Russia

Reuters reports: Russia’s Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that LGBT activists should be designated as extremists, in a move that representatives of gay and transgender people fear will lead to arrests and prosecutions. A Reuters reporter in court heard it announce that it had approved a request from the justice ministry to recognise what it called “the international LGBT social …

The Insider reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin is urging women to have as many as eight children as the number of dead Russian soldiers continues to rise in his war with Ukraine, worsening the country’s population crisis. Addressing the World Russian People’s Council in Moscow on Tuesday, Putin said the country must return to a time when large families were …

The New York Post reports: A decorated Russian general who previously blasted President Vladimir Putin for running a “third-rate” air force has died under mysterious circumstances alongside his wife. Lt. Gen. Vladimir Sviridov, 68 — who commanded Russia’s 6th Army of the Air Force and Air Defense from 2005 to 2009 — was found dead in bed Wednesday at his …

The BBC reports: Russia’s justice ministry has filed a motion with the country’s Supreme Court to ban the activities of what it calls the “international LGBT public movement” as extremist. It is unclear whether the ministry’s statement refers to the LGBT community as a whole or specific organisations. It said the movement had shown signs of “extremist activity”, including inciting …

Politico Europe reports: A Ukrainian MP who in 2019 helped former U.S. President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani in his search for dirt on Joe and Hunter Biden has been charged with treason. Oleksandr Dubinsky, together with ex-Ukrainian lawmaker Andriy Derkach and ex-prosecutor Kostyantyn Kulyk, had joined an organization formed by chiefs of Russia’s Military Intelligence (GRU), Ukraine’s Security Service …

The Hill reports: About 1.3 million people were affected by a data breach in Maine earlier this year, the state revealed Thursday. The breach was part of a massive cyberattack in May that exploited a vulnerability in the widely used MOVEit file-transfer system. Maine said the affected data included names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, driver’s license or state …

“Former President Trump said that [in] about 24 hours, that he can manage it and finish the war. For me, what can I say? So he’s very welcome as well. President Biden was here, and he — I think he understood some details which you can understand only being here. If he can come here, I will need 24 minutes …

Newsweek reports: A group of Russian nationals were able to donate to newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson’s campaign in 2018 by funneling the money through a U.S. company. The Texas-based American Ethane company previously donated tens of thousands of dollars to the campaigns of Louisiana Republicans including Johnson, who was voted by the House to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy …

Reuters reports: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Israel’s bombardment of Gaza runs counter to international law and risks creating a catastrophe that could last decades. Lavrov made the comments, some of Moscow’s most critical of Israel yet, in an interview with the Belarusian state news agency Belta, which released them on Saturday. “While we condemn terrorism, we …

Agence France-Press reports: President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that explosive traces were discovered in the remains of Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and his crew after their plane crashed over Russia in August. Kremlin critics and Western countries have suggested foul play. Putin’s comments were the first significant update on Russia’s investigation into the crash. “The head of the …

The BBC reports: Russian TV news channel Rossiya 24 has aired a trailer for a weekend show featuring former Fox News journalist Tucker Carlson. The state-run broadcaster did not make clear whether it will feature original content or be a translation of his regular English-language videos on X. Carlson abruptly left Fox News in April where his populist conservative takes …

The Hill reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) defended former President Trump’s policy on Russia on Sunday, after praise from Russian President Vladimir Putin spurred criticism from others in the GOP. “The idea that Trump is some type of lackey for Putin — that’s just false,” DeSantis said told Howard Kurtz on Fox News’ “MediaBuzz”. “He had a very, very …

The Daily Beast reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin praised SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk Tuesday as an “outstanding person” and “talented businessman” in remarks at the Eastern Economic Forum, according to Russia 24. “As for Elon Musk’s private business… He is definitely an outstanding person, it must be recognized,” Putin said. “I think this is recognized all over the …

The Associated Press reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted Tuesday that the criminal cases against former U.S. President Donald Trump are political revenge that show the fundamental corruption of the United States. “As for the prosecution of Trump, for us what is happening in today’s conditions, in my opinion, is good because it shows the rottenness of the American political …

Al Jazeera reports: Brazil’s leader has withdrawn his personal assurance that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not be arrested if he attends next year’s Group of 20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, saying it would be up to the judiciary to decide. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also questioned Brazil’s membership in the United Nations war crimes court, saying …

Bloomberg News reports: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva risked a clash with fellow Group of 20 leaders after saying that Vladimir Putin would be safe to travel to next year’s G-20 without fear of arrest. The Russian leader, who is subject to an international arrest warrant over his invasion of Ukraine, skipped India’s G-20 summit in its second …

The Washington Post reports: SpaceX cut off Starlink satellite internet service to Ukrainian submarine drones last year just as they were launching an attack on the Russian Black Sea Fleet, according to a new biography of SpaceX founder Elon Musk. The new details of the previously reported incident underscore how dependent multiple governments have become on a man who controls …

“We heard it a year-and-a-half ago from President Biden or Pinocchio Joe, whatever you want to call him, that it was gonna be a small incursion. And we all know now there has been hundreds of thousands of people killed over in Ukraine – both Russian and Ukrainians, but the Ukrainians are getting slaughtered. “They’re gonna ask for more money. …

The New York Times reports: Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, plans to travel to Russia this month to meet with President Vladimir V. Putin to discuss the possibility of supplying Russia with more weaponry for its war in Ukraine and other military cooperation, according to American and allied officials. In a rare foray from his country, Mr. Kim …

“I would freeze the current lines of control. I would further make a hard commitment that NATO will not admit Ukraine to NATO. That’s enough to get Putin to do the deal. But I will require something even greater in return, Jesse. Russia has to exit its military alliance with China. Right now, we’re pushing Russia further into China’s hands. …