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☆ Vladimir Putin set to win 2024 Russian presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Minutes after polls closed on Sunday, the head of the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) said Putin was in the lead with 87.9% of the vote, with 24.4% of the count in. More constitutional changes in 2020 removed presidential term limits, potentially allowing Putin to stay in power until 2036. Russia also held the presidential election in four Ukrainian regions it annexed during its full-scaled invasion. APThe election comes after more than two years of war which have exacted huge costs on the Russian population. After the election, Russia is set to continue to press home its growing advantage in Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Russia’s, Joseph Stalin, – Putin, ”, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Novichok, “, Navalny’s, Yulia Navalnaya, Molotov, Ella Pamfilova, Dmitri Lovetsky, Levada Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Russian, Election Commission, Russian Security Service, Sunday, CEC, West Locations: Soviet, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, St . Petersburg, Germany, China, North Korea, Iran, Avdiivka, United States, Europe

CNN —Several Russians poured dye into ballot boxes in protest as the three-day presidential vote got underway, near certain to extend Vladimir Putin’s long grip on power. But videos released Friday from several polling stations across Russia showed protesters pouring what authorities described as dye into ballot boxes to spoil the votes cast. CCTV video from a polling station in Moscow showed a young woman pouring what appeared to be green dye into a ballot box. She was immediately detained and faces criminal charges for obstructing the election, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti. In St. Petersburg, Putin’s hometown, a woman threw a Molotov cocktail at the signboard of a polling station in the Moskovsky district, RIA reported.

Persons: Vladimir, Putin, Alena Bulgakova, Bulgakova, Putin’s, Molotov, Ella Pamfilova, ”, Alexey Navalny, Evgeny Feldman, Navalny, “, Navalny’s, Yulia Navalnaya Organizations: CNN, Novosti, Kremlin, Russian Civic Chamber Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Voronezh, Rostov, Karachay, St . Petersburg, Moskovsky

☆ 'The ultimate adventure': Why more Indian travelers are taking extreme road trips
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Kalpana Sunder | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

More Indians are taking road trips these days — both within the country and beyond, solo and in groups — as access to better vehicles and better roads grows in the country. However, Sai took her first road trip back in 2016, before it became a trend. Sai now runs an overland driving company that organizes road trips across countries like Namibia, Georgia, Armenia, Nepal and Mongolia. Source: Rishad Saam Mehta,Since then, Mehta has taken more than 100 road trips across some 50 countries. Agarwal has traveled to 92 countries and gone on road trips in six continents.

Persons: Meenakshi Sai, she's, Sai, There's, Pollachi —, Meenakshi, —, Saam Mehta, Rishad Saam Mehta, Mehta, Tushar Agarwal, Sanjay Madan, Agarwal, Madan Organizations: Tata Motors, Ferrari, Bavarian, Toyota, Ford, Discovery Locations: Coimbatore, India, St . Petersburg, Russia, Thailand, Manipur, India's, Bangkok, London, Mumbai, Poland, Uzbekistan, Meenakshi Sai, Kyrgyzstan, Namibia, Georgia, Armenia, Nepal, Mongolia, Delhi, Ladakh, China, Munich, Austrian, Spiti, Northern India, New England, Jordan, …, Australia

☆ The World Cruise Ship Was Like Four Seasons on Steroids: Ex-Resident
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Retired lawyer Peter Antonucci lived on The World, a luxurious residential ship, for six years. AdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with retired lawyer Peter Antonucci, who spent six years living on The World — a residential ship for millionaires. Peter Antonucci on an expedition during his time living on The World. Peter Antonucci holding a bottle of Champagne while on The World. Courtesy of Peter AntonucciAnd the wine — the ship has one of the greatest wine lists you'll ever see.

Persons: Peter Antonucci, Antonucci, —, they'll, stein, you'd, I'd Organizations: Service, Kremlin Locations: Russia, St . Petersburg, Germany

A Florida funeral home shipped the men’s remains to Ireland, according to a letter from a Florida medical examiner’s office. A CNN request under open-records law revealed documents confirming the mix-up, including letters from the Irish consulate in Atlanta to the medical examiner’s office and investigators involved in the case. That’s when the victims’ loved ones discovered the mix-up, according to the August letter from the medical examiner’s office. The Pinellas County Forensic Science Center in Largo, Florida -- home to the medical examiner's office. The District Six Medical Examiner Office did not respond to CNN’s request for additional details.

