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☆ Swimming sets 'strict' rules for individual Russians to return to competition before Paris Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Gold medallist Russia's Evgeny Rylov poses on the podium after the final of the men's 200m backstroke swimming event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 30, 2021. Individual Russian swimmers will be allowed to compete in international events, including the Paris Olympics, if they meet a set of "strict criteria" that include not talking to the media, the sport's governing body said Monday. The World Aquatics governing body published its criteria Monday for Russian and Belarusian athletes, coaches and officials to return to competition as neutrals after being banned because of their countries' war in Ukraine. World Aquatics said only one Russian and Belarusian athlete will be allowed to enter in each swimming and diving event. They cannot take part in any relays, artistic swimming, synchronized diving, or water polo.

Persons: Russia's Evgeny Rylov Organizations: Paris Olympics, Aquatics, Belarus — Locations: Tokyo, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Paris, Belarusian

☆ Harrowing migrant drama puts spotlight on Europe border cruelty
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] The 80th Venice Film Festival - Premiere for the film "Zielona Granica" (Green Border) in competition - Red Carpet - Venice, Italy, September 5, 2023. "Green Border", which premieres at the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday, tells the story of refugees, charity workers, activists and border guards, whose lives intersect in the cold, swampy forests between the two east European countries. Migrants started flocking to the border in 2021, after Belarus, a close Russian ally, opened travel agencies in the Middle East offering a new unofficial route into Europe - a move the European Union said was designed to create a crisis. "If we go further on this road ... the European Union, Europe, the continent of freedom, democracy (and) human rights will disappear. "Green Border" is one of 23 movies competing for the Golden Lion award at the Venice festival, which runs until Sept. 9.

Persons: Jalal Altawil, Dalia Naous, Mohamad Al Rashi, Maja Ostaszewska, Agnieszka Holland, Behi Djanati Atai, Tomasz Wlosok, Marcin Wierzchoslawski, Fred, Holland, Crispian Balmer, Nick Macfie Organizations: Migrants, European Union, Nazi Holocaust, Golden, Thomson Locations: Venice, Italy, VENICE, Polish, Belarus, Russian, Europe, Poland, Syria, Afghanistan, Holland, East, Africa, Ukraine

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:Aug. 31The Washington Post on sexism in the U.S. militaryNearly eight years ago, the United States opened up all military combat roles to women, clearing a pathway for female service members to join the most elite military forces. Women at multiple military bases reported that other soldiers would bang on their doors in the middle of the night. Even a program that once represented the highest ideals of the United States — its compassion, its expertise and its resources — is becoming a casualty of the country’s most destructive and divisive forces. Lack of adequate cooling during hot summers has plagued Southern states for decades, but climate change has now made it a problem in Northern states as well — Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, Indiana. Ukraine received the first batch of uranium munitions from the United Kingdom in March to use in its UK-made Challenger 2 tanks.

Persons: Soldiers, “, ”, George W, Bush, Anthony Fauci, Mark Dybul, PEPFAR, Henry Hyde, Dave Weldon, H.I.V, Hyde, Weldon, Biden, MAGA, Biden’s, Mr, Chris Smith of, Smith, Roe, Wade, Tommy Tuberville, Susan B, Anthony Pro, ” Nyserda, Don’t, Louisianans, it’s, commissaries, Joe Arpaio, let’s, perceptibly Organizations: Washington, Green, Ranger Regiment, Green Berets, Army Rangers, Special Operations, Army Special Operations Command, Special Forces, Army, Command, New York Times, Democrats, Republicans, Catholic Church, Republican Party, AIDS Relief, Republican, Heritage Foundation, Biden, Mr, PEPFAR, America, Family Research, United, New York State Energy Research, Development Authority, Alliance, Clean Energy, Alliance for Clean Energy, Developers, Micron Technology, Los Angeles Times, Staff, Prisons, US State Department, US Locations: United States, U.S, Afghanistan, Africa, Illinois, Florida, Chris Smith of New Jersey, Alabama, New York, Ukraine, California , Connecticut, Hawaii , Indiana , Maine , Maryland , Massachusetts, Michigan , New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Louisiana, Angola, Texas, Southern, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota , Indiana, Maricopa County, Ariz, Los Angeles, California, Corcoran, Tulare Lake, China, Russia, United Kingdom, Moscow, Belarus, Washington, Europe, Asia, Brazil, Indonesia

