Russian oil and gas are banned in the United States. Coca-Cola and McDonald’s no longer offer their treats to Russian eaters. Russian planes must circumvent the European skies. Russian banks can no longer do business abroad. The international press is muzzled in Putin’s country. The Kremlin blocks access to Facebook and limits access to Twitter.
All-round isolation
Russia has sunk into all-out isolation. The links are broken, at the initiative of Western leaders who impose sanctions, of the Russian government which seeks to control information, or of multinationals which want to protect their reputation. The cut even affects a very important microcosm for the Russians, which had never been affected during the Cold War: the world of chess.
“This is unheard of !” exclaims Richard Bérubé, the general manager of the Quebec Chess Federation. The 44e Chess Olympiad, which was to be held in Moscow in July, will be relocated. Russian players can no longer fly the white-blue-red flag in international competitions. And the International Chess Federation (Fide) is dropping its sponsors linked to the Russian state.
Fide’s position against Russia is surprising in the world of chess. In particular because its president, Arkadi Dvorkovitch, is close to Russian power (from 2012 to 2018,
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Source of the article
The duty (Montréal)Henri Bourassa publishes in 1910 the first issue of the Homework, by promising to make it a newspaper “of opinion” and “of exchange of ideas” to revive the nationalist fiber of French Canadians. Today, Quebec’s last independent daily enjoys a solid reputation, even if its circulation is limited. Rather sovereignist.
The duty pays dearly for its desire not to be part of any press conglomerate: the threat of bankruptcy is recurrent, its editorial staff is limited and it only reaches 3% of the entire readership. This situation did not prevent the Society of News Design from giving, in 1994, the Homework the title of “the most beautiful daily newspaper in the world”.
Like the paper edition, the site has allure. Navigating from one section to another is easy and, unusually, advertising is discreet.
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