Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 1 March 2018
UK police arrest 3 men over blast that killed 5 No civilians leave

LONDON (AP) — British po- Sunday’s blast caused the explosion and fire in hasn’t been disclosed, but Syrian town; Putin
blames the rebels
lice say they have arrested the collapse of a building Leicester ... have arrested police said
three men in connection which housed a shop and three men on suspicion of “we stress that there re-
with an explosion over the a two-story apartment. manslaughter.” mains no evidence that By SARAH EL DEEB
weekend in the English city Leicestershire Police said Police said the suspects are the events of Sunday night Associated Press
of Leicester that killed five Wednesday that “police all in their 30s. are in any way terrorist BEIRUT (AP) — The Russia-
people. investigating the cause of The cause of the explosion related.”q ordered brief humanitarian
pause was in effect for a
Jailed Instagram model offers secrets for freedom second day Wednesday in
rebel-held Damascus sub-
urbs but no civilians used
By TODD PITMAN the corridor manned by
NATALIYA VASILYEVA Syrian and Russian forces
Associated Press to leave the enclave. Gov-
PATTAYA, Thailand (AP) — ernment forces, mean-
A Belarusian woman jailed while, tried to push their
in Thailand for offering sex way into the area, setting
lessons without a work per- off ground battles.
mit says she has a story to Russian President Vladimir
tell involving the Kremlin, Putin blamed the rebels,
Russian billionaires and saying they were prevent-
even the president of the ing civilians from leaving
United States. the area known as eastern
Anastasia Vashukevich, Ghouta, and suggested
whose extraordinary claims Russia would not “end-
and racy selfies have pro- lessly tolerate” the situation
pelled her to internet fame there. Russia has ordered
in recent weeks, told The a five-hour daily humani-
Associated Press from a tarian pause to allow civil-
police van Wednesday ians to exit the region that
that she fears for her life, started Tuesday. But no hu-
and wants to exchange manitarian aid has gone
information on alleged Rus- in and no civilians have
sian ties to Donald Trump’s left. Residents said they
campaign for her own do not trust the truce and
personal safety. But she re- Anastasia Vashukevich arrives at the immigration detention center in Bangkok, Thailand, the U.N. and aid agencies
fused for now to offer any Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018, after being arrested Sunday in the Thai resort city of Pattaya. criticized the unilateral ar-
such evidence, and it’s not Vashukevich told The Associated Press from a police van Wednesday that she fears for her life, rangement, saying it gave
clear if she has any. and wants to exchange information on alleged Russian ties to U.S. President Donald Trump’s no guarantees of safety for
Vashukevich’s story of- campaign for her own personal safety. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) residents wishing to leave.
fers a glimpse into the The limited pause came af-
shady world of Russian oli- billionaire Oleg Deripaska well-founded. A Feb. 15 statement from ter a U.N. Security Council
garchs. Trump’s onetime and a top Kremlin official, Navalny’s report made no Deripaska said: “Mr. Deri- resolution that called for a
campaign chairman, Paul Deputy Prime Minister Ser- claim that Vashukevich paska’s claim is to protect nationwide 30-day cease-
Manafort, also had ties to gei Prikhodko. The report knew anything about a his right to privacy and has fire that failed to take hold.
that world through his con- featured video from De- Russian campaign to influ- nothing to do with any po- While the relentless bomb-
sulting work for one of those ripaska’s yacht in 2016, ence the U.S. election, and litical struggle between Mr. ing has somewhat subsid-
oligarchs. Manafort has when Vashukevich claims she has produced no evi- Navalny and his political ed in the region, home to
been indicted on money- she was having an affair dence that she does. opponents.” around 400,000 civilians,
laundering charges related with him. As for her claims of Deripas- A request for comment the Syrian government’s
to his overseas consulting Russians have focused ka’s ties to the Kremlin of- Wednesday from the Rus- push to squeeze the in-
work by special counsel on the ties between Deri- ficial, Deripaska has called sian government went un- surgents out of the region
Robert Mueller. But Mueller paska and Prikhodko. But them nonsense when Na- answered. continued.
has offered no evidence now Vashukevich says — valny alleged them. Peter Carr, a spokesman On Wednesday, the Eu-
that Manafort linked his so far without proof — that In an emailed response Feb. for Mueller, declined to ropean Union demanded
Russian contacts to Trump’s she can link the Kremlin to 8, Deripaska’s spokesman comment Wednesday. that Russia, Iran and Tur-
campaign or helped Rus- Trump and Manafort, who said: “These scandalous On Sunday, Vashukevich key take responsibility for
sia meddle in the 2016 U.S. worked for Deripaska a de- and mendacious assump- was arrested along with ensuring that the fighting
election. cade before Trump hired tions are driven by sensa- nine other people, includ- stops in Syria and that a
That has not stopped him. tionalism and we totally re- ing Kirillov, in the Thai resort real 30-day halt in fighting
Vashukevich from claiming Even Navalny told the AP fute these outrageous false of Pattaya while giving sex be respected. Opposition
that she has such evidence on Wednesday that he allegations in the strongest lessons to Russian tourists. activists said Wednesday’s
as she faces possible de- has “certain doubts” that possible way.” Immigration Police Maj. Sa- five-hour pause in eastern
portation back to Russia. Vashukevich has any evi- Deripaska sued Vashukev- tawat Srirattanapong said Ghouta was preceded by
Vashukevich shot to fame dence about alleged di- ich and her “sex guru,” Al- the 10 were charged with a barrage of airstrikes in the
in early February when Rus- rect ties between Russia exander Kirillov, for breach working without a permit, towns of Harasta and Dou-
sian opposition leader Alex- and the Trump campaign. of privacy. The Russian and one with having an ex- ma, where Syrian troops
ei Navalny, one of President “I think such statements are court imposed an injunc- pired visa. and allied militia trying to
Vladimir Putin’s top foes, made because of fears for tion, and communications Vashukevich said she won’t push ahead with a ground
published an investigation her own life because they providers blocked access give details of what she offensive on a number of
drawing on Vashukevich’s have been detained in to Navalny’s website for knows until she is guaran- fronts from the east and
social media posts suggest- Thailand,” he said, adding several weeks until he de- teed she won’t be sent to west clashed with local in-
ing corrupt links between he believes her fears are leted the videos. Russia.q surgent groups. q