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☆ Russian election: As Putin readies for a fifth term, the Kremlin is stepping up its war on its own people
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Clare Sebastian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In January, she was jailed for five and a half years for spreading “false” information about the army. Russian independent news outlet Mediazona reported she was convicted after two reposts on VKontakte — Russia’s version of Facebook — including one about Russian troop deaths. Oskar CherdzhievRussia’s powerful investigative committee ordered a criminal case be opened on charges of spreading false information about the army. So they try to protect this.”‘Deeper and deeper into this darkness’With mainstream Russian media now entirely state-controlled, the authorities are targeting other forms of expression — the arts, literature and culture. In December, Akunin was added to Russia’s “terrorist and extremist list” for allegedly justifying extremism and spreading false information about the Russian army.

Persons: It’s, ”, Oleg Orlov, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Orlov, Tatyana Makeyeva, Darya, “, ” Korolenko, Konstantin Eggert, Evgeniya, Nadezhda Buyanova, —, Buyanova, Oskar Cherdzhiev Russia’s, Grigory Chkhartishvili, Boris Akunin, he’s, Akunin, Russia’s, Misha Japaridze, Alexey Navalny, Andrei Soldatov, ” Soldatov, Soldatov Organizations: CNN, Facebook, Higher School of, Center, Combating Extremism, Bolshevik Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Soviet, Orlov’s, Russian, Shakhty, Ukrainian, ” Russia, Covid, USSR

☆ A high-profile Russian war blogger died after posting that Russia lost 16,000 soldiers taking the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka: reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A Russian military blogger is reported to have died after posting about massive Russian losses in Avdiivka. Prior to his reported death, he had complained about being pressured by Russian propagandists. AdvertisementA Russian military blogger who had posted about massive Russian losses in Ukraine died a few days later, according to multiple reports. Several Russian Telegram accounts have said that the death of Andrei Morozov — a veteran and war blogger with more than 135,000 subscribers — was by suicide, BBC Russian reported. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: —, Andrei Morozov —, Maxim Pashkov Organizations: Service, Russian, BBC, Business Locations: Russian, Avdiivka, Ukraine, BBC Russian

☆ US-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina ‘didn’t have a worry in a world’ when she went to Russia. Then she was arrested for treason
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Tara John | Mariya Knight | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —When dual US-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina boarded a flight from Istanbul to Russia in January, the last thing on her mind was that she would find herself behind bars weeks later on treason charges, her boyfriend told CNN’s Brianna Keilar Wednesday. She went on to Russia, while he returned to California - and that’s when he discovered she had been detained. Russian authorities took her cell phone then released her and she was able to see her family and contact him. Despite it all Van Heerden said he was hopeful the US would not give up on her. Ksenia Karelina's boyfriend said she had for years been a "semi-pro" ballerina.

Persons: Ksenia Karelina, CNN’s Brianna Keilar, Karelina “, ”, Chris Van Heerden, Karelina, Van Heerden, Ksenia, ” Karelina, Ukraine –, “, Nick Starichenko, Shutterstock, Andrei Soldatov, Evan Gershkovich’s, Vladimir Putin, Vadim Krasikov, ” Putin, Tucker Carlson Organizations: CNN, Angeles, Federal Security Service, Russia, Russia’s Federal Security Service, Court, Wall Street Locations: Russian, Istanbul, Russia, Yekaterinburg, California, Karelina, Ukrainian, Ukraine, America, Moscow, Germany, Chechen, Berlin, United States

☆ A Russian Military Blogger Dies After Criticizing Army Losses
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Anatoly Kurmanaev | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A pro-war Russian military blogger died on Wednesday, his lawyer said, after the blogger wrote the country’s military pressured him to remove a post exposing the scale of its losses in a recent battle in Ukraine. The blogger, Andrei Morozov, claimed in his post that Russia had lost 16,000 men and 300 armored vehicles in its assault on the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, which the Russians captured last week. He deleted the post on Tuesday after what he said was a campaign of intimidation against him. The following morning, Mr. Morozov published a series of posts on Telegram outlining the complaints he had received from Russian military command and Kremlin propagandists about his exposé. His lawyer, Maksim Pashkov, confirmed the death in a written response to questions.

