The Big Unsexy Problem With Tiger Selfies
Why drugging and caging the cats for Tinder photos is even more messed up than it sounds
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What Folklore Tells Us About Eclipses
Across multiple cultures, says a Smithsonian folklorist, a darkening of daytime skies provokes a foreboding of evil
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Russia’s FSB Says It Detained a Ukrainian Agent in Crimea
The agent was said to be attempting an attack on electricity infrastructure
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Probe Into Russian Military Plane Crash Delayed
An investigation will not be completed until late this year
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Russian Activist Charged Over Gulag Memorial Plaque
An activist is being prosecuted for installing a memorial plaque on the home of a victim of Soviet repression
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The Fuzzy History of the Georgia Peach
Once a feral resource for planters, the stone fruit got a marketing makeover in the late 19th century—and a boost from the segregated labor market
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U.S. Consulate Closures Are a ‘Bluff,’ Says Russian Foreign Ministry
Washington has no legal grounds to close Russian consulates in the United States, Maria Zakharova said on Sunday
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Memorial Names Convicted March 26 Protesters Political Prisoners
Memorial said it considered the persecution of March 26 participants to be “politically motivated, targeted at intimidating critics of the authorities.”
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Russia’s FSB Says It Foiled Moscow Terror Plot
Two potential suicide bombers, an explosives expert and an “emissary” of Islamic State have been detained.
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Life Expectancy in Russia Reaches 72 Years for First Time
But Russia still lags behind many other countries
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Russian Publisher Admits Removing LGBT Plot from Hit U.S. Fantasy Novel
The Russian publisher the “Shades of Magic” series says it did so to comply with anti-gay legislation.
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Through Fire and Sand: Russia Takes Gold in the International Tank Biathlon
The 2017 International Army Games’ “Tank Biathlon” was held from July 29 to Aug. 12 in Moscow’s Alabino region.
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Russian Politician Blames West For Starting World War II
Alexei Pushkov said Western nations were to blame for appeasing Hitler at the Munich Conference in September 1938
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Harassed LGBT Activists Rally in St. Petersburg
LGBT activists faced off with police and far-right protesters in the city’s largest pride march in years
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In Small-Town Russia, a Syrian Imam Battles Islamic Extremism
More than a decade ago, Kifakh Bata moved to Russia. Now he’s ‘saving souls’
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Moscow Court Orders Navalny to Remove Usmanov Bribery Allegations
A Moscow court on Friday ordered Navalny to remove excerpts of YouTube video that accuse Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov of bribery
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Russia’s Lavrov Calls on North Korea and U.S. to Let ‘Common Sense’ Prevail
Speaking Friday at the Klyazma forum for students, Lavrov described the rhetoric in Washington and Pyongang as “over the top.”
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Russia Names New Fifth Generation Fighter Jet Su-57
Russia’s first fifth-generation fighter jet will receive the designation Su-57
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Gogol Theater’s Serebrennikov Deterred From Traveling Abroad by Russian Authorities
“I am stripped of my passport. I can’t leave anymore,” Serebrennikov told the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.
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Stranded Whale Swims to Freedom in Russia’s Far East
The animal was able to swim to sea when the tide came in and rescuers were monitoring its progress.
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Moscow Traffic Havoc
If you come to Moscow this summer, 15 minutes after you leave the customs area at the airport you will hear talk of моя улица (my street).
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Whale Rescue in Real Time
A 13-meter-long whale was at risk of dying after being stranded on an island in the Sea of Okhotsk.
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Aeroflot Hikes Fares to Russia’s World Cup Host Cities — Vedomosti
Aeroflot has sharply increased prices for flights to host cities during the 2018 World Cup in Russia
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Washington May Force Russia to Close Consulate Amid Diplomatic Spat
Washington could force Russia to shutter one of four consulates in the United States
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Trump ‘Thankful’ to Russia for Expelling U.S. Diplomats
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he was “thankful” to President Vladimir Putin for expelling U.S. diplomats from Russia
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Whale at Risk of Dying After Being Stranded in Russia’s Far East
National Park rangers on the island “risked their lives” to approach the whale in a small boat to keep it wet and alive until the tide rises.
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St. Petersburg Stages Military Display to Honor Leningrad Siege
St. Petersburg on Thursday commemorated the Soviet defense of the city from the Nazis
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Russian Journalist Sokolov Jailed for Extremism After Calling for Referendum
A Moscow court on Thursday sentenced Russian journalist Alexander Sokolov to three and a half years in jail for extremism, in a case Sokolov described as “Orwellian.”
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Russian Protester Gets 4 Years in Jail for Striking Police at Anti-Corruption Rally
A Moscow court on Wednesday sentenced a man to four years in prison for punching and kicking two police officers at an unsanctioned protest against corruption.
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Turkey Detains Russian Man for Plotting Drone Attack on American Plane
Turkish law enforcement has detained a Russian citizen suspected of planning to down American military aircraft using a drone, Turkish media reports.
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Russian Theater Director Serebrennikov Accused of Masterminding Embezzlement Scheme
The corruption case has caused an outcry in artistic circles where it is seen as intimidation and an attempt to muzzle the theater — which is among the most progressive in Russia.
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Unarmed Russian Military Plane Flies Over U.S. Capitol and Pentagon
It passed near the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon and other government buildings.
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Film on Tsar Nicholas’ Mistress Facing Backlash in Russia’s Regions
Two regions in southern Russia are trying to ban the local release of a film about the love affair of Russia’s last Tsar with a ballerina, saying it is offensive
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Arbat Residents Want Tribute to Rock Legend Viktor Tsoi Moved
They propose moving the tribute to Tsoi, frontman of the “Kino” group, to Luzhniki in Moscow, or St. Petersburg — Tsoi’s birth city, the report cited Arbat District head Yevgeny Babenko as saying.
