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Russia’s Torture Complaints Doubled Since 2018, Rights Official Says

Complaints of torture in Russia’s penal system have doubled over the past year, the country’s top human rights official has said. Russian law enforcement has been rocked by several torture scandals in recent years, with reported victims including LGBT people in Chechnya, Jehovah’s Witnesses and prisoners. Recent polling has said that one in 10 Russians…

Obama Didn’t Keep His Promises, Putin Says

Former U.S. President Barack Obama did not keep his promises made while he was in office, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said in an interview with American filmmaker Oliver Stone. The interview appears in a Ukrainian-American director’s documentary scheduled to premiere on Russian state television next week. “You know, Obama is no longer president, but…

Russia Negotiated $65M Payment to Help Italian Far-Right in Elections – BuzzFeed

Russian operatives sought to funnel $65 million into the European election campaign of a far-right Italian politician they described as the “European Trump,” BuzzFeed News has reported, citing leaked recordings of negotiations. Italy’s media have repeatedly suggested that the League, the country’s most popular party, has received financial backing from Moscow. Party leader Matteo Salvini,…

Moscow Tracks Commuters’ Movements in ‘China-Style’ Surveillance Scheme

Moscow City Hall is tracking people’s movements based on their taxi and metro rides, as well as cellphone data and CCTV footage, a city official has told BBC Russia, in a scheme that has alarmed critics and drawn comparisons to China. The city government has spent $8 million since 2015 on acquiring commuters’ location data…

Crimean Tatar Protesters Detained on Moscow’s Red Square

Russian police detained seven Crimean Tatars on Moscow’s Red Square on Wednesday after dispersing a demonstration that had aimed to draw attention to alleged rights abuses on the Black Sea peninsula which Russia annexed from Ukraine five years ago. The Tatars, a mainly Muslim community that makes up about 15% of Crimea’s population, have largely…

Russia’s Political Prisoner Population Grew Sixfold in 4 Years – NGO

The number of political prisoners in Russia has grown sixfold since 2015, a prominent member of the pro-democracy movement Open Russia has said. Russia’s Memorial human rights group currently estimates there are 297 political prisoners in Russia, up from 50 four years ago. It lists 77 of the most high-profile cases on its website, including Crimean filmmaker…

Wind Turbines Ignore Birds’ Interests, Putin Says

Russian President Vladimir Putin questioned on Tuesday the use of wind power, saying wind turbines were harmful to birds and worms. Russia, a world-leading producer of fossil fuel, is lagging other countries in its development of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind-powered energy. Wind power is rarely used in the country to generate…

Russian Nuclear Sub Wreck’s Radiation 100K Higher Than Normal, Scientists Say

Norwegian scientists have discovered radiation levels 100,000 times higher than normal near a Soviet-era nuclear submarine that sank 30 years ago in the Arctic, Norway’s TV2 broadcaster reported Tuesday. The Komsomolets sank in a section of the Barents Sea considered to be one of the world’s largest fishing areas in 1989, killing 42 of its…

Russia Failed to Protect Woman Who Suffered Years of Domestic Abuse, European Court Says

Russia failed to protect a woman from repeated acts of violence by her former partner, the European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday, saying her case showed that Moscow was not facing up to its domestic abuse problem. Valeriya Volodina, who now uses a different name for security reasons, was assaulted, kidnapped and stalked…

Moscow Ranks 3rd Worldwide for Number of Public Wi-Fi Spots – Study

Russia’s capital ranks third among major cities worldwide for its availability of free public Wi-Fi hotspots, according to a recent report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Moscow surpassed New York, Tokyo and London in the ranking, published ahead of the Moscow Urban Forum. The Russian capital fell behind South Korea’s tech-savvy capital of Seoul in second…

Moscow Ranks 3rd Worldwide for Free Wi-Fi

Russia’s capital ranks third among major cities worldwide for its availability of free public Wi-Fi hotspots, according to a recent report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Moscow surpassed New York, Tokyo and London in the ranking, published ahead of the Moscow Urban Forum. The Russian capital fell behind South Korea’s tech-savvy capital of Seoul in second…

Russia Goes to WTO With Complaint About U.S. Steel Dumping Duties

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Russia’s 100 Richest Officials Earned $1.1Bln Last Year – Forbes