Persons: Kane Mitchell, Luke Comiskey, he’d, Comiskey, Mitchell, they’re, William Pellan, it’s, “, ” Pellan, Luke Comiskey’s, Luke, James Richard Peoples III, Peoples, ”, ’, Chris O'Mera, Pellan, Leana Wen, Police Adam Geissenberger, Barnabas Church Organizations: CNN, Florida, Pinellas Park Police Department, District Six, Office, Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, Pinellas Park police, Peoples, Six, Medical, Forensic Science, Medical Examiner Office, CNN Florida’s Department of Law, Pinellas, Pinellas Park Chief, Police, Gaelic football Locations: Dublin, Pinellas Park, St . Petersburg, Florida, Ireland, Irish, Atlanta, St . Petersburg , Florida, Pinellas, Largo , Florida, Baltimore, New York, St, Bronx, New York City, Australia, Spain

Moscow CNN —Thousands of mourners gathered in Moscow for the funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny despite a heavy police presence and the threat of detention. APAround 20 minutes before Navalny’s funeral began, the live signal of the CNN team on the ground appeared to be blocked. The live feed organized by Navalny’s team also dropped. Mourners gather around the casket of Alexey Navalny during his funeral in Moscow on March 1, 2024. as the Kremlin critic's coffin is carried to the Moscow church hosting his funeral.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, clapped, “ Putin, ” Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s, Navalny’s, Frank Sinatra’s, ”, Dmitry Peskov, ” Maria Pevchikh, Navalny, CNN’s Matthew Chance, Putin, Lyudmila Navalnaya –, –, ” Marina, “, …, ’ ”, Tatiana, ” Tatiana, Yulia Navalnaya, “ I’m Organizations: Moscow CNN —, Kremlin, of, Police, AP, CNN, Navalny’s, Reuters Locations: Moscow, Russian, Moscow’s Maryino, Borisov, Russia, Ukraine, Siberia, St . Petersburg, Siberian, Novosibirsk –, Yekaterinburg, Germany

Moscow CNN —Crowds of mourners have gathered at a Moscow church for the funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny despite a heavy police presence and the threat of detention, a CNN team on the ground reports. Navalny’s team encountered difficulty in retrieving his body from Russian authorities and hiring a venue for his funeral, which began at 2 p.m. local time (6 a.m. Around 20 minutes before Navalny’s funeral was set to begin, the live signal of the CNN team on the ground appeared to be blocked. The feed organized by Navalny’s team was also not showing live coverage of the scene. APBut Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s widow, had said ahead of the funeral that she is concerned police will crack down mourners.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s, Navalny’s, Dmitry Peskov, ”, clapped, “, ” Maria Pevchikh, ” Marina, …, ’ ”, Tatiana, ” Tatiana, Yulia Navalnaya, “ I’m Organizations: Moscow CNN, CNN, Kremlin, of, Police Locations: Moscow, Russian, Moscow’s Maryino, St . Petersburg, Russia, Germany

☆ Sweden is exactly what the West needs to counter Putin's underhand tactics
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Sweden this week became the newest member of the NATO alliance. On Tuesday, Hungary's parliament voted to approve Sweden's NATO membership in a move that may be exactly what the West needs to counter Putin and his underhand tactics. Sweden has accused Russia of spreading misinformation about Koran burnings to damage its bid for NATO membership. NATO has some major challengesDespite the boost from Sweden's membership, NATO still faces some of the gravest challenges in its history. "The same is true for Finland and Sweden's NATO membership."