☆ Russian and Belarusian athletes given green light to compete as neutrals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sept 4 (Reuters) - Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete as neutrals in World Aquatics events, the sport's governing body said on Monday. Competitors from both countries were banned from international tournaments following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which Moscow describes as a "special military operation". "The World Aquatics Bureau recognise the dedication, commitment, and talent of athletes, regardless of their nationality," World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam said in a statement. Criteria for the allowance of Russian and Belarusian competitors were established by a specific task force set up by the sports body in April, in line with the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee. Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico CityOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Husain Al Musallam, Angelica Medina Organizations: Integrity Unit, Aquatics, International Olympic Committee, Thomson Locations: Belarusian, Ukraine, Moscow, Belarus, Mexico City

☆ US Open: Defending champion Iga Świątek stunned by Jelena Ostapenko
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

1 Iga Świątek on Sunday, eliminating the defending US Open champion in the round of 16 at Flushing Meadows. Ostapenko, the 20th seed in New York, struck 31 winners en route to her victory, ending Świątek’s 75-week run as world No. Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka is set to take over top spot for the first time after the US Open. “I think the main thing is she doesn’t really like to play big hitters,” Ostapenko told reporters after her win. I’m on the right track,” Wozniacki, the 2018 Australian Open champion, said.

Persons: Ostapenko, ” Ostapenko, “, ”, Elsa, “ I’m, ” Świątek, ” Coco Gauff, New York Ostapenko, Coco Gauff, Caroline Wozniacki, Gauff, Dane, Wozniacki’s, Petra Kvitová, ” Wozniacki Organizations: CNN, Latvian, US Locations: Flushing Meadows, New York, Belarus, Cincinnati

☆ Sabalenka looks to march on at US Open with top ranking in the bag
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Swiatek fell 3-6 6-3 6-1 to former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and Sabalenka - who has a 20-2 record at the majors this year - will aim to push on after accomplishing another of her main objectives for the season. "Reaching the WTA world number one singles ranking is something I've dreamed of ever since I was a little girl when I started playing tennis," Sabalenka, 25, said. "I'm feeling really well on court, really comfortable. I always say that I can be better, but right now I'm really happy with the level that I'm playing." Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: France's Clara Burel REUTERS, Shannon Stapleton, Daria Kasatkina, Swiatek, Jelena Ostapenko, I've, Arthur Ashe, Carlos Alcaraz, Matteo Arnaldi, Alcaraz, Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Alexander Zverev, Louis Armstrong, Peyton Stearns, Marketa Vondrousova, Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev, Briton Jack Draper, Alex de Minaur, Zheng Qinwen, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Ken Ferris Organizations: Aryna, U.S, Madison, Louis, Wimbledon, Briton, Tunisian, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Belarus, Belarusian, York, Flushing Meadows, Bengaluru

☆ Europe’s Boars Still Hold Radioactivity. What Surprised Scientists Is Why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Christopher F. Schuetze | More About Christopher F. Schuetze | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The peer-reviewed study, published this past week in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, found in the boars high levels of radiation that the researchers believe come from nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere carried out long before the Chernobyl meltdown. It also answers a question that has stumped researchers and hunters: Why is the radiation in the wild boar population relatively high, when most other wildlife are uncontaminated, many generations after the accident? (Spoiler: It’s because they eat deer truffles.) The findings were so unexpected that when Georg Steinhauser, the paper’s lead researcher, and a colleague first saw the results, they thought there had been a mistake. “That can’t be right — that’s not possible,” Professor Steinhauser recalled his colleague exclaiming.

