ankara, Chechen, Slovenia, Norway, Poland, Washington , DC, AFP, Germany, ”, Munich, Washington, Slovenian, Mordovia, “

☆ The US tried to secure Alexey Navalny's release in a historic prisoner swap with Russia before his death
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Lloyd Lee | Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Several countries, including the US, carried out a major prisoner swap with Russia on Thursday. The US wanted Alexey Navalny, Putin's most vocal political dissident, to be part of the deal. The Wall Street Journal reported that Putin was open to the idea before Navalny's death in a Russian prison. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementVladimir Putin was open to releasing Alexey Navalny, the Russian leader's fiercest critic and political rival whose unexpected death in an Arctic penal colony sparked international backlash, as part of Thursday's historic prisoner swap, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Putin, —, Vladimir Putin, Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, Vladimir Kara, Murza Organizations: Russia, Street Journal, Service, Wall Street Journal, Street, Washington Post, Business Locations: Russian, American

☆ Many supposedly 'neutral' Russian Olympic athletes have cheered on the invasion of Ukraine, rights group says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewAt least two-thirds of the Russian athletes set to participate in the Olympic Games starting next week in Paris are openly defying neutrality rules over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a human rights group claims. However, athletes from the countries can still compete as "individual neutral athletes," or AINs, if they meet certain conditions. As of July 13, 15 Russian athletes had accepted invitations to participate as AINs. Sky NewsThe person who made the post — Russian former gymnast Alexey Nemov — had added commentary railing against Kuliak's critics. AdvertisementThe IOC rules state that athletes can't be "contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies."

Persons: —, Wayne Jordash, Ukraine's, Elena Vesnina, Vesnina, Vladimir Solovyov, Alexander Safonov, Ivan Kuliak, Alexey Nemov — Organizations: Service, Olympic Games, Business, International Olympic Committee, IOC, UN, Olympic, Getty, Global, Sky, Sports Society, Dynamo, —, Central Sports Club, Army Locations: Paris, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, AIN, Anadolu, Russian, Ukrainian, Doha, Qatar, Belarusian

☆ How Emmanuel Macron blew his legacy
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Joseph Ataman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

He’s now staring at what will certainly be his real legacy: Macron opened the door to the far right in France. After a shattering defeat in May’s European Parliament election, his decision to call a snap election has, at least partially, backfired. Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech at the Louvre Museum in Paris after winning the French presidential election in May 2017. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, left, and France's Emmanuel Macron shake hands after a press conference on June 16, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. For countless communities in France - French or immigrant - the legacy of one man’s gamble, and the uncertainty that is his legacy, will exact a far higher price.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, He’s, Macron, Jacques Witt, France –, –, “, ”, Charly Triballeau, Volodymyr Zelensky, France's Emmanuel Macron, Alexey Furman, he’s, Trump, Putin –, outmanoeuvre Putin, Jordan Bardella, ” Macron, Pen Organizations: Paris CNN, May’s, Front, National Assembly, Macron, Louvre Museum, Getty, “, Putin, NATO, Ukraine, CNN, Ensemble, National Locations: France, Paris, Caen, Normandy, AFP, Europe, Ukraine, Kyiv, lockstep, “

☆ Yulia Navalnaya: Russian court orders arrest in absentia
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Radina Gigova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A court in Moscow has ordered Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of late Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny, to be arrested in absentia, her spokesperson said Tuesday. The Basmannyy District Court in Moscow accused Navalnaya of “participation in an extremist organization,” her spokesperson Kira Yarmysh said in a post on social media. She has also been added to an international wanted list, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. He returned to Russia in 2021 from Germany, where he had been treated after being poisoned with Novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent. Reacting to the court’s decision on Tuesday, Navalnaya reiterated claims of Putin’s involvement in the death of her husband.

Persons: CNN —, Yulia Navalnaya, Alexey Navalny, Navalnaya, ”, Kira Yarmysh, Navalny, Putin, ’, –, Vladimir Putin, ” Yulia Navalnaya, Instagram Navalnaya, Putin “, “, Alexey, ” CNN’s Nathan Hodge, Sahar Akbarzai, Jack Guy Organizations: CNN, RIA Novosti, Kremlin Locations: Moscow, Basmannyy, Siberia, Russia, Germany, Soviet, Russian, The Hague

☆ Incumbents pay the price in year of global elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

And elections in Taiwan and South Korea proved the dynamism of the idea that free elections can promote stable governance. The two round French election system once again kept the far-right out of power on Sunday but Macron’s gamble didn’t exactly pay off. An era of political turmoil now looms with a hung parliament, a likely shaky coalition and instability ahead of the next presidential election in 2027. Kevin Coombs/ReutersIndonesiaPrabowo Subianto, a former army general, won the presidential election in the world’s fourth most populous nation, which is home to its largest Muslim population. IranIran wasn’t supposed to have a presidential election this year.

