Topic: Russia

Russian Security Service Says It Foiled a Terrorist Attack in Moscow

A woman walks on a street, as the headquarters (L) of the Federal Security Service is seen in the background, in central Moscow, May 14, 2013.
REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

Russia's Federal Security Service claims to have thwarted a terrorist attack being planned for central Moscow, killing two suspects in the process.

By Dashiell Bennett

May 17, 2013

Former Chechen Rebel Is at Center of Boston Bombing Investigation

Though he isn't considered a suspect, a former Chechen separatist who is now a refugee in the United States has become a key target of information in the Boston Marathon bombing investigation.

Comments | 34,387 Views

By Abby Ohlheiser

May 16, 2013

Russia Just Sent Bashar al-Assad More Missiles

Russia, one of the few remaining friends of Bashar al-Assad's regime, just sent the Syrian government some advanced antiship missiles.

Comments | 2,072 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

May 16, 2013

Report: The CIA Has Been Using the Same Terrible Wigs for Decades

If you weren't already convinced that the Russian evidence against accused American spy Ryan Fogle is rock solid, this newest revelation has to seal the deal.

Comments | 2,072 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

May 14, 2013

Russia Has Arrested a U.S. Diplomat It Swears Is a CIA Spy, Disguises and All

Russian security forces have detained an employee at the American embassy in Moscow, accusing him of recruiting spies for the CIA. Whether the charges stick or not, this bizarre incident won't help relations one bit. Here's why Ryan Fogle might not really be a spy anyway.

Comments | 6,578 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

May 9, 2013

Random Acts of Roadside Kindness, Caught on Dashcam

Today in viral videos: sometimes Russian dash cams (and Russians) will make you feel better about life, Kristen Wiig is prepping her SNL comeback, and the forbidden love between an owl and a dog. 

Comments | 1,016 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Apr 30, 2013

Tsarnaev Is Linked to More Dead Russian Jihadists

Boston bombing investigators continue to probe the idea that Tamerlan Tsarnaev knew or was influenced by someone in the Islamic militant community in Russia. Unfortunately, all the potential suspects who could talk about it happen to be dead. 

Comments | 3,150 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Apr 29, 2013

Russia Is Cracking Down on Its Own Militants in the Wake of Boston

Russian forces killed two suspected terrorists Monday in the region of Dagestan, in what looks to be part of a post-Boston crackdown on their own homegrown militants.

Comments | 589 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Apr 26, 2013

How Illegal Poker and the Russian Mob Might Have Sunk an Obama Appointee

What do President Obama, the Russian mob, Tobey Maguire, hedge funds, Olympic figure skaters, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Bill Clinton, A-Rod, France, and the "London Whale" have in common? They're all connected (more or less) to a complicated web of money, celebrity, politics, and illegal poker that may have cost one innocent millionaire an ambassadorship in France.

Comments | 2,543 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Apr 25, 2013

Putin Says Boston Proves He Was Right About Terrorism

During his annual Q&A media session on Thursday, Vladimir Putin spoke at length about Russia's connection to the Boston Marathon bombing, complaining that the Western media has a double standard when it comes to discussing terrorism in other countries.

Comments | 3,511 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 19, 2013

Home News From Afar

In Russia, Boston Worries Turn to Sochi

Even before the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing were linked to Russia, the nation saw how the attacks could resonate at the Sochi Olympics. Now, the fast-moving terror situation in America is having a ripple effect on the Games.

Comments | 7,896 Views

By Sara Morrison

Apr 13, 2013

Russia, U.S. Fighting a 'War of Lists'

Russia and the United States are in the middle of a sanction-off.

Comments | 4,439 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Apr 3, 2013

Gerard Depardieu's New Home Is Now a Towering Inferno

A fire broke out at a five-star hotel in the capital of Chechnya on Wednesday, damaging nearly every floor of the 35-story building — including an apartment owned by French tax-dodger Gerard Depardieu.

Comments | 3,027 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Mar 26, 2013

Autopsy Says Boris Berezovsky Hanged Himself

A corner in England has ruled that Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky died by hanging, and despite the temptation to assume otherwise, there are no signs of foul play.

Comments | 871 Views

By Connor Simpson

Mar 23, 2013

The Conspiracy Theories Surrounding Boris Berezovsky's Death

Boris Berezovsky, a 67-year-old former Russian oligarch, was found dead in his home in Berkshire, England on Saturday. No one knows how or why he died and Berezovsky had a lot of powerful enemies, so the conspiracy theories are already flying. 

Comments | 4,329 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Mar 22, 2013

True Fact: People Like to Watch People in Movies Run

This week in viral videos: the silliest running scenes in movie-making history, some unnecessary censorship that gives us the giggles, and animals who have learned to smile and entertain you. 

Comments | 867 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Mar 21, 2013

How Russia Can Save Cyprus and the Euro (for a Steep Price)

The government of Cyprus has until Monday to figure out how raise 6 billion euros worth of emergency funds or the European Central Bank will pull the plug on their end of the bailout deal. And the one and only backup plan is in the hands of the one country you probably don't want to be in hock to: Russia.

