News Highlights

Russian authorities say alleged radical Islamists detained in Moscow last month have been charged with illegal possession of weapons.

Syrian opposition leader Ahmad Jarba said in Kuwait today he would visit Russia at Moscow’s invitation, but gave no date for the trip.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev hinted Friday that members of the punk band Pussy Riot, former tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and others widely referred to as political prisoners will not be freed in Russia’s upcoming amnesty.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Friday during a televised interview that there were no problems in his relationship with President Vladimir Putin.

U.S. claims that dozens of Russian diplomats and their spouses cheated to get health care aid meant for the poor drew a sharp rebuke Thursday from a top Russian official who blamed the criminal case on “Russophobic forces” interested in scuttling progress toward Russia-U.S. cooperation in confronting world conflicts.

The Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Krasnoyarsk on January 13 will consider a request filed by convicted Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova to replace a remaining part of her sentence with a lighter punishment, lawyer Irina Khrunova told RAPSI on Friday.

Sweden has been a key partner for the United States in spying on Russia, Swedish television reported on Thursday, citing leaked documents from the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA).

A Russian court on Thursday ordered language experts to examine online statements made by a lawyer sued for libel by her former client, feminist punk rocker Yekaterina Samutsevich.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Friday called participation by foreign officials in the political events unfolding in Ukraine “interference”, rebuking the German foreign minister for a visit to an opposition protest camp.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said Wednesday that a special security unit is being formed in Chechnya to deal with Syrian radicals both on the North Caucasus republic’s territory and abroad, if necessary.