Section: theSun (Malaysia)
High winds cause stand collapse at Dutch stadium
PARIS: High winds caused part of Dutch club AZ Alkmaar’s stadium to collapse on Saturday with officials relieved that the ground was empty at the time.Dramatic pictures emerged of the damage to the 17,000-capacity AFAS stadium in the northern Dutch city which was built 13 years ago.“This surprised us all. We are very shocked but happy that...
Hungary court confirms new charges in deadly boat sinking
BUDAPEST: A Hungarian court confirmed Thursday new charges against the captain of a Budapest river cruise ship involved in a collision with a sightseeing boat on May 29, which left at least 27 dead.The Mermaid tourist boat sank with 35 people on board seconds after colliding with the larger Viking Sigyn vessel on a busy stretch of the Danube...
Scientists produce radioactivity-free Chernobyl vodka
LONDON: A team of British scientists has helped produce a radioactivity-free vodka called “ATOMIK” from crops near the site of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the University of Portsmouth said on Thursday.The team did find some radioactivity in the grain but said the normal distillation process meant the only radioactivity in the alcohol was...
From reformer to hardliner: Putin’s 20 years on the global stage
MOSCOW: Twenty years ago on Friday, Russian president Boris Yeltsin appointed his fourth prime minister in less than 18 months: Vladimir Putin, then a relatively unknown security services chief with scant experience of politics.The departing Yeltsin was casting around for a successor and few could have predicted that two decades later Putin would...
Brazil court rejects Turkey’s extradition request for businessman
BRASÍLIA: Brazil’s highest court on Tuesday rejected a request to extradite a Turkish citizen accused by Ankara of terrorism, saying the man would not be guaranteed a fair trial.The unanimous decision by the Federal Supreme Court means Ali Sipahi can remain in the Latin American country where he has lived for the past 12 years.Sipahi faced...
Trump, Putin discuss Russian wildfires: White House
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump spoke on Wednesday with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin about wildfires in Siberia and trade, the White House said.Trump “expressed concern over the vast wildfires afflicting Siberia. The leaders also discussed trade between the two countries,“ according to a brief statement from Trump’s press...
Ukraine seizes Russian tanker over naval clash: Prosecutor
KIEV: A Ukrainian court has ordered the seizure of a Russian tanker stopped last week over its alleged involvement in a Ukrainian-Russian naval clash last year, the country’s chief military prosecutor said Tuesday.A court, in the southern city of Odessa, ordered the seizure of the tanker Nika Spirit on Monday, according to documents posted...
Russia warns of ‘consequences’ after Ukraine seizes tanker
KIEV: Ukraine said Thursday it seized a Russian tanker used in a naval confrontation last November, prompting a warning from Moscow of swift “consequences”.Ukraine’s SBU security service said it stopped the tanker, the Neyma, as it entered the port of Izmail in the southern Odessa region. Investigators seized documents onboard and...
Russia hatches plan to become top tourist draw
MOSCOW: Fancy a tank ride in the snow, then a night in a Tsarist-era palace?With ambitious plans to become one of the world’s top 10 travel destinations, Russia is offering tours off the beaten track and lifting visa restrictions to attract more visitors.A year after it successfully hosted the World Cup, the ex-Soviet country is looking for...
Italy PM faces Russia cash questions after Salvini refusal
ROME: Italian premier Giuseppe Conte on Wednesday tried to answer parliament’s questions about an alleged bid by Matteo Salvini’s League party to broker covert Russian funding after the far-right minister refused.Interior Minister Salvini, an admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin who has denied taking Moscow’s money,...
