Russia fires TASS news agency executive after Azerbaijan visit
MOSCOW - Russia dismissed a senior executive of the TASS state news agency on Friday after he attended an event hosted by the president of Azerbaijan, whose relations with Moscow have deteriorated in recent months.
Mikhail Gusman, who oversaw international relations at TASS as first deputy CEO, interviewed world leaders on his own television show and moderated a meeting last month between President Vladimir Putin and international news agencies.
Earlier this month, Gusman caused a stir among Russian bloggers supporting Moscow's war in Ukraine when he attended a media forum alongside Ukrainian journalists in the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, a region Azerbaijan retook from Armenia in 2023.
At the forum, he praised Azerbaijan for maintaining relations with a wide range of countries. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev told a Ukrainian journalist at the same forum that Ukrainians should never accept occupation.
Gusman's dismissal was announced in a brief statement on the government's website which did not give a reason. Some Russian media welcomed the move, labelling Gusman, who was born in Azerbaijan to a Soviet navy doctor, an Azeri spy.
"That's it. Azeri spy Gusman has been fired from his position as the first deputy CEO of TASS," said the nationalist Telegram channel Mnogonational, which has about 400,000 subscribers.
Relations between Russia and its ex-Soviet neighbour Azerbaijan have sharply deteriorated in recent months after an Azerbaijani passenger plane flying to southern Russia crashed last December, killing 38 people on board.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore SMRT to pay lower fine of $2.4m for EWL disruption; must invest at least $600k to boost reliability
Singapore MRT service changes needed to modify 3 East-West Line stations on Changi Airport stretch: LTA
Asia Live: Thailand-Cambodia border clashes continue for second day
Singapore Vapes: The silent killer hiding in the pocket
Singapore Vape disposal bins at 23 CCs for users to surrender e-vaporisers without facing penalties
Singapore Fine for couple whose catering companies owed $432,000 in salaries to 103 employees
Singapore Tipsy Collective sues former directors, HR head; alleges $14m lost from misconduct, poor decisions
Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly
Aliyev has said he wants Russia to publicly acknowledge that it accidentally shot down the plane and to punish those responsible. Moscow has not done that, although President Vladimir Putin has apologised to Aliyev over the incident.
Tensions escalated further after two Azerbaijani men died in Russian custody following their arrests during police raids as part of a murder investigation. Azerbaijan then arrested Russian state media journalists in a move seen as retaliation.
In a statement, TASS CEO Andrei Kondrashov thanked Gusman for his 30 years of service with the agency. Gusman did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on whether his dismissal was linked to the Azerbaijan trip. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
37 minutes ago
- Straits Times
EU's von der Leyen: 15% the 'best we could get'
Find out what's new on ST website and app. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sits with U.S. President Donald Trump, after the announcement of a trade deal between the U.S. and EU, in Turnberry, Scotland, Britain, July 27, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein PRESTWICK, Scotland - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen defended the trade deal clinched with United States on Sunday as "the best we could get" and not to be underestimated given the looming threat of 30% tariffs that had been hanging over the EU. A baseline tariff rate of 15% on EU goods imported into the United States would apply to most goods including cars, semiconductors and pharmaceutical goods, von der Leyen said. Meanwhile, a zero-for-zero tariff rate had been agreed for certain strategic products, including aircraft and aircraft parts, certain chemicals, and certain generic drugs. No decision had been taken on a rate for wine and spirits, she added. Asked if she considered 15% a good deal for European carmakers, von der Leyen told reporters: "15% is not to be underestimated, but it is the best we could get." The European Union committed to purchasing $750 billion worth U.S. LNG and nuclear fuel over three years. "We still have too much Russian LNG that is coming through the back door," she said. The European Commission has proposed phasing out all Russian gas imports by Jan 1, 2028. "Today's deal creates certainty in uncertain times, delivers stability and predictability," von der Leyen told reporters before leaving Scotland. REUTERS Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Sewage shaft failure linked to sinkhole; PUB calling safety time-out on similar works islandwide Singapore Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole did not happen overnight: Experts Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Asia Singapore-only car washes will get business licences revoked, says Johor govt World Food airdropped into Gaza as Israel opens aid routes Sport Arsenal beat Newcastle in five-goal thriller to bring Singapore Festival of Football to a close Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Syria expected to hold parliamentary election in September
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: A man casts his ballot at a polling station during parliamentary elections, in Damascus, Syria July 15, 2024. REUTERS/Yamam al Shaar/File Photo Syria is expected to hold its first parliamentary election under the new administration in September, the head of the electoral commission told state news agency SANA on Sunday. Voting for the 210-member People's Assembly is scheduled to take place between September 15 and 20, said Mohamed Taha, who is overseeing the electoral process. President Ahmed al-Sharaa has received a draft electoral law that amends a previous decree and raises the number of seats from 150 to 210. A third of the seats will be appointed by the president. The government has pledged broad representation and said it will allow foreign observers to monitor electoral committees overseeing the vote. Officials said areas outside government control, including Kurdish-held regions in northern Syria and the Druze-majority province of Sweida, would continue to have seats allocated based on population. The new assembly is expected to lay the groundwork for a broader democratic process, which critics say currently lacks sufficient participation from minority groups. It will also be tasked with approving landmark legislation aimed at overhauling decades of state-controlled economic policies and ratifying treaties that could reshape Syria's foreign policy alliances. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Sewage shaft failure linked to sinkhole; PUB calling safety time-out on similar works islandwide Singapore Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole did not happen overnight: Experts Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Asia Singapore-only car washes will get business licences revoked, says Johor govt World Food airdropped into Gaza as Israel opens aid routes Sport Arsenal beat Newcastle in five-goal thriller to bring Singapore Festival of Football to a close Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021 In March, Syria issued a constitutional declaration to guide the interim period under Sharaa's leadership. The document preserves a central role for Islamic law while guaranteeing women's rights and freedom of expression. It raised concerns of civic groups and Western nations about the concentration of power among the country's Islamist-led leadership. REUTERS
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
UK's Starmer to convene cabinet meeting, most likely to discuss Gaza
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India (not pictured) as they meet for bilateral talks at Chequers near Aylesbury, England, Thursday, July 24, 2025. Kin Cheung/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo LONDON - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will convene a cabinet meeting next week, a government source said on Sunday, most likely to discuss the situation in Gaza after coming under growing pressure to recognise a Palestinian state. The Financial Times, which initially reported the story, said ministers, currently in a summer recess until September 1, would reconvene to discuss Gaza. Starmer's office did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment. The recall comes after Starmer said on Friday the British government would recognise a Palestinian state only as part of a negotiated peace deal, disappointing many in his Labour Party who want him to follow France in taking swifter action. President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday France would recognise a Palestinian state, a plan that drew strong condemnation from Israel and the United States, after similar moves from Spain, Norway and Ireland last year. More than 220 members of parliament in the UK, mostly Labour members representing about a third of the House of Commons, wrote to Starmer on Friday urging him to recognise a Palestinian state. Successive British governments have said they will formally recognise a Palestinian state when the time is right, without setting a timetable or specifying the necessary conditions. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Sewage shaft failure linked to sinkhole; PUB calling safety time-out on similar works islandwide Singapore Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole did not happen overnight: Experts Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Asia Singapore-only car washes will get business licences revoked, says Johor govt World Food airdropped into Gaza as Israel opens aid routes Sport Arsenal beat Newcastle in five-goal thriller to bring Singapore Festival of Football to a close Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021 Starmer's approach has been complicated by the arrival in Scotland on Friday of U.S. President Donald Trump, with whom he has built warm relations. In foreign policy terms, Britain has rarely diverged from the United States. Israel has been facing growing international criticism, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government rejects, over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. REUTERS
