Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

Elizaveta Krivonogikh, the 22-year-old believed to be the secret daughter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has broken her silence in a series of cryptic but emotionally charged posts online. Known publicly by the alias Luiza Rozova, the art school graduate has resurfaced on social media after years of silence. Rozova alludes to “the man who took millions of lives and destroyed mine,” a scathing comment interpreted by many as a direct criticism of her alleged father. While she stops short of naming Putin, the context strongly suggests the Russian leader is her target. The Proekt investigative team first revealed her…

In a significant tightening of immigration policy, the United States is set to introduce a pilot programme requiring tourist and business visa applicants from selected countries to post bonds of up to $15,000. The move, unveiled by the State Department, is aimed at reducing visa overstays but could effectively price out many prospective travellers. According to a formal notice, the 12-month pilot will target nationals from countries with high rates of visa overstays, inadequate identity verification systems, or those offering citizenship for investment schemes with minimal or no residency obligations. Applicants from these countries may be asked to deposit $5,000,…

Covid-19 is once again on the rise across the United States, just as children return to school and federal officials move to restrict access to updated vaccine boosters. While the current uptick is progressing more slowly than previous surges, health experts warn it is still too early to determine the potential scale or severity of this late-summer wave. Several key indicators, including wastewater analysis, test positivity rates, and emergency room visits, point to a steady increase in infections. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 26 states, particularly in the South and Midwest, are currently experiencing…

A Moldovan court has sentenced Yevgenia Gutsul, the pro-Russia leader of the semi-autonomous Gagauzia region, to seven years in prison for funnelling Russian money to finance a now-banned political party. The high-profile ruling, delivered on Tuesday, marks a turning point in Moldova’s effort to curtail Russian influence and will likely heighten already strained relations with the Kremlin. Gutsul, 38, was convicted of systematically channelling undeclared funds into Moldova between 2019 and 2022 to support the pro-Moscow Șor (Shor) party, which was founded by Ilan Shor, a fugitive businessman currently living in exile in Moscow. Shor was sentenced in absentia last…

Google has taken a significant step towards the long-term goal of artificial general intelligence (AGI) with the unveiling of Genie 3, a cutting-edge AI system capable of generating realistic virtual environments from simple text prompts. According to Google DeepMind, the company’s artificial intelligence research division, the model is a foundational piece of technology designed to help train robots, autonomous vehicles, and intelligent agents by simulating the real world. Described as a world model, Genie 3 can create immersive, physics-based scenarios such as skiing down a mountain or navigating a warehouse, all generated instantly in response to user instructions. The model…

Rescue teams in Norway have resumed the search for Alec Luhn, a prominent US-born environmental journalist, who went missing during a solo hike in treacherous weather conditions in the remote Folgefonna national park. Luhn, 38, who has reported for The New York Times, The Atlantic, and served as The Guardian’s Russia correspondent from 2013 to 2017, was reported missing on Monday after failing to catch a scheduled flight from Bergen. He had been holidaying in Norway with his family and set out alone on 31 July from Ullensvang outdoor centre, located on the northern fringe of the 550 sq km…

A key Israeli security cabinet meeting expected to deliberate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial call for the “full occupation” of Gaza has been postponed, amid growing tensions and doubts over the plan’s feasibility. As ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remain stalled, Israeli officials had previously briefed both local and international media that Netanyahu was weighing an expansive military offensive aimed at seizing full control of the Gaza Strip. This would mark a dramatic escalation in the 22-month-long war against Hamas. However, the proposal has ignited fierce resistance from senior Israeli military officers and former top commanders, who argue that such a…

Four suspected gunmen, including 19 persons, went on trial in Moscow on Monday over the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack, which left 149 people dead in one of the deadliest assaults in modern Russian history. The attack, which took place on 22 March last year, saw four armed men from Tajikistan allegedly storm the concert venue on the outskirts of Moscow. The assailants opened fire on the crowd before setting the building alight, resulting in hundreds of injuries and widespread panic. The Islamic State affiliate in central and south Asia, ISIS-K, claimed responsibility for the massacre. However, the Russian government…

New Zealand plans to begin charging international tourists to access some of its most iconic natural sites and ease restrictions on commercial use of conservation land, as part of a sweeping and controversial overhaul of its environmental policy. Under the proposals, overseas visitors could be required to pay between NZ$20 and NZ$40 (approximately £9 to £19) per person to enter selected sites. The initial list is expected to include world-famous locations such as Cathedral Cove/Te Whanganui-a-Hei, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, the Milford Track, and Aoraki/Mount Cook. The new fees are likely to be introduced from 2027. Conservation Minister Tama Potaka…

BP has made its most significant oil and gas discovery in a quarter of a century off the coast of Brazil, marking a major milestone in its strategic shift away from renewables and back towards fossil fuel production. The discovery in the Santos basin, located roughly 400km offshore in deep waters near Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, is believed to be the company’s most substantial find since uncovering the Shah Deniz gasfield in Azerbaijan in 1999. It is BP’s 10th oil discovery this year and a key part of its revived upstream strategy. Situated beneath approximately 2,400 metres of…