International Bird Day Celebrated on April 1
Every year on April 1, International Bird Day is celebrated to coincide with the start of the birds’ return from their wintering grounds
Timeline: Navalny’s Tumultuous Return to Russia
Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny on Wednesday announced he is launching a hunger strike from the prison colony where he is serving a 2.5-year sentence to demand proper medical treatment. The Kremlin critic was sent to one of Russia’s most notorious penal colonies on returning to Russia from Germany, where he spent months recovering from…
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New Crimean Land Law Banning Foreign Ownership Comes Into Force
In 2012, Lyudmila, a Ukrainian teacher living in Kiev, was overjoyed when she inherited her grandmother’s small house set on half an acre of land overlooking Kerch, a picturesque city on the Black Sea in Crimea. Last week, she received a letter saying she will have to sell her land to the Crimean authorities, which…
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U.S. Slashes Visa Services at Consulates in Russia
U.S. visas and services for American citizens will only be available in Moscow after the U.S. slashed operations at its remaining Russian consulates, U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan announced Thursday. High tensions and Russia’s 2017 personnel cap on the U.S. diplomatic mission previously prompted the State Department to consider closing the two remaining U.S.…
DetailsElectric power from the ROSATOM’s Karmalinovskaya Wind Farm have entered the wholesale market
The Karmalinovskaya wind farm began supplying electric power and capacity to the wholesale electric power and capacity market from April 1, 2021. The Karmalinovskaya wind farm located in the Stavropol Krai, with an installed capacity of 60 MW, includes 24 wind turbine generators. Local content of facility equipment, as confirmed by the Ministry of Industry…
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Russian Diplomats in North Korea Facing ‘Acute Shortages’ of Food, Essentials as Frustration Builds
Russian diplomats in North Korea are growing increasingly frustrated with the “severe conditions” in which they have found themselves as anti-coronavirus measures cut off the secretive country from the rest of the world. In a Thursday statement, Russia’s Embassy in Pyongyang said diplomats in the country are facing an acute shortage of essential goods sparked…
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Russian Journalist’s Georgia Visit Sparks Protests
Protests broke out in Georgia’s capital of Tbilisi over Russian journalist Vladimir Pozner’s visit to celebrate his birthday, Georgian media reported late Wednesday. Footage showed crowds chanting outside a central Tbilisi hotel where the media personality and state-run television talk show host was said to have been gathering with dozens of guests on the eve…
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Severstal cofirms that its Cherepovets Steel Mill eergy strategy will sigificatly reduce Scope 2 emissios
April 1, 2021 PAO Severstal, one of the world’s leading vertically integrated steel and mining companies, has completed the development of a detailed energy efficiency strategy which will help the Company to increase its own energy generation and reduce Scope 2 emissions. Reducing Severstal’s overall consumption of natural gas, gas flaring and the purchase of…
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Top U.S. General Calls Russia, Ukraine Amid Reported Moscow Troop Buildup
The top Pentagon general called counterparts in Russia and Ukraine Wednesday as the U.S. Defense Department expressed concerns about a reported buildup of Russian troops along Ukraine’s border and in Crimea. U.S. troops in Europe were on an elevated “watch condition” as Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley spoke to General Valery Gerasimov, the Russian…
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Navalny Protester Sentenced to Jail for Attacking Police
A court in St. Petersburg on Wednesday jailed a man for a year for having attacked a riot police officer during a rally in support of imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Yevgeny Tugankov became the third Russian to receive a prison sentence over the nationwide protests that took place in late January and early February…
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Kremlin Critic Navalny Announces Prison Hunger Strike
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny announced Wednesday that he has gone on hunger strike in protest of conditions that he says are causing his health to deteriorate. Navalny’s lawyers warned last week that his life may be in danger after he reported suffering from weeks of severe back pain and a loss of sensation in…
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Italy Expels Russians After Spies ‘Caught Red-Handed’
Italy expelled two Russian officials on Wednesday after an Italian navy captain was caught red-handed by police selling secret documents to the Russians. The Italian frigate captain was arrested on spying charges after officers tailing him saw him late Tuesday in Rome in a “clandestine meeting” with a Russian military officer, according to a police…
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Reports of Major Abuses by Russian Mercenaries in C. Africa – UN Experts
