Corruption protests in Russia

#Russia #Corruption #protests #VladimirPutin #AlexeiNavalny #incidents #politics

More than ten thousand people protested across 100 cities in Russia, covering all the 11 Russian time zone, against political corruption. Out of these, more than a thousand protesters were arrested, including Alexei Navalny, opposition leader and protest organizer. Mr. Navalny has now been sentenced to 30 days in jail.

The protesters who held rallies on Russia day, a national holiday, denounced President Vladimir Putin. The Moscow demonstration featured an unlikely scene of about 5,000 protesters rallying next to an enclosure with geese, a medieval catapult and bearded men in homemade tunics and carrying wooden shields.

Most of the protestors were younger, those who were born/raised during the 17 years of Putin rule. Although School and University staff warned the students to go in such rallies, most of the students unhesitatingly took part in the protests.

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This is incredible. Younger generation standing up for the fight against corruption, that too in Russia. I do wish that everyone arrested is safe and sound.

Putin meets French President Macron

#France #President #EmmanuelMacron #Russia #VladimirPutin #Versailles #PetertheGreat #Syria

French President Macron met Vladimir Putin on Monday, on the 300th anniversary of a visit to Versailles by tsar Peter the Great. The handshake this time was much warmer, compared to Macron’s handshake with Donald Trump recently.

Macron said that they disagree on a number of things but at least it was discussed. The topmost priority is the fight against terrorism and eradication of Daesh (IS) in particular. He also mentioned that Syrian use of chemical weapons will be a red line, and France will give an immediate response to such an event.

Putin also shrugged off allegations that Russian hackers infiltrated Macron’s campaign. He also seemed to have promised Macron to give the the ‘whole truth’ about an alleged crackdown on gay men in Russian-controlled Chechnya.

Read the full article here

You remember right? IS = Illiterate Souls

This is a firm stand by French President Emmanuel Macron. And it is nice to see such a leader appear on the podium. I wish he stays the same throughout his term and change European policies for the better.

Babies named after Putin in Syria

#Russia #Syria #BasharAssad #babies #VladimirPutin #IS #military

Syrian families are naming their children Putin as a mark of gratitude for the Russian President’s support for his Syrian couterpart in the six-year war, a government official said.

Not only that, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has also made Russian the second language in Syria in a show of showing gratitude for Russian efforts. He also donated land near Damascus for a Russian ‘school’ to be built.

Russian military and jets have helped Syria quite a bit through it’s war against IS. Russia even opposed the UN move of censuring Damascus for a chemical attack on a village earlier this month that had been blamed on Bashar Al-Assad.

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As if one wasn’t enough. Well, at least they are not naming them Trump for the US support. 😀

Trump defends his pick for Secretary of State

On Tuesday, Trump defended his choice of Rex Tillerson, CEO of Exxon Mobil, as the Secretary of State. He tried to brush off the concerns of both the Democrats and Republicans that Rex was too close to the Russian President Vladimir Putin.

All this comes in contrast with the already ongoing debate that Russia wanted Trump to win the 2016 Elections, and helped the votes by hacking into the system. At Exxon Mobil, Rex Tillerson has lobbied to lift sanctions that the U.S. imposed on Russia for its occupation of Crimea and its military intervention in Ukraine. The sanctions have blocked giant Exxon Mobil projects in Russia.

Trump believes that Tillerson will help reverse “years of foreign policy blunders and disasters.” He talked about Paul D. Ryan, the House Speaker, and mentioned that he is “like a fine wine. Every day goes by, I get to appreciate his genius more and more. Now, if he ever goes against me, I’m not going to say that, OK?” Read the full article here.