Was it the result of a judo chop? A visit to the dentist? A cuffing by some wild beast?
Such speculation was rife in Ukraine on Thursday after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited the country with what appeared to be a rather large bruise on his cheekbone.
Russia’s action man seemed down in the dumps as he attended a meeting with Ukraine’s pro-Moscow leadership with his face smothered in orange foundation — apparently to hide the bruise under his left eye.
Photo: AFP
Putin’s aides denied anything was wrong, but the leader’s appearance caused intense speculation in local media and blogs.
Ukrainian television channel TSN said the Kremlin chief had “noticeable swelling” on his face and was “covered in make-up.”
Andrei Kolesnikov, a well-known correspondent with Russia’s Kommersant newspaper, confirmed the prime minister’s unusual aspect.
“Could it really be the result of some tough sparring?” he asked, saying the bruise was “thoroughly retouched, but nonetheless noticeable to everyone without exception.”
In pictures from Kiev, the make-up on Putin’s face appeared to have been so hastily applied that it stopped at a tide line in the middle of his forehead.
The 57-year-old is well-known for being a judo black-belt, a keen horse-rider and an animal lover who keeps a potentially rebellious goat at his dacha outside Moscow. Earlier this year, he hugged a polar bear on a trip to the Arctic and two years ago he caressed a slumbering tiger.
Levy Bereg, a Ukrainian newspaper, had its own theory about the bruising.
“Did Putin have a facelift?” it asked.
However, the Russian prime minister’s spokesman said he was simply tired and the victim of “poor lighting.”
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, funeral home officials said. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg said. The cause of death was not detailed. “When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of
A prominent Christian leader has allegedly been stabbed at the altar during a Mass yesterday in southwest Sydney. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was saying Mass at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley just after 7pm when a man approached him at the altar and allegedly stabbed toward his head multiple times. A live stream of the Mass shows the congregation swarm forward toward Emmanuel before it was cut off. The church leader gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, amassing a large online following, Officers attached to Fairfield City police area command attended a location on Welcome Street, Wakeley following reports a number