How Kremlin arrested 20,000 people for Ukraine war dissenters, forced dozens to ‘punitive psychiatry’
Yekaterina Fatyanova, 37, was interned on April 28 last year at the KKPND No.1 psychiatric hospital in her home city of Krasnoyarsk after being accused of discrediting the Russian armed forces by publishing an article in a small opposition newspaper she ran in her spare time. She was not the author of the piece, which argued the war in Ukraine was driven by imperialist motives.
Big cat juju: Mystical beliefs in wildlife powers in Senegal fuelling rapid decline of lion and leopard populations in West Africa
The gris-gris, prescribed by influential religious leaders called marabouts, are crafted from bits of skin with written prayers or Quranic verses sewn inside. They are widely used across Senegal; police don them for protection, wrestlers for strength and politicians for clout. Average citizens wear them to ward off curses that other people may have put on them for a variety of reasons – matters of romance, perhaps, or jealousy at economic success.
Trump denounces Ukrainian President Zelenskiy as ‘dictator’ and warns he risks losing his country
Trump’s outburst followed Zelenskiy’s comments on Tuesday that the US president was parroting Russian disinformation when he asserted that Ukraine “should never have started” the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion three years ago.
Trump’s rush to Russia’s war in Ukraine has stoked fears in Ukraine, among NATO allies
The talks in Riyadh, the first time the US and Russia have met to discuss the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two, yielded agreement to form negotiating teams for future meetings and work to restore the normal functioning of each other’s diplomatic missions, reflecting a thawing of long-frozen relations.
America’s decision to sideline Europe in Ukraine peace talks with Russia stuns NATO members
Later in the day, it emerged that US and Russian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to start talks aimed at ending the war. US officials have insisted they will only settle for a “durable” peace deal and Ukraine will be at the table.
La Liga title push shaping into a rat race as Barcelona’s Flick plays down lead by Real Madrid
Having struggled in La Liga late last year while missing 17-year-old winger Lamine Yamal due to injury, Barca are now on an 11-match unbeaten run in all competitions. But Flick is wary of Inigo Rayo who are unbeaten in nine La Liga games.
Uganda’s Kiplimo shaves 49 seconds off fastest time to set world half marathon record in Barcelona
The women’s race was also fast in Barcelona with Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya winning in a course record of 64:13.
Perverse effects of conflict minerals initiatives in Congo remind us of how inaccurate narratives fuel the very problems they pretend to tackle
Natural resources do play an important role for both eastern DRC and Rwanda’s political economy, and it is true that the return of the M23 in 2021 correlates with a sharp rise in Rwanda’s mineral exports, as per official statistics.
Trophy-starved Arsenal stays on course for EPL title as Man City finally ‘remembers’ how to win
Mikel Arteta gave Raheem Sterling a place in his starting line-up at Leicester but the former Chelsea man had a torrid afternoon and was replaced by Merino after 69 minutes. The Spaniard’s impact was decisive as he broke the deadlock in the 81st minute from an assist by impressive teenager Ethan Nwaneri and he wrapped up the points in the 87th minute after good work by Leandro Trossard.
Why Trump views Africa as key to repulsing China influence, degrading Islamists and restoring hope among Christians
Counterterrorism efforts also featured prominently in Hegseth’s discussions. He underscored the importance of counterterrorism efforts in Africa. He pointed to the February 1 US airstrikes against ISIS targets in Somalia as an example of the military’s ongoing role in stabilising the region. Coordinated with the Federal Government of Somalia, the strikes reflect what he described as a necessary shift in decision-making authority to field commanders.