UN experts expressed concern on Wednesday over reports of “grave human rights abuses” by Russian mercenaries in the Central African Republic, where they have supported the embattled government’s military. “The experts have received, and continue to receive, reports of grave human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, attributable to the private military personnel…
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Russian Senate Speaker Slams Eurovision Pick ‘Russian Woman’ as ‘Nonsense’
The speaker of Russia’s upper-house Federation Council on Wednesday criticized the lyrics to the country’s selection for the Eurovision song contest as “nonsense” and demanded a review of how it was chosen. Russia announced earlier this month that it would send Tajik-born singer-songwriter Manizha to this year’s Eurovision contest in the Netherlands, where she will perform…
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Lithuanian Court Extends Sentence for Ex-Soviet Tank Officer
A Lithuanian court on Wednesday extended a prison sentence for a former Soviet tank officer convicted for his role in a deadly military assault on Lithuania’s independence bid in January 1991. The Vilnius appeals court extended the sentence for Yuri Mel from seven years to 10 years behind bars, meaning that he would not be…
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3 in 4 Russians View China Favorably – Poll
Three out of four Russians view China favorably, an independent poll said Tuesday, a 10% jump from last year as Moscow’s ties with the West grow increasingly strained. The Levada Center polling agency said 75% of Russian respondents view China in a positive light, up from 65% in 2020. Only 14% said they view China…
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Macron, Merkel, Putin Discuss Coronavirus Vaccine Production
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the prospect of jointly producing Russia’s coronavirus vaccine, the Kremlin announced late Tuesday. The leaders spoke as Russia awaits European Union approval of its Sputnik V vaccine in the next two months. The EU’s medicine regulator plans…
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Russia Approves ‘World’s First’ Coronavirus Vaccine for Pets
Russia has approved what it says is the world’s first coronavirus vaccine for pets, the state veterinary service said Wednesday. Carnivac-Cov underwent clinical trials on dogs, cats, mink and other animals starting in October, Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary Supervision, Rosselkhoznadzor, said in a statement. Mass production of the injectable suspension could be launched as…
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Landmark Imperial-Era Moscow Grocery Store to Close After 120 Years
The Yeliseyevsky Food Emporium, famous for its grand interior and rich history, is due to close its doors on April 11 after 120 years of service, store representative Gleb Prostakov said in an interview with RT. Once a bustling grocery store on Moscow’s main street, the store is now barely functioning as customers wander among…
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NATO Performs 10 Interceptions of Russian Jets in Single Day
NATO warplanes performed 10 interceptions of Russian fighter jets and bombers exhibiting “an unusual peak” of flights across Europe, the Western military alliance said in a statement Monday. NATO shadowed six groups of Russian warplanes in less than six hours as Russia staged large-scale military drills across the country. “NATO fighter jets scrambled 10 times…
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Russian Envoy Planning U.S. Return After Biden ‘Killer’ Comment
Russia’s ambassador to the United States plans to return to Washington soon following talks in Moscow on the future of bilateral ties after U.S. President Joe Biden called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a “killer.” Ambassador Anatoly Antonov, who was recalled for emergency consultations on March 21, told the state-run TASS news agency Monday that…
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Austria in Talks to Buy 1M Sputnik V Doses
Austria said on Tuesday it was negotiating with Russia over the possible purchase of 1 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine — which has yet to be approved by EU regulators. Though EU member Hungary is already administering Sputnik V and a total of 57 countries have authorized its use, according to the Russian…
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‘Marusya’ Folk Singers Win Over Russian Audiences
Yasho Thierry from Côte d’Ivoire has been performing with the Russian folk music group “Marusya” for the past ten years. Based in the southern city of Krasnodar, the group was born from a chat about musical culture between an African student at the city’s university and the leader of a Russian folk ensemble, Pavel Chelakhov.…
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Russian Court in Crimea Jails Jehovah’s Witness for 6.5 Years
A court in Russia-annexed Crimea said Monday it has jailed a Jehovah’s Witness for six and a half years on charges of organizing an extremist group in the country’s latest prison sentence against members of the Christian denomination. The Sevastopol-based Gagarin district court said in a statement that it found the defendant guilty and sent…
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One Year On: How Russia’s Coronavirus Lockdown Hit the Economy
A year ago today Russia went into its first — and only — coronavirus lockdown. It was first officially declared a “nationwide non-working week,” designed to keep as many people at home as possible and keep Russia’s infection rate low, President Vladimir Putin outlined in an address to the nation days before swathes of the…