Comments | 1,384 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Mar 14, 2013

Russia and Iran Prop Up Syria's War Machine, and Tell the West to Butt Out

While Europe and the U.S. hem-and-haw about finding ways to support Syria's rebel army — and get threatened for even considering it — Iran appears to have no reservations about funneling money to their enemies.

Comments | 3,621 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 11, 2013

The Long, Dark History of the Russian Ballet

In this week's New Yorker, David Remnick takes us behind the scenes of the Bolshoi, the institution at the center of the acid-throwing attack, revealing that, behind all the pirouettes, there has long been strife that mirrors Russian society.

Comments | 1,552 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Mar 7, 2013

Russian Ballet Dancer Says Ordered Hit Was to Beat Up Rival — No Acid Allowed

Now that they've all been arrested and are facing serious jail time, the men accused of orchestrating an acid attack on the director of the Bolshoi Ballet are all pointing the fingers at each other.

Comments | 862 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 7, 2013

Trimming the Times

The Shadow of Chavez, Facebook's News Feed Dilemma, and Wicked Witch Fashion

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 345 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 5, 2013

Twist in Acid-Throwing Russian Ballet Scandal Reveals New Heroes & Villains

On Tuesday, Moscow police detained a dancer from inside the Bolshoi company, who was allegedly in charge of ordering the hit. Now this gets even more interesting. Let's take a look at the players in a sordid tale of disfiguration and pointe shoes.

Comments | 2,414 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Feb 18, 2013

The Whole World Has Meteor Fever

From amateur astronomers to space junk traders to Canadian satellite makers to dashboard cam enthusiasts, the flaming Russian Meteorite has captivated the whole planet by offering a little something for everyone.

Comments | 4,311 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 15, 2013

Chart of the Day

The Cold War of Meteorites, Mapped

The Guardian offers some context to the cosmic event with map of meteorites throughout history — at least the recorded ones — and it shows that America gets a lot more of these sightings than Russia.

Comments | 1,708 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Feb 15, 2013

The @RussiaMeteor War Against Twitter Parody Accounts Is Futile

With an oversaturation of obvious jokes coming from get-followers-quick users who jump on major news events, one comedian's bold move to squat on a newsy handle is, indeed, an heroic gesture. But it's also futile.

Comments | 2,652 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Feb 15, 2013

The Incredible Russian Meteor, Explained

This is about more than just the cool videos. This is a meteor! Actually, it's a meteorite, and it wasn't the meteorite that hurt all those people, exactly, and, yes, you have meteorite insurance — and, no, this is not all John Kerry's fault. Here are those and other answers you'll need to talk about this cosmically awesome event all weekend long.

Comments | 14,282 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Feb 15, 2013

Incredible Videos Capture a Giant Meteor Exploding Over Russia

A 10-ton meteor blazed through the sky and struck Central Russia this morning, leaving nearly 1,000 people injured along with a goosebump-inducing sonic boom that provided an amazing collection of videos from citizens who caught the whole thing on tape.

Comments | 52,238 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Feb 7, 2013

Russian Jets Get Too Close For Japan's Liking

For the second time in one week, Japan's foreign ministry has had to lodge an international complaint after a neighboring military power got a little too close for comfort.

Comments | 862 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Feb 7, 2013

One Year Out From Sochi 2014, Putin Fires Russia's Deputy Olympic Chief

Russian President Vladimir Putin wants the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi to be perfect, so when he found out who was behind the delays of the site's ski jumping complex, he did the understandable thing and axed the Russian Olympics Committee deputy chief.

Comments | 517 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 1, 2013

Pussy Riot Is Not Doing Well in Prison

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, one of the members of Pussy Riot has been hospitalized in her prison colony in Mordovia, for what the Associated Press is calling a "full medical check-up." 

Comments | 1,360 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Jan 31, 2013

Now Is Not a Good Time to Vacation in Damascus

A Russian judge recently thought it would be a good idea to take his holiday in Syria and pretend to be a war correspondent. And guess what happened: he got shot in the face and almost died.

Comments | 862 Views

By David Wagner

Jan 23, 2013

Inside the Eastern European Cybercrime Network That Brought Down NASA

Today federal authorities charged three men with building and disseminating a virus that crippled NASA computers and brought in tens of millions of dollars for cybercriminals. The new court documents detail the inner workings of Eastern Europe's cybercrime market. 

Comments | 1,418 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Jan 22, 2013

Russia Sends Planes to Pick Up Its Citizens Who Evacuated Syria

Russia's "Emergencies Ministry" has reportedly sent two airplanes to Lebanon, so that it can evacuate more than 100 Russian citizens who have fled Syria

Comments | 1,379 Views

By David Wagner

Jan 16, 2013

Russian Court Denies Pussy Riot Member a Chance to Raise Her Son

Things just keep getting bleaker for the two Pussy Riot members still in prison. Today, Maria Alyokhina asked a Russian court to defer her sentence until her 5-year-old becomes a teenager. They denied her plea at an emotional hearing, sending her straight back to jail.