Persons: Georg Steinhauser, Steinhauser, Martin Steiner Organizations: Science & Technology, German Federal Office for Radiation Locations: Central Europe, Ukraine, Bavaria, Germany, Belarus, Russia

CNN —The Nobel Foundation has U-turned on a controversial decision to invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to the Nobel Prize award ceremony after facing widespread criticism. Ukraine had condemned the decision to invite the Russian and Belarusian ambassadors, who had been left out of Stockholm’s Nobel Prize awards ceremony last year because of the war in Ukraine. We, therefore, choose to repeat last year’s exception to regular practice – that is, to not invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm,” the foundation said. The Nobel Banquet takes place annually in Stockholm on December 10, where five out of six Nobel Prizes are awarded. Athletes from Russia and Belarus have also been banned from competing in numerous sporting events, and diplomats are regularly excluded from summits.

Persons: ”, “ Organizations: CNN, Nobel Foundation Locations: Russia, Belarus, Iran, Ukraine, Sweden, Stockholm, Oslo, Norway, Moscow, Minsk

☆ Nobel Prize foundation bars Russia from awards ceremony after 'strong reactions'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Nobel Foundation on Saturday retracted its invitation to Russia, citing "strong reactions." Russia's ambassador to Sweden will no longer attend the Nobel Prize awards ceremony in Stockholm. Russian diplomats will still be invited to the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony in Oslo, Norway. The invitations prompted some Swedish politicians to announce they would boycott this year's awards ceremony. However, "As before," diplomats from Russia, Iran, and Belarus will still be invited to attend a separate, parallel ceremony for the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway.

Persons: Stenevi, Vidar Helgesen, Ales Bialiatski, Dmitry Muratov, Muratov Organizations: Service, Foundation, Nobel Foundation, Associated Press, Ukraine, The Washington Post, Kremlin, Russian, Novaya Gazeta Locations: Russia, Sweden, Stockholm, Russian, Oslo, Norway, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Belarus, Iran, Trump, Moscow

☆ Nobel Foundation cancels Russia, Belarus, Iran invites to annual prize awards
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

STOCKHOLM, Sept 2 (Reuters) - The Nobel Foundation said on Saturday it would not after all invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to attend the Nobel Prize awards ceremony in Stockholm this year, reversing an earlier decision after widespread criticism. Last year, the foundation left out the ambassadors of Russia and its ally Belarus because of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The foundation said on Thursday it would invite them, and Iran's ambassador, to this year's prize award ceremonies in December, commenting that it sought to include even those who did not share the values of the Nobel Prize. "We, therefore, choose to repeat last year's exception to regular practice – that is, to not invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm." The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo where separate festivities are held.

Persons: Simon Johnson, Frances Kerry Organizations: Nobel, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Russia, Belarus, Iran, Stockholm, Ukraine, Sweden, Oslo

☆ US Open order of play on Saturday
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 31, 2023 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in action during his second round match against South Africa's Lloyd Harris REUTERS/Mike Segar Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Order of play on the main show courts on the sixth day of the U.S. Open on Saturday (play starts 1500 GMT/11 AM ET unless stated, prefix number denotes seeding):ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM (1600 GMT/12 PM ET)1-Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) v 26-Dan Evans (Britain)26-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) v 3-Jessica Pegula (U.S.)5-Ons Jabeur (Tunisia) v 31-Marie Bouzkova (Czech Republic)3-Daniil Medvedev (Russia) v Sebastian Baez (Argentina)LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUMClara Burel (France) v 2-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus)14-Liudmila Samsonova (Russia) v 17-Madison Keys (U.S.)Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) v 6-Jannik Sinner (Italy)12-Alexander Zverev (Germany) v 19-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria)22-Ekaterina Alexandrova (Russia) v 9-Marketa Vondrousova (Czech Republic)Compiled by Anita Kobylinska in GdanskOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, South Africa's Lloyd Harris, Mike Segar, ARTHUR ASHE, Carlos Alcaraz, Dan Evans, Elina Svitolina, Jessica Pegula, Marie Bouzkova, Daniil Medvedev, Sebastian Baez, LOUIS ARMSTRONG, Clara Burel, Liudmila Samsonova, Stan Wawrinka, Alexander Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Anita Kobylinska Organizations: South, South Africa's Lloyd Harris REUTERS, U.S, Madison Keys, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Spain, Britain, Ukraine, Tunisia, Czech Republic, Russia, Argentina, France, Belarus, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Bulgaria, Gdansk