The 100 wealthiest civil servants and lawmakers in Russia earned a collective 71 billion rubles ($1.1 billion) last year, Forbes Russia has said. The last time Forbes Russia published the ranking in 2017, only 50 government officials were ranked, earning a combined windfall of 35 billion rubles. The highest earner in the latest ranking was…

Crime, Torture and Punishment in a Moscow Suburb

On a Wednesday morning late last May in Barybino, a drab town in the Moscow suburbs, a passerby spotted a body wrapped in black garbage bags floating in a pond by the main street.  Police soon determined it was the corpse of a 38-year-old man named Dmitry Serbinov. Although he wasn’t a resident of Barybino,…

Putin Opposes Georgian Sanctions, Saying He Does Not Want to Complicate Relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in televised comments on Tuesday that he did not support a parliamentary call to impose tough economic sanctions on Georgia. The Russian parliament unanimously backed a resolution earlier on Tuesday urging the government to draw up sanctions against Georgia, a move that would sharply escalate a political crisis between the…

Putin Aide’s Assistant Sent Classified Info Abroad Before Treason Arrest – Reports

A Russian presidential aide’s assistant who was arrested last week allegedly passed sensitive details abroad from security meetings chaired by President Vladimir Putin, the Znak.com news website has reported. Alexander Vorobyov, an assistant to Nikolai Tsukanov, Putin’s envoy to the Urals Federal District, was detained on charges of state treason on Thursday. Tsukanov is listed…

Russian Journalist Charged for ‘Controlling Minds’ With ‘1984’ Reference

A journalist in Siberia has been accused of “controlling minds” with a reference to George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984” in a milestone case in Russia’s legal system, the Kommersant business daily reported on Tuesday. Police in Russia’s republic of Sakha had accused Mikhail Romanov, a reporter for the Yakutsk Vecherniy weekly, of “affecting the human…

Arctic’s Biggest Air Polluter Distributes $3.7Bln Cash Dividends to Owners

The annual general shareholders meeting of Norilsk Nickel, the world’s largest producer of palladium and one of the largest producers of nickel, platinum and copper, approved the final dividends for 2018 at a rate of 792 rubles ($12.25) per ordinary share, or about $1.9 billion in total.  In addition to the interim dividends of $1.8…

Russian Parliament Calls for Sanctions on ‘Unfriendly’ Georgia

The Russian parliament on Tuesday unanimously backed a resolution urging the government to draw up tough economic sanctions against Georgia, a move that would sharply escalate a political crisis between the neighbors. The proposed sanctions would ban imports of Georgian wine and mineral water and halt financial remittances back home by Georgians working in Russia…

Ukraine’s Ex-Leader Wanted to Cling to Power, Putin Tells Oliver Stone

Ukraine’s former president sought to maintain his grip on power by stoking a diplomatic crisis ahead of this spring’s elections, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said in a new interview with Hollywood director Oliver Stone. The Russian Navy captured 24 Ukrainian sailors and their three vessels in the Kerch Strait in November 2018, straining already…

Russian Court Rules to Keep U.S. Investor Calvey Under House Arrest

A court in Moscow ruled on Monday to keep U.S. investor Michael Calvey under house arrest until Oct. 13, Interfax reported. Calvey, the founder of the Baring Vostok private equity group, was detained in February pending a trial on embezzlement charges. He denies wrongdoing and says the case is a way of pressuring him in…

Drug Charges Are ‘Routinely’ Falsified in Russia, Most Russians Say

A majority of Russians believe that police routinely fabricate drug charges, according to results published by the independent Levada Center polling agency Tuesday. The survey was conducted in the wake of the high-profile drug trafficking arrest — and subsequent release over insufficient evidence — of investigative journalist Ivan Golunov last month. Critics said the charges…

3 Journalists Detained Outside Putin’s Residence

Three Russian opposition media journalists have been detained outside Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence west of Moscow, the MBKh Media news website reported on Monday. Putin moved into his Novo-Ogaryovo residence in Usovo, a settlement on the Rublyovo-Uspenskoye Highway, during his first presidential term in the early 2000s. MBKh Media said the Federal Guard Service…