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, He's, Putin, Oscar Jonsson, JONATHAN NACKSTRAND, Nima Khorrami, St, Russia's, It's, Shawn Coover, Emmanuel Macron, Jonsson, Khorammi, Donald Trump Organizations: NATO, Service, Russia, Swedish Defence University, Business, Forces, Swedish Amphibious Corps, US Marine Corps, Stockholm Archipelago, Getty, Arctic Institute, Staff, US Locations: Sweden, Ukraine, Russian, Hungary's, Russia, Baltic, Europe, Stockholm, NATO, St Petersburg, Kaliningrad, USSR, Crimea, South Carolina, Western, Finland

☆ Russia returns Navalny's body after his widow accused Putin of 'torturing' the political dissident's corpse
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It remains unclear if a public funeral will be held for one of Putin's most vocal opponents. Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, also accused Putin of "torturing" his corpse, challenging the Russian leader's proclaimed Christian faith in a six-minute video posted on her late husband's YouTube channel. AdvertisementA public funeral for a fierce Kremlin opponent could be disruptive and unfavorable for Putin. APYarmysh said on Friday that Navalny's mother was given an ultimatum to hold a secret funeral or he would be buried at the prison colony. AdvertisementThe spokesperson's latest update on the return of Navalny's body did not specify if the family agreed to any conditions.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, —, Alexey, Kira Yarmysh, Vladimir Putin's, Yarmysh, Navalny, Lyudmila Navalnaya, Navalny's, Yulia Navalnaya, Putin, AP Yarmysh Organizations: Service, YouTube, Putin, CBS News, Police, AP Locations: Russia, Russian, St . Petersburg

☆ I was in Moscow the day Putin invaded Ukraine, and some Russians were in tears
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Russian police officers detain a woman during an unsanctioned protest rally against the military invasion on Ukraine, March,6, 2022, in Central Moscow, Russia. These quickly ceased when they saw Russian colleagues in tears, whose life savings had halved overnight. Russian friends began referring to Tbilisi as the "new Constantinople," referencing the city where anti-Bolshevik Russians fleeing the Communist revolution had taken refuge a century before. Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets French President Emmanuel Macron (R) on February 07, 2022 in Moscow, Russia. I stood at the glass window silently as the Russian border guard inspected my passport and now useless work permit.

Persons: —, Cameron Manley, Russia's, didn't, Vladimir Putin, Putin idi nakhui, Putin, Mir, Pushkin, Konstantin Zavrazhin, Alexey Malgavko, Stringer, Zelenskyy, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Karen Minasyan, pragmatically, gossiped, Emmanuel Macron Organizations: Service, Business, REUTERS, National Guard, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Armed Forces of, Facebook, Bolshevik, Communist, Kremlin Press, AP, Saint Locations: Edinburgh, Scotland, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia's, Europe, Russia, Central Moscow, Russian, Omsk, Kyiv, Armed Forces of Ukraine, seeping, Belarus, Yerevan, Armenia, AFP, Istanbul, Dubai, Tbilisi, Constantinople, St Petersburg, Helsinki, West, Switzerland, Saint Petersburg, Finland

☆ Russia is twisting the knife after Navalny's sudden death
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

He appears to be flexing his unrivaled power with performative cruelty and firmly twisting the knife after Navalny's death. AdvertisementNavalnaya had unsuccessfully been trying to retrieve her son's body since Saturday. She was previously sent to the wrong morgue after multiple demands for the authorities to hand over her son's body, according to Yarmysh. Navalny's death — and the way the authorities have handled his body — are displays of his authoritarian power. No one should be fooled," Biden told reporters shortly after Navalny's death was announced.

Persons: —, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Vladimir Putin's, Joe Biden, Putin, Lyudmila Navalnaya, Alexey, Kira Yarmysh, Navalnaya, Yarmysh, Ivan Zhdanov, Alec Luhn, Simon Miles, Miles, Biden, Sergei Lavrov Organizations: Service, Business, YouTube, Guardian, Luhn, Soviet Union, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Sky News, Kremlin Locations: Salekhard, Soviet, Moscow, St, Petersburg

☆ Opinion: Who is winning? Gen. Petraeus on Ukraine war, two years in
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

CNN —Two years into the Ukraine war, the tide has shifted, and Russian forces have some momentum, according to retired US General David Petraeus. Michal Dyjuk/AP/FILELast weekend Gen. Petraeus was at the Munich Security Conference, the leading global national security conference that was attended by pretty much every European leader and by top American officials – including Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. BERGEN: At the Munich Security Conference, what was the mood like? BERGEN: Who’s winning the war in Ukraine? BERGEN: What’s going on in Ukraine looks a lot like World War I, in the sense that it’s trench warfare, minefields, machine guns.