CNN —Ambassadors from Russia and Belarus have been invited back to the Nobel Prize banquet after being excluded last year because of the invasion of Ukraine, the Nobel Foundation said. The foundation said it wanted to involve even those who do not share the values of the Nobel Prize. The Nobel Foundation would like to reach out with this message to everyone,” it said in a statement. The Nobel Foundation also reversed its longstanding policy of excluding the leader of the Sweden Democrats, a far-right party which forms a part of the country’s coalition government. The Nobel Banquet takes place annually in Stockholm on December 10, where five out of six Nobel Prizes are awarded.

Persons: ”, Vidar Helgesen, “, ” Helgesen, Nobel, Karin Karlsbro, Karlsbro, Putin, Jimmie Akesson Organizations: CNN, Nobel Foundation, Swedish Liberal, Swedish, Nobel, Sweden Democrats, Facebook Locations: Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Iran, Swedish, Stockholm, Moscow, Minsk, Ukrainian, Europe, Sweden, Oslo, Norway

☆ Newly surfaced video of Wagner boss Prigozhin shows him joking about his own death days before his fatal plane crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A new video has surfaced of Yevgeny Prigozhin, where he claims to be in Africa in mid-August. In it, the Wagner Group leader says he's doing "fine" amid speculation over his wellbeing. The footage appears to be from just days before Prigozhin died in a plash crash near Moscow. Prigozhin's reference to a weekend in the second half of August indicates that the newly surfaced video was likely filmed around August 19 or 20, just days before he died in a plane crash. After initial reports of the plane crash surfaced, US officials said it wasn't surprising.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, he's, Prigozhin, Wagner, Anton Gerashchenko, Dmitry Utkin, Valery Chekalov, Vladimir Putin, Moscow —, Putin, Bill Burns, Joe Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre Organizations: Group, Service, Wagner Group, Wagner, Telegram, REUTERS, Pentagon, Ostorozhno, CIA, House Press Locations: Africa, Moscow, Wall, Silicon, Russia, St . Petersburg, Belarus, Kuzhenkino, Tver region, Ostorozhno Novosti

CNN —A Russian official claimed Thursday that a Ukrainian sabotage operation had been foiled in Bryansk, southwestern Russia, with several Ukrainians killed or captured. Alexander Bogomaz, governor of the Bryansk region that borders both Ukraine and Belarus, said on his Telegram channel that two of the group had died and five were detained in the Navlinsky district on Wednesday. Bryansk neighbors northern Ukraine and eastern Belarus, Moscow’s close ally that helped facilitate Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. This marks the second alleged sabotage attempt by Ukraine in the region this month. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed on August 16 that it had stopped an attempt by a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group to enter Bryansk.

Persons: Alexander Bogomaz, “, ” Bogomaz, Moscow’s, ” Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian Security Service, Main Intelligence Directorate, NATO, TASS, Russian National Guard, RIA Novosti, Federal Security Service, Ministry of Defense, Russian Federation Locations: Ukrainian, Bryansk, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Navlinsky, Russian

