Month: January 2021

The United States has sentenced a West Virginia woman to 11 years in federal prison for trying to sell classified information to Russia while attempting to kidnap her daughter from the girl’s custodial father to Mexico.   Elizabeth Jo Shirley, 47, was accused “of breaching trust of the American people” by attempting to sell classified information…

Russia has confirmed 3,756,931 cases of coronavirus and 70,482 deaths. Jan. 26: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 18,241 new coronavirus cases and 564 deaths. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) will supply Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine to Malaysia, the state-run TASS news agency reported Tuesday citing Russian ambassador to Malaysia Nail Latypov.  Mexico agreed…

President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia’s lower-house speaker to draft a legal ban on comparisons between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, according to a Kremlin statement published Saturday. Putin instructed State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin to draft by July 1 amendments to Russia’s law cementing Soviet victory over Nazi Germany that would “prohibit publicly…

President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia’s lower-house speaker to draft a legal ban on comparisons between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, according to a Kremlin statement published Saturday. Putin instructed State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin to draft by July 1 amendments to Russia’s law cementing Soviet victory over Nazi Germany that would “prohibit publicly…

A St. Petersburg woman who was kicked in the stomach by police during protests demanding opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s release from jail will press charges against the officer, she told the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper. A viral video from Saturday’s nationwide rallies showed Margarita Yudina, 54, collapsing on the pavement after being kicked by a…

President Joe Biden said Monday he is “very concerned” by Moscow’s crackdown on opposition leader Alexei Navalny and other actions, but said the United States and Russia need to cooperate on nuclear arms control. Speaking after mass arrests of people demonstrating across Russia this weekend against President Vladimir Putin and the jailing of Navalny, Biden said he was “very…

Japan has offered to cooperate on Arctic shipments and agricultural imports from the sparsely populated Russian Far East, the state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported Monday. The “new concept of cooperation” comes amid Tokyo’s years-long efforts to return a disputed Pacific island chain that Moscow has held since the end of World War II. According…

Brussels foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday he will press for the release of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny during a visit to Moscow next month — but EU members steered clear of seeking fresh sanctions. “This will be a good opportunity to discuss with my Russian counterpart all relevant issues, to pass clear messages…

The managing partner of U.S consultancy McKinsey & Company’s Moscow office has messaged his staff “clarifying” an earlier email banning them from attending an unsanctioned protest for jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.  “Some of you have raised concerns about my email to the office yesterday. I admit that the Firm’s policy was incorrectly reflected in…

A Russian social media star with millions of followers has been kicked out of Bali for holding a party on the Indonesian holiday island that broke virus rules, authorities said Monday. Sergey Kosenko’s deportation comes days after Bali officials sent a gay American couple home after the women called the island “queer friendly” in tweets…

Nationwide protests in support of Alexei Navalny will continue next Sunday, the jailed opposition leader’s top aide Leonid Volkov said Monday. “On Jan. 31 at 12:00 p.m. All Russian cities. For Navalny’s freedom. For freedom for all. For justice. More details to come,” Volkov tweeted. Protests swept across more than 100 Russian cities on Saturday,…

President Vladimir Putin denied ownership of a $1.3 billion seaside palace in his first public reaction to jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s viral video investigation that helped spark nationwide protests. Navalny’s feature-length video, which alleges that Putin’s inner circle had funded the lavish property through an elaborate corruption scheme, has racked up 86 million views…

Western powers were quick to condemn Russia’s use of force during Saturday’s nationwide rallies in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, with European leaders calling for tighter sanctions on Moscow. While some leaders criticized what they called harsh tactics by Russian police, others backed economic measures to target Russian corporations and officials. Russian officials,…

The Kremlin on Sunday accused the United States of interfering in Russia’s domestic affairs and downplayed the scale of the weekend’s protests, when tens of thousands rallied in support of jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny. More than 3,500 demonstrators were detained in protests across the country on Saturday, with several injured in clashes with police in…

More than 3,300 protesters were arrested at demonstrations in support of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, a monitor reported Sunday, as prosecutors probed possible violence “on the part of law enforcement.” Police clashed with demonstrators in Moscow as tens of thousands took to the streets across the country on Saturday following Navalny’s call to protest…

Russia has confirmed 3,719,400 cases of coronavirus and 69,462 deaths. Jan. 24: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 21,127 new coronavirus cases and 491 deaths. Hungary said on Friday it had reached a deal to buy large quantities of Russia’s Sputnik V virus vaccine, even though it has not been approved by the European Union. The…

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in over 100 towns and cities across Russia on Saturday to demand the release of jailed Putin critic Alexei Navalny in one of the broadest waves of nationwide protest the country has seen in recent years. The anti-corruption campaigner, 44, called for demonstrations after being jailed…

