A Russian court sentenced four members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the US-based evangelical movement, to six years in prison for “extremism”, investigators said Tuesday. The four adherents of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who hail from the city of Chita in eastern Siberia, were found guilty of organising “extremist” activities between 2017 and 2020, the Investigative Committee said. They organised meetings, collected donations and distributed religious literature, investigators said in a statement. The court sentenced two of […]
Tag: Russia
Fierce battle for key Ukraine city changing ‘every hour’
by Blaise Gauquelin, with Quentin Tyberghien in Donbas Street fighting raged Tuesday for control of Ukraine‘s flashpoint city of Severodonetsk, with the situation changing “every hour”, an official said, as Kyiv warned its troops were outnumbered by Russian forces. Just days ago, Moscow seemed close to taking the strategic industrial hub in the east but Ukrainian forces have managed to hold out. “Our heroes are holding their positions in Severodonetsk. Fierce street fights continue in […]
Ukraine president says ‘outnumbered’ in strategic city Severodonetsk
by Blaise Gauquelin, with Quentin Tyberghien in Donbas Agence France-Presse KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Monday that his troops were outnumbered by a “stronger” Russian side, as the two countries’ forces battled for control of the eastern city of Severodonetsk. “We’re holding out” in the key city, but “there are more of them and they are stronger,” Zelensky told journalists in Kyiv, one day after a daring visit to frontline positions […]
Ukraine suffers setbacks in strategic city Severodonetsk
by Blaise Gauquelin, with Quentin Tyberghien in Donbas Ukrainian troops suffered setbacks after retaking parts of flashpoint eastern city Severodonetsk from Russian forces, local officials said on Monday, as the see-saw battle raged on for the strategically important city. With Russia bringing the weight of its artillery to bear around Severodonetsk — the largest city in the Lugansk region not under Russian control — more help was promised from abroad. The United Kingdom said it […]
Zelensky says ‘victory will be ours’, on day 100 of Russian invasion
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday his country’s military would fend off the Russian invasion, in a video marking 100 days of Moscow’s all-out assault on its pro-democracy neighbour. “Victory will be ours,” Zelensky said in the video. It included Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and presidential advisor Mykhaylo Podolyak, recalling an impromptu message they posted outside government buildings at the onset of the war, vowing to remain in the country. On the 100th day […]
Ukraine says regained ground from Russia in key eastern city
by Blaise Gauquelin, with Quentin Tyberghien in the Donbas Agence France-Presse KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — With a see-saw battle for control of the strategically important city of Severodonetsk raging on, a senior Ukrainian official said Sunday that his country’s forces now control “half of the city”. The gains, announced by regional governor Sergiy Gaiday, would represent a significant advance by Ukrainian troops, who earlier had appeared on the verge of being driven out of […]
Blaze rages through Moscow office building
A fire raged Friday through an office building in western Moscow, said the emergencies ministry, adding that over 120 people had been evacuated. “According to preliminary information, more than 120 people had been rescued from the burning building,” the emergencies ministry said in a statement on messaging app Telegram, adding the search for more people was continuing. The blaze covered an area of 1,000 square metres (10,764 square feet), the ministry said, adding that […]
Global food prices fall again but wheat soars
World food prices fell slightly for the second consecutive month in May but wheat prices rose again as Russia’s war in Ukraine rages on and India banned exports of the commodity, a UN agency said Friday. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent food prices to a record high in March as both countries are major exports of agricultural goods, sparking fears of a global hunger crisis. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s food price index […]
As EU squeezes Russia, Serbia embraces old ally
by Miodrag Sovilj Agence France-Presse BELGRADE, Serbia (AFP) — While the European Union scrambles to isolate Russia and reduce energy imports from the country, EU candidate Serbia is tightening its bond with Moscow through a new gas supply deal. Belgrade has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations, but it has refused to take part in sanctions against its old ally, even though Serbia aims to join the EU. A day before […]
War enters 100th day with Russia controlling ‘fifth of Ukraine’
by Quentin Tyberghien Agence France-Presse SOLEDAR, Ukraine (AFP) — Ukraine marked 100 days since Moscow’s invasion on Friday with Russian forces hammering the Donbas in their push to capture the country’s east. The somber milestone came less than 24 hours after Kyiv announced Moscow was now in control of 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea and parts of the Donbas seized in 2014. After being repelled from around the capital, President Vladimir Putin’s troops […]
‘Russia controls fifth of Ukraine’ as war’s 100th day looms
by Quentin Tyberghien Russian forces hammered Ukrainian positions in the Donbas region on Thursday, as Kyiv said Moscow was in control of 20 percent of Ukrainian territory on the eve of the war’s 100th day. Vladimir Putin’s troops have set their sights on capturing eastern Ukraine since being repelled from around the capital Kyiv after their invasion began on February 24. While their advance has been much slower than Moscow expected, Russian troops have […]
Oil price rises as OPEC boosts output more than expected
Oil prices rose Thursday even as major crude producers agreed to boost output by more than the usual amount following an EU ban on Russian imports. European shares closed higher, with Paris leading the way at 1.3 percent and Frankfurt rising 1.0 percent. London’s FTSE 100 was shut for a holiday. Wall Street stocks were little changed early on following mixed labour data and a Microsoft earnings warning, but they edged slightly higher in later […]
