Vladimir Putin has phoned Elton John and proposed a meeting, according to the Kremlin.
Elton John has said he wants to talk to the Russian president about his “ridiculous” attitude to gay rights.
The British star previously fell victim to pranksters who impersonated Vladimir Putin on the phone.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media that President Vladimir Putin had this time called Elton John and asked him not to be offended by the hoax.
Vladimir Putin said on September 24 he was ready to meet Elton John – when their schedules allowed it – and discuss “any issues of interest” to the singer, Dmitry Peskov said.
Russia has faced international criticism for its laws against gay rights.
A report by Human Rights Watch in 2014 said Russia was failing to prevent and prosecute homophobic violence amid a rise in attacks against minorities.
Prankster Vladimir Krasnov admitted his involvement in the hoax phone call to Elton John.
He told Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda that he made the call with his sidekick Alexei Stolyarov, known as “Lexus”.
Toyota and Nissan have announced new vehicle recalls.
Toyota is calling back 615,000 Sienna minivans in the US to fix a lever problem that could cause vehicles to shift out of park mode “without the driver depressing the brake pedal”.
Toyota said that it was aware of 24 “minor accidents” due to the issue.
Meanwhile, Nissan said it is recalling 908,900 vehicles globally due to a flaw in an accelerator sensor but added that no accidents had been reported.
Toyota’s recall applies to models made during 2004 to 2005 and 2007 to 2009
Nissan said the accelerator pedal’s sensor could become unstable, leading to a less-than-intended acceleration. It added that in a worst case scenario, the engine could stall.
Its recall affects Infiniti M, Serena, X-Trail, Lafesta and Fuga models produced in Japan between 2004 and 2013.
Toyota’s recall applies to models made during 2004 to 2005 and 2007 to 2009.
This is the second time in a month that Toyota has issued a recall of its vehicles in the US market.
Earlier in September, Toyota issued a recall for more than 780,000 vehicles in the US to address a suspension defect in its RAV4 and Lexus HS 250h models, on fears that an initial recall last year did not fix the problem
Toyota has decided to recall 780,584 vehicles in the US for a second time to address a suspension defect that may not have been fixed after a recall last year.
The rear suspension arm in affected vehicles may rust, leading to eventual failure, if nuts are not tightened properly during service.
The US safety watchdog said this could “cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash”.
The models affected are the RAV4 sport utility vehicle and the Lexus HS 250h.
The RAV4 models covered by the recall were manufactured between 2006 and 2011, and the Lexus vehicles affected are the ones made between October 2005 and September 2010.
Toyota is recalling 780,584 vehicles in the US for a second time to address a suspension defect
Toyota first recalled the vehicles in August last year to carry out repairs on the affected parts.
However, in a letter sent to dealers, which was posted on the safety agency’s website, Toyota said that it had received reports “indicating that some vehicles experienced symptoms of the recalled condition after being inspected or repaired”.
“Upon investigation, it was discovered that some inspections were not adequate and portions of the repair procedure may not have been performed correctly,” it added.
As part of the new inspection it has asked its dealers to replace suspension arms if any rust is found on them.
“After the inspection or replacement, the rear suspension alignment will be set and the arms will be sealed with an epoxy,” it said.
Toyota said it would then apply labels on the arms to indicate that they are no longer adjustable.
The recall comes just as Toyota has been trying to rebuild its image after a spate of recalls due to safety concerns in the past few years.
This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with EU GDPR 2016/679. Please read this to review the updates about which personal data we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated policy. AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