☆ See inside President Vladimir Putin's opulent $100 million superyacht
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin spent $32 million refitting a superyacht, a new report suggests. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhile his troops flooded into Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin was spending millions of dollars on an opulent refit of one of his superyachts, according to an investigation from opposition leader Alexei Navalny's team. Advertisement Advertisement Watch: Inside Putin's secret bunker and billion-dollar palaceThe total cost of the works came to $32 million, according to the investigation. AdvertisementAdvertisement"OFAC is identifying Russia-flagged Graceful and Cayman Islands-flagged Olympia, as blocked property in which President Vladimir Putin has an interest," the US Treasury website said in a June 2022 press release. The Russian president is reportedly also the owner of the 450-foot, $700 million Scheherazade, one of the largest yachts in the world.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexei Navalny's, Pyotr Stolypin, Putin, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Russian oligarch, Roman Abramovich Organizations: Morning, Russian, Blohm, Russian Federation, US Department of, Foreign, Control, US Treasury, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Saint Petersburg, Hamburg, Germany, Voss, Kaliningrad, Russia, Islands, Belarus, Cayman Islands, Olympia

☆ Fact Check-Travel alert for US citizens to depart Belarus active since February 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A travel advisory to U.S citizens in Belarus to leave the country was first issued in February 2022, at the time of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and has remained active, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said. A travel advisory also published in February 2022 by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs placed Belarus in the “Do Not Travel” advisory category. U.S. citizens in Belarus should depart immediately via commercial or private means” (here). A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Reuters via email: “The Department has advised U.S. citizens to depart Belarus since February 2022.”VERDICTFalse. The U.S did not issue a first alert for its citizens to depart Belarus in August 2023.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Read Organizations: U.S . State Department, Facebook, U.S, Embassy, U.S . Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs, Reuters Locations: Belarus, Ukraine, U.S, Minsk, COVID, Lithuania, Lithuanian, Latvian

☆ Wagner Group may be absorbed by the Russian Defense Ministry, which Prigozhin rallied against before his death. The mercenary group's current arrangement could 'disappear rather soon,' former GRU capt
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The fate of the Wagner Group is in the hands of Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin. The New York Times reported the Russian Defense Ministry was considering absorbing the group. AdvertisementAdvertisement"The Wagner Group will disappear rather soon," Boris Volodarsky, a former captain in Russia's Spetsnaz GRU special forces and a fellow with the Royal Historical Society in London, told Insider. As tensions mounted between Wagner and Putin this summer, the Kremlin mandated that Wagner recruits sign contracts with the Russian army — which Prigozhin resisted. In his tirade, Prigozhin said the ministry "must be stopped" and the people responsible for the death of Wagner fighters must be punished.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Wagner, Boris Volodarsky, Russia's, Putin, Dmitry Utkin, Valery Chekalov, Volodarsky, —, Alexander Lukashenko Organizations: Wagner, Kremlin, The New York Times, Russian Defense Ministry, Service, Wagner Group, New York Times, Institute for, Royal Historical Society, Defense Ministry, Times, Central African, Associated Press, Russia's Defense Ministry, Belarusian Locations: Wall, Silicon, East, Africa, Russian, London, Tver, Moscow, Belarus, Bakhmut, Ukraine, Mali, Russia, Rostov

☆ Paris 2024 eyes sell-out crowds to beat London record - IPC
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"The ambition is to sell each and every ticket, 2.8 million, and then this will make Paris the number one in terms of ticket sales. London 2012 was 2.7 million," Parsons told Reuters in an interview exactly one year before the Games begin. "We want these Games to sell out even before the opening ceremony. So what we want is that we sell every ticket before the start of the Games," he said. "There will also be a higher quality of athletes," Parsons said.

