Category: Politics

The heavy burden of corruption: South Africa’s President voluntarily resigned The controversial leader of South Africa Jacob Zuma on the night on Thursday agreed to voluntarily resign, which several years the opposition demanded and which Jan started to call his party the African national Congress (ANC). The acting President was Vice-President Cyril of Ramaphosa. A prominent fighter against apartheid, a comrade of Nelson Mandela and Zuma of Ramaphosa was considered as his successor. In December he was elected President of the ANC, it was expected that he would succeed Zuma in 2019, when the country will hold parliamentary elections (President of South Africa elected by the Parliament). Chief researcher of the Institute of African studies, specialist in South Africa Vladimir Shubin considers that these changes will not have a negative influence on the relations of Africa with Russia and BRICS. The heavy burden of corruption Around Jacob Zuma during his

“We told you so.” U.S. General told about the incident under the Deir ez-Zor “The attack was unprovoked, but not unexpected,” — said the commander of operations of the U.S. air force in Syria about the incident, in which, as reported, could be killed hundreds of Russians of private military companies. Moscow information is not confirmed. At the Pentagon still don’t know who the coalition broke under the Deir ez-Zor 7 Feb. The commander of the operations of the U.S. air force in Syria, Lieutenant General Jeffrey Harrigan spoke in detail about the incident with the destruction of “unidentified unit” in the valley of the Euphrates. In particular, the Western coalition is still assessing the composition of the forces advancing on the headquarters of the Kurdish militia. According to numerous reports from Russian and Western media, in the course of the collision alleged to have killed and wounded a large

The Kremlin responded to the question about the classification of data on dead Russian citizens in Syria Russian President Vladimir Putin has not made a decision on the classification of information about the alleged victims and wounded Russians as a result of clashes proasadovskih forces with the us military under the Deir ez-Zor, said the press Secretary of the head of state, Dmitry Peskov. “No, the President has not made a decision”, — said Peskov told reporters. He also noted that the Kremlin is nothing more to add to what was said earlier on this topic. Earlier in the Kremlin said that have information only about the Russian troops in Syria and do not have data about other Russians who may be in the SAR. “We recommend on these matters to apply to the Ministry of defence,” — said Peskov informed. Earlier it became known about the death in Syria

The Kremlin called Russophobia accusations against Russia of involvement in the virus NotPetya The Kremlin categorically rejects the groundless accusations against Russia of involvement in the cyber attack using a virus NotPetya in Ukraine in June 2017. The journalists said the press Secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov. Thus he commented on the statement by Deputy foreign Minister of the United Kingdom, Tariq Ahmad, in charge of the British Agency issues kiberbezopasnosti. “We categorically reject such allegations, we believe their unsubstantiated, baseless, and, in fact, is nothing more than the continuation of such not based on any evidence Russophobic campaign,” — said the representative of the Kremlin.

NATO countries agreed to create a “military Schengen» Defence Ministers of countries-members of NATO agreed to create a likeness of “war of the Schengen area” in the European boundaries of the Alliance, told RIA Novosti military-diplomatic source in Brussels. The defence Ministers of the Alliance agreed on the proposal at a meeting in Brussels. The defense Ministers approved the establishment of a team of staff to ensure the transfer of forces in Europe. First the idea was put forward by the former commander of the US army in Europe, Lieutenant General Ben Hodges. He said that the allied troops and military equipment should move “as quickly as migrants”. According to Hodges, now permits for the movement of troops and weapons is a “surprisingly complex process in a number of countries”. For example, the transfer of us troops from Poland to Germany requires five-day notice period. Then this proposal was supported

Time for requests and suggestions The center for political technologies found important election requirement. Citizens expect from presidential candidates “of their proposals” because they want “change for the better, but can’t articulate” what they need. This is stated in the report, which was presented by the experts of the Center for political technologies (CPT). The majority of candidates focused either on ideologically charged and niche audience, or “exploits “nostalgic” agenda”. This presidential election for the first time in modern history Russia does not immediately follow the parliamentary elections, which was due to the increase in terms of the state Duma and the President (to five and six years in 2008). The result of the presidential elections, the society met a “calm and positive attitude”, says the report of CPT. Any “symptoms of the crisis of legitimacy” after the stage of registration of candidates, as it was in the past election

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS MOSCOW, February 15. /TASS./ Russian President Vladimir Putin at the enlarged meeting of the Collegium of the Prosecutor General congratulated on the last birthday of his adviser and former head of the Supreme arbitration court of Russia Veniamin Yakovlev, noting his service to the country. Yakovlev, February 12, turned 86 years old.

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS MOSCOW, February 15. /TASS./ The fight against corruption in Russia will receive the necessary political support, said Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday at the expanded Board of the Prosecutor General. He stressed that this direction must act with “utmost decisiveness”. The head of state demanded that the Prosecutor General’s office to respond immediately to delays in the payment of wages and other violations of labor and social rights of citizens. He called one of the key objectives of the controls in place over pricing in the sphere of housing and communal services. The President proposed to consider the decriminalization of several economic crimes and pointed to the need to prevent any attempts of pressure on business. Addressing the meeting, Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika has summed up results of activity in the past year and told about plans for the coming period, highlighting such areas as

The British foreign Ministry accused Russia of organizing virus attack NotPetya The Ministry of foreign Affairs of great Britain has laid on Russia responsible for a cyber attack using a virus NotPetya held in June 2017, the statement said the Deputy head of the British foreign Minister, Tariq Ahmad, published on the website of the UK government. The British foreign office stated that the decision to publicly accuse Russia of cyber attack “underlines the fact that Britain and its allies will not tolerate malicious activity in information sphere”. The Ministry stressed that the national computer security Center in the UK, advising the authorities on the issue of cyberthreats, says that “the Russian military almost certainly responsible” for the cyber attack. The British foreign Ministry believe that the main purpose of the attack was “disorganization”, and emphasize that the attack was aimed at the financial, energy and government sector of Ukraine.

The state Duma in the second reading approved the draft proposal to raise the minimum wage from may 1 The state Duma has approved in the second reading the presidential bill on raising the minimum wage (SMIC) to a living wage. The deputies did not support the only amendment that came from the leader of LDPR Vladimir Zhirinovsky. It was proposed to raise the minimum wage to twenty thousand roubles. “You need to take to find funds. The sources sounded? Let’s analyze these sources. Let’s look for these tools… So you can finish the fact that this decision will not be made, and people will be left without the minimum wage, which is equal to subsistence level”, — commented on the initiative of the leader of LDPR speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. Last week the state Duma adopted the draft in the first reading. It was supported by all factions. The essence