Scientists have discovered a luxurious private spa complex at an excavation site in Pompeii. As noted by The Guardian and the BBC , this is perhaps one of the largest such finds. A private spa was found in one of the rich areas of the city on Via de Nola. It is located in the very center of a large residence, in the area of ​​which a group of archaeologists have been working on excavations for the past two years.

News The Insider January 17, 2025 The new director of the Pushkin Museum. A.S. Pushkin was appointed head of the ROSIZO museum and exhibition center, Olga Galaktionova. Elizaveta Likhacheva, who led the museum since 2023, resigned. The reasons for this decision were not officially stated.

In Finland, independent candidate Hanna Tiainen was removed from the elections for speaking out about the conflict in Ukraine. This was reported by Yle. The regional leadership of the Union of Left Forces in Pirkanmaa withdrew his candidacy from municipal and regional elections due to an article published on December 29 in the newspaper Aamulehti. In the article, Tiainen called Russia's war against Ukraine a "special operation" and criticized NATO.

They came to the home of politician Ilya Yashin with a search. Yashin reported this on his Telegram channel. According to him, the search is related to a criminal case for which he was previously wanted. A criminal case was initiated on December 5 under Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation due to the politician’s refusal to recognize himself as a foreign agent. After the search, Yashin’s parents were interrogated by the investigative department.

Earlier today, scientific director of the Institute of Water Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Viktor Danilov-Danilyan, called the fuel oil spill in the Black Sea “the most serious environmental disaster in Russia since the beginning of the 21st century.” The tankers Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 sank in the Kerch Strait on December 15. About 8 thousand tons of “heavy” heating oil ended up in the sea. This was the first such incident in the world.

The cost of transporting oil from Russia to China has surged nearly threefold compared to levels observed before Jan. 10 — the date the U.S. Treasury unveiled sweeping new measures targeting Russia’s “shadow fleet.” Freight rates are expected to climb even higher, according to market participants cited by Bloomberg .

The Chinese port of Longkou, located in Shandong Province, has received the first tanker named on the list of vessels sanctioned by the United States on Jan. 10. According to a report by the British shipping journal Lloyd's List , the Panamanian-flagged tanker Mermar spent four days off the province’s coast before entering the port on Jan. 15 to deliver its cargo: Russian oil.

Viktor Danilov-Danilyan, head of the Institute of Water Problems at the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), has called the recent Black Sea oil spill “the most serious environmental disaster in Russia since the beginning of the 21st century.” His comments came in an interview with Kommersant published on Jan. 17. The story began on Dec. 15, when two tankers — Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 — sank in the Kerch Strait , releasing approximately 8,000 tons of heavy fuel oil into the Black Sea.

News The Insider January 17, 2025 The judge of the Petushinsky Court of the Vladimir Region sentenced Alexei Navalny's lawyers Vadim Kobzev, Alexey Liptser and Igor Sergunin to terms of five and a half, three and a half and five years in prison, respectively, Mediazona reports . The lawyers were found guilty under the article on participation in the activities of an “extremist organization” (FBK).

Society Maria Alekseeva 17 January 2025 For the first time in 50 years, Syrians celebrated the New Year not under the Assads. A month after the overthrow of one of the Middle East's most authoritarian regimes, the country has largely returned to normal. Immigrants have already begun to return to Syria, but it is still difficult to call the situation calm.

News The Insider January 17, 2025 The Joe Biden administration has declassified a report on support for drone production in Ukraine. As follows from the documents, Washington, in addition to providing technical assistance, spent at least $1.5 billion on this project, writes The New York Times. The Americans sent the corresponding amount to Kyiv in September last year. The money was allocated to support drone manufacturers and purchase parts.

A judge from the Petushki District Court in Russia’s Vladimir Region has sentenced Alexei Navalny’s lawyers — Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser, and Igor Sergunin — to 5.5 years, 3.5 years, and 5 years in prison, respectively, according to a report by the independent outlet Mediazona .

The consequences of the sinking of two tankers in the Black Sea became the “most serious” environmental disaster in Russia since the beginning of the 21st century. This assessment was expressed in a conversation with Kommersant by the scientific director of the Institute of Water Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Viktor Danilov-Danilyan.

A member of the Yabloko party, Lev Shlosberg, was issued a resolution to be charged as a defendant in the case of “failure to fulfill the duties of a foreign agent” (Part 2 of Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). He is under recognizance not to leave the place. This was reported by the investigative department of the RF Investigative Committee for the Pskov region.

POLITICS Liza Shishko 17 January 2025 While much of Syria celebrates the fall of the Assad regime, the mood in the country’s north is grim. Seizing the moment of chaos, Turkey and its proxy, the Syrian National Army, have launched a large-scale offensive against the region’s Kurds. In just a matter of days, the autonomous region has lost two significant cities: Tell Rifaat and Manbij. For the past decade, the Kurds have operated in Syria as a de facto quasi-independent state.