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March 31, 2021

Jailed Kremlin critic Navalny goes on hunger strike

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Wednesday said he is launching a hunger strike to demand proper medical treatment for severe back pain and numbness in his legs. President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critic, who is serving a 2.5-year sentence…

March 31, 2021

Top US general calls Russia, Ukraine amid reported Moscow troop buildup

The top Pentagon general called counterparts in Russia and Ukraine Wednesday as the US Defense Department expressed concerns about a reported buildup of Russian troops along Ukraine’s border and in Crimea. US troops in Europe were on an elevated “watch…

March 31, 2021

Russia’s feminist Eurovision entry called ‘nonsense’

Senate speaker Valentina Matvienko on Wednesday slammed as “nonsense” Russia’s entry to this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, which is being probed by investigators after upsetting conservative groups. Manizha Sangin, known as Manizha, is set to perform “Russian Woman” at the…

March 31, 2021

Queen Elizabeth makes Russia quip in first outing in five months

Queen Elizabeth II made her first public appearance outside the walls of Windsor Castle in nearly five months on Wednesday, making a quip about the country’s frosty relationship with Russia. The 94-year-old monarch has been shielding due to the coronavirus…

March 31, 2021

Alexei Navalny: jailed Putin foe

Alexei Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critic, said Wednesday he is going on hunger strike in prison in the latest chapter of his high-profile confrontation with the Kremlin. Over the past decade, the 44-year-old anti-corruption campaigner has emerged…

March 31, 2021

Jailed Kremlin critic Navalny announces hunger strike

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny announced Wednesday that he has gone on hunger strike until he receives proper medical treatment for severe back pain and numbness in his legs. Last week the 44-year-old opposition politician, who is serving a 2.5-year…

March 31, 2021

Navalny protester sentenced to jail for attacking police

A court in Saint Petersburg on Wednesday jailed a man for a year for having attacked a riot police officer during a rally in support of imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Yevgeny Tugankov became the third Russian to receive a…

March 31, 2021

Russia registers ‘world’s first’ Covid vaccine for animals

Russia announced Wednesday it had registered what it said was the world’s first coronavirus vaccine for animals, describing the step as important for disrupting virus mutations. It said mass production of the vaccine could begin in April. The agriculture oversight…

March 31, 2021

Reports of abuses by Russian mercenaries in C. Africa: UN experts

UN experts expressed concern on Wednesday over reports of “grave human rights abuses” by Russian mercenaries in the Central African Republic, where they have supported the embattled government’s military. “The experts have received, and continue to receive, reports of grave…