The prosecution called for a life sentence for Nikita Tikhonov on Thursday for the killing of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova in 2009. Markelov and Baburova, who worked for the liberal Novaya Gazeta newspaper, were gunned down in broad daylight in downtown Moscow in January 2009. A jury found Tikhonov and his civil [...]
Archives: 05 May 2011
May 5, 2011
May 5, 2011
Magomedov claims Russia’s first bronze at World Cup taekwondo
Russian Seyfula Magomedov grabbed the team’s first bronze in the under 54 kg category on Thursday at the Korean Taekwondo World Championships. He beat Brazil’s Michael Soares in the quarterfinals 6-3, but did not make the final, being defeated by Thailand’s Khawlaor Chutchaval 5-7. Russian Anastasia Baryshnikova reached the women’s semi-finals in the weight category [...]
May 5, 2011
Some 500 illegal immigrants from Vietnam arrested in Moscow
Russian police have arrested some 500 illegal Vietnamese immigrants in the Moscow Region’s village of Malakhovka, a police source said on Thursday. The immigrants were illegally employed at a factory involved in sewing coats and jackets. “Police have detained about 500 people from Vietnam,” the source said. “Numerous violations of immigration laws were revealed on [...]
May 5, 2011
Russian woman accused of sex trafficking to be extradited from Spain
A Russian national, Lyudmila Nesterova, accused of trafficking women for sexual exploitation, will be extradited from Spain on Thursday, the press service of the Russian Interior Ministry’s Interpol national central bureau said. In 2005, Nesterova organized a criminal group in the Nizhny Novgorod Region that hired women to work as waitresses in Spanish bars that [...]
May 5, 2011
International group agrees on financial aid for Libya rebels
The international Libya contact group has announced the establishment of a fund to help Libyan rebels as it meets in Rome on Thursday. The fund will “permit funds to be channeled effectively and transparently to the Transitional National Council,” Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said, addressing the meeting. The rebel Transitional National Council (TNC) says [...]
May 5, 2011
Two Russian prosecutors put on wanted list over illegal casino scandal
Two Russian prosecutors suspected of protecting underground casinos have been put on the federal wanted list, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported on Thursday. Moscow Region prosecutor Alexander Mokhov, his deputy Alexander Ignatenko, legal proceedings chief Dmitry Urumov and two city prosecutors were fired in late April for breaching an oath of office by reportedly hushing [...]
May 5, 2011
May 5, 2011
A Soyuz is "born" at the Spaceport
The first fully-assembled Soyuz in French Guiana was unveiled Wednesday as the completed vehicle made its initial appearance during ongoing dry run evaluations at the Spaceport. This workhorse Russian vehicle emerged under partly sunny skies as the 52-meter-tall service gantry made a maiden roll-back, having protected the Soyuz during final integration and checkout activities on [...]
May 5, 2011
Comet Elenin: Preview of a Coming Attraction
You may have heard the news: Comet Elenin is coming to the inner-solar system this fall. Comet Elenin (also known by its astronomical name C/2010 X1), was first detected on Dec. 10, 2010 by Leonid Elenin, an observer in Lyubertsy, Russia, who made the discovery “remotely” using the ISON-NM observatory near Mayhill, New Mexico. At [...]
May 5, 2011
Former Presidential Rights Adviser Says Russian System Turned Into ‘Rock-Solid Insult To All Of Us’
Ella Pamfilova is one of Russia’s most distinguished liberal figures. She is the head of two NGOs — Civil Society For Russia’s Children and Civic Dignity. She is a former Duma deputy and a former social affairs minister. In 2000, she became the first woman to run for the office of president of Russia. In [...]
May 5, 2011
Russian Military Officer Wins Lawsuit Against McDonald’s
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — A disgruntled customer has won a lawsuit against McDonald’s in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, RFE/RL’s Russian Service reports. Retired military officer Konstantin Kosolapov filed the lawsuit against McDonald’s one year ago after a small stone in a salad he bought at McDonald’s broke his tooth. He demanded McDonald’s pay [...]
May 5, 2011
Russian Environmental Activist Attacked
KHIMKI, Russia — An activist of the Defenders of the Khimki Forest movement has been attacked and beaten, RFE/RL’s Russian Service reports. Sergei Udaltsov, coordinator of the opposition Left Front movement, told RFE/RL that several people beat Aleksei Belykh when he and other activists went to the Khimki Forest near the town of Starbeyevo after [...]
May 5, 2011
Russian military to hold night rehearsal of Victory Day parade
The Russian military will carry out on Thursday a third night of rehearsals for a World War II victory parade on May 9 on Moscow’s Red Square, the Defense Ministry said. “The first rehearsal took place on the square on April 26, the second on May 3, and we still have the third on May [...]