Russia

At least 56 people, including nine children, have been confirmed dead in fire at a shopping mall in the city of Keremovo in Siberia, according to Russian emergency services cited by local media. The death toll was expected to rise as the rescue operation continued on Monday at the Zimnyaya Vishnya (Winter Cherry) mall, hours after the fire engulfed the four-storey building, Russia's Tass news agency reported. "Two out of three cinema halls caved in from the fourth to the third floor of the building," Vladlen Aksyonov, Russian deputy emergencies minister, told Tass. A representative of the emergency operation headquarters told Tass that 10 out of 44 injured people were being treated in a hospital. Others have received medical attention at the scene. At least 16 people were still missing. "They could be located in the cinema halls that caved in," emergency service personnel told Tass. The fire has been brought under control and a criminal investigation into the cause of the incident is … [Read more...] about Russia: Shopping mall fire kills dozens in Siberia

Moscow, Russia - On Sunday evening, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani arrived in Moscow for a short work visit. On Monday he is to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the wars in Syria and Yemen and the situation in Palestine. The work visit comes amid a massive evacuation of civilians and fighters from Eastern Ghouta near the Syrian capital Damascus after Russia negotiated with rebel groups to leave the area for opposition-controlled Idlib province. According to Dmitry Frolovsky, a Moscow-based analyst, Putin and Sheikh Tamim will discuss Russia's position on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Qatari support for the opposition, and the possible participation of Qatar in post-conflict reconstruction of Syria. "There is going to be division of Syria and obviously the most powerful parties in Syria will be Russia and the United States. Qatar for various reasons will try to maintain stable contacts with both of the parties," Frolovsky said. In late January, a … [Read more...] about Qatari emir in Russia to discuss Syrian crisis