A city mayor who has been under pressure from authorities since he announced plans to seek the presidency was detained by law enforcement offers who came to his apartment in masks and helmets, Russian media reported.
Alexander Donskoi, mayor of the northwestern city of Arkhangelsk, was detained on suspicion of abuse of office, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported. He had been charged earlier this year with illegal business activities and faking a diploma.
ambition
Donskoi, a businessman who became mayor in 2005, last year announced plans to seek the presidency next year. With President Vladimir Putin constitutionally barred from seeking a third straight term, political tensions are mounting ahead of the vote.
While Russian authorities have moved to silence opponents planning to challenge an expected Kremlin-backed candidate in the election, it is unclear whether the cases against Donskoi are directly linked with his presidential ambitions.
The little-known politician would be hard pressed to mount a meaningful presidential bid, and his loyalties are uncertain. He has praised some of Putin's policies and has criticized both the opposition and the main pro-Kremlin parties that dominate politics.
Asked about Donskoi's troubles at his annual news conference in February, Putin said he believed they were a result of his disputes with the Arkhangelsk regional governor. The two have traded accusations of corruption and impropriety.
unwell
NTV television showed footage of Donskoi being firmly escorted through a crowd - and at one point dragged - by masked, helmeted law enforcement agents. Donskoi, who was reportedly on sick leave, appeared to have difficulty standing up and walking.
ITAR-Tass cited an aide to the regional prosecutor as saying Donskoi was accused of ordering the use of mayor's office funds to pay for the personal security of himself and his family. The aide, Yulia Shevchenko, said he faced up to seven years in prison if convicted.
SEEKING CHANGE: A hospital worker said she did not vote in previous elections, but ‘now I can see that maybe my vote can change the system and the country’ Voting closed yesterday across the Solomon Islands in the south Pacific nation’s first general election since the government switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing and struck a secret security pact that has raised fears of the Chinese navy gaining a foothold in the region. The Solomon Islands’ closer relationship with China and a troubled domestic economy weighed on voters’ minds as they cast their ballots. As many as 420,000 registered voters had their say across 50 national seats. For the first time, the national vote also coincided with elections for eight of the 10 local governments. Esther Maeluma cast her vote in the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
HYPOCRISY? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday asked whether Biden was talking about China or the US when he used the word ‘xenophobic’ US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a hike in steel tariffs on China, accusing Beijing of cheating as he spoke at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. Biden accused China of xenophobia, too, in a speech to union members in Pittsburgh. “They’re not competing, they’re cheating. They’re cheating and we’ve seen the damage here in America,” Biden said. Chinese steel companies “don’t need to worry about making a profit because the Chinese government is subsidizing them so heavily,” he said. Biden said he had called for the US Trade Representative to triple the tariff rates for Chinese steel and aluminum if Beijing was