Norway Arrests Man Suspected of Spying for Russia

Norway’s intelligence service said Monday its agents had arrested a Norwegian man suspected of passing sensitive information to Russia. “The man is formally suspected of providing information to a foreign country that could damage fundamental national interests,” the PST intelligence agency wrote on Twitter. A PST official later confirmed the country in question was Russia.…

Russia Outlaws Children’s Criminal Underground Movement

Russia has blacklisted a popular informal movement that pushes youngsters into the criminal underground as an extremist organization, Interfax reported Monday. AUE (“Arestantsky. Uklad. Edin,” or “Prison. Order. Universal”) is based on prison culture and consists mostly of children and teenagers ruled indirectly by adult criminals. Authorities warn that AUE “poses a real threat to…

Belarus State TV Workers Join Anti-Lukashenko Strike

Belarusian state television and radio workers walked off the job Monday, becoming the latest public employees to support the opposition in calling for new elections after last week’s official results showed a landslide victory for strongman President Alexander Lukashenko. The unprecedented show of resistance comes after several state television presenters resigned last week in protest…

Russia Approaches 930K Coronavirus Cases

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Aug. 16

Russia has confirmed 922,853 cases of coronavirus and 15,685 deaths. Aug. 16: What you need to know today Vietnam’s health ministry is looking to buy a bulk order of Russia’s coronavirus vaccine, state media said on Friday, despite global skepticism over its effectiveness and safety. Russia said Saturday that it has produced the first batch of its coronavirus…

Draniki: Out of the Belarusian Frying Pan

Belarus is almost never in the news, let alone above the fold, but this week, Russia’s near neighbor gave the coronavirus a run for its money in front-page column inches as frustrated voters took to the streets to protest fraudulent election results.  With the country’s internet blocked and very few foreign correspondents accredited, grainy footage…

EU Approves Belarus Sanctions

European Union ministers agreed Friday to draw up a list of targets in Belarus for a new round of sanctions in response to strongman Alexander Lukashenko’s post-election crackdown. At a videoconference hosted by Brussels’ diplomatic chief Josep Borrell, the foreign ministers also agreed to take up the stand-off between Greece and Turkey at their next…

Belarus Sees Walkouts, Protest Calls After ‘Bloody’ Vote Crackdown

The main challenger in Belarus’s disputed presidential election called for mass weekend rallies and workers were walking off the job on Friday as defiance mounted against strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko. In a video address to supporters, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya accused Lukashenko’s regime of a “bloody massacre” in a crackdown on post-election protests, as people detained during…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Aug. 14

Russia has confirmed 912,823 cases of coronavirus and 15,498 deaths. Aug. 13: What you need to know today Vietnam’s health ministry is looking to buy a bulk order of Russia’s coronavirus vaccine, state media said on Friday, despite global skepticism over its effectiveness and safety. More than half of Russian doctors aren’t ready to get the country’s highly touted…

Russian Media Responds to Belarus Protest Crackdown

Tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators in Belarus have gathered in recent days to protest President Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed victory and the violent police crackdown that followed. Belarusians formed human chains in cities including Minsk, many wearing white and holding flowers, to protest against police brutality during the four nights of unrest after Sunday’s vote.…

Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Surpass 910K

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and Sverdlovsk in the Urals. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide…

Belarus: Symbols of the Opposition

White bracelets, flowers, a punched fist and a Soviet-era song: all have become symbols of opposition to the re-election of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to serve a sixth term. White The color white has become central in the protests sparked by Sunday’s vote, which have massed behind Lukashenko’s presidential challenger Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a 37-year-old English teacher by…

Tens of Thousands Rally in Belarus Against Post-Vote Crackdown

Tens of thousands of Belarusians staged a wave of peaceful protests on Thursday against President Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed re-election and an ensuing brutal police crackdown. In apparent concessions, Belarus announced the release of more than 1,000 detained protesters and the interior minister apologized to injured bystanders. European countries condemned the police violence, with the European…

Spent Nuclear Fuel Removed From Abandoned Soviet-Era Ship in ‘Major Milestone’

An international cleanup effort has helped remove spent nuclear fuel from a service ship abandoned after an accident in northwestern Russia, the Norwegian environmental organization Bellona announced Wednesday. The Lepse served the Soviet Union’s nuclear icebreaker fleet from 1934 until the 1980s, when it encountered rough seas and spilled highly radioactive waste inside its cargo…

Thousands Form Human Chains in Belarus After Post-Vote Crackdown

Thousands of protesters  formed human chains in Belarus on Thursday in a growing wave of peaceful demonstrations over President Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed re-election and an ensuing brutal police crackdown. Russia claimed the protests were being orchestrated from abroad to destabilise its ex-Soviet neighbour while European countries condemned police violence and backed fresh sanctions against Lukashenko.…

Workers at Major Belarus Plants Strike in Growing Protest Against Police Violence

Workers at two major automotive plants and several other companies in Belarus went on strike in protest against police violence following the country’s disputed election, local media reported Thursday. Thousands of Belarusians have taken to the streets in the five days since election officials declared strongman Alexander Lukashenko winner in Sunday’s polls. Authorities have detained…

MT’s Coronavirus Coverage Gets U.S. Journalism Nod

The Moscow Times’ coverage of Russia’s student recruitment to help battle the coronavirus following years of healthcare cuts has received an honorable mention from the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA). ASJA’s 2020 healthcare crisis coverage award went to the Center for Public Integrity’s investigation on healthcare policies on rationing ventilators in 25 U.S.…

Belarus Nobel-Winner Alexievich Urges Lukashenko to Go

Belarusian Nobel Prize-winning writer Svetlana Alexievich condemned police violence against protesters in her country and urged strongman Alexander Lukashenko to go peacefully in an interview published Wednesday. The 72-year-old author won the 2015 Nobel Literature Prize for her work chronicling the horrors of war and life under the repressive Soviet regime including the 1986 Chernobyl…

Russian Violinist and Conductor Spivakov Rejects Lukashenko Award Over Belarus Crackdown

Renowned Russian conductor and violinist Vladimir Spivakov will return an award from Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko due to police violence against protesters in the days since Belarus’ presidential election. Spivakov, 75, condemned the police crackdown in neighboring Belarus in an open letter published by the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper. More than 6,000 demonstrators have been…

Jailed Belarus Protester Dies During Crackdown

Belarus on Wednesday confirmed the death of a jailed protester as demonstrators took to the streets for a fourth night of clashes with riot police over a disputed presidential election. Riot police have roughly detained thousands at street protests across the country after long-serving leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in Sunday’s poll. The…

Belarus: Days of Post-Election Turmoil

A crushing re-election victory for Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko followed by anti-government protests, violent police repression and the opposition challenger taking refuge in Lithuania — here is a recap of the dramatic events in the ex-Soviet country since Sunday. Vote sparks violence  On Aug. 9, 2020, Lukashenko, 65, who has ruled Belarus with an iron…

Dozens of Journalists Attacked or Detained Amid Violent Belarus Crackdown

Scores of journalists have been assaulted or detained by security officers in Belarus while covering protests against the country’s contested election, the Belarusian Association of Journalists said Wednesday. The Belarusian interior ministry said more than 6,000 protesters have been detained during the three nights of post-election unrest and around 250 sought medical assistance. Here’s a…