Persons: Andrei Morozov, Morozov, Maksim Pashkov Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Avdiivka

☆ Belarus Prepares Law Against 'LGBT Propaganda', State Media Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Belarus has prepared a draft law punishing the "promotion of non-traditional relationships," referring to LGBT relationships, Belarusian state news agency Belta reported on Monday. The draft law is undergoing an approval procedure, he said. An anti-gay propaganda law has been on the books in neighbouring Russia since 2013 and has effectively outlawed any public expression of the behaviour or lifestyle of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals or transgender people. Photos You Should See View All 33 ImagesHomosexuality was decriminalised in Belarus in 1994, but the country does not recognise same-sex marriages and authorities have cracked down on LGBT pride parades. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has publicly mocked LGBT people, calling gay men "perverts" and "the ultimate abomination" in a speech to politicians last year.

Persons: Belta, Andrei Shved, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin's staunchest, Lucy Papachristou, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Reuters, LGBT Locations: Belarus, Russia

The sudden death of Russian President Vladimir Putin's most formidable antagonist has left an open wound in Russia's political opposition. Navalny also was the first opposition leader in Russia to receive a lengthy prison sentence in recent years. In the three years since Navalny lost his freedom, multiple prominent dissidents were imprisoned, while others fled Russia under pressure. MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKYMikhail Khodorkovsky, 60, is a former tycoon turned Russian opposition figure in exile. Kara-Murza was an associate of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, another fierce Putin critic who was assassinated near the Kremlin in 2015.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Alexei Navalny, Navalny, Leonid Volkov, Maria Pevchikh, Ivan Zhdanov, Kira Yarmysh —, “ Alexei, ” Volkov, MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Khodorkovsky, Putin, Andrei Pivovarov, Garry Kasparov, Dmitry Gudkov, VLADIMIR KARA, MURZA, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Boris Nemtsov, Kara, Nemtsov, Sergei Magnitsky, Yevgenia, ILYA YASHIN Ilya Yashin, Navalny's, Yashin's, Yashin, ” Yashin Organizations: YouTube, Putin, TEAM, Corruption Foundation, Olympics, Kremlin, Putin's Russia —, U.S, Associated Press Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Black, Sochi, London, Putin's Russia, Washington, Moscow

☆ Opinion: Alexey Navalny, one man who stood up to a dictatorship
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. “In his courageous and too short life,” wrote Russia scholar Daniel Treisman, “Navalny became a symbol of hope for the younger generations of his compatriots. “He never gave up on the prospect of what he called ‘the beautiful Russia of the future,’” Treisman noted. “For a ‘beautiful Russia of the future’ to emerge in coming years, Putin must lose the war he started. Navalny understood this.”“Navalny’s death represents the extinguishing of all hope for Russia’s turnaround,” wrote Sasha Vasilyuk.

Persons: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Joseph Stalin “, “, ”, you’ve, Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s, Navalny, fearlessly, Putin, Daniel Treisman, “ Navalny, Navalny’s, ’ ” Treisman, Sasha Vasilyuk, Alexey Navalny’s, Peter Bergen, Andrei Sakharov, ” Putin, Bergen, Nick Anderson, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, authoritarians, Bill Bramhall, James Mattis, ” Peter Bergen, Frida Ghitis, Fidel Castro’s playbook, Patrick Mahomes, Andy “, Amy Bass, New York Democrat Tom Suozzi, George Santos, ” Suozzi, CNN Suozzi didn’t, Biden, isn’t, Long, Max Burns, ” “, Alejandro Mayorkas, ” “ Suozzi, Burns, Robert Hur’s, Norm Eisen, Richard Painter, Joshua Kolb, Hur, ” Joel Pett, Lawrence C, Levy, Julian Zelizer, Dean Obeidallah, Mark Dent, Dent, Saw, Clay Jones, David Orentlicher, ” Orentlicher, Will Cooper, Fani, Willis, Nathan, Wade, ” “ Willis, Antony Blinken, Batniji, Blinken, Fatah, Hussein, Don’t, David Horsey, Agency Jill Filipovic, Lynda Gorov, Taylor Swift, Jim Parrott, Mark Zandi, Brigid Schulte, Yuliya, Kara Alaimo, Frankie de la, Jackie Robinson’s, Jon Stewart’s, Jon Stewart, Matt Wilson, Jon Stewart skewered Trump, Bill Carter, Stewart, ” “ Stewart Organizations: CNN, IK, Moscow Times, Kremlin, Twitter, Facebook, Soviet, Tribune, Agency, Republican, Senate, Agency Former US Defense, Trump, , Kansas City Chiefs, Chiefs, nab, New, New York Democrat, Democratic, GOP, Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, Super Bowl, Kansas, West Bank Locations: Soviet, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, New York, Washington, Georgia, ,, York, Glen Cove, Joel Osteen’s, Houston, Kansas City, America, ”, Kansas, Gaza, San Francisco, Israel, Iran