Ukraine Suspects Treason in Scrapped Teleconference With Russia

Ukrainian authorities have opened a criminal case into treason following a now-abandoned proposal for a joint online conference with Russian state television to help end the war in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine’s NewsOne channel and Russia’s state-run Rossia 24 broadcaster planned to host a videolink dialogue between ordinary citizens of the countries before the Ukrainian broadcaster…

Russia Approves ‘Shortest’ Europe-China Highway – Reports

The Russian government has approved construction plans for a toll highway that will dramatically cut cargo shipping times between Europe and China, the Vedomosti business daily reported. Russia is pursuing an ambitious infrastructure plan in President Vladimir Putin’s current presidential term, including developing its portion of the strategic China-Western Europe transport corridor. Russia has reportedly…

Ukraine’s President Wants to Meet Putin in Minsk

Ukraine’s new president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said on Monday he was ready to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Minsk for talks that he said should also involve Germany, Britain, the United States and France. Relations between Ukraine and Russia have been very strained since Moscow’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and its support…

Russian Sailors Killed in Nuclear Sub Fire May Have Averted ‘Global Catastrophe’ – Official

The 14 Russian sailors killed in last week’s nuclear submarine fire may have prevented a “planetary catastrophe,” a high-ranking officer has reportedly said at their funeral ceremony this weekend. The sailors were killed on July 1 when a fire broke out as their deep-water research submarine was surveying the seafloor near the Arctic, the Russian…

Georgian TV Host Ignites Backlash for On-Air Putin Insults

A Georgian television host has stirred controversy with profanity-laden remarks against Russian President Vladimir Putin live on air, prompting protests and leading the channel to suspend broadcasting. The controversy occurred amid weeks of violent protests in the former Soviet republic following a visit by a Russian lawmaker. The protests quickly devolved into a double crisis,…

Russia to Deport Togolese National Facing Death Penalty at Home

A former presidential guard from the West African nation of Togo who faces the death penalty for helping his country’s opposition will be deported from Russia, Moscow-based activists have said. Russia has for the past five years denied refugee status to Bozobeyidou Batoma, 42, a former member of the Togolese commando guard force, Russia’s Civic…

Over 500 Civilians Dead After Russian-Led Assault in Syria

At least 544 civilians have been killed and over 2,000 people injured since a Russian-led assault on the last rebel bastion in northwestern Syria began two months ago, rights groups and rescuers said on Saturday. Russian jets joined the Syrian army on April 26 in the biggest offensive against parts of rebel-held Idlib province and adjoining…

Protests in Shiyes: How a Garbage Dump Galvanized Russia’s Civil Society

Shiyes is the name of a small train station on Russia’s Northern Railway, located some 1,200 kilometers north-east of Moscow. It used to be the site of a logging camp that was officially shut down in 1974. A few people stayed on, until the very last resident packed up and left in 2002.  Muscovites probably…

Houses of the Future: What Kind of Homes Do Millenials Want?

The Moscow Urban Forum took place this week, hosting 8,500 people passionate about urbanism and architecture from 69 different countries.

One of the topics that captured the audience’s attention was about the kinds of homes that should be built for the millennial generation, to satisfy their needs while respecting the environment.

Libya Arrests 2 Russians Accused of Trying to Influence Vote

Libyan security forces arrested two Russian nationals accused of trying to influence upcoming elections in the North African oil-exporter, according to a document obtained by Bloomberg. The letter from state prosecutors for the internationally recognized government in Tripoli said the Russians had been involved in “securing a meeting” with Saif al-Islam al-Qaddafi, the fugitive son…

5 Russian Security Officers Arrested for Robbery

Five Russian security service officers have been arrested and two placed under house arrest by a military court in Moscow on charges of robbery, Interfax reported on Friday. Previous conflicting reports had said six unnamed Federal Security Service (FSB) officers had been detained on suspicion of either embezzlement or robbery on Thursday.  After initially reporting…

Russian Factory Workers Protest Sanctions at U.S. Envoy’s Residence

On July Fourth, 50 workers from the GAZ van maker’s Nizhny Novgorod factory rallied on behalf of their 40,000-strong workforce in front of the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Moscow. Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska and his van maker were slapped with U.S. sanctions in April 2018. While a decision on lifting sanctions against the company has…