Persons: Peter Bergen, ”, David Petraeus, Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Lord Andrew Roberts, ” David Petraeus, Michal Dyjuk, Petraeus, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Alexey Navalny’s, Volodymyr Zelensky, Gen, PETRAEUS, I’ve, Olaf Scholz, Jens Stoltenberg, Tobias Schwarz, they’ll, Who’s, I’m, Vladimir Putin, Alexey Navalny, we’re, didn’t, Thomas Peter, –, Zelensky, can’t, what’s, There’s, Sergei Supinsky, it’s, Andrew Roberts, Biden, Donald Trump’s Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, Trump Administration, CNN, Munich Security Conference, Conference, Supreme, NATO, Munich, Reuters, Republicans, Kremlin, Russian Federation, Kherson –, Tactical Missile Systems, Pentagon, Getty, Congress, Munich Security, PETRAEUS Locations: New America, Ukraine, United States, Afghanistan, Iraq, Avdiivka, BERGEN, Munich, Europe, Russia, Russian, Spain, Moscow, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kherson, Ukrainian, Swedish, Donetsk, Sevastopol, Crimea, North Africa, Egypt, Kremlin, St, Petersburg, Moldova, Transnistria, Baltic, Soviet Union, AFP, ” BERGEN

☆ Russia says it has delivered 200,000 tons of grain to African countries
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Russian Ministry of Agriculture said Tuesday it had shipped 200,000 tons of grain in humanitarian aid to six African nations, fulfilling the Kremlin’s pledge to the continent last July. Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev said late Tuesday that Burkina Faso, Mali, Eritrea, and Zimbabwe each received 25,000 tons of grain while the Central African Republic and Somalia got 50,000 tons each, Russian state news agency TASS reported. Somalia and Eritrea had previously sourced 90-100% of their grain needs from both Russia and Ukraine before the conflict, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). ‘A strategic donation’The Kremlin’s grain initiative has been described by analysts as a “strategic” move as Putin’s African alliance broadens. So, it’s contestation.”Many African states took a neutral stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in perceived loyalty to the Kremlin.

Persons: Dmitry Patrushev, Vladimir Putin, “, ” Patrushev, ”, Godfrey Kanyenze, Kanyenze, they’ve Organizations: CNN, Russian Ministry of Agriculture, Central African, United, Agriculture Organization, FAO, Labor and Economic Development Research Institute of Zimbabwe Locations: Burkina Faso, Mali, Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Somalia, United Nations, Turkey, Africa, St . Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine, rocketing

☆ Two years after Apple quit Russia over Ukraine, Vision Pros are for sale in Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Eamon Javers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

On the ground in Moscow, Apple products including MacBooks, iPhones and iPads are available in stores, although prices may be higher than they were pre-invasion. Asked about Vision Pro sales in Russia, an Apple spokesperson told CNBC: "As you are aware, Apple Vision Pro is only available at Apple Retail stores in the US." Still, at a retail outlet "re:Store," (pronounced Ree-store) a former official Apple reseller offers Apple products for sale at shops in Moscow. The chain's website features a large photo of a user strapped into an Apple Vision Pro, and the iconic bitten Apple logo with text reading, "Vision Pro: The era of spatial computers has come. Apple Vision Pro is already on sale."