☆ Alexey Navalny: Arrests, vigils, and Kremlin silence as Russia marks Putin critic’s death
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The prosecutor’s office in Moscow warned that any demonstrations in the capital over the death of Navalny were forbidden. Stringer/ReutersSince Navalny’s death more than 366 people have been detained, according to OVD-Info, an independent Russian human rights group that monitors Russian repression. “Navalny’s death is terrible: hopes have been smashed,” he said. On some of Russia’s state media channels, however, reports of Navalny’s death have been scant. The claims follow condemnation from Russia’s foreign ministry over the West’s response to Navalny’s death.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Putin, “ Putin, Josef Stalin, SOTA, Stringer, Vladimir Putin’s “, ”, “ Navalny, Alexander, Andrei Bok, Mikhail, Surgut, Alexei Navalny, Peter Nicholls, Maria Zakharova, –, “, CNN’s Eve Brennan, Uliana Pavlova Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Don, Nizhny, Russian, Russian Embassy, CIA, Russia, Foreign, NATO, Putin, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Berlin, Paris, Hague, ”, Moscow, Siberian, Novosibirsk, St Petersburg, Murmansk, Rostov, Nizhny Novgorod, OVD, Ukraine, Germany, Soviet, Surgut, Siberia, St . Petersburg, Belgorod –, Chelyabinsk, Russia’s, London

☆ Russian President Putin Congratulates Servicemen for Capture of Ukraine's Avdiivka
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated military units and their commander on Saturday on the capture of the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, the Kremlin said. The Kremlin website said Putin was presented with a report on the capture of the city from Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. Russian news agencies quoted a telegram that Putin sent to the commander of the "centre" group of forces in Ukraine, Colonel-General Andrei Mordvichev. Russian forces had been engaged in sustained attacks on Avdiivka since mid-October. It had been briefly held by pro-Russian groups in 2014 when they seized large chunks of eastern Ukraine, but later retaken by Ukrainian forces.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Andrei Mordvichev, Ron Popeski, Diane Craft Organizations: Reuters, Defence, Ukrainian, Moscow's, Russian Locations: Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Donetsk

☆ Opinion: In Navalny’s death, echoes of Stalin
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —We don’t yet know the exact details of jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny’s death, reported Friday by the Russian prison service — and we may never find the precise truth. When the Wall fell, Putin was a KGB officer in Dresden in what was then East Germany. And the most dangerous thing a Russian leader can do is lose a war as the Romanovs did in World War I, which helped spark the Russian revolution in 1917. By contrast with Gorbachev, Stalin ruled with an iron fist and was critical to the Allies winning World War II. How will news of Navalny’s death be received in Russia?

Persons: Peter Bergen, ”, Alexey Navalny’s, Kamala Harris, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Navalny, Andrei Sakharov, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Mikhail Gorbachev, ” Gorbachev, quagmire, Alexis de Tocqueville, Gorbachev’s, Gorbachev, Stalin, Tucker Carlson’s, Boris Nadezhdin Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, Trump Administration, CNN, Munich Security, Human Rights, Soviet Union, Soviet, Kremlin, Great, Literature Locations: New America, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Soviet, Eastern Europe, Dresden, East Germany, Afghanistan, Russian

☆ Spanish Farmers Take to Streets for Fourth Day, Plan Madrid Protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