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Russia Stages Fresh Military Drills in the Arctic
Russia was holding fresh military exercises on Tuesday in the Arctic, a territory of growing importance for Moscow as it vies for regional dominance with rivals including the United States. Tensions between the West and Russia have led both sides to beef up their militaries in the remote High North, an area believed to be…
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Russian Lawyers Seek State Regulations on Recommendation Engines – Kommersant
Lawyers from the Russian Bar Association have called on lawmakers to impose regulations on websites’ recommendation algorithms, the Kommersant business daily reported Tuesday. The proposed regulations would apply to social networks, news aggregators, streaming services and online marketplaces, Kommersant cited the lawyers as saying in their proposal to the State Duma and Federation Council. Algorithms…
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Russian Troops Fined for Contentious Holy Water Shoe-Washing Video
Two Russian soldiers have been fined for washing their shoes in holy water, the Kommersant business daily reported Monday. Video of the two Navy servicemen boasting of washing their feet in “their [worshippers’] holy water” at a Russian Orthodox chapel in Russia’s western exclave of Kaliningrad sparked backlash last fall. The men, who are natives…
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Russia Says Hopes to Avoid Ban on Western Tech Giants
The Kremlin said Tuesday it hopes Moscow will not be forced to block Western tech giants in the country but stressed that the companies had to abide by Russian law. Russian authorities have in recent months ramped up pressure on foreign social media platforms, particularly those hosting content supporting jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. “No…
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Russian Police Probe Pro-Kremlin TV Host’s Hitler-Praising Comments – Reports
Moscow police are inspecting prominent talk show host Vladimir Solovyov’s remarks calling Hitler a “very brave man,” the RBC news website reported Monday. The Interior Ministry’s northern Moscow department said it had asked the state-run media holding All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) for copies of Solovyov’s show that aired last month, RBC reported.…
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Siberian Scientists Block ‘Bombshell’ Pollution Report Ahead of Elections – Reports
Siberian scientists have blocked the publication of a “bombshell” pollution report out of fear of angering voters ahead of this fall’s legislative elections, the Tayga.info news website reported Friday. The Russian Academy of Sciences’ (RAS) Siberian branch reportedly determined that 78% of Russia’s two dozen most polluted cities are located in Siberia and linked the…
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Easter Brunch at the Hyatt Regency on April 4
This Sunday, April 4, is Easter for the mostly western part of Christendom, and if you are looking for a beautiful and delicious way to celebrate the day, look no farther than the Oriental Bar at the top of the Hyatt Regency in Petrovsky Park. The family brunch, served from noon to 5 p.m., will…
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Russia Jails Elderly Crimean Woman for 12 Years in Ukraine Spy Trial
A Russian-controlled court in Crimea said Monday it has jailed an elderly woman for 12 years after finding her guilty of spying for Ukraine. The Sevastopol city court said in a statement that the woman — identified only by the initial D., her birth year of 1955 and residence of the town of Bakhchysarai —…
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Navalny Says Risks ‘Torture-Like’ Solitary Confinement With Prison Reprimands
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said Monday that he risks being sent to “torture-like” solitary confinement after he received several reprimands at a notoriously harsh penal colony. Navalny, 44, is serving a sentence of two and a half years for violating parole in an old fraud case while recovering abroad from poisoning that he blames…
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Russian Eco-Activists Protest Planned Kamchatka Gold Mining
Russian environmentalists have raised the alarm over plans to mine gold near UNESCO-protected territory on the Kamchatka peninsula in the Far East, the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty news outlet’s Siberian affiliate reported Monday. Russia’s Federal Subsoil Resource Use Agency reportedly plans to open a 61-square-kilometer site in the Milkovsky district of Kamchatka for gold prospecting…
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Russia ‘Concerned’ Over Myanmar Civilian Casualties
Russia acknowledged Monday that it was developing ties with Myanmar but said it was “very concerned” by an increase in civilian casualties at protests against military rule. More than 100 people including children were killed by security forces in Myanmar on Saturday in the deadliest weekend since February’s military coup. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told…
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Chinese Firm to Make 60M Doses of Russia’s Sputnik Vaccine
