Advertising firm responsible for poster featuring Russian poet Alexander Pushkin kissing Kazakh composer Kurmangazy Sagyrbayuly has promised not to display it in public after widespread complaint. EurasiaNet reports An advert featuring an image of Russian poet Alexander Pushkin and Kazakh composer Kurmangazy Sagyrbayuly kissing has sparked widespread complaint in Kazakhstan. The poster which features...
Government and rebel forces continue to exchange fire on Tuesday in the eastern Ukrainian city of Ilovaysk as the Ukrainian and Russian leaders met for talks in Minsk, Belarus. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, says although peace in Ukraine is an internal matter, Russia will 'contribute to the creation of an atmosphere of trust' Continue reading... ...
Russian culture committee threatens to outlaw movies that show the country and its citizens in a 'primitive and silly way' Politicians in Moscow are calling for new powers to prevent foreign films that they feel demonise Russians from being shown in cinemas, according to the Hollywood Reporter . Continue reading... ...
Putin denies discussion of 'peace plan', saying Ukraine is 'not our business'; Russians demand to know are we at war? Ukraine has accused Russia of new military incursions into its territory, a day after hours of talks between the two countries' presidents appeared to yield little in the way of concrete results . Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko had met in Minsk on Tuesday, speaking privately for...
Two countries to sign host nation support agreement allowing assistance from Nato troops in emergency situations Finland and Sweden plan to work more closely with Nato by signing a pact that allows assistance from alliance troops in the Nordic countries in emergency situations, officials said on Wednesday. The move comes as Nato prepares for a summit next week in Wales amid heightened tensions with...
Nine Russian servicemen say they mistakenly crossed over into Ukraine, after they were captured by Ukrainian security officials almost a week ago. The men tell reporters they were taking part in a military drill and did not know they had entered Ukrainian territory until their arrest. It cannot be confirmed whether the soldiers made statements under duress Continue reading... ...
A tale of intrigue, whispers, red carpets and bad blood China is itching to regain its place in the world. How should America respond? asks a special edition of this weeks Economist. There is also discussion of Chinese motives and ambitions in the Oldie magazine , where the new media columnist Stephen Glover poses an intriguing question: do the Chinese have it in for our royal family? Chinese websites...
WHO official Glenn Thomas, one of ten Britons killed in crash, was travelling to Australia to attend international Aids conference A British man who died when flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine has been formally identified as Glenn Thomas, a World Health Organisation (WHO) official. The 49-year-old, who was a former BBC journalist, had been travelling to Australia to attend the international Aids...
Meeting with Russian president will focus on solving conflict but two leaders seem to have little common ground in Minsk talks The Ukraine president Petro Poroshenko said "the fate of Europe" was being decided at a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Minsk on Tuesday, but after several hours of talks it was unclear if any progress had been made on ending the bloodshed in the east. Putin said that...
In the bleak blocks and grim lives of St Petersburg's suburbs, a young generation of Russian photographers has found its muse See the rest of the photos at the Calvert Journal Continue reading... ...
How exactly did the faceless tower block become the inspiration for contemporary Russian visual culture? Russia's brutalist burbs in pictures Every Russian has memories of the suburbs, and mine are quite straightforward. I lived in a suburb in south-east St Petersburg from the age of five until I was 10. I remember looking out of the kitchen window on the 12th floor of a beige brick high-rise and...
Talks will be Vladimir Putin's first meeting with the head of state of a major western power since Russia's annexation of Crimea The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, will discuss the crisis in Ukraine at talks with his French counterpart, François Hollande, in Paris on 5 June, the Kremlin has said. The talks will be held at the Elysée Palace in Paris on the eve of a second world war...
Miners from Donbass, Ukraine, march on Donetsk to protest against what they say is an illegitimate leadership in Kiev. The men claim they are no longer represented by politicians responsible for overthrowing President Viktor Yanukovych, following a referendum in which eastern Ukrainian areas voted to break away from the country. The rally comes after a raid on Donetsk airport on Monday left 30 people...
Around 300 coalminers march through city centre in show of support for self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic Around 300 coalminers rallied in support of pro-Russia separatists in Donetsk on Wednesdayyesterday as rebel fighters fortified their positions in the city in anticipation of a possible attack by Ukrainian forces. The miners marched through the city centre to show support for the self-proclaimed...
Ukraine crisis forces bloc to seek diverse sources of gas, but green groups complain ignoring renewables is a mistake Europe will need to tap more diverse sources of gas and develop more supplies of controversial shale gas within the continent, amid concerns over the Ukraine crisis, according to a new energy security strategy unveiled by the European commission on Wednesday. But green campaigners pointed...
Rory Stewart, chair of Commons defence watchdog, warns US and Europe to take fears of Russian military action seriously The west may need to build military bases in eastern Europe to deter Russian president Vladimir Putin from invading a Baltic state, the new chairman of the House of Commons defence watchdog has said. Rory Stewart, the Tory elected to lead the defence committee last week, said the...
Putin calls on Ukraine to end 'punitive' operation as rebel says at least 30 fighters' bodies have been delivered to hospital Separatists in east Ukraine counted dozens of losses on Tuesday as the deadly toll of fierce clashes with Ukrainian government forces became clear. Representatives of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic said that they had lost around 50 fighters in Monday's fight for control...
My sons' father took them to Russia 18 months ago. I haven't seen them since despite court orders demanding their return A year and a half ago, just before their father picked them up for a holiday visit, I hugged and kissed my children and told them we would see each other soon. They have yet to come home. What had been an agreed-upon two-week holiday with their father abroad turned into the biggest...
OSCE commends voting despite security challenges Russia indicates willingness to negotiate with new government The US secretary of state, John Kerry, said that Sundays presidential elections in Ukraine sent a clear message that the country's people want to live in a united, democratic and peaceful Ukraine anchored in European institutions. Though Kerry's statement, issued on Monday, did not name President...
It is, of course, absurd that in the second decade of the 21st century, the Prince of Wales should again be testing the boundaries of his personal freedom to make political interventions ( Prince proves he is a chip off the old block , 22 May). More depressing, however, is the supine reaction of Britain's party leaders. The roles of the monarch and heir to the throne are largely defined by precedent...