Russia & CIS

A Moscow football club could face sanctions after a player brandished a t-shirt with an image of Russian president Vladimir Putin during a Champions League game in Turkey.

Georgia has dropped a proposed anti-blasphemy bill ardently opposed by freedom-of-speech activists. With a stated goal of protecting the feelings of Christian believers, the bill pitted civil liberties against faith.

Kazakhstan's parliament is pressing the government to get more money out of Russia for the rent it pays for its several military facilities, setting the stage for another negotiating battle.

Seven alleged members of the Islamic State in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg detained last week have been charged with planning terrorist activity, the Interfax news agency reported Tuesday.

Moscow plans to appeal Interpol's refusal to place Mikhail Khodorkovsky - the exiled former oil tycoon turned political opposition figure - on an international wanted list, the Kommersant newspaper reported Wednesday.

The number of foreign tourists booking summer vacations in Russia has risen by 30 percent amid the weakening of the ruble, the Kommersant newspaper reported Wednesday.

An appeal by a Crimean leader for local residents to name their newborn sons "Generator" to protest power outages did not gain popular support - not a single boy born on the peninsula received that name.

Ukrainian officials said that the country needs to recognize the existence of war between Russia and Ukraine to gain the support of the international community. Calling Ukraine a country "governed by the rule of law", Kiev blocks the movement of Russian heavy trucks to EU. Ukraine needs to make "mobilization plans to get ready for war conditions

There is a question about Russia's pull out from the WTO. During three years of our membership in the WTO, the Russian budget has lost 800 billion rubles. Indirect losses are evaluated at four trillion. "We are open to dialogue and trade, but we do not want to play by someone else's rules," Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov said

A growing number of Russian regions realize that tourist business, if properly organized, can be a good source of income. Belevsky pastille, Venevsky buns, Syzran tomatoes, Novgorod gingerbread, Arkhangelsk cod and many other delicious made-in-Russia products have been gaining popularity not only in Russia, but also abroad

Deputy Head of the Federal Air Transport Agency of the Russian Federation released a new statement on behalf of the department and addressed relatives of the victims of Flight MH17 disaster. The statement was released after the relatives of the victims requested Russia and Ukraine should reveal their radar data about the crash

For the last couple of years, the Western press has been feeding upon numerous reports and articles about the proposed collapse of the Russian economy and Russia as a nation. Many would often compare today's Russia with the USSR during the late 1980s, or with events in 1998 and 2008, when oil prices were in their decline too, just like they are now

As Turkey shows increasing signs of invading Syria, Turkish journalist Erman Cete and Daniel McAdams of the Ron Paul Institute speak to Radio Sputnik’s Loud & Clear to discuss the meaning for relations between Russia and NATO.

The World Council of Nuclear Workers (WONUC) has awarded a prize to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for contribution to the settlement of the Iranian nuclear program issue, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that Russian influence must be based on our economic and intellectual achievements and not just defense capabilities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not meet with Turkish President Recep Erdogan, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday, the Interfax news agency reported.

Easing the visa requirements for foreigners visiting the northern Russian cities of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk could add significantly to boosting tourism in the country's Arctic Region, media reports said.

The fighter aviation division of the Russian Southern Military District received four Su-30SM (NATO reporting name Flanker-C) fighter aircraft on Friday, the district’s press service said.

The Russian Tretyakov Gallery is planning to organize worldwide exhibitions in the upcoming years, the museum’s director said Friday.

SOCAR has signed a contract with Italian Maire Tecnimont as a result of international contest on selection as part of the high-density polyethilene production plant project.