Finland Charges Russian Nationalist Fighter With War Crimes Allegedly Committed in Ukraine

Finnish prosecutors on Thursday pressed charges against Russian nationalist fighter Vojislav Torden, accusing him of having committed war crimes in eastern Ukraine in 2014. Torden, formerly known as Yan Petrovsky, was detained at Helsinki Airport in July 2023 on suspicion of committing terror crimes in Ukraine. In February, a Finnish court handed him a suspended…

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Russia’s Constitutional Court Lifts Statute of Limitations for Anti-Corruption Asset Seizures

Russia’s Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that law enforcement authorities are no longer bound by statutes of limitations when seeking state seizure of assets in anti-corruption cases. “Prosecutors should not be constrained by time limits in anti-corruption lawsuits,” the court said. Those accused of corruption “must be denied the ability to use the statute of limitations…

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‘Alexander*a’: A Journey into the Life of Soviet Revolutionary Alexandra Kollontai

BERLIN – “Alexander*a” is a multimedia performance that immerses audiences in the world of pioneering revolutionary and politician Alexandra Kollontai.  As one of the first female diplomats in history, Kollontai also became a powerful advocate for women’s liberation within the early Soviet government.  Directed by Vika Privalova — a multidisciplinary artist born in Russia who…

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Russia-Iran Partnership Treaty ‘Coming Soon,’ Lavrov Says

Russia and Iran will sign a strategic partnership agreement “in the near future,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday, as political and military ties between the two countries deepen. Both under heavy Western sanctions, Russia and Iran have strengthened their ties since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with Iran widely believed to be supplying Russia with…

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Police in Annexed Crimea Charge Woman Over 10-Year-Old Daughter’s ‘Pro-Ukraine’ Video

Russian police in annexed Crimea charged a woman with child neglect after her 10-year-old daughter allegedly posted a video online that “discredited” the Russian army, authorities said Wednesday. The video, shared on Russian Telegram channels, showed a girl choosing between Russian and Ukrainian flags, with an angry face emoji next to the Russian flag and…

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U.S. Sanctions Nearly 400 Firms, Accusing Them of Aiding Russia’s War Effort

Washington on Wednesday unveiled a new round of sanctions against almost 400 people and companies it accused of supplying Russia with advanced technology to support its “war machine.” The U.S. Treasury Department announced sweeping sanctions against 275 individuals and entities in countries including India, China, Switzerland and Turkey, with the restrictions aimed at “disrupting global…

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History Teacher in Russia’s Khabarovsk Creates North Korean Ideology Club for Students

A history teacher in the Far East Russian city of Khabarovsk created a club for students to learn about Juche, the state ideology of North Korea, Russian media reported Tuesday. According to the club’s founder, Vladislav Kushnirenko, members of the club are currently undertaking work to “debunk myths” about the isolated country after having visited…

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Russia Charges Woman With Treason for Buying Pro-Ukraine Stamps, Human Rights Group Says

Russian law enforcement authorities in annexed Crimea charged a woman with treason for allegedly buying non-fungible token stamps in support of the Ukrainian military, the Memorial human rights group said. Lyudmila Kolesnikova, 34, said in a letter to volunteers that she had been placed in pre-trial detention after being arrested by Federal Security Service (FSB)…

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Chelyabinsk Region Official Resigns After Murder Sparks Ethnic Clashes

The head of Chelyabinsk region’s Korkino district announced her resignation Wednesday amid mounting criticism from regional authorities over ethnic unrest that erupted following a local woman’s murder. On Thursday night, enraged residents in the town of Korkino gathered outside homes believed to belong to Romani families, damaging property and clashing with riot police. About 40…

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Gazprom to continue contributing to sustainability of global gas market

October 29, 2024, 19:00 The Gazprom Board of Directors took note of the information about the development prospects of the shale gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) industries around the world, as well as opportunities and threats facing the Company. It was noted that in 2023, the share of shale gas in the global gas production remained at the level of 2022, thus making about 20 per cent, and…

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Board of Directors approves Gazprom’s work on implementation of LNG production and supply projects

October 29, 2024, 18:55 The Gazprom Board of Directors expressed its approval of the Company’s ongoing work on implementing the projects for the production and supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG). It was noted that the Company consistently reinforces its positions in this business segment in order to further increase the flexibility and reliability of consumer gas supplies. The large-scale plant within the Sakhalin II project is successfully…