Persons: Andrew Parsons, Parsons, Roland Garros, Karolos Grohmann, Ed Osmond Organizations: International Paralympic, London, Reuters, Games, Eiffel, IPC, International Olympic, Paris, IOC, Thomson Locations: London, Paris, Tokyo, Beijing, Russian, Belarusian, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Bahrain

☆ Poland, Baltics will shut Belarus border if 'critical incident' occurs -minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WARSAW, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Poland and the Baltic states will close their borders with Belarus entirely if a "critical incident" involving Wagner mercenaries takes place, the Polish interior minister said on Monday, amid rising tensions on NATO's eastern flank. EU and NATO members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, which share a border with Belarus, have been increasingly concerned about border security since hundreds of Russian battle-hardened Wagner mercenaries arrived in Belarus at the invitation of President Alexander Lukashenko. "If there is a critical incident, regardless of whether it is at the Polish or Lithuanian border, we will retaliate immediately. Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite told media that there were two criteria that could lead to a border closure. Poland has closed all but one border crossing point with Belarus this year following the imprisonment of a journalist of Polish origin and expulsions of Polish diplomats.

Persons: Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Mariusz Kaminski, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Agne Bilotaite, Bilotaite, Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz, Marek Strzelecki, Andrius, Conor Humphries, Nick Macfie Organizations: WARSAW, EU, NATO, Wagner Group, Lithuanian, Thomson Locations: Poland, Baltic, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Minsk, Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Belarusian, Russia, Europe, East, Africa, Warsaw, Andrius Sytas, Vilnius

☆ Pope Francis draws criticism for extolling Russian imperialist tsars
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Pope Francis holds the weekly general audience, in Paul VI hall at the Vatican, August 9, 2023. You are heirs of the great Russia - the great Russia of the saints, of kings, the great Russia of Peter the Great, of Catherine II, the great Russian empire, cultured, so much culture, so much humanity. An editorial on Italy's Il Sismografo website, which specialises in Catholic affairs, called the pope's words "odd" at a delicate moment in history. Pope Francis is a Jesuit. The comment prompted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to summon the Vatican's ambassador in Kyiv to protest, saying the pope's words were "unfair" and had "broken Ukraine's heart".

Persons: Pope Francis, Paul VI, Peter the Great, Vladimir Putin, Francis, Catherine II, Russia, Oleg Nikolenko, Nikolenko, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Italy's, Catherine, Catherine the Great, Pope Clement XIV, Last, Putin, Tsar Peter the Great, propounding, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Nexta, Darya, Dmytro Kuleba, Ron Popeski, Tomasz Janowski, Alex Richardson Organizations: Vatican, Handout, REUTERS, CITY, Kremlin, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Facebook, Rite Catholic Church, Ukrainian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, St . Petersburg, Russia, Crimea, Russian, Estonian, Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Moscow, Kyiv

CNN —Russian investigators have confirmed that Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was among the 10 people killed when their plane crashed Wednesday, after carrying out genetic tests. “As part of the investigation of the plane crash in the Tver region, molecular genetic examinations have been completed,” a statement published on the Russia’s Investigative Committee’s Telegram channel read. The Wagner warlord was on the plane which crashed Wednesday, Russian authorities said. Telegram/WAGNER_svodkiAlso killed was Dmitriy Utkin, a trusted lieutenant of Prigozhin’s since the beginning of the Wagner Group, and Valeriy Chekalov, a senior aide to Prigozhin. To date, no evidence has been presented that points to the involvement of the Kremlin or Russian security services in the crash.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Dmitriy Utkin, Valeriy, Prigozhin, Prigozhin’s, Vladimir Putin’s, Joe Biden, Putin, I’m, ”, Dmitry Peskov Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Wagner Group, Putin Locations: Moscow, St . Petersburg, Tver, Prigozhin’s, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Soviet Union

☆ Russia says genetic tests confirm Prigozhin died in plane crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Courtesy PMC Wagner via Telegram via REUTERS/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Russian investigators said on Sunday that genetic tests had confirmed that Yevgeny Prigozhin, chief of the Wagner mercenary group, was among the 10 people killed in a plane crash last week. They included Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, his right-hand man who helped found the Wagner group. "As part of the investigation of the plane crash in the Tver region, molecular-genetic examinations have been completed," Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. Russian President Vladimir Putin described the June 23-24 mutiny as a treacherous "stab in the back", but later met with Prigozhin in the Kremlin. He sent his condolences on Thursday to the families of those believed to have died in the crash.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Vladimir Soldatkin, Gareth Jones, Nick Macfie Organizations: Wagner, Telegram, REUTERS, Rights, Wednesday, Authorities, Russian, Thomson Locations: Africa, Tver, Moscow, Rostov, Kremlin, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Belarus