TORIJA, Spain (Reuters) - Spanish farmers on Friday blocked streets across the country in a fourth day of protests and announced plans to gather in Madrid as they railed against the EU's environmental rules and what they see as excessive taxes and red tape. Since Tuesday, Spanish farmers have joined peers from Germany, France, Italy, Portugal and Belgium in daily protests that include blocking several highways and ports. The three main farmers' associations - COAG, Asaja and UPA - kicked off their demonstrations on Thursday, though many had started earlier in the week. Plataforma 6, a newly created farmers' group, said it would gather outside all regional government buildings in Spain, including Madrid. The head of business association CEOE Antonio Garamendi expressed solidarity with the farmers' protests but said they had to be conducted "in moderation to avoid harming other sectors".

Persons: Javier Corral, CEOE Antonio Garamendi, Guillermo Martinez, Marco Trujillo, Catarina Demony, David Latona, Andrei Khalip, Charlie Devereux Organizations: UPA, Farmers, El Mundo Locations: Spain, Madrid, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Asaja, Torija, Jerez, Moroccan, Merida, lobbing

☆ Dozens of journalists detained in Moscow as military wives protest mobilization
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Darya Tarasova | Amy Cassidy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A number of people, including journalists from foreign press organizations, have been detained in Moscow after authorities cracked down on protesters at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s election headquarters, independent outlets reported Saturday. Independent Russian media group Mediazona reported Saturday that among those held are journalists working for Kommersant, France Press and Spiegel, as well as human rights activists. Another seven journalists covering the rally were taken to the Basmanny police station, OVD-info said. One state media employee has since been released from Kitay-Gorod along with three minors, according to OVD-info on Telegram. They said: “Police officers told them that they planned to soon release the rest of the employees of federal and foreign media, but to leave ‘foreign agents’ media representatives in the police station.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Mediazona, Andrei Zaiko, ”, “ Organizations: CNN, ”, Independent, Kommersant, France Press, Spiegel, Fuji, “ Police, Kremlin Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Putin’s, Independent Russian

“The group participants remain detained at the immigration center in a shared cell with 80 people,” the post said. The seven band members were arrested last Thursday after playing a concert on the southern resort island of Phuket, reportedly for not having proper working papers. After paying a fine, the band members were sent to the Immigration Detention Center in Bangkok. The detained musicians “include Russia citizens as well as dual nationals of Russia and other countries, including Israel and Australia,” the group Human Rights Watch said in a statement Tuesday. Andrei Lugovoi, a member of the lower house of Russia's parliament, called the band members “scum” for their criticism of Russia's military operations in Ukraine.

Persons: Ilya Ilyin, “, ”, Elaine Pearson, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Gudkov, Gudkov, Andrei Lugovoi, ” Lugovoi, Alexander Litvinenko Organizations: —, Facebook, RIA Novosti, Immigration Detention, Human Rights Watch, Rights Watch, AP, Kremlin, Russian Foreign Ministry, YouTube, Spotify Locations: BANGKOK, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Russian, Phuket, Bangkok, Australia, Asia, ”, Britain, London

☆ Catalan Leader Denies Spy Agency Claim He Led Separatist Protest Group
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Joan FausBARCELONA (Reuters) - Catalonia's regional leader on Friday denied allegations by Spain's spy agency CNI that he had secretly led a radical separatist protest group, which he said CNI had used as a pretext to snoop on him. Pere Aragones told reporters he had received on Thursday some heavily redacted declassified CNI documents related to the alleged espionage he had been subject to, and he called for those responsible to be held accountable. Asked about the documents, Spain's Justice Minister Felix Bolanos reiterated that the government did not know about nor authorise the alleged spying. "(The documents) make this affirmation that is obviously out of touch with any minimum sense of reality," Aragones told reporters, adding that the documents provided no explanation for such suspicions. Aragones said the documents were full of falsehoods and their aim was to destroy the legitimate political project of Catalan independence from Spain.