Russia has agreed a deal for more than 60 million doses of its Sputnik V vaccine to be produced in China from May, the jab’s developer said on Monday. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which has financed the development of the vaccine, said it and Shenzhen Yuanxing Gene-tech Co. “have agreed to cooperate on production…
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Top Navalny Ally Blames Kremlin for Father’s Arrest
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s ally Ivan Zhdanov said Monday that his father has been arrested for corruption, blaming the Kremlin for the arrest and linking the criminal case to his own political activity. Zhdanov, who heads Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) which is famous for viral video investigations into senior officials’ allegedly illicit wealth, said…
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Moscow’s Landmarks Descend Into Darkness for Earth Hour
Major historical landmarks worldwide switched off the lights on Saturday in solidarity with Earth Hour, the environmental awareness movement spearheaded by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) since 2007. Moscow’s monuments and iconic buildings were among the famous sights that descended into darkness between 8:30 and 9:30 on Saturday evening, adding an air of mystery to…
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Russian Cheese King to Italy: Recognize Crimea to Export Parmesan Again
Italy should recognize Crimea as Russian territory before being allowed to export parmesan into the country again, the head of Russia’s cheesemakers union said Sunday. Russia banned wholesale imports of fresh EU food produce including parmesan in retaliation to Western sanctions over Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. Italian Ambassador to Moscow Pasquale Terracciano on…
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Russia Launches Large-Scale Military Drills in Eastern Siberia
Russia has launched large-scale military exercises involving more than 12,000 servicemen in eastern Siberia, Interfax reported Monday, citing the Eastern Military District’s press service. The drills will involve up to 3,000 weapons and pieces of military equipment, 60 aircraft and helicopters and more than 10 drones. They will be led by the Eastern Military District’s…
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Armenia PM to Resign Ahead of Snap Election to Defuse Crisis
The prime minister this month announced snap parliamentary polls that he said were “the best way out of the current internal political situation.” In a visit to northwest Armenia on Sunday, Pashinyan told villagers he will “resign in April” ahead of the vote. “I will resign not to resign, but in order for early elections to take…
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Belarus Police Detain Protesters, Prevent Opposition Rally
Police in Belarus on Saturday detained more than 100 people, including five journalists, a rights group said, as the opposition resumed rallies against strongman Alexander Lukashenko. Protests erupted in the ex-Soviet country last August after Lukashenko claimed a sixth presidential term in a vote the opposition and Western diplomats said was rigged. But they died…
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Belarus Police Detain Opposition Protesters, Journalists
Police in Belarus detained dozens of protesters and at least five journalists on Saturday, a rights group said, as the opposition restarted rallies against strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko’s rule. Protests erupted in the ex-Soviet country last August after Lukashenko claimed a sixth presidential term in a vote the opposition and Western diplomats said was rigged. news Belarus…
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Sink or Swim With Matzoh Ball Soup
What is more comforting than a bowl of matzoh ball soup? Is there another elixir that can vanquish the blues, kill a cold, warm up the body, or nourish the soul quite like it? Does your spirit not rejoice when a large soup plate is set in front of you: a rich golden chicken broth…
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‘Russian Hackers’ Again Target German MPs — Report
Several German lawmakers have once again fallen victim to a cyberattack, local media said Friday, with security experts pointing the finger at Russian hackers. Hackers used phishing emails to gain access to the computers of at least seven federal MPs and 31 lawmakers in regional parliaments, according to Der Spiegel weekly. A spokesman for the…
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Ukraine Says 4 Soldiers Killed in Separatist Shelling
The Ukrainian military said that four soldiers were killed in shelling it blamed on Moscow-backed separatists in the east of the country on Friday, further undermining a ceasefire brokered last year. “Unfortunately, from the beginning of 2021 we see an increase in escalation,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote in a statement in Telegram late on…
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Russia to Deepen Ties With Myanmar Military Junta, Top Defense Official Says in First Visit After Coup
Russia and Myanmar are deepening their defense ties as Moscow’s military supplies continue to pour into the country, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said Friday at a meeting with the country’s commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing. Fomin’s visit marked the first high-profile visit to Myanmar by a foreign official since the country was rocked by…
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Could Russia Benefit From the Suez Canal Blockage?