Comments | 1,035 Views

By David Wagner

Jan 9, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Wednesday Columns

Tim Weiner on John Brennan, Jonathan Chait on elusive centrist debt solutions, J. Michael Cole on Japan-China hostilities, David Hirst on a possible Kurdish state, and Leonid Bershidsky on Gerard Depardieu taking Russia. 

Comments | 1,603 Views

By Connor Simpson

Jan 5, 2013

Brigitte Bardot Wants to Join Gerard Depardieu in Russia

Another famous French film icon is griping with the government of France and threatening to denounce their heritage to become, of all things, Russian if their demands are not met. Depardieu may have started a trend, but Brigitte Bardot brings a prettier face to the French exodus. 

Comments | 3,301 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Jan 3, 2013

Vladimir Putin Has Officially Made Gerard Depardieu an Ex-Frenchman

In the midst of a French flap over taxing the rich, Putin publicly offered Depardieu a Russian passport. But that was only the start: According to the Kremlin's official Twitter account, Depardieu is now an actual citizen of Russia.

Comments | 2,005 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Dec 31, 2012

In Russia, Beer Will No Longer Be a Food

Don't laugh: Lagers, ales, and pilsners were long considered "food" by the Russian government, but thanks to a new rule going into effect in 2013 (any minute now over there), it's going to be a lot tougher to find a brewski in the motherland.

Comments | 4,690 Views

By David Wagner

Dec 31, 2012

Today's Best

Five Best Monday Columns

Eric Singer on how the fiscal cliff affects paychecks in Congress, Jonathan Chait on Obama's fiscal caving, Bill Keller channels the NRA's president, John O'Sullivan on mass firings at Russia's Radio Liberty, and Gordon Chang on the Japanese economy.

Comments | 1,207 Views

By Connor Simpson

Dec 30, 2012

The Video from That Russian Plane Crash Is Terrifying

Imagine driving down the highway one day when a plane suddenly careens into the side of the ramp you're driving on and debris starts flying everywhere. Horrifying, right? For some in Moscow, that became a reality on Saturday. And there's video, too. 

Comments | 14,185 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Dec 28, 2012

Russian Adoption Ban Already Affecting Hundreds of American Families

As Vladimir Putin signed the bill, heartbreaking mid-adoption stories began to emerge, from New York to Ohio to California, of would-be parents to many of the approximately 1,000 Russian children taken in by U.S. families each year.

Comments | 690 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Dec 28, 2012

Trimming the Times

The Death of a Drugged Pony, a Mayorless Town, and 2013 in Culture

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 2,192 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Dec 28, 2012

Russia Tells Assad to Start Talking to Syrian Rebels

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is pushing harder for actual negotiations to take place to end the Syrian civil war, but continues to insist that his country will not support any actual intervention.

Comments | 336 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Dec 27, 2012

Chart of the Day

Where America's Adopted Children Come From

With Thursday's news that Vladimir Putin plans to sign a bill that would forbid Americans from adopting Russian children, the Wall Street Journal brings us this graph that shows how patterns of U.S. overseas adoption has changed since 1999

Comments | 4,201 Views

By David Wagner

Dec 27, 2012

Today's Best

Five Best Thursday Columns

Jonathan Cohn on Starbucks and the fiscal cliff, Jacob Sullum on Adam Lanza and mental health, James Bessel on Chuck Hagel and Israel, Leonid Bershidsky on the new cold war, and William H. Janeway on American-made startups.

Comments | 2,414 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Dec 27, 2012

Putin Will Sign Anti-American Adoption Law

In a move that may sour relations both at home and with the U.S., Russian President Vladimir Putin said he sees "no reason not to sign" a controversial law that would ban American citizens from adopting Russian children.

Comments | 486 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Dec 26, 2012

Russia's Parliament Bans Americans from Adopting Russian Children

What started as a political protest against American interference has turned into an actual law banning American parents from adopting children in Russia and only awaits the signature of President Vladimir Putin to take effect.

Comments | 1,207 Views

By Connor Simpson

Dec 22, 2012

Even Russia Is Too Grossed Out to Host Assad Now

Russia has been Syria's Bashar al-Assad's staunchest ally during it's long war against his citizens, but now they're even trying to distance themselves from the embattled leader. 

Comments | 9,067 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Dec 20, 2012

Putin Dumps on America, Assad, and Mayans in 3-Hour Q&A

Russian President Vladimir Putin took questions from the media in a marathon press conference today that covered everything from Gerard Depardieu to the end of the world, and even a few things that actually matter.

Comments | 3,179 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Dec 19, 2012

Russia Doesn't Want You Adopting Its Kids

In response to U.S. criticism of Russia's human rights record, parliament in Moscow is considering a bill that would prohibit American citizens from adopting Russian children.

Comments | 1,215 Views

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