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Gazprom preparing launch of new capacities at Irkutsk gas production center

October 29, 2024, 18:50 The Gazprom Board of Directors expressed its approval of the Company’s ongoing work with regard to the implementation of its major investment projects. The projects are aimed at solving strategic tasks, such as to expand the gas supply and gas infrastructure network in Russian regions, to accurately fulfill the export obligations, and to supply the domestic economy sectors with the products of natural gas processing. Gazprom…

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Gazprom Board of Directors approves revised investment program and budget for 2024

October 29, 2024, 18:13 The Gazprom Board of Directors endorsed the revised investment program and budget (financial plan) of the Company for 2024. The overall amount of investments under the 2024 investment program will total RUB 1,641.625 billion, which is RUB 67.998 billion more than was envisaged in the initial version of the investment program approved in December 2023. The adjustments to the 2024 investment program were introduced,…

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Tens of Thousands Rally in Georgia After Contested Vote

Tens of thousands of Georgians took to the streets Monday to protest against the ruling party’s victory in parliamentary polls denounced as “stolen” by the pro-Western opposition, while Georgia’s president alleged to AFP that the vote was rigged using “sophisticated” methods she linked to Russia. The Caucasus country — rocked by mass anti-government protests earlier this…

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Russia’s FSB Says 4 ‘Saboteurs’ Killed in Attempted Border Incursion in Bryansk Region

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said Monday that its agents killed four “saboteurs” who tried to cross into the western Bryansk region from Ukraine. “FSB border guards, together with the units of Russia’s armed forces and the National Guard, thwarted an attempt to cross over the Russian state border in the Klimovsky district on Oct. 27,” the…

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Finland Seizes Russian Cultural Center in Helsinki After Ukrainian Gas Provider Wins Lawsuit

Finnish authorities have begun seizing Russian state-owned property in the country after a Hague-based court ordered Moscow to compensate Ukraine’s national gas provider for assets it lost during the annexation of Crimea, the Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat reported Monday. Finland’s National Enforcement Authority, an agency of the country’s justice ministry, reportedly seized the 3,326-square-meter (35,800…

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NATO Chief Says North Korean Troops Sent to Russia’s Kursk Region

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Monday that North Korean troops were sent to Russia’s embroiled Kursk region, decrying the deployment as a sign of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “growing desperation.” Speaking in Brussels after a briefing with South Korean intelligence officials, Rutte said he could confirm that North Korean military units had been sent to…

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Russian Police Raid Homes of Romani People After Ethnic Tensions Flare in Chelyabinsk Region

Police in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region detained around 20 Roma for “crime prevention talks” after ethnic tensions flared last week over a woman’s murder, local media reported Sunday. Enraged residents in the town of Korkino gathered Thursday night outside homes believed to belong to Roma, where they damaged property and clashed with riot police. The unrest…

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Punitive Psychiatry: An Increasingly Common Tool in Russia’s Crackdown on Activists

An increasing number of Russian political activists have been placed in forced psychiatric treatment — a practice dating back to the Soviet era that involves confinement in mental hospitals.  According to rights activists, some political prisoners who have undergone this treatment report being subjected to humiliation, beatings and being injected with powerful antipsychotic drugs. The number of…

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Kremlin ‘Strongly Rejects’ Accusations of Election Interference in Georgia

The Kremlin on Monday said it “strongly rejects” accusations from Georgia’s president that it interfered in this past weekend’s parliamentary elections. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili claimed that Moscow was behind election fraud in Georgia, saying it was part of a “Russian special operation.” “We strongly reject these accusations. There was no intervention. These accusations are…

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St. Petersburg Opposition Lawmaker Vishnevsky Resigns Over ‘Foreign Agent’ Ban

St. Petersburg opposition lawmaker Boris Vishnevsky said Monday that he would step down from the regional legislative assembly to comply with new amendments to Russia’s “foreign agent” law. In May, federal lawmakers passed legislation prohibiting “foreign agents” from running in elections, changes introduced after several people hit with designation said they planned to run for local…

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Russia’s Vladimir Region Bans Hijabs in Schools

Authorities in Russia’s Vladimir region have banned students from wearing hijabs while at school. According to the ban, which was enacted last week Tuesday, “clothing and elements demonstrating the student’s religious affiliation… are not allowed inside educational institutions,” including hijabs and niqabs. The Vladimir region’s Education Ministry insisted in a statement on Saturday that the ban…

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