Persons: El, they’ve, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, Trump —, Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Le, Macron, Keir Starmer, Kevin Coombs, Suharto, Narendra Modi, Adnan Abidi, Imran Khan, Nawaz, Asif Ali Zardari, Benazir Bhutto, Sheikh Hasina, Vladimir Putin, Alexey Navalny, Putin, El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, ”, Bukele, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, ObturadorMX, Claudia Sheinbaum, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Sheinbaum, Lai Ching, Yoon Suk Yeol, André Ventura, Peter Pellegrini, Robert Fico, Fico, Nelson Mandela —, —, Macky Sall, Sall, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Ebrahim Raisi, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Masoud Pezeshkian, ultraconservative Saeed Jalili, Pezeshkian Organizations: CNN, European Union, United States –, France, European People’s Party, Popular Front, Britain Voters, Conservative, Labour Party, Reuters, Reuters Indonesia Prabowo, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Pakistan Muslim League, Pakistan People’s Party, Bangladeshi, Kremlin, El, El Salvador Strongman, El Salvador —, Getty, Democratic Progressive Party, Portugal Incumbents, Democratic Alliance coalition, Putin, Russian, South Africa Voters, National Congress, ANC, Democratic Alliance Locations: France, Britain, Iran, El Salvador, Slovakia, Russia, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, United States, India, Senegal, Taiwan, South Korea, Germany, London, Reuters Indonesia, Subianto, New Delhi, Reuters Pakistan, Pakistan, —, Bangladesh, South Asia, America, China, Beijing, Portugal, Ukraine, Europe, Senegal Senegal, Africa, Sall, Iran Iran, Islamic Republic

☆ Putin’s daughters make rare appearance at St. Petersburg economic forum
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-08 | by ( Radina Gigova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin rarely make public appearances, but this week they took part in panels at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Putin has said his daughters work in science and education and that he has grandchildren, but he has never confirmed their names. Katerina Tikhonova, Putin's daughter and the head of Innopraktika development initiative, virtually attended the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Thursday. Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty ImagesBoth of them have attended the annual St. Petersburg forum in the past, but only the younger daughter, Tikhonova, has been a speaker, according to the Russian independent outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe. Tikhonova, who is a tech executive, made a video appearance on Thursday at a forum about ensuring the “technological sovereignty” of the military-industrial complex.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Maria Vorontsova, Katerina Tikhonova, Lyudmila, Putin, Olga Maltseva, Tikhonova, Vladimir Soloviev, Alexey Navalny, Vorontsova, Kirill Shamalov Organizations: CNN, St ., Economic, Saint Petersburg, Getty, Novaya Gazeta Europe, National Intellectual Development Foundation, US, Russian Association for, Science, Analysts Locations: St, St . Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia, AFP, Petersburg, Russian, Ukraine, Dutch, Netherlands, Biarritz, France

☆ With shake-up at defense ministry, ‘Putin’s chef’ gets his wish from beyond the grave
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Sebastian Shukla | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Berlin CNN —Removing a long-time defense minister from his post is nothing out of the ordinary. Arresting five of his senior staff, however, is clearly more than just a search for fresh blood — especially in Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Analysts who spoke to CNN described the defense ministry as one of the most corrupt in the country. Putin was likely awaiting his reelection by the Russian people in March before making moving in on the defense ministry. The defense ministry is central to how that war ends.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, ”, Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Prigozhin, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Kazakov, Stanovaya, Andrey Belousov, – Shamarin, Ivanov Mikhail Komin, Vadim Shamarin, General Vadim Shamarin, Reuters Shamarin, Ria Novosti, Timur Ivanov, Ivanov, Alexey Navalny, —, Turar Kazangapov, Oleg Savelyev, ” Komin, Prigozhin’s, Gerasimov, ” Stanovaya, Komin, “ it’s Organizations: Berlin CNN, CNN, West ., Reuters, Sputnik, Kremlin, Getty, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Putin, European Council of Foreign Affairs, Main, Russian Armed Forces, “, Russian Defence Ministry . Russian Defence Ministry, Ria, Benz, Corruption Foundation, Russian, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Staff, Armed Forces Locations: Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Ukraine, Russia, Kharkiv, Donbas, Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Russian, AFP, Vienna, Courchevel, France, Astana, Kazakhstan

Vladimir Pereverzin was imprisoned for seven years in some of Russia's most notorious jails and penal colonies on fabricated charges of embezzlement and fraud. Pereverzin tells Business Insider about life in Russian jails and prisons, including details about police interrogations, solitary confinement, and forced labor. He describes the conditions in prison camps and discusses his time behind bars at several of the penal colonies that also held the Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.