Persons: Kremlin . WASHINGTON —, Tim Cook, Romance768, Sergey Romantsev, Romantsev, Alexei Navalny, We're, CNBC's Steve Kovach Organizations: Apple, CNBC, Vision Pro, Apple Vision, Apple Retail, Vision, Kremlin, Russia, Pro, Meta, Russian Ministry of Industry, Trade, Sputnik, White Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Moscow, London, Ukraine, Russia, United States, Kremlin . WASHINGTON, St . Petersburg, New York, Russian, Patriarshiye, York, Istanbul, American, Washington

☆ Young people are flocking to Florida. It's boosting the state's economy, but living there comes with hidden costs.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Florida, which has long attracted new residents thanks to its beaches and absence of state income tax, is getting an economic boost driven by young Americans seeking new opportunities. AdvertisementYoung people are driving Florida's economic strength. Getty ImagesFlorida's economy is growing thanks to the newcomersFlorida's population surge is driving the state's robust economy and demand for housing. The Sunshine State's economy is projected by Wells Fargo to expand in 2024, propelled by a robust job market. Thanks to the more damaging weather, Floridians paid more for home insurance in 2023 and the second-most for car insurance compared with other states.

Persons: —, Wells, Sean Pavone, Wells Fargo, Taylor Tyson, Miami —, Policygenius, Hurricane Ian, Matias J, Forbes, Michael Bordenaro Organizations: Service, Smart Asset, " Employers, Wells, —, Census, SEC, Miami, Miami Herald, Tribune, Getty Locations: Florida, Florida . Florida, Tampa , Florida, Wells, — New York , California, New Jersey, California, New York, Florida — Jacksonville, Tampa, Hurricane, Miami, St, Petersburg

☆ Alexey Navalny: Arrests, vigils, and Kremlin silence as Russia marks Putin critic’s death
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The prosecutor’s office in Moscow warned that any demonstrations in the capital over the death of Navalny were forbidden. Stringer/ReutersSince Navalny’s death more than 366 people have been detained, according to OVD-Info, an independent Russian human rights group that monitors Russian repression. “Navalny’s death is terrible: hopes have been smashed,” he said. On some of Russia’s state media channels, however, reports of Navalny’s death have been scant. The claims follow condemnation from Russia’s foreign ministry over the West’s response to Navalny’s death.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Putin, “ Putin, Josef Stalin, SOTA, Stringer, Vladimir Putin’s “, ”, “ Navalny, Alexander, Andrei Bok, Mikhail, Surgut, Alexei Navalny, Peter Nicholls, Maria Zakharova, –, “, CNN’s Eve Brennan, Uliana Pavlova Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Don, Nizhny, Russian, Russian Embassy, CIA, Russia, Foreign, NATO, Putin, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Berlin, Paris, Hague, ”, Moscow, Siberian, Novosibirsk, St Petersburg, Murmansk, Rostov, Nizhny Novgorod, OVD, Ukraine, Germany, Soviet, Surgut, Siberia, St . Petersburg, Belgorod –, Chelyabinsk, Russia’s, London

☆ More than 400 detained in Russia at events in memory of Navalny, rights group says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A demonstrator carries a placard with a picture of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny as people gather to attend a rally in front of the Russian Embassy in Warsaw on Feb. 16, 2024. More than 400 people have been detained at events across 32 Russian cities since the death of Alexei Navalny, President Vladimir Putin's most formidable opponent, according to rights group OVD-Info, as Russians continued to gather and lay flowers. As of 2000 GMT on Saturday, more than 200 people were detained in St. Petersburg. But there was no mention of the events on Russian state news agencies, which are under full Kremlin control. Footage filmed by Reuters on Saturday in St Petersburg showed dozens gathering by a monument to the victims of repression.

Persons: Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin's, Navalny, Putin Organizations: Russian Embassy, KGB, Reuters Locations: Russian, Warsaw, Russia, Ukraine, Navalny, St Petersburg, Moscow, St . Petersburg

☆ Navalny's Death Leaves Despair and Apathy in Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

"Navalny's death is terrible: hopes have been smashed," Nikitin said. The West, including U.S. President Joe Biden, blamed President Vladimir Putin for the death. "Navalny's death is very beneficial to Putin's opponents," said Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser. WEST 'NOT OUR FRIEND'At "Patriki", or Patriarch's Ponds, the centre of Moscow nightlife, many young Russians revelled away Friday night just hours after news of Navalny's death. "It is sad of course when anybody dies," Olga Kazakova, a Russian, told Reuters in central Moscow on Saturday.