Russians nationwide are taking to the streets of at least 85 cities in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was jailed this week upon his defiant return to Russia. Navalny, who had been recovering in Germany from what Western scientists determined to be poisoning by the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok, asked his supporters to…

The Moscow office of leading U.S. consultancy McKinsey & Company banned its staff from attending an unauthorized protest in the capital in support of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Saturday and warned them against voicing online support, according to an email sent to McKinsey personnel seen by The Moscow Times. Russians nationwide took to the…

Russians nationwide are set to take to the streets in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was jailed this week upon his defiant return to Russia. Navalny, who had been recovering in Germany from what Western scientists determined to be poisoning by the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok, asked his supporters to protest against his…

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has said he does not plan to commit suicide and thanked his supporters in his first statement since being jailed in one of Moscow’s most notorious prisons upon his return to Russia. Navalny was sentenced to a month in jail this week after returning from Germany, where he had been recovering…

Russia and the United States drew closer Friday to extending a nuclear pact ahead of the fast approaching expiry date of the last arms control accord between the former Cold War rivals. The New START treaty, which is due to expire on Feb. 5, is seen as a rare opportunity for compromise between Moscow and…

A Far East Russian court has dismissed a criminal case against children’s hospital staff blamed for a mass hepatitis C outbreak, the Kommersant business daily reported Friday. Investigators alleged that 169 children had been infected through unsterile gloves and catheters at the pediatric hospital in the Amur region city of Blagoveshchensk between 2009-2018. Three doctors…

Russians are among the most skeptical in the world toward coronavirus vaccines, according to Gallup International poll results cited by the Kommersant business daily Friday. Just 30% of Russian respondents said they believe that most of their compatriots would receive the Covid-19 vaccine if it was widely available and proven to be safe and effective.…

Social media platforms are taking down Russians’ calls to protest in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny over the government’s claims that they illegally incite minors to attend unauthorized rallies. Navalny was detained and jailed for a month shortly after returning to Russia from Germany, where he had been hospitalized with what Western scientists…

Russia’s top opposition leader Alexei Navalny has dominated the headlines this week following his defiant return to Russia from Germany. The anti-corruption campaigner arrived in Moscow on Sunday from Germany, where he had spent the last six months recovering from a Novichok poisoning. Upon his arrival, Navalny was swiftly detained and taken to a police…

European Council chief Charles Michel demanded the “immediate release” of Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny in a call with President Vladimir Putin on Friday. The EU had already condemned an attempt to assassinate Navalny and his arrest on his return to Russia after treatment, but Michel has now expressed “grave concerns” directly to Putin. And Michel told…

Several allies of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny have been imprisoned or fined on the eve of nationwide protests in his support this Saturday. At least 150,000 people have signed up for the rallies in Navalny’s support across 70 Russian cities, marking “going” or “interested” on Facebook and Vkontakte event pages. Organizers also aimed the…

Three people were killed Friday in a gas explosion at a mine in the Russian region of Siberia, prosecutors said. “During operations, there was a sudden release of gas, which resulted in three people being buried under rubble,” the Kemerovo region prosecutor’s office said. They said in a statement said that 44 people were working…

Putin critic Alexei Navalny is banking on his popularity to bring thousands to the streets on Saturday to protest his incarceration on his dramatic return to Russia after months in Germany recovering from a poisoning attack.  In a country that has excluded him from its political system for almost a decade it’s almost impossible to…

The Kremlin seeks to imprison poisoned and jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny for 13 and a half years in an attempt to derail his movement, Bloomberg reported Friday. The new threat of lengthy incarceration marks a departure from the Kremlin’s previous strategy of jailing him for no more than a few weeks at a time.…

The Kremlin seeks to imprison poisoned and jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny for as much as 13 and a half years in an attempt to derail his movement, Bloomberg reported Friday. The new threat of lengthy incarceration marks a departure from the Kremlin’s previous strategy of jailing him for no more than a few weeks…

Russia has confirmed 3,677,352 cases of coronavirus and 68,412 deaths. Jan. 22: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 21,513 new coronavirus cases and 580 deaths. The UAE’s Health Ministry has given emergency authorization to Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, the shot’s developers confirmed Thursday. The UAE is the first Middle East nation to use Russia’s jab…

Albania’s foreign ministry said Thursday it had expelled a Russian diplomat over repeated failures to respect coronavirus infection control measures that “cannot be tolerated.” Declared “persona non grata,” the man named as Alexey Krivosheev “is required to leave the country within 72 hours,” Tirana said in a statement. Officials from the ministry had repeatedly asked…