Persons: Vladimir Pereverzin, Alexey Navalny Organizations: Business Locations: Russian

☆ Missed the dazzling northern lights show? You might get another chance Saturday night
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Ramon Sanchez | Ray Sanchez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images The northern lights shine in the night sky above the Molenviergang in Aarlanderveen, the Netherlands, early May 11. Alexey Malgavko/Reuters The northern lights are seen in a rural area west of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Friday, May 10. Courtesy Luke Culver People photograph the northern lights from Whitley Bay, England, on May 10. Courtesy Jan Reed The northern lights glow in the night sky in Brandenburg, Germany, on May 10. Increased solar activity causes auroras that dance around Earth’s poles, known as the northern lights, or aurora borealis, and southern lights, or aurora australis.

Persons: Chad Myers, it’ll, Alastair Johnstone, Andrew Chin, Sanka Vidanagama, Carlos Avila Gonzalez, Josh Walet, Robert Nemeti, Jean, Christophe Bott, Max Slovencik, Alexey Malgavko, Luke Culver, Ian Forsyth, Robert F, Geoff Robins, Rich, Jan Reed, Patrick Pleul, Jenny Kane, Adam Vaughan, Jacob Anderson, Peter Byrne, Biden, it’s, Dr, Hakeem Oluseyi, Bill Nye, Guy, ”, “ Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Prediction, Midwest, Getty, San Francisco Chronicle, Keystone, AFP, Luke Culver People, Rockies, National Weather Service Locations: Alabama, Ohio, Pacific Northwest, North America, Gulf, ”, Sheffield, England, Manning, British Columbia, Christchurch , New Zealand, AFP, Berryessa , California, Aarlanderveen, Netherlands, Debrad, Slovakia, Anadolu, Le, Dessous, Switzerland, Vienna, Siberian, Tara, Russia's Omsk, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Whitley Bay, Brunswick , Maine, London , Ontario, Ontario, Tennessee, Washington, Memphis , Tennessee, Rich Hill , Missouri, Brandenburg, Germany, Estacada , Oregon, Cumming , Georgia, Crosby , England, Edinburgh, Scotland, Crosby Beach, Liverpool, Texas, Coast, Sweden, South Africa, United States

☆ Russia’s Victory Day parade masks simmering tensions inside Putin’s government and beyond
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin presided over a pared-back Victory Day parade Thursday, showcasing his country’s unity and resolve to continue the war on Ukraine. But since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the massive military parade has been somewhat downsized. “The fate of the motherland, its future depends on each of us … We celebrate Victory Day in the context of the special military operation. All of Russia is with you!”But this year’s Victory Day is also happening against the background of a bribery scandal roiling Russia’s Ministry of Defense. Under Putin, Victory Day has assumed greater importance in national life.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Putin —, “, ”, Timur Ivanov, Mikhail Klimentyev, Alexander Nemenov, Ivanov, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu’s protégé, —, Alexey Navalny, Stanislav Krasilnikov, Maria Pevchikh, that’s Organizations: CNN, Nazi, “, Ministry of Defense, Defence, Sputnik, Getty, Financial, Corruption Foundation, AP, ACF, Prestige, — Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Nazi Germany, Russian, It’s, AFP, Mariupol, Putin’s Russia, Sochi, Moscow

☆ A Ukrainian tank crew says the Abrams is still being used on the front lines, but isn't finding 'tank-on-tank' battles where it has the edge
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Ukrainian tank crew told state media they're still using the Abrams tank on the front lines. A Ukrainian Abrams commander told Army TV that the tanks weren't withdrawn but are used situationally. AdvertisementA Ukrainian tank crew says the US-supplied Abrams is still viable on the front lines, but the tank-on-tank battles where it excels have been few and far between. Advertisement"WHERE IS UKRAINIAN ABRAMS: how the legendary American tank fights at the front," its title reads. At least five Abrams tanks have been reported lost in combat, with another three damaged.

