Rich in Britain
Three Russians have made it into The Sunday Times’ top 10 richest residents of Britain, with Alisher Usmanov, Roman Abramovich and Mikhail Fridman rounding out the list.
Fridman had been labeled the richest Londoner — a first for a Russian citizen — by Forbes Russia earlier this year.
Second snub
The United States has for the second time denied visas to Russian UN delegates ahead preparatory work for the 2020 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference.
Russia’s chemical weapons expert Dmitry Poklonsky was denied a U.S. visa to attend a UN Security Council session last month.
Dorenko dispute
The late journalist Sergei Dorenko’s funeral was postponed on Sunday after his elder daughters asked for an additional examination on suspicion of poisoning.
Dorenko’s widow had later produced documents showing he had been diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm in 2016.
Dirty oil
Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko said the cost of damages from contaminated oil received via the Russian Druzhba oil pipeline was “enormous” and Belarus expects compensation from Russia.
He said costs could run into the hundreds of millions of dollars and that he hopes Russia will not dispute the costs.
Bucking Stalin
Russia’s Orthodox Church has called on believers to stop attributing the Soviet army’s victory in World War II to Stalin two days after the country celebrated Victory Day, one of its biggest holidays.
Spokesman Metropolitan Hilarion said the church had “made it abundantly clear” that it holds Stalin responsible for repressions in the 1930s and that “the people” won World War II.
Mash forgery
A producer for Russia’s popular Telegram messaging app channel specializing in breaking security and law enforcement news has been charged with forgery. The Mash producer faces allegations he had tried to illegally obtain communications between dispatchers and the pilots of last week’s deadly plane crash.
Authorities had earlier raided Mash’s newsroom and seized almost all of its computer equipment.
Without a paddle
Two men drifting in the Pacific Ocean for six days after their motor boat capsized paddled their way back to shore using a single shovel.
Rescuers have been unable to find the third man who was unable to grab onto the inflatable boat when it capsized 150 kilometers off the coast of Russia’s Far East.
Solo voyage
Russian Orthodox priest and survivalist Fyodor Konyukhov has completed the first of his three-leg effort to circumnavigate the Southern Hemisphere in a rowing boat.
Konyukhov reached the southern tip of Chile from New Zealand, crossing more than 10,000 kilometers in 154 days and 13 hours.
Metro throne
The Moscow metro staged a photo op inspired by the HBO hit series “Game of Thrones,” with three reenactors portraying Daenerys Targaryen, Cersei Lannister and Jon Snow posing with an Iron Throne.
Victory flop
President Vladimir Putin hit the ice in a hockey game in which he scored eight goals, only to take a fall during his victory lap.
The 66-year-old appeared in good spirits after tripping on a red mat laid on the ice and was helped up by his fellow teammates.
Includes reporting from Reuters.
