• The Guardian view on Russia’s election: in Stalin’s footsteps

    Vladimir Putin’s landslide victory in a fake contest marks the latest phase in a transition from authoritarianism to outright autocracyOne of the curiosities of the Soviet Union was the serious weight its leaders attached to holding elections. In a dictatorship, why bother? Academic studies concluded that ensuring a 99% vote share for the only candidate on the ballot was a useful tool for civic mobilisation, and a way of isolating and intimidating anyone who aspired to a real democratic...

  • By now, it’s conclusive that the U.S. Government blew up the Nord Stream pipelines and blamed Russia.

    Eric Zuesse (blogs at https://theduran.com/author/eric-zuesse/) This is a succinct factual summary of the situation, as-of 21 March 2024: https://theduran.com/nord-stream-investigation-sabotaged-dmitry-polyanskiy (without ads) https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/XwxLdwo75hY (without ads) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwxLdwo75hY (with ads) [I have cleaned up the auto-generated transcript because of its many successively repeated phrases and its many fillers such as “uh”, which hindered...

  • Russia says Ukraine launched far-ranging drone attacks on final day of Russia’s presidential vote

    Ukraine launched a new wave of attacks inside Russian territory Sunday, killing at least two people, including a teenager, according to local officials, as Russians cast ballots on the final day of a presidential vote set to extend President Vladimir Putin's rule for another six years. Authorities also said that a drone fell on a []

    • WDTN

    Russia says Ukraine launched far-ranging drone attacks on final day of Russia’s presidential vote

    Ukraine launched a new wave of attacks inside Russian territory Sunday, killing at least two people, including a teenager, according to local officials, as Russians cast ballots on the final day of a presidential vote set to extend President Vladimir Putin's rule for another six years. Authorities also said that a drone fell on a []

  • Ukraine-Russia war live: Protests expected on last day of Putin’s election as Moscow hit by Kyiv’s drones

    Massive demonstrations are expected across Russia today as critics of

  • Greece mulls delivering S-300 air defense systems to Ukraine after Russia’s missile attack on Odesa during Greek PM's visit

    During Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's visit to Odesa, the city was attacked by Russian missiles. This incident was followed by reports that Ukraine may receive S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems from Greece, according to the Greek newspaper Ekathimerini. Greece is considering the delivery of the S-300 missile system to Ukraine from its stockpile on the island of Crete. The country had previously been hesitant about such supplies, eager not to provoke Russia and because the United...

    • CP24

    Housing minister mocks Doug Ford’s concerns with fourplexes. Here’s what happened at Ontario’s Queen’s Park this week

    Canada’s housing minister openly mocked Ontario Premier Doug Ford on social media Friday over his concerns over fourplexes. Throughout the week, the premier has made it clear that he does not support a provincial mandate to build fourplexes in residential neighbourhoods—something that both the Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force and the federal government have recommended. Later, he clarified he was just against four-storey “towers.” “You have to differentiate between putting four...

  • Seeking a Politics of Solidarity in Putin’s Russia

    In 2013, when I was 13, one of the oldest comedy TV programs in Russia released a sketch in which a group of musicians performed a version of Queen’s “I Want to Break Free” satirizing the country. The lyrics went: “The roads in this country are like cars in this country. Like the salaries, the football, the communal services, and, of course, the cinema ” When Freddie Mercury sang “God knows,” it was twisted to sound like the Russian equivalent of “shit.” As the audience laughed, another actor...

  • Derry’s St Mary’s is Ireland’s Choir of the Year!

    The choir celebrated on stage of the magnificent RDs Concert Hall singing a triumphant rendition of ‘The Undertones’ standard, Teenage Kicks. The choir, under the direction of Emma-Jayne Kelly and accompanied by Trevor Burnside won the two- part Youth choir, were placed second in The Alice Yoakley Cup and won the overall Folen’s Publisher Award Cup and £3000 for the "School Choir of the Year 2024". Miss Kelly described the whole experience as “a fantastic day for Derry as Thornhill College also...

  • Ollie Watkins told he’s playing his way out of being Harry Kane’s England back-up and it’s Ivan Toney’s time to shine

    Ollie Watkins’ chances of booking a plane ticket for Euro 2024 could be ended on Tuesday night. That’s according to Arsenal great Perry Groves, who expects Ivan Toney to play and shine agains

  • Why What’s Happening in Art Museums Matters Right Now

    Right now many Americans are very anger- and most of us feel deeply insecure. Why so much anger and uncertainty at this time? Of course there are very real problems. Anyone who has a functioning internet connection can see that. But if you think historically, then it’s natural to wonder why this particular time, in More

    • CNN

    Putin scores a resounding win, but what’s next for Russia?

    The polls are now closed across Russia, but the outcome was never in doubt: Russian President Vladimir Putin has secured a fifth term in office through a dubious national plebiscite. But Russia’s three-day presidential vote was never about democratic procedure. For the Kremlin, a resounding first-round win will give the incumbent a fresh stamp of legitimacy and sends a clear message: Putin’s war on Ukraine has the full backing of his people. In an address to the Russian people on the eve of the...