The international Olympic committee is launching an urgent appeal and that's because they're going to the court of arbitration for sport. This is after confirming that 15-year-old Russian skater Kamila Valieva tested positive for a banned substance.

Beijing Winter Olympics 2022: Russian skater in the deadlock after doping scandal confirmed

Amid escalating tensions over the Ukraine conflict, top officials from Washington and Moscow will hold fresh talks today. The US secretary of state Antony Blinken will speak to his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken to speak to Sergei Lavrov

In a rare event, a Russian submarine, which was being tracked by a UK naval warship on patrol in the North Atlantic over a year ago, had hit a sonar the vessel it was towing, said the UK Ministry of Defence. &nbsp;

In a statement on Thursday, a UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson said, "In late 2020, a Russian submarine being tracked by HMS Northumberland came into contact with her towed array sonar." &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-progress-with-russia-so-long-as-gun-to-ukraines-head-blinken-442529" hreflang="en">No progress with Russia so long as 'gun to Ukraine's head': Blinken</a>

The statement said, "The Royal Navy regularly tracks foreign ships and submarines in order to ensure the defence of the United Kingdom." &nbsp;

A towed array sonar is a sensor, which is spooled out by a ship on deployment. &nbsp;

The HMS Northumberland had carried out a "vital mission to protect UK waters and the nation's nuclear deterrent" in 2020, as per the British Royal Navy. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-uk-battles-omicron-wave-1-in-15-infected-with-covid-19-in-england-442603" hreflang="en">As UK battles Omicron wave, 1 in 15 infected with COVID-19 in England</a>

Meanwhile, Russian President Putin had earlier inaugurated the building of new nuclear submarines and other warships as part of a broad military modernisation effort amid tensions with the West. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The event, which is a mix of war drills and an arms display, was intended to highlight Russian military weapons and lure foreign buyers. King Abdullah II of Jordan, for example, was among those present. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In a rare event, a Russian submarine, which was being tracked by a UK naval warship on patrol in the North Atlantic over a year ago, had hit a sonar the vessel it was towing, said the UK Ministry of Defence.

In a rare event, a Russian submarine, which was being tracked by a UK naval warship on patrol in the North Atlantic over a year ago, had hit a sonar the vessel it was towing, said the UK Ministry of Defence. In a statement on Thursday, a UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson said, "In late 2020, a Russian submarine being tracked by HMS Northumberland came into contact with her towed array sonar." Also Read | No progress with Russia so long as 'gun to Ukraine's head': Blinken The statement said, "The Royal Navy regularly tracks foreign ships and submarines in order to ensure the defence of the United Kingdom." A towed array sonar is a sensor, which is spooled out by a ship on deployment. The HMS Northumberland had carried out a "vital mission to protect UK waters and the nation's nuclear deterrent" in 2020, as per the British Royal Navy. Also Read: As UK battles Omicron wave, 1 in 15 infected with COVID-19 in England Meanwhile, Russian President Putin had earlier inaugurated the building of new nuclear submarines and other warships as part of a broad military modernisation effort amid tensions with the West. The event, which is a mix of war drills and an arms display, was intended to highlight Russian military weapons and lure foreign buyers. King Abdullah II of Jordan, for example, was among those present. (With inputs from agencies)

In rare event, Russian submarine collided with UK warship as it towed array sonar

The Russian president Vladimir Putin is all set for the traditional annual summit between leaders of both countries as India gears up for the much anticipated, Modi-Putin talks. Reports indicate that there are 10 bilateral agreements that are likely to be signed during Putin's visit to boost the nations' strategic partnership. Here we bring you a quick round-up of all the latest world news from all across the world. Today, we are joined by WION's correspondent Siddhant Sibal and international affairs expert Harsh V Pant.

Modi-Putin meet today | Indian defence minister, FM hold talks with Russian counterpart

The United States and NASA condemned Russia for launching a "dangerous and irresponsible" missile strike that blew up a Russian satellite and created a debris cloud that forced the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) to take evasive action.

The United States slams Russia for 'irresponsible' act

German security services believe that a man found dead in a street outside the Russian Embassy in Berlin last month was an undercover agent of Russia's FSB intelligence service, Der Spiegel reported.

The body was found on the morning of October 19. As per reports, he fell from the upper floor of the Russian embassy building. However, it is still unclear why he fell. The cause of death also remains unclear.

The magazine report further states that the officers called an ambulance.

In a statement to the Interfax news agency, the embassy confirmed that a Russian diplomat had died but said it was "not commenting on this tragic event for ethical reasons".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/extremely-inhumane-japanese-death-row-inmates-sue-over-same-day-executions-426958">Also read |&nbsp;'Extremely inhumane': Japanese death row inmates sue over same day executions</a>

Der Spiegel and investigative site Bellingcat have reported that the dead diplomat had been recognised as the second secretary at the Russian embassy in Berlin. However, the German security officials believe he was an undercover officer for Russia's FSB. The officials also believed that he was related to a high-ranking FSB officer.

