Navalny team won't rule out possibility of incremental poisoning
Good evening,
Opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison in Moscow today, said he knew the verdict the moment he saw "people in black uniforms and black masks running after my car in the rearview mirror" ahead of his arrest a year ago. "Such is the price for speaking up in Russia today."
Like the detention of Alexei Navalny and many others in Russia, Kara-Murza's imprisonment is widely regarded as another example of the Kremlin using the legal system to silence its critics.
| Hollie Clemence
Executive Editor |
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| TODAY'S BIG QUESTION | | Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is being gradually poisoned behind bars, his allies claim.
The prominent critic of Vladimir Putin is being held at the maximum security IK-6 penal colony at Melekhovo, about 155 miles east of Moscow, for charges including embezzlement and contempt of court. An ambulance was called there earlier this month after Navalny suffered severe stomach pains, but the 46-year-old was reportedly not given medication.
His supporters say that he has suffered ongoing pain and considerable weight loss in recent months, but that the prison authorities have refused to admit him to hospital. No updates have been given about Navalny's condition but close ally and activist Ruslan Shaveddinov told The Guardian that the situation was becoming "critical", adding: "Our theory is that they are gradually killing him, using slow-acting poison which is applied through food."
It is "hard to adduce an innocent explanation for a mysterious ailment" afflicting Navalny, said The Times's leading article today. The Kremlin "must be held accountable" for his safety, and "Western governments should demand it". |
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TALKING POINT | | Police in Scotland are investigating whether Nicola Sturgeon deliberately shut down scrutiny of the SNP's finances as part of their ongoing inquiry into £600,000 of missing donations.
The crisis has already led to the arrest of her husband, Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the party, and sent the once all-powerful Scottish nationalists into an existential tail-spin.
Emails from June 2021, published by Scotland's Sunday Mail, reveal how a proposal to hire a fundraising manager to oversee the party's finances and donations was rejected by Sturgeon. A leaked video from March 2021 also released by the Sunday Mail appears to show Sturgeon playing down concerns about the party's finances. |
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BEHIND THE SCENES | | Hundreds of police officers were involved in the search for the killer in July 2010 |
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| With luxury time pieces and fine jewellery in demand, do you know the true value of your collection? |
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More from TheWeek.co.uk today | The deadly attacks on Syrian truffle hunters
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WHAT THE SCIENTISTS ARE SAYING… | | Researchers are developing a testosterone patch for women, to help those whose sex drive has dwindled during menopause. Although testosterone is considered a male hormone, it is also essential for women. Its levels drop significantly during menopause, yet there is currently no replacement therapy licensed specifically for women available on the NHS. Instead, women suffering from low sex drive during or post-menopause may be prescribed gels that were made for men. They have to be applied daily and it can be tricky to judge the correct proportion of dose, partly because they were not tailored for women, but also because the gel is easily transferred to clothing. The patch being developed by Medherant would adhere to the skin to deliver the exact dose of testosterone for women, and would only need to be changed twice a week. It is set to be trialled this coming autumn, and if successful is likely to become available first in the UK.
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T H E W E E K M A G A Z I N E |
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| Try The Week magazine today to get straight to the heart of the issues that matter, without angle or agenda. Our easily digestible format gives you the clarity and space to step away from the noise of the news. |
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Spirit of the age | | When the King and Queen travel to Westminster Abbey for next month's coronation, they will do so in a horse-drawn carriage with heating, air-conditioning, hydraulic suspension and electric windows. The carriage will not be used for the entire coronation, however: on departing the Abbey, the newly crowned couple will use the 260-year-old Gold State Coach, which is said to be far less comfortable. |
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| picture of the day | | Floridians celebrate the 15th annual Miami Beach Pride Celebration parade.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images |
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Good week for... | Lucas Helmke, who has been recognised by Guinness World Records for doing the most push-ups in an hour. The 33-year-old from Brisbane, Australia managed 3,206 push-ups in just 60 minutes, beating the previous world record by 24. | |
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Bad week for... | Elon Musk's Starship, the world's largest rocket, after today's launch had to be cancelled because of a technical fault. | |
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PUZZLES | | Test your general knowledge with The Week's daily crossword, part of our puzzles section |
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instant opinion | | Your digest of analysis from the British and international press from the past seven days
Rishi Sunak has "returned to his theme" that making all pupils study maths up to the age of 18 will add up to economic growth, says Andrew Lilico at The Telegraph. "I guess that would create some extra work for maths teachers, if we could find enough of them to do it." But if we are seeking to equip young people for the job market of the future, "extra maths may be a classic case of 'fighting the last war'", warns Lilico, the director of consultancy firm Europe Economic. "Developments in AI mean it already seems clear that many if not most of tomorrow's jobs will consist in prompting AI in relevant ways." While mathematics is a "splendid life tool", getting some "basic grounding in engaging with AI is the prize now", he argues. "And with only so many hours in the school day, that's the prize we most need to seize." |
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| Recipe of the week | | This light and comforting soup is popular in Jakarta |
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DOWN TO BUSINESS | Monday afternoon markets | The FTSE 100 started the week cautiously with small gains. The price of oil was down as the US dollar strengthened and investors considered the prospect of a possible US interest rate hike next month.
FTSE 100: 7,876.29, up 0.06%
Dax: 15,784.59, down 0.14%
Dow: 33,911.85, up 0.07%
Dollar: £1 = $1.2360, down 0.39%
Euro: £1 = €1.1324, up 0.35%
Brent crude: $85.06, down 1.45%
Gold: $1,984.80, down 0.87% | |
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WIT & WISDOM | "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." | Jim Rohn, quoted in the Daily Mail | |
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More from The Week | Our editors are keen to hear your thoughts on The WeekDay. Share your feedback with this short survey. | |
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