Almost $300 million worth of Russian oil products are waiting to enter the Suez Canal, which remains closed following the grounding of the Ever Given tanker. But Moscow is hoping it can turn the freak grounding into long-term gain. Efforts to dislodge the vessel are now in their third day and those tasked with moving…
DetailsRussian ambassador to Bolivia visits the construction site of the Center for Nuclear Technology Research and Development (CNTRD) in El Alto
March 24 – Mikhail Ledenev, the head of the Russian embassy at the Plurinational State of Bolivia, and the representatives of the Bolivian Ministry of International Affairs accompanied by Alexey Altynov, Vice President of JSC Rusatom Overseas, visited the construction site of the Center for Nuclear Technology Research and Development (CNTRD) in El Alto located…
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Navalny Shares Leg Amputation Fears in Russian Prison Update
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny fears losing his leg in a penal colony where he is serving two and a half years, he said in an Instagram post Friday. Navalny’s lawyers warned this week that his life may be in danger because of four weeks of severe back pain and loss of sensation in one…
DetailsWorld Sambo Cup Supported by Rosneft Takes Place in Moscow
A. Kharlampiev Memorial Sambo World Cup takes place in Moscow on March 25-26, 2021
Document signed on main terms of prospective EPSS contract with Linde for Gas Processing Complex in Ust-Luga
Background Linde plc is one of the world’s largest companies focused on industrial technologies for natural gas treatment and separation with the recovery of ethane, propane and heavier hydrocarbon fractions. In addition, the company designs and builds cryogenic facilities for natural gas and helium liquefaction. Linde Engineering is an engineering and technical subdivision of Linde. Gazprom and RusGazDobycha are implementing the project for…
DetailsRosneft Doubles Green Fuel Bunkering in Russia in 2020
RN-Bunker, the operator of Rosneft’s bunkering business, more than doubled its volume of fuelling ships with low-sulphur bunker fuel to 1.3 million tonnes in 2020
Green Investments of Rosneft’s Refining Complex to Reach about 136 Billion Roubles by 2024
Rosneft Oil Company plans to spend about 136 billion roubles on environmental measures at its refineries by 2024
Independent Russian Journalist, Elections Expert Reports Threats
An independent Russian journalist and elections expert has reported receiving threats toward his family and surveillance over his article about a regional elections official seeking re-election to the State Duma this September. Vasily Weissenberg, an expert at the independent Golos election monitor, had published an article about Andrei Gibert, the head of the Yamal-Nenets autonomous district’s…
DetailsRosneft Installs Charging Stations for Electric Cars in Khabarovsk
Rosneft Oil Company continues to implement a programme to equip its filling stations with electric charging infrastructure
Russia Hails Rare Sighting of Amur Leopard Mum With Cubs
Russian conservationists hailed Friday a rare sighting of an Amur leopard mother with three cubs in the Far East as proof of the efficiency of the country’s efforts to boost the population of the endangered species. Scientists in a Russian national park located in the Primorye region on the border with China obtained the stunning…
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Fake Russian-Language Tiktok Scams Popular Accounts – Kommersant
A fake “TikTok for Business” website has appeared in Russia that hijacks popular accounts with a fraudulent content monetization scheme, the Kommersant business daily reported Friday. This is the first time that the widespread social media entrapment method has involved the popular Chinese short-video app, the newspaper cited the Infosecurity cybersecurity company’s leading analyst Alexander…
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A Decade After Pussy Riot’s ‘Punk Prayer,’ Maria Alyokhina Still Has Plenty to Protest About
Maria Alyokhina is no stranger to being prosecuted for her politics. The veteran Pussy Riot member is best known for her role in the group’s “Punk Prayer,” the provocative February 2012 protest in neon balaclavas at Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral. She and fellow activist Nadya Tolokonnikova would spend two years in a prison colony…
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