Persons: Joan Faus BARCELONA, Spain's, CNI, snoop, Pere Aragones, Felix Bolanos, Aragones, Paz Esteban, Esteban, Joan Faus, Andrei Khalip, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Citizen, Pegasus, Spain's Locations: Canada, Spain, Barcelona

☆ Hyundai finalizes Russia exit as local firm buys its two car plants
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Hyundai on Friday said it had signed a deal to sell its two Russian plants, making the South Korean firm the latest global carmaker to exit Russia since the Ukraine conflict began. Hyundai Motor said in December it planned to sell its Russian assets for 10,000 roubles ($111.69), taking a 287 billion won ($214.7 million) loss. Art-Finance is owned by Andrei Pavlovich, who acquired Volkswagen's Russian assets in May 2023. Volkswagen's factory was renamed to AGR Automotive. Hyundai in December said it planned to continue operating post-sales services for existing vehicles in consideration of local conditions in Russia.

Persons: Andrei Pavlovich, Volkswagen's Organizations: Hyundai, Art, Finance, Motors, AGR Automotive Locations: Korean, Russia, Ukraine, Hyundai's St, Petersburg, Russian, Moscow, St Petersburg

☆ The Russian government and its central bank are publicly disagreeing on how to handle the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

On the same day, Russia's central bank said the impact of the measures is moderate, and they shouldn't be extended. AdvertisementRussian officials are publicly arguing about capital controls, highlighting disagreement in the country's elite class about how to handle its sanctions-stressed economy. AdvertisementIt's not the first time Russian government officials and the country's central bank have aired their disagreements in public. Elvira Nabiullina, Russia's central bank governor and Putin's top technocrat for the economy, pushed back against the criticism, saying the ruble's slide was due to changing trade flows in and out of Russia amid sanctions. Advertisement"Blaming the central bank is like a drunkard's search — looking for the guilty where the light is," she said at the time.

Persons: Putin, —, Vladimir Putin, Andrei Belousov, Elvira Nabiullina Organizations: Service, Telegram Locations: Russia, Russia's, Russian

☆ Plane Crash in Western Russia - What We Know and Don't Know
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

(Reuters) - Russia accused Ukraine on Wednesday of shooting down a military transport plane carrying 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers to a prisoner exchange. The crash took place just northeast of Belgorod in western Russia, close to the border with Ukraine. The aircraft was an Ilyushin Il-76, a large military transport plane designed to carry troops, cargo or weapons. He said a second Il-76 transport plane carrying around 80 more Ukrainian soldiers to the exchange had managed to turn around. Ukraine's defence ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Persons: Here's, Andrei Kartapolov, Kartapolov, Ukraine's, Andriy Yusov, Margarita Simonyan, Mykhailo Podolyak, Mark Trevelyan, Andrew Osborn, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Reuters, Ukraine, WHO, U.S . Patriots, IRIS, Radio Svoboda Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Belgorod, Russian, Ukraine's Kharkiv, Chkalovsky, Moscow, UKRAINE, Ukrainian

☆ Spain's Top Court Rules Mass Deportation of Minors to Morocco Was Illegal
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID (Reuters) - The deportation of hundreds of Moroccan youths from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in August, 2021 after a mass border crossing was illegal, Spain's Supreme Court ruled on Monday, dealing a blow to the leftist coalition government's immigration policy. The judges dismissed the government's appeal against an earlier ruling by a local court in Ceuta that had ordered Madrid to ensure the youths' return to Spain as it deemed their expulsion unlawful. Around 700 of them were sent back to Morocco in mid-August following an agreement between the neighbouring countries. The Supreme Court said the minors' collective expulsion flouted not only domestic immigration laws, but also breached the European Human Rights Convention. Authorities in Ceuta failed to meet any of these conditions, the Supreme Court ruled, adding that the minors' rights to physical and moral integrity were violated, as they were "put in serious danger of suffering physical or psychological harm".