Persons: Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW, Alexei Navalny, Navalny, carnations, Vladimir Nikitin, Nikitin, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Putin, Navalny's, Africa's Nelson Mandela, Kira Yarmysh, Yulia, Sergei Markov, revelled, Olga Kazakova, Boris Nemtsov, Guy Faulconbridge, Frances Kerry Organizations: KGB, Reuters, CIA, DEATH, Munich Security Conference, Putin, Kremlin, Ukraine, WEST Locations: Moscow, Russia, Russia's, St Petersburg, Navalny, Avdiivka, West, Ukraine, Kremlin, Basil's

☆ Over 110 People Detained Across Russia at Rallies in Memory of Navalny -Rights Group
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - More than 110 people had been detained at events in Russia in memory of Alexei Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putin's most formidable domestic opponent, who died on Friday, according to rights group OVD-Info. OVD-Info, which reports on freedom of assembly in Russia, said more than 110 people in 13 cities across Russia had been detained at spontaneous rallies as of 0736 GMT on Saturday. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 ImagesAt least 69 people had been detained in St Petersburg, OVD-Info said. "We publish only the names of those people about whom we have reliable knowledge and whose names we can publish." The hundreds of flowers and candles laid in Moscow on Friday to honour Navalny's memory were mostly taken away overnight in black bags.

Persons: Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin's, Alexander Marrow Organizations: Reuters Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Russian, St Petersburg, OVD, Moscow

Alexei Navalny, the fiercest foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin who crusaded against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests, died in prison Friday, Russian authorities said. Before his arrest, he campaigned against official corruption, organized major anti-Kremlin protests and ran for public office. Shortly after Navalny’s death was reported, the Russian SOTA social media channel shared images of the opposition politician reportedly in court yesterday. In the footage, Navalny is seen standing up and is laughing and joking with the judge via video link. The day before the sentence, Navalny had registered as a candidate for Moscow mayor.

Persons: Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Navalny, Dmitry Peskov, Putin, Kira Yarmysh, Boris Nemtsov, —, ”, Dmitry Medvedev’s, Sergei Skripal, “ Alexei, David Roher, Oscar, Navalny’s, “, Alexei, alexey, navalny Organizations: Kremlin, Federal Penitentiary Service, People’s Friendship University, Yale, Moscow, Fund, Fighting, YouTube, Federal Security Service, Navalny’s Foundation Locations: ”, Moscow, Germany, Russian, Russia, Kharp, Butyn, Crimean, St, Petersburg, Siberian, Tomsk, Omsk, England, Ukraine

☆ In Russia, Putin’s Puppets Are Coming to Life - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Mikhail Zygar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

This system has existed for a long time — at least since Mr. Putin’s first re-election in 2004 — and has always worked perfectly: It maintains the facade of Russia’s imitation democracy. Mr. Putin’s puppets have begun to come to life. Mr. Kiriyenko, who was prime minister for less than a year in 1998, forswore liberal politics to become a key figure in Mr. Putin’s administration. In his role, Mr. Kiriyenko has often relied on political puppets. Friends, including me, discouraged Ms. Sobchak from taking him up on the obviously suspect offer, but she agreed.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin’s, Boris Nadezhdin, Nadezhdin’s, Sergei Kiriyenko, Kiriyenko, Ksenia Sobchak, Sobchak, Kiriyenko’s, Nadezhdin, Putin Locations: St, Petersburg, Western, Russia

In the past, leading opposition figures in Putin’s Russia who stood up to him and who questioned his authority have tended to be dealt with harshly. Life in Putin's Russia View All 14 ImagesThe liberal Boris Nemtsov was killed, for instance, in 2015 outside the Kremlin (supposedly by agents linked to Putin’s FSB). He needs the election to be seen as “clean” as a means of cementing his legacy as Russian state leader. As leader, Putin has regularly been recorded as enjoying popular support. While Putin does appear now to enjoy a high degree of popularity in Russia (albeit largely media-engineered), this may not last.