The Kremlin has denied any link between the killing and the Russian state. Also, the Russian embassy refused an autopsy of the diplomat.

The embassy, in a statement, said, "A tragic accident with a Russian diplomat occurred on October 19, 2021."

"All the formalities related to sending the diplomat's body to his homeland were promptly settled with the competent law enforcement and medical authorities of Germany in accordance with the current practice."

"We consider the speculation that appeared in a number of Western media in the context of this tragic incident to be absolutely incorrect."

German security services believe that a man found dead in a street outside the Russian Embassy in Berlin last month was an undercover agent of Russia's FSB intelligence service, Der Spiegel reported.

German security services believe that a man found dead in a street outside the Russian Embassy in Berlin last month was an undercover agent of Russia's FSB intelligence service, Der Spiegel reported. The body was found on the morning of October 19. As per reports, he fell from the upper floor of the Russian embassy building. However, it is still unclear why he fell. The cause of death also remains unclear. The magazine report further states that the officers called an ambulance. In a statement to the Interfax news agency, the embassy confirmed that a Russian diplomat had died but said it was "not commenting on this tragic event for ethical reasons". Also read | 'Extremely inhumane': Japanese death row inmates sue over same day executions Der Spiegel and investigative site Bellingcat have reported that the dead diplomat had been recognised as the second secretary at the Russian embassy in Berlin. However, the German security officials believe he was an undercover officer for Russia's FSB. The officials also believed that he was related to a high-ranking FSB officer. The Kremlin has denied any link between the killing and the Russian state. Also, the Russian embassy refused an autopsy of the diplomat. The embassy, in a statement, said, "A tragic accident with a Russian diplomat occurred on October 19, 2021." "All the formalities related to sending the diplomat's body to his homeland were promptly settled with the competent law enforcement and medical authorities of Germany in accordance with the current practice." "We consider the speculation that appeared in a number of Western media in the context of this tragic incident to be absolutely incorrect."

Russian diplomat found dead outside Berlin embassy declared as secret agent by officials

In a tit-for-tat move, Russia has announced the suspension of the NATO liaison mission. The announcement comes after NATO expelled eight members of the Russian mission to the military alliance for alleged spying.

Russia has announced the suspension of the NATO liaison mission

A Russian actress and director were set to return to Earth on Sunday after spending 12 days in the International Space Station (ISS) shooting scenes for the first movie in orbit.

If the project stays on track, the <a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/russian-spacecraft-blasts-off-to-international-space-station-with-actress-director-to-film-first-movie-in-space-418355">Russian crew </a>will beat a Hollywood project announced last year by 'Mission Impossible' star Tom Cruise together with NASA and Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Actress Yulia Peresild, 37, and film director Klim Shipenko, 38, blasted off from the Russia-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in ex-Soviet Kazakhstan earlier this month, travelling to the ISS with veteran cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov to film scenes for 'The Challenge'.&nbsp;

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/hollywood/news-russian-film-beats-tom-cruise%E2%80%99-space-movie-to-become-first-feature-shot-in-outer-space-414192" hreflang="en">Russian film beats Tom Cruise’ space movie, to become first feature shot in outer space</a>

The movie's plot, which has been mostly kept under wraps along with its budget, centres around a female surgeon who is dispatched to the ISS to save a cosmonaut.

Shkaplerov, 49, and the two Russian cosmonauts who were already aboard the ISS are said to have cameo roles in the film. The mission has not come without hitches.&nbsp;

As the film crew docked at the ISS earlier this month, Shkaplerov had to switch to manual control.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-hollywood-film-crew-union-reaches-tentative-deal-averting-strike-421427" hreflang="en">Hollywood film-crew union reaches tentative deal, averting strike</a>

And when Russian flight controllers on Friday conducted a test on the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft set to ferry the crew back to Earth, the ship's thruster fired unexpectedly and destabilised the ISS for 30 minutes, a NASA spokesman told the Russian news agency TASS.

But the spokesman said their departure is set to go ahead as scheduled.&nbsp;

Peresild and Shipenko will bid farewell to the ISS crew on Saturday evening, the spokesman said, and begin undocking at 0100 GMT.

They will be shepherded home by cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky, who has been on the space station for the past six months, and are set to land in Kazakhstan on Sunday at 0436 GMT.

- 21st-century space race -

Their landing will be documented by a film crew and will also feature in the movie, Konstantin Ernst, the head of the Kremlin-friendly Channel One TV network and a co-producer of 'The Challenge', told AFP.&nbsp;

If successful, the mission will add to a long list of firsts for Russia's space industry. The Soviets launched the first satellite Sputnik and sent into orbit the first animal, a dog named Laika, the first man, Yuri Gagarin and the first woman, Valentina Tereshkova.

