Activists compare ruling to Soviet era jailing of dissidents
Russia
Putin Launches Olympic Torch Relay
Leader says it ‘will show the world Russia the way it is and the way we love it’
Russia Takes On Greenpeace — and Stakes Its Claim to the Arctic
Armed Russian Officers Board Greenpeace Protest Ship
Greenpeace has said that 30 activists are being held at gunpoint by Russian security officers who stormed the group’s ship in the Arctic, reports the BBC.
Members of the Russian coastguard boarded the Arctic Sunrise in the Pechora Sea via helicopter and ropes on Thursday, the Guardian reports. Greenpeace says the vessel was in …
Did McCain Publish Putin Criticism in Wrong Pravda?
In an explosive op-ed in Pravda.ru, U.S. Senator John McCain says he is not anti-Russian but simply believes Russians deserve a better government
“You Kant Say That!” Philosophical Debate Leads to Shooting
An argument over the writings of the philosopher Immanuel Kant descended into violence at a late-night bar in southern Russia, leading to a man being shot several times, reported the Independent.
The dispute occurred at an outdoor stall in the city of Rostov-on-Don, where two men fell into conversation while lining up for beer, …
Russia Celebrates a Triumph for Putin After Clinching Syria Deal
On Sunday night, the anchor of the main weekly news show on Russian state TV went on the air with a jubilant grin on his face. Only a week earlier, Dmitri Kiselyov had warned his viewers about the rise of “American fascism,” …
Fire Aboard Russian Nuclear Submarine
Officials say no radiation leaked
John McCain To Write For Pravda
Senator will respond to Putin’s op-ed with a piece in the Russian newspaper thanks to some crafty matchmaking by an American magazine
Fire at Russian Psychiatric Hospital Kills 37
A fire at a Russian psychiatric hospital in northwestern Russia killed at least 37 people Friday, according to officials.
Authorities had previously warned of safety concerns over the timber-built hospital in the village of Luka, which housed about 60 people, BBC reports.
A nurse who had guided patients to safety was among the …
Taking Lead in Syria Talks, Russia Works to Preserve Assad Regime
On Thursday, Sept. 12, when Russian and American diplomats came to the negotiating table in Geneva, the Russian side came in with the upper hand. The previous night, they had sent Washington a proposal for dismantling Syria’s …
Russia’s Syria Calculus: Behind Moscow’s Plan to Avert U.S. Missile Strikes
The notion of Syria giving up its chemical weapons, or at least putting them under foreign control, has long been on the table in the consultations between Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government and his allies in Moscow. In …
Russia’s Elections: Even in Defeat, Anti-Putin Camp Finds Victory
Just after midnight on Sept. 8, while the votes were still being counted in Moscow’s mayoral election, a volunteer brought two bottles of chilled champagne into the campaign headquarters of Alexei Navalny. The candidate already …