RUSSIA
* The Russian State Duma with the majority-led pro-Kremlin United Russia party voted on Friday to strip a Communist legislator of his immunity in what the opposition called an intimidation campaign
* Moscow’s ratifying an agreement to ease visa regulations with the United States has nothing to do with the so-called Magnitsky list, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said
* Alla Bout, the wife of jailed Russian businessman Viktor Bout who is serving his 25-year imprisonment in the United States, submitted an extradition request to Russia’s Justice Ministry
* The ruling United Russia party proposed to criminalize libel, prompting the opposition to decry it for an attempt to silence critics of the Kremlin
* Russia’s lower chamber of parliament, the Duma, approved a law on Friday prohibiting advertising alcohol drinks in the Russian segment of the Internet and print media
* Russia’s lower house of parliament approved in its first reading a controversial bill that would force non-governmental organizations (NGOs) funded from abroad and engaged in political activity to declare themselves “foreign agents.”
WORLD
* The UN Security Council has extended a peacekeeping mission in South Sudan for another year amid concerns that the dire economic situation in the county and tensions with neighboring Sudan could disrupt the region
* Russia and China should be told that they will pay a price for support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a Paris meeting on Syria
* Cyprus has asked Russia for a five billion euro loan to partially cover its budget deficit, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said
* Polish police have brought charges against 23 Poles suspected of offering organs for sale during the first large-scale operation against organ trafficking, Poland’s Police Headquarters reported
* Mauritius has offered India two of its islands in exchange for keeping a tax treaty with India, Times of India reported