Persons: flouted, David Latona, Andrei Khalip, Ed Osmond Organizations: Interior Ministry, Human Rights, European Locations: MADRID, Ceuta, Madrid, Spain, Rabat, Western, Morocco

☆ Amid Drought, Water Curbs in Portugal's Algarve, Spain's Catalonia
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Sergio Goncalves and Joan FausLISBON/BARCELONA (Reuters) - Portugal's caretaker government has ordered cuts to the amount of water used in farmland irrigation and in urban environments including hotels in the tourism-dependent southern region of Algarve, where a severe drought has nearly emptied reservoirs. Across the Iberian peninsula, Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia is suffering its worst drought on record and authorities in the greater Barcelona area said on Thursday they would reduce water pressure in some towns' supply systems. If nothing was done in relation to moderation on the consumption side, we would reach the end of 2024 without water for public supply," he said. In the southern region of Andalusia, officials on Thursday said there would be water restrictions in big cities such as Seville, Cordoba or Malaga by the summer in the absence of substantial rain before then. (Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; additional reporting by Joan Faus in Barcelona and Emma Pinedo in Madrid; editing by Andrei Khalip and Bernadette Baum)

Persons: Sergio Goncalves, Joan Faus, Duarte Cordeiro, Emma Pinedo, Andrei Khalip, Bernadette Baum Locations: Joan Faus LISBON, BARCELONA, Algarve, Catalonia, Barcelona, Portugal, Andalusia, Seville, Cordoba, Malaga, Madrid

How the Russian Government Silences Wartime DissentJust days after invading Ukraine, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia signed a censorship law that made it illegal to “discredit” the army. The indignities of the crackdown, and the long arm of the Russia law, is being lost in the numbers. Nanna Heitmann for The New York TimesIn dry legalese, the court documents recount the Russian state’s case against these statements and protests. People’s “negative assessment” of the Russian military could adversely affect its performance, the court said, presenting a national security risk. And I very much don’t want this.”Sergei Platonov at district court in Moscow listening to his guilty verdict in November.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, ”, — schoolteachers, —, That’s, Ukraine —, pollsters, Andrei Kolesnikov, Demyan, Aleksandr T, Olga V, ” Maksim L, Omsk Diana I, Denis V, Russia ”, “, Maksim P, Anna S, Maria V, people’s “, Russia’s, Zaynulla Gadzhiyev, Mr, Bespokoyev, Marina Tsurmast, scrawled, Nanna Heitmann, Tsurmast, Gadzhiyev, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Aleksandra Y, Skochilenko, Selimat, Vladimir A, Rustam I, ” Yelena L, Aleksandr K, Olga P, Dmitri D, Sergei V, Eve, Daria Ivanova, Ms, Ivanova, “ you’ll, Anton Redikultsev, Redikultsev, Jan, Marina, Sergei P, ” Yuldash, ” Dmitri S, Peskov, Putin’s, Sergei Platonov, Platonov, Russian Gestapo ”, Polina, Kolesnikov, Anna Sliva, Sliva Organizations: New York Times, Times, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, OVD, Penza Yuriy V, Russia, ”, Ukraine ” “, YouTube, Bucha, Ukraine, Police, The New York Times, Armed Forces, Russian Federation, VK, Russian Gestapo, The New York Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine, “, Omsk, Peace, Ukraine ” “ Ukraine, Bucha, Moscow, St, Petersburg, Iglino, ”, Novosibirsk, Siberia, Crimea, Ukrainian, Kalga, Russia’s, OVD, Coast, Primorye, Soviet

The logo of Spanish telecoms firm Telefonica is seen atop the company's building in Madrid, Spain, September 6, 2023. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMADRID, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Telefonica told unions on Monday it was seeking to cut around 5,100 jobs in Spain by 2026 in an effort to reduce costs and adapt the company's size to the current market, a UGT union spokesperson said. The company based the decision on productivity, organization and technical reasons, the union spokesman said as Telefonica and the unions started negotiating the layoffs. In a statement Telefonica confirmed the labour "adjustment", but declined to say how many jobs it intended to axe. The company will negotiate the extent of the job cutting with the union, so that the actual cuts could be fewer than the 5,100 ones targeted by the company, UGT spokesperson Diego Gallart said.