Russia plans to squeeze Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty out of the country with steep fines in an escalating conflict between the Kremlin and the United States, which funds the news organization, the New York Times reported Thursday. Russia’s media regulator reportedly signaled its intention to issue 130 notices of violations against RFE/RL for failing to…

New U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday proposed a five-year extension with Russia of New START, the last remaining nuclear reduction treaty between the powers, but vowed to pressure Moscow on other fronts. The treaty, which has limited the United States and Russia to 1,550 nuclear warheads each, expires on February 5 after negotiations stagnated…

Russian authorities rounded up leading opposition activists and key Alexei Navalny allies Thursday evening, ahead of nationwide protests the Kremlin critic’s operation is organizing for Saturday. Activist Lyubov Sobol — who became the face of Moscow’s Summer 2019 protests in Moscow after she was blocked from running for city council — was detained for inciting…

The EU Parliament on Thursday called for an end to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project over the arrest of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny. MEPs also called for sanctions against “Russian oligarchs” and allies of President Vladimir Putin, in response to the arrest of Navalny upon his return to Russia on Sunday. The EU…

NASA is considering reducing its presence in Russia under new U.S. President Joe Biden, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported Thursday. In addition to its liaison office in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, NASA reportedly has around 90 employees and Russian service staff in Russia’s space agency Roscosmos and other spaceflight offices around Moscow.…

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Thursday ruled that Russia committed a series of rights violations, including torture and preventing people returning to their homes, in the wake of its 2008 war against Georgia. The five-day conflict in August 2008 between Russia and the pro-Western Georgian government ended with Russian troops stationed in…

Germany has offered Russia support in Moscow’s development of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday. Russian authorities said Wednesday they have applied for registration of Sputnik V in the European Union. “Beyond all the political differences that are currently large, we can nevertheless work together in a pandemic, in a humanitarian area,” Merkel…

Russia’s republic of Bashkortostan will introduce Covid-19 passports from Feb. 5, becoming the first region of the country to do so, Governor Radiy Khabirov announced. The electronic document and an associated QR code will be automatically issued to residents with Covid-19 antibodies through the Gosuslugi.ru government portal.  “A person who received the vaccine would be…

Russian police threatened to prosecute those who spread calls to join nationwide protests in support of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny amid the authorities’ campaign to discourage attendance, Interfax reported Thursday. Unauthorized rallies are scheduled in at least 50 Russian cities this Saturday, galvanized by Navalny’s arrest upon his return from treatment in Germany for…

Russia has drastically cut funding for anti-domestic violence initiatives following years of dwindling financing in favor of non-government organizations that promote conservative values, the Open Media investigative outlet reported Thursday. The outlet found that all but one out of an estimated dozen domestic violence crisis centers and legal aid organizations were rejected in 2021 as…

The mayor of Russia’s capital Moscow on Thursday announced a “significant” easing of coronavirus restrictions citing the success of the vaccination campaign. Starting Friday, Moscow will reopen its museums and libraries, while theaters and cinemas will be allowed to accommodate more visitors, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. He said colleges, sports schools and children’s clubs will resume…

An extravagant Black Sea mansion alleged to belong to President Vladimir Putin got renewed attention this week after a viral investigation by opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The Praskoveyevka estate in southern Russia cost 100 billion rubles ($1.35 billion) to construct and is 39 times the size of Monaco, Navalny said in the video released after…

A young Russian conscript has been sentenced to 24 and a half years in prison Thursday for gunning down eight fellow soldiers in what he said was retaliation to hazing, Russian media reported. Ramil Shamsutdinov, 22, was arrested in the fall of 2019 on murder charges at a military base where he had served in…

Young Russians have flooded TikTok with calls to rally in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny this weekend, prompting the state censor to urge the popular short-video app’s administrators to take them down. Navalny called for nationwide street protests this Saturday after his arrest and a viral investigative video into an opulent $1.35 billion Black…

Russia on Wednesday urged U.S. President Joe Biden’s new administration to take a “more constructive” approach in talks over the extension of the New START treaty, Washington’s last arms reduction pact with Moscow. “We expect that the new U.S. administration will take a more constructive approach in its dialogue with us,” the Russian Foreign Ministry…

A Russian court has banned several popular animes including “Death Note,” “Tokyo Ghoul” and “Inuyashiki” Wednesday over claims that Russian teens reenact violent scenes depicted in the cartoons. State prosecutors had also asked the court in St. Petersburg to ban “Naruto,” “Elfen Lied” and “Interspecies Reviewers” in December. “Every episode contains cruelty, murder, violence,” said the…