Putin Aide’s Assistant Detained on Treason Charges

An assistant to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide in the Urals has been detained on suspicion of state treason, news outlets have reported Friday. The Federal Security Service (FSB) said earlier in the day it had taken Alexander Vorobyov into custody on treason charges on Thursday. He faces 12-20 years in prison and fines up to…

Putin Bestows Top State Honors on Sailors Killed in Submarine Fire

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday bestowed top state honors on 14 sailors killed in a fire on a secret nuclear submarine in recognition of what the Russian military has called their outstanding bravery. The sailors were killed on Monday when a fire broke out while their deep-water research submarine was carrying out a survey…

NATO Says There Is No Breakthrough With Russia on INF Treaty Dispute

NATO and Russia did not make significant progress on saving the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) in talks at the alliance headquarters on Friday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. Barring a last-minute decision by Russia to destroy a new medium-range missile that NATO says violates the INF, the United States is set to pull out…

Super-Secret Russian Submarine Will Be Repaired and Returned to Service

Sergey Shoigu met with President Putin on Thursday morning after visiting Severomorsk, the Northern Fleet headquarters on Wednesday. According to the defense minister, the special purpose submarine can be fully restored and returned to service. “The constructors of the vessel and industry representatives have been engaged in order to estimate the work volume and time…

Moscow Unveils Plans for ‘Europe’s Tallest’ Apartment Tower

The race to claim Europe’s tallest buildings is on, and it’s being fought on Russian soil. Moscow City Hall has announced plans on Friday to build the tallest apartment tower in Europe a year after the city lost its claim to Europe’s tallest building to St. Petersburg. Officials say the 101-story “One Tower” will stand…

Russia’s Bid to Win a Firmer Foothold in Ukraine Is Falling Flat

Russian efforts to boost influence over Ukraine at its neighbor’s election this month are making little headway. Ties between the one-time allies remain at a nadir after protesters in Kiev unseated the country’s Kremlin-backed leader in 2014 and Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea before fomenting a war in which he still denies involvement. That’s left Ukraine…

Putin’s Approval Rating Steadily Increases to 68%, Survey Says

President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating has grown in recent months but remains at pre-Crimean annexation lows, an independent Levada Center polling agency survey said on Friday. Putin’s approval ratings have hovered in the mid-to-low 60s since he enacted unpopular reforms gradually increasing Russians’ retirement ages last summer. Putin’s job approval has climbed to 68 percent…

Russia to Press Ahead With Release of Captive Whales Despite Outcry

Russian research scientists defended the way they released eight whales back into the wild last week and said on Thursday they would release scores more of the captive animals in the same way despite anger from environmental groups. Russia returned two killer and six beluga whales to their natural habitat in the Sea of Okhotsk…

Putin, Visiting Italy, Says Wants Rome to Help Mend Moscow-EU Ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he hoped Italy would battle to restore fully fledged relations between the European Union and Russia and help persuade the bloc’s new leadership that sanctions on Moscow were counter-productive. Putin, speaking at a news conference after holding talks with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in Rome, said Russia…

Russian Workers Rap Against Sanctions, Protest at U.S. Envoy’s Residence

Factory workers from U.S. sanctions-hit van maker GAZ performed an anti-sanctions rap song and staged a picket outside the U.S. Embassy in Moscow during its July Fourth celebration. Workers from GAZ’s Yaroslavl factory had this week filmed a music video for the anti-sanctions song, which uses the beat from rapper Coolio’s 1990s hit “Gangsta’s Paradise.”…

Russia Certifies European University at St. Petersburg’s Master’s Programs

Russia’s state education watchdog has issued accreditation to one of the country’s leading private universities’ master’s degree programs after a three-year lapse. The watchdog, Rosobrnadzor, stripped the European University at St. Petersburg (EUSP) of its accreditation and revoked its license over building code violations in 2016, taking over its main campus in early 2018. It restored…

Opposition Barred From St. Petersburg Election Ahead of Vote

Opposition politicians are facing mounting challenges from officials in St. Petersburg in getting on the ballot ahead of local elections this fall, Russian media outlets have reported. Voters in over a dozen Russian regions and cities, including St. Petersburg, will head to the polls in September to elect their executive and legislative representatives. Observers have…