Section: The Guardian (The United Kingdom)
Russia’s bridge link with Crimea moves nearer to completion
Installation of railway arch above Kerch Strait is key phase in Kremlin’s plan to integrate peninsula seized from UkraineRussian engineers have completed a key phase of a bridge that will link the annexed Crimea peninsula to mainland Russia. A huge 6,000-tonne railway arch was hauled into place 35 metres (115ft) above the sea, in an...
Russia readies for huge military exercises as tensions with west simmer
Display of power involving up to 100,000 people in Belarus, Kaliningrad and Russia itself comes against backdrop of strained relations with west‘We know how to live next to Russia’: Lithuania builds border fence with KaliningradRussia is preparing to mount what could be one of its biggest military exercises since the cold war, a display of...
Red Famine by Anne Applebaum review – did Stalin deliberately let Ukraine starve?
A vivid account exposes the myths of the catastrophic Ukrainian famine of 1932-3The terrible famine of 1932-3 hit all the major Soviet grain-growing regions, but Ukraine worst of all. It was not the result of adverse climatic conditions but a product of government policies. This is, in fact, the case with many famines, as Amartya Sen pointed out...
North Korean missiles probably had ‘engines sourced from Russia or Ukraine’
Study claims engines resemble Soviet-era design and probably acquired through illicit channels operating in either or both countriesNorth Korea probably acquired the rocket engines for the two intercontinental ballistic missiles it tested in July from Ukrainian or Russian sources within the past two years, a study has claimed.A report published...
Crimea – the big budget Russian blockbuster the world will never see
Film depicting Vladimir Putin’s 2014 annexing of Crimea from Ukraine will only be shown in Russia and Belarus “This is the kind of decision that is only taken once a century,” says a voice on the trailer for Crimea, a high-budget Russian film that dramatises the 2014 Russian takeover of the peninsula. … …read more Source: The...
Odessa’s new parks lead a blossoming of urban regeneration
Ukraine’s third city is home to sights including the Potemkin Steps. Now the port’s glorious past is taking centre stage with its Istanbul and Greek gardensLooking like a living Liberty print, Odessa’s new promenade park spills over with blossoming flower beds, picnics and couples waltzing in the shade. Tantalising slivers of...
The cult of Babel: Odessa’s literary flashmobs attract book-loving tourists
The Black Sea city may lack the pedigree of St Petersburg but it was home to Isaac Babel, and has a storied past as a stopping point for globe-trotting intellectuals A slow-moving procession of 500-odd people stretch from the grand, if worn, Literary Museum along to the Opera House, one of the biggest and most opulent concert halls of the former...
As the US and EU square off over Russia sanctions, only Putin can win | Natalie Nougayrède
Instead of applauding Washington’s moves against Putin, the EU is furious. Russia’s leader is again profiting from the craziness around Donald Trump• Natalie Nougayrède is a Guardian columnistMike Pence, the US vice-president, is on a European tour this week to assure allies that “America First doesn’t mean America alone”. But...
US energy secretary Rick Perry duped by Russian pranksters to talk about pig manure
‘These individuals are known for pranking high-level officials,’ spokeswoman says, after duo tricked Perry into thinking he was talking to Ukrainian PMThe US energy secretary Rick Perry has become the latest victim of a pair of Russian phone pranksters who have previously fooled Elton John into thinking he was chatting to Vladimir Putin.On...
Six ways to assert power beyond the ballot box | Paul Maassen
Citizens everywhere are shaping government policies, tackling corruption and even improving air qualityPaul Maassen is director of civil society engagement at the Open Government Partnership Elections are key milestones for democratic engagement, and referendums such as the UK’s Brexit poll are innovative ways for citizens to be more...