But compared with the Soviet era, modern Russia has struggled to innovate and its space industry is fighting to secure state funding with the Kremlin prioritising military spending.&nbsp;

Its space agency is still reliant on Soviet-designed technology and has faced a number of setbacks, including corruption scandals and botched launches.

Russia is also falling behind in the global space race, facing tough competition from the United States and China, with Beijing showing growing ambitions in the industry.

Russia's Roscosmos space agency was also dealt a blow after SpaceX last year successfully delivered astronauts to the ISS, ending Moscow's monopoly for journeys to the orbital station.&nbsp;

In a bid to spruce up its image and diversify its revenue, Russia's space programme revealed this year that it will be reviving its tourism plan to ferry fee-paying adventurers to the ISS.&nbsp;

After a decade-long pause, Russia will send two Japanese tourists -- including billionaire Yusaku Maezawa -- to the ISS in December, capping a year that has been a milestone for amateur space travel.

A Russian actress and director were set to return to Earth on Sunday after spending 12 days in the International Space Station (ISS) shooting scenes for the first movie in orbit.

A Russian actress and director were set to return to Earth on Sunday after spending 12 days in the International Space Station (ISS) shooting scenes for the first movie in orbit. If the project stays on track, the Russian crew will beat a Hollywood project announced last year by 'Mission Impossible' star Tom Cruise together with NASA and Elon Musk's SpaceX. Actress Yulia Peresild, 37, and film director Klim Shipenko, 38, blasted off from the Russia-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in ex-Soviet Kazakhstan earlier this month, travelling to the ISS with veteran cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov to film scenes for 'The Challenge'. Russian film beats Tom Cruise’ space movie, to become first feature shot in outer space The movie's plot, which has been mostly kept under wraps along with its budget, centres around a female surgeon who is dispatched to the ISS to save a cosmonaut. Shkaplerov, 49, and the two Russian cosmonauts who were already aboard the ISS are said to have cameo roles in the film. The mission has not come without hitches. As the film crew docked at the ISS earlier this month, Shkaplerov had to switch to manual control. Hollywood film-crew union reaches tentative deal, averting strike And when Russian flight controllers on Friday conducted a test on the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft set to ferry the crew back to Earth, the ship's thruster fired unexpectedly and destabilised the ISS for 30 minutes, a NASA spokesman told the Russian news agency TASS. But the spokesman said their departure is set to go ahead as scheduled. Peresild and Shipenko will bid farewell to the ISS crew on Saturday evening, the spokesman said, and begin undocking at 0100 GMT. They will be shepherded home by cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky, who has been on the space station for the past six months, and are set to land in Kazakhstan on Sunday at 0436 GMT. - 21st-century space race - Their landing will be documented by a film crew and will also feature in the movie, Konstantin Ernst, the head of the Kremlin-friendly Channel One TV network and a co-producer of 'The Challenge', told AFP. If successful, the mission will add to a long list of firsts for Russia's space industry. The Soviets launched the first satellite Sputnik and sent into orbit the first animal, a dog named Laika, the first man, Yuri Gagarin and the first woman, Valentina Tereshkova. But compared with the Soviet era, modern Russia has struggled to innovate and its space industry is fighting to secure state funding with the Kremlin prioritising military spending. Its space agency is still reliant on Soviet-designed technology and has faced a number of setbacks, including corruption scandals and botched launches. Russia is also falling behind in the global space race, facing tough competition from the United States and China, with Beijing showing growing ambitions in the industry. Russia's Roscosmos space agency was also dealt a blow after SpaceX last year successfully delivered astronauts to the ISS, ending Moscow's monopoly for journeys to the orbital station. In a bid to spruce up its image and diversify its revenue, Russia's space programme revealed this year that it will be reviving its tourism plan to ferry fee-paying adventurers to the ISS. After a decade-long pause, Russia will send two Japanese tourists -- including billionaire Yusaku Maezawa -- to the ISS in December, capping a year that has been a milestone for amateur space travel.

Russian crew to return to Earth after filming first movie in space

Mali&nbsp;has&nbsp;asked&nbsp;a&nbsp;private&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;military&nbsp;company&nbsp;to&nbsp;help&nbsp;it fight against insurgents,&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;foreign minister Sergei&nbsp;Lavrov&nbsp;said on Saturday at the United Nations.

Mali's year-old&nbsp;military&nbsp;junta is close to a deal to recruit the&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;private&nbsp;military&nbsp;contractors the Wagner Group, sources have told Reuters, triggering opposition from France, which has said it was "incