Zelensky Downplays Anti-Corruption Protests, Seeks Putin Meeting, "Funding for 10 Patriot Systems"
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The Hindu
18 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Cuddalore medical student in Russia says he's being forced to fight in Ukraine; family seeks Centre's help
The last time Kishore Saravanan's family heard from him was when he sent them a frantic voice message about being forcibly sent to the warfront in Ukraine. The 22-year-old from Palayamkottai in Cuddalore district had gone to Russia to pursue MBBS. He was previously arrested by the Russian police in 2023 in an alleged drug case, according to his family. Kishore's father, J. Saravanan, said his son had sent a voice message on July 12, saying the Russian government had forcibly enlisted him to fight against Ukraine. 'I could not contact him on his phone, and his friends informed me that he was taken away by the Russian police. Though my son refused to join the Russian army, he was beaten and forced to sign a few documents. He was also given a Russian identity card and passport,' Mr. Saravanan told The Hindu. Kishore's family has urged the Union government to ensure his safe return. 'Kishore was reportedly given training for 10 days, and is now being taken to the conflict zone. Though we contacted the Indian Embassy in Russia seeking assistance, there has been no response,' Mr. Saravanan said. He said Kishore, a third-year MBBS student at Volgograd State Medical University, was arrested on May 4, 2023. 'Kishore worked part-time in an online parcel service company, and was arrested with his Indian roommate and two Russians by after drugs were found in a parcel meant for delivery. The police were trying to force him to confess to the crime, but he refused to do so. We can't contact him now, and there is no information on his whereabouts. We don't know whether he is still alive or not,' he said. When contacted, Cuddalore Collector Sibi Adhithya Senthil Kumar said the State government had escalated the issue, and the Ministry of External Affairs was in touch with the Indian Embassy. There had been no update so far, he said. VCK president and Chidambaram MP Thol. Thirumavalavan urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to intervene and ensure Kishore's safe return. MDMK principal secretary and Tiruchi MP Durai Vaiko also sought the Centre's intervention. In a letter to Mr. Jaishankar, Mr. Vaiko urged him to take up the issue with the Russian government at the highest level.
Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
After CEO, three more directors, HSE head quit Rosneft-backed Nayara Energy
New Delhi: Three directors and two senior executives, including the head of Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE), have resigned from Russian energy giant Rosneft-backed oil refiner Nayara Energy after the company was sanctioned by the European Union, sources aware of the matter said. Victoria Cunningham, Avril Mary Anne Conroy and Jorg Tumat, who were on the board of directors of Nayara Energy, have resigned earlier this month, the sources said. Besides, Barbara (Hofbauer) Oberhauser, who was senior vice president and Head HSE, too has resigned. The resignations follow chief executive Alessandro Des Dorides quitting the company shortly after the European Union imposed sanctions on Nayara as part of a new raft of measures against Russia over its war with Ukraine. An email sent to the company seeking reactions remained unanswered. Sources said that Des Dorides, along with the three directors who resigned, were all European - a nationality that made it untenable for them to remain with a company under EU sanctions. Oberhauser was from Austria and served as HSE head at Nayara between November 2022 and July 2025. Another official, who was practically No.2 on refinery operations side, too has resigned for the very same reason, sources said. Nayara had earlier this week denounced the latest EU sanctions against it as unjust and harmful to India's interests, and said it was studying legal options. Rosneft too had condemned sanctions on Nayara Energy as unjustified, illegal, and described them as a direct threat to India's energy security. The European Union's 18th package of sanctions against Russia over its war with Ukraine was approved earlier this month with a view to weakening its revenue sources. Nayara Energy was one of the companies that was sanctioned. Rosneft owns a 49.13 per cent stake in Nayara Energy Ltd, formerly Essar Oil Ltd. Nayara owns and operates a 20-million tonnes a year oil refinery at Vadinar in Gujarat, as well as over 6,750 petrol pumps. Besides Rosneft, an investment consortium SPV, Kesani Enterprises Company, holds another 49.13 per cent stake in Nayara. Kesani is owned by Russia's United Capital Partners (UCP) and Hara Capital Sarl, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mareterra Group Holding (formerly Genera Group Holding S.p.A.). Sources said Cunningham, who has been on the board of Nayara since January 2020, was co-managing partner of UCP. Tumat, who has been on the board of Nayara since July 21, 2023, came from Germany. Conroy had been on the board of Nayara since May 23, 2020. Nayara has replaced Des Dorides with Sergey Denisov as the new CEO of the company, they said. Des Dorides had joined Nayara Energy in April 2024. He was previously the head of oil trading at Eni where he was sacked for withholding information on illegal Iran oil trade. Denisov, who has been with Nayara since 2017, previously was its chief development officer.>
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
US Democrats, Republicans plan bills to pressure China as Trump pushes trade
US senators are set to introduce bills against China. The bills focus on treatment of minorities, dissidents, and Taiwan. This move highlights security and human rights issues. It comes as President Trump prioritizes trade with Beijing. The bills have bipartisan support. China opposes these bills, calling them interference. The US aims to balance trade with security concerns. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads US senators from both major parties plan to introduce bills this week targeting China over its treatment of minority groups, dissidents and Taiwan, emphasizing security and human rights as President Donald Trump focuses on trade with three bills, seen by Reuters ahead of their introduction, have Democratic and Republican sponsors, a departure from the fierce partisanship dividing Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday expressed opposition to the bills, calling them "a gross interference in China's internal affairs" and demanded a halt to the "erroneous bills" advancement and push to reach economic agreements between the world's two biggest economies has strong support in the U.S. Congress, especially from his fellow Republicans, but has prompted some China hawks to worry that the U.S. government is de-emphasizing security issues."It does appear that President Trump is keen to negotiate some kind of deal with China, and gaps are opening between his approach to China and the approaches of some members of his team, as well as with Congress, which overall has been quite hawkish on China," said Bonnie Glaser, an Asia expert at the German Marshall Fund of the United desire for a hard line on China is one of the few truly bipartisan sentiments in the perennially divided Congress, even as many lawmakers support Trump's efforts to rebalance the bilateral trade relationship."The United States cannot afford to be weak in the face of the People's Republic of China and its aggression around the world," said Democrat Jeff Merkley of Oregon, a lead sponsor of all three bills."No matter who is in the White House, America's values of freedom and human rights must remain at the heart of a clear and principled vision that guides our leadership on the global stage," Merkley said in a administration officials have said that Trump remains fully committed to Asia-Pacific security issues as he pursues his trade agenda and a good personal relationship with Chinese President Xi for comment on Monday, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said administration officials do not get ahead of the president on pending legislation."President Trump has publicly discussed his desire for a constructive relationship with China. He is focused on advancing American interests, such as leveling the playing field for American industries and getting China to stop the flow of fentanyl into our country," she said via bill, co-sponsored by Republican John Cornyn of Texas, would deny entry into the United States of current or former Chinese government officials who were deemed to have engaged in the forced repatriation of members of China's Uyghur rights groups accuse China of widespread abuses of Uyghurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority numbering about 10 million in its northwestern region of Xinjiang. Beijing denies any bill, co-sponsored by Republican John Curtis of Utah, aims to help Taiwan as the island faces increasing pressure from China. It would support countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan and would take other steps to deepen coordination with claims the democratically governed island as its own and has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Beijing has stepped up military and political pressure against the island in recent years.A third bill, co-sponsored by Republican Dan Sullivan of Alaska, seeks to combat "transnational repression" - efforts by any foreign government to reach beyond its own borders to intimidate, harass or harm dissidents, journalists or foreign ministry, in a response to the bills, said on Tuesday that China has never engaged in so-called "transnational repression" and rejected U.S. accusations regarding Taiwan and Xinjiang."The related accusations are entirely fabricated and are malicious slander," the ministry said. It urged U.S. politicians to abide by the one-China principle and stop using human rights as a pretext to smear and attack Trump's August 12 deadline, top U.S. and Chinese economic officials are meeting in Stockholm on Monday to try to tackle their longstanding disputes, hoping to extend a truce by three months and keep sharply higher tariffs at "cares about opening foreign markets to American trade, and that's what he's always cared about. And that is going to run counter to a lot of national security imperatives," said Michael Sobolik, who specializes in U.S.-China relations at the Hudson and some of Trump's fellow Republicans raised concerns about the announcement this month that Nvidia will resume sales of its H20 artificial intelligence chips to China, days after its CEO met with Trump. This reversed an AI restriction imposed in April that was designed to keep the most advanced AI chips out of Chinese hands.