☆ Ukraine's Mahuchikh soars to world championship victory in women's high jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Lori Ewing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Athletics - World Athletics Championship - Women's High Jump Final - National Athletics Centre, Budapest, Hungary - August 27, 2023 Ukraine's Yaroslava Mahuchikh celebrates with the gold medal after winning the women's high jump final REUTERS/Marton Monus Acquire Licensing RightsBUDAPEST, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Yaroslava Mahuchikh sailed to victory in the women's high jump on Sunday for Ukraine's lone gold medal of the World Athletics Championships, a remarkable achievement in a season disrupted by the war in her homeland. The 21-year-old, who was forced to flee her home town of Dnipro, cleared 2.01 metres for her first world outdoor title after a pair of second-place finishes. "I am so proud to win this gold for my country," said Mahuchikh, her blue and yellow eye make-up matching the colours of the Ukraine flag. Mahuchikh, who has been training in Germany among other countries and has not been back to Dnipro, won the world indoor title in 2022, dedicating that gold to Ukraine. "This medal is for Ukraine, all my country, all my people, all the military," she told reporters then.

Persons: Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Marton Monus, Mahuchikh, Eleanor Patterson, Nicola Olyslagers, Sebastian Coe, Coe, I've, " Coe, Lori Ewing, Toby Davis Organizations: National Athletics Centre, Rights, Tokyo, Sunday, Australia, Athletics, Thomson Locations: Budapest, Hungary, Dnipro, Ukraine, Moscow, Germany, Russia, Belarus

☆ With Prigozhin dead, Putin has traded low-budget global reach for safety at home
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

On Friday, the Kremlin's spokesperson said the idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind the Wednesday plane crash that killed Yevgeny Prigozhin was "a complete lie." It was unavoidable payback for Prigozhin's insubordination, which culminated in a march towards Moscow with a column of his Wagner Group mercenaries. AdvertisementAdvertisementThose files were obtained from anonymous hackers who had pried them loose from the Wagner Group. Russia uses the Wagner Group to boost its military strength, but it is nothing like a conventional fighting force or diplomatic corps. Other reports suggest that the job replacing Wagner in Africa will fall to the GRU, Russia's military intelligence unit.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Prigozhin's, he'd, —, Putin, grandiosity, they'd, Alexander Lukashenko, James, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: Wednesday, Wagner Group, Saint, Kremlin, Group, Central African, YouTube, Google, Wagner, Saint Petersburg, ISIS, Russia, Wall Street Journal, Russia's Ministry of Defence Locations: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Central African Republic, Russian, Ukraine, East, Africa, Saint, China, Belarus, Russia's

CNN —Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said he warned Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin twice to watch out for threats to his life. “The first time was when I phoned him and negotiations (were taking) place while they were marching on Moscow,” Lukashenko told reporters in comments carried by Belarusian state news agency Belta on Friday. The Belarusian president said he suggested to Prigozhin that he could talk with Putin and “guarantee full security” in Belarus if he was concerned for his security, Belta reported. On Friday, the Kremlin said that examinations including genetic testing were underway to determine whether Prigozhin was killed in Wednesday’s plane crash. Russian authorities have yet to officially confirm Prigozhin’s death but have acknowledged the plane crash in public comments.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, “, ” Lukashenko, Belta, ‘ Yevgeny, ‘, Prigozhin, Dmitriy Utkin, Prigozhin’s, Putin, Vladimir, Utkin, ’ it’s Putin Lukashenko, Lukashenko, ” Organizations: CNN, Belarusian, Kremlin, Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, Pentagon Locations: Moscow, Belarusian, Belarus, St . Petersburg, Prigozhin

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