Persons: Abrams, Ukrainian Abrams, —, Kyiv hadn't, Dmytro, Alexey, Biden Organizations: Pentagon, Abrams, Army, Service, Associated Press, Kyiv, Mechanized Brigade, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, YouTube, ABRAMS, Business Insider, Russian, AP, Russia, Congress Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine, Hill

☆ A Ukrainian tank crew said the Abrams tank is as easy to drive as a scooter and that they learned how to operate its weapons in 1 week
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewA Ukrainian tank gunner and driver were filmed heaping praise on US-supplied Abrams tanks in a state-backed media report, boasting that they've been easy to learn to operate. "There's nothing so complicated here," he told Army TV. Alexey and Koka's commander, Dmytro, told Army TV that the Abrams' armor was effective against Russian anti-tank missiles like the Kornet. AdvertisementUkraine was promised 31 Abrams tanks by the US in January 2023, with the first batch arriving in September after crews trained for months in Germany to operate them. In late April, the Russian military displayed an abandoned Abrams M1A1 at an exhibition called the "Trophies of the Russian Army," which showcased NATO equipment seized during the war.

Persons: —, Abrams, Koka, Alexey, Yevhen Nazarenko, Dmytro, Zeus Organizations: Service, Mechanized Brigade, Army TV, Business, Abrams, Army, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, Pentagon, Associated Press, Business Insider, Russian, Capitol Hill, Republican, New York Times, Russian Army, NATO Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine, Germany, Soviet

CNN —Vladimir Putin has formally begun his fifth term as Russia’s president in a carefully choreographed inauguration ceremony, in a country he has shaped in his image after first taking office nearly a quarter of a century ago. Putin won Russia’s stage-managed election by an overwhelming majority in March, securing for himself another six-year term that could see him rule until at least his 77th birthday. Attendees wait in the Kremlin as Putin arrives for his inauguration ceremony. Putin waves during his inauguration ceremony. To ensure it has enough drones and missiles to bombard Ukraine, Russia has also entered into deeper partnerships with Iran and North Korea.

Persons: CNN — Vladimir Putin, Putin, – Putin, “, Matthew Miller, Putin’s, Maxim Shemetov, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, ”, ” Putin Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, US State Department, Reuters, US Embassy, Presidential Locations: Russia, Ukraine, United States, Kremlin, Moscow, Russian, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Iran, North Korea

☆ Putin orders tactical nuclear weapon drills to deter the West
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Russia's defense ministry said it would hold military drills including practice for the preparation and deployment for use of non-strategic nuclear weapons. "During the exercise, a set of measures will be carried out to practice the issues of preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons," the ministry said. Russia and the United States are by far the world's biggest nuclear powers, holding more than 10,600 of the world's 12,100 nuclear warheads. No power has used nuclear weapons in war since the United States unleashed the first atomic bomb attacks on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Major nuclear powers routinely check their nuclear weapons but very rarely publicly link such exercises to specific perceived threats in the way that Russia has.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexey Danichev, Natalia Kolesnikova, Joe Biden, Andriy Yusov, Sergei Shoigu, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ludovic Marin, David Cameron, Dmitry Peskov, Putin, Abrams, Sean Gallup Organizations: Federal Assembly's Council, Reuters, Missile, Southern Military District, Military, Victory Day, Afp, Getty, Russian Federation, Federation of American Scientists, CNN, Ukraine, Kremlin, U.S . Senate, AFP, British, NATO, U.S . Army, British Amphibious Engineer Battalion Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Reuters Russia, Moscow, France, Britain, United States, Ukraine, U.S, China, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Russian, Paris, London, Soviet Union, Gniew, Poland

☆ US says Russia used choking agents against Ukrainian troops, breaching chemical weapons ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident, and is probably driven by Russian forces’ desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield,” it said. Russia has previously denied using chemical weapons. The US has previously warned Russia against chemical warfare in Ukraine; in March 2022, a month after the invasion began, President Joe Biden said that NATO would respond if Russia used chemical weapons in Ukraine. The use of chemical weapons is banned by international law. Russia has signed those treaties and claims it doesn’t have chemical weapons, but the country has already been linked to the use of nerve agents against critics in recent years.

Persons: Ukraine’s, Chloropicrin, Joe Biden, Mallory Stewart, Sergei Skripal, Alexey Navalny –, Vladimir Putin, Navalny Organizations: CNN, US State Department, Ukrainian, Chemical Weapons Convention, CWC, Russian Embassy, CDC, State Department, United, United Arab Emirates, US, NATO Locations: United States, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Netherlands, China, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Slovakia, Turkey, United Arab, Moscow, Ukrainian, Siberia

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