Persons: Violeta Santos Moura, Diego Gallart, Inti Landauro, Matteo Allievi, Jakub Olesiuk, Andrei Khalip, Jan Harvey Organizations: Telefonica, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain

☆ Planes, tails and mid-flight snacks -Spain's Vueling rolls out pet treats
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A dog sits as tourists at Gran Canaria airport queue to return to their countries after the closure of hotels during the health emergency of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the island of Gran Canaria, Spain, March 18, 2020. REUTERS/Borja Suarez/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 4 (Reuters) - Spanish low-cost airline Vueling has started offering treats for pets as part of the buy-on-board menu on its flights, it said on Monday, adding that it was the first such initiative in Europe. A significant part of Vueling's customer base travels with pets and there is demand for such a service, the airline said. "We are trying to be diverse," it added. ($1 = 0.9249 euros)Reporting by Jakub Olesiuk, editing by Andrei Khalip and Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Borja Suarez, Vueling, Jakub Olesiuk, Andrei Khalip, Susan Fenton Organizations: Gran Canaria, REUTERS, Edgard, Cooper, Thomson Locations: Gran, Spain, Europe, Belgian

☆ Cops raided gay bars in Moscow and documented its customers 2 days after Russia's top court deemed LGBTQ+ groups 'extremist'
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russia's top court declared the LGBTQ+ movement extremist, clamping down on gay rights under Putin. Less than two days later, cops raided gay bars and clubs, documenting present customers. AdvertisementRussian security forces raided gay clubs and bars across Moscow Friday night, less than 48 hours after the country's top court banned what it called the "global LGBTQ+ movement" as an extremist organization. The raids follow a decision by Russia's Supreme Court to label the country's LGBTQ+ "movement" as an extremist organization. In 2013, the Kremlin adopted the first legislation restricting LGBTQ+ rights, known as the "gay propaganda" law, banning any public endorsement of "nontraditional sexual relations" among minors.

Persons: —, clubgoers, Vladimir Putin, Max Olenichev, Olenichev, Putin, Andrei Loginov, Olga Baranova, they're, Baranova Organizations: Putin, Service, Police, Russia's, Justice Ministry, Central, Associated Press, Kremlin, Human Rights, Moscow Community Center, AP Locations: Russia, Moscow, St, Russian, Ukraine, Geneva

The fighting is reminiscent of a battle for another eastern city, Bakhmut, which fell to Russian forces last May after months of brutal urban combat. Since Moscow launched its renewed offensive around Avdiivka in October, Ukraine's top general and Western military experts have made downbeat assessments of Ukraine's ability to break Russian lines. Located just north of the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk in the industrial Donbas region, Avdiivka hosts deeply entrenched Ukrainian defences. Pushing Ukrainian forces out of Avdiivka would be seen as enlarging the amount of territory Russia controls and making Donetsk city safer. Seizing Avdiivka could boost Russian morale and deal a psychological blow to Ukrainian forces, which have made only incremental gains in a counteroffensive launched in June.

Persons: Nuzhnenko, Ukraine's, Russia's, Andrei Gurulyov, Semyon Pegov, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Mykola Bielieskov, Bielieskov, Dan Peleschuk, Andrew Osborn, Mike Collett, White Organizations: Ukraine's National Guard Omega, Radio Free, Radio Liberty, REUTERS Acquire, Mechanized Brigade, Avdiivka, National Institute for Strategic Studies, Kyiv, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Avdiivka, Ukraine, Donetsk region, Radio Free Europe, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Russian, Moscow, Kyiv, Soviet, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russia

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Goalie Tristan Jarry scored an empty-net goal and made 39 saves in the Pittsburgh Penguins; 4-2 comeback victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 on Thursday night. Jarry stopped a dump-in and sent the puck end-to-end into the net with 1:08 left. Jeff Carter scored the go-ahead goal in the third period for the Penguins, who also got goals from Sidney Crosby and Drew O’Connor. NHL points leader Nikita Kucherov had two assists to tie his career high with an eight-game points streak. Stamkos made it 1-0 with a deflection at 9:06 on Tampa Bay’s 15th shot.

Persons: Tristan Jarry, Jarry, Jeff Carter, Sidney Crosby, Drew O’Connor, Steven Stamkos, Tanner Jeannot, Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Carter, Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Stamkos, ___ Organizations: Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay, Penguins, Lightning, NHL, 432nd NHL, Tampa Bay’s, UP NEXT Penguins, Philadelphia, Dallas Locations: TAMPA, Fla

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