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Crimea Suffers From Blackouts, as Russian Authorities Cut Supplies
Since Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula in March 2014, Crimeans have suffered repeated power shortages
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Hollywood Loved Sammy Davis Jr Until He Dated a White Movie Star
A decade before the Supreme Court ruled in favor of interracial marriage, the Rat Packer risked losing his career—and his life
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Russian Media Watchdog Reports Increase in Illegal Online Content
In total, roughly 52,000 links were blocked by the agency.
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Weekend in Moscow: Celebrate India Day
Summer may have arrived two months late this year, but now that it’s here you get to enjoy Moscow’s outdoor activities. Our pick for this weekend is a trip to India — in Sokolniki Park.
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Ukrainian Man Falls Asleep on a Raft, Wakes Up Off Crimean Coast
He spent almost three days in 40 degrees Celsius heat and without any food or water.
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Adidas Closes More Stores in Russia as Sales Shrink
German sportswear retailer Adidas plans to close around 160 outlets in Russia this year due to falling sales, the RBC new agency reported on Wednesday, citing the company’s management. Chief executive Kasper Rorsted told RBC he expected the Russian market would continue to shrink because of Western sanctions imposed over Moscow’s actions in Ukraine and the low price of oil, Russia’s main export.Russia’s economy contracted in 2015 and 2016.“We have already closed more than 100 stores [this year] and will close another fifty by the end of the year,” Rorsted was cited as saying.Adidas has been closing stores in Russia for at least two years but still had 840 outlets as of March, according to RBC.The company is not the only retailer to pull back from Russia. River Island, New Look and department store chain Stockmann have all quit the country since 2014.
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Looking for Lenin
In 2015, Ukraine passed a law that mandated the removal of all the country’s Lenin monuments. Over 5,000 have been torn down in Leninopad (the Lenin-fall). A new book documents this remarkable transformation.
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Russian Jews Decry Official’s ‘Humiliating’ Holocaust Comments
A spokesperson for Russia’s Jewish community has described claims that Jews are “enjoying” and “monetizing” their past suffering as “humiliating”
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If Navalny Takes Power He Could End Up Like Putin, Says Khodorkovsky
“Guys, brace for hard times.”
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Putin Affirms Kremlin Support on Visit to Breakaway Abkhazia
President Vladimir Putin visited breakaway region of Abkhazia in Georgia on Tuesday to meet regional officials and reaffirm the Kremlin’s support for the territory’s separatist ambitions
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Rosneft’s Sechin to Appear as Witness in Trial of Ex-Minister Ulyukayev
Ulyukayev is accused of soliciting a $2-million bribe from Rosneft to support its purchase of another oil firm, Bashneft. He denies the charges.
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Russian Court Overturns Order to Deport Gay Journalist to Uzbekistan
The Moscow City Court on Tuesday canceled plans to deport the Uzbek gay journalist Khudoberdi Nurmatov.
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Who Is Sergei Udaltsov?
Sergei Udaltsov, a leader of the anti-Kremlin Left Front movement, was convicted of organizing riots in 2012 and sentenced to more than four years in prison. He was released on Tuesday
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Udaltsov Walks Free After More Than 4 Years of Jail for Anti-Kremlin Protests
A left-wing activist convicted for organizing mass anti-Kremlin protests in 2012 was released on Tuesday after serving out his term.
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This Is What a Plane Crashing Into a Van in Chechnya Looks Like
The captain of a light airplane suffered minor injuries after the plane he was piloting crashed into a car
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Abramovich and Zhukova — Russia’s Most High Profile Split
Russia’s most famous celebrity coupling is over.
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Finnish Woman Received Putin’s Coordinates in Police Email
A woman living in the Finnish city of Oulu accidentally received a police email with a detailed itinerary of Vladimir Putin’s visit to the country last month
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Navalny Was ‘Joking’ When he Said the Kremlin Could Murder Him
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said he had been “joking” when he said there was a 50 percent chance he would killed by Russian authorities for this political activism
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The Stunning Story of Russian Minister Ulyukayev’s Arrest for Bribery, Explained
“What the hell is going on here?” is the main question on people’s minds as Ulyukayev goes on trial.
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Why New U.S. Sanctions Could Be a Ticking Time Bomb for Investors in Russia (Op-ed)
Putin’s decision last month may be just the first response to new U.S. sanctions against Russia.
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Russian Orthodox Priest Detained For Trafficking Prostitutes
Belarusian authorities have reportedly detained a Russian Orthodox Church priest for his alleged role in the trafficking prostitutes from Belarus to Russia.
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Kremlin Plans Rapid Healthcare Reform in Time for Presidential Election
Russian authorities will unroll healthcare reform nationwide in time for presidential elections next year, the Vedomosti newspaper reported, citing a source close to the Kremlin.
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Pussy Riot Activists Detained During Prison Protests
Members of the anti-Putin punk band Pussy Riot were briefly detained on Monday for unfolding a banner in support of political prisoners in eastern Russia
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Sanctions? What Sanctions! President Putin Goes Fishing
While the world buzzed over new sanctions, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin went on a fishing trip with some of his colleagues. Check out the catch.
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Navalny’s Problems Mount as Volunteers Beaten and Detained
Volunteers working for opposition leader Alexei Navalny clashed with police on Saturday in the Kostroma region as they organized a public speaking event in the city’s central October Square
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