Persons: Rod Thornton, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Tsar Peter the Great, Nikolai Kharitonov, Putin –, Yekaterina Duntsova, Boris Nemtsov, Alexei Navalny, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, –, Alexander Lukashenko Organizations: Communist, Kremlin, St, International Studies , Defense, Security, King's College Locations: Russia, Soviet, Ukraine, Putin’s Russia, Siberia, Navalny, London, Russian, Moscow, St Petersburg

The Russian war machine is running at full tilt and has a much larger pool of men to draw from than Ukraine to replenish its ranks. Zelensky said he and Zaluzhnyi had a “frank discussion about what needs to be changed in the army. Frontline units in several vulnerable areas told CNN in recent weeks that they were often chronically short of ammunition, particularly Western 155mm artillery shells. The Russian military continues to make mistakes, but it is learning and adapting, especially in the exploitation of attack and reconnaissance drones and electronic warfare. The Russian military has also exploited glide technology to deliver aerial bombs more accurately, one reason that the Ukrainian offensive in the south faltered last summer.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Zaluzhnyi, Zelensky, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Syrskyi, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, ”, Matthew Schmidt, ” Schmidt, Frontlines, Diego Herrera Carcedo, “, Kyrylo Budanov, Schmidt, Vadim Ghirda, Dmytro Kuleba, Budanov, Valerie Zaluzhnyi, ’, Serhii Naiev, Zaluzhnyi’s, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Mick Ryan, –, Zaporizhzhia, Maxym, it’s Organizations: CNN, Presidential Press Service, Reuters, International Affairs, University of New, Getty, Ukrainian Military Intelligence, Biden, EU, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ukraine Gold Star, Ukrainian Presidential Press Service, Ukraine’s Joint Forces, St, Budanov, Security Service, US Naval Institute ., Hungary Locations: Kyiv, Russia, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Russian, Ukraine, Kupiansk, University of New Haven , Connecticut, Avdiivka, Anadolu, Zelensky, St Petersburg, Volgograd, Crimea, ”, US Naval Institute . Ukraine, Australian, Ukrainian

☆ Inside Project Espresso, Amazon's secretive and painful reset of its big healthcare bet
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It already shut down the Amazon Care telehealth service in 2022, while disbanding Haven , a joint healthcare venture, in 2021. She said Amazon's healthcare business continues to grow and receive positive customer feedback. Less focus on senior healthcareAnother idea One Medical recently explored was to put less focus on the senior healthcare business. Still, for some One Medical employees, Amazon’s scrutiny is leading to growing frustration. “As Trent Green communicated to employees, One Medical employees will not return to physical offices at this time.

Persons: Big, Samantha Kruse, ” Kruse, Andy Jassy Chelsea Jia Feng, Neil Lindsay, ” Amazon’s Kruse, Amazon's Kruse, Lindsay, ”, Amir Dan Rubin, Kruse, Amazon’s, “, Trent Green Organizations: Business, Amazon, Care, Amazon Health Services, Amazon's Pharmacy, Amazon Health, Iora Health, Iora, “ Locations: New York, Minneapolis, St, Petersburg , Florida, Francisco

☆ Review: In ‘Russian Troll Farm,’ You Can’t Stop the Memes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Jesse Green | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

No one misses the early days and dark theaters of the Covid pandemic, but the emergency workaround of streaming content was good for a few things anyway. People who formerly could not afford admission suddenly could, since much of it was free, and artists from anywhere could now be seen everywhere, with just a Wi-Fi connection. That’s how I first encountered “Russian Troll Farm,” a play by Sarah Gancher intended for the stage but that had its debut, in 2020, as an online co-production of three far-flung institutions: TheaterWorks Hartford, TheaterSquared in Fayetteville, Ark., and the Brooklyn-based Civilians. At the time, I found its subject and form beautifully realized and ideally matched — the subject being online interference in the 2016 presidential election by a Russian internet agency. But the production of “Russian Troll Farm” that opened on Thursday at the Vineyard Theater is an entirely different, and in some ways disappointing, experience.

Persons: Sarah Gancher, ”, “, Darko Tresnjak, Taylor Swift, Biden, Gancher, Russia —, Trumpism, Hillary Clinton Organizations: Vineyard, Internet Research Agency Locations: Hartford, TheaterSquared, Fayetteville, Ark, Brooklyn, Russian, St . Petersburg, Russia

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