themoscowtimes--2020-06-07--Pompeo Offers U.S. Help in Cleaning Huge Russian Oil Spill

The United States on Saturday offered to help Russia clean up a vast fuel spill that has fouled an Arctic river in northern Siberia .
`` Saddened to hear about the fuel spill in Norilsk , Russia , '' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote on Twitter .
`` Despite our disagreements , the United States stands ready to assist Russia to mitigate this environmental disaster and offer our technical expertise . ''
On May 29 , a diesel-fuel tank at a power plant belonging to the giant Norilsk Nickel mining group collapsed near the Siberian industrial city of Norilsk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a nearby waterway and pouring an additional 6,000 tons onto surrounding land .
The spill — deemed the worst ecological catastrophe of the sort to ever hit the region — colored remote tundra waterways with bright red patches visible from space .
President Vladimir Putin declared an emergency and said he expects the company to pay for the clean up , which could take years .
Clean up work however has been complicated by marshy ground amid a springtime thaw and the shallow depths of the nearby Ambarnaya River , which prevents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials said Friday that the spill was probably caused when long-frozen permafrost under the fuel tank melted and gave way , and ordered a review of infrastructure in vulnerable zones .

The United States on Saturday offered to help Russia clean up a vast fuel spill that has fouled an Arctic river in northern Siberia. "Saddened to hear about the fuel spill in Norilsk, Russia," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote on Twitter.
Saddened to hear about the fuel spill in Norilsk, Russia. Despite our disagreements, the United States stands ready to assist Russia to mitigate this environmental disaster and offer our technical expertise. — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) June 6, 2020
"Despite our disagreements, the United States stands ready to assist Russia to mitigate this environmental disaster and offer our technical expertise." On May 29, a diesel-fuel tank at a power plant belonging to the giant Norilsk Nickel mining group collapsed near the Siberian industrial city of Norilsk, sending some 15,000 tons of diesel into a nearby waterway and pouring an additional 6,000 tons onto surrounding land. The spill — deemed the worst ecological catastrophe of the sort to ever hit the region — colored remote tundra waterways with bright red patches visible from space.


themoscowtimes--2020-06-07--Russian Journalist Ilya Azar Released After 10 Days in Jail

Russian journalist and activist Ilya Azar was released Sunday after ten days in detention , his punishment for standing on a solo picket protest .
President Vladimir Putin 's government has cracked down on opposition demonstrations , and single-person protests are the only kind allowed without prior permission from the authorities .
A court sentenced the 35-year-old journalist and municipal deputy to 15 days in police cells for violating protest rules , which was later reduced to 10 days .
Azar 's arrest last month sparked outrage among his colleagues and friends , some of whom were also detained for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you all for your support , but the main thing was not to support me but our right to peaceful protest , '' Azar , who works for the Novaya Gazeta opposition newspaper , wrote on Facebook .
`` Sadly , things have become even worse regarding this right . ''
Last summer Azar helped organize a series of anti-government rallies in Moscow demanding fair elections which drew tens of thousands of people .
Human rights lawyers said his detention was illegal , as solo picketing is permitted .
But the journalist lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Azar was arrested after standing with a sign in support of activist Vladimir Vorontsov , who has worked to expose violations within Russia 's law enforcement agencies .
Vorontsov , a former policeman , was arrested in early May on extortion charges .
He was later accused of also illegally distributing pornography .

Russian journalist and activist Ilya Azar was released Sunday after ten days in detention, his punishment for standing on a solo picket protest.
President Vladimir Putin's government has cracked down on opposition demonstrations, and single-person protests are the only kind allowed without prior permission from the authorities.
A court sentenced the 35-year-old journalist and municipal deputy to 15 days in police cells for violating protest rules, which was later reduced to 10 days.
Azar's arrest last month sparked outrage among his colleagues and friends, some of whom were also detained for picketing in his support.
"Thank you all for your support, but the main thing was not to support me but our right to peaceful protest," Azar, who works for the Novaya Gazeta opposition newspaper, wrote on Facebook.
"Sadly, things have become even worse regarding this right."
Last summer Azar helped organize a series of anti-government rallies in Moscow demanding fair elections which drew tens of thousands of people.
Human rights lawyers said his detention was illegal, as solo picketing is permitted. But the journalist lost his appeal in the Moscow City Court.
Azar was arrested after standing with a sign in support of activist Vladimir Vorontsov, who has worked to expose violations within Russia's law enforcement agencies.
Vorontsov, a former policeman, was arrested in early May on extortion charges. He was later accused of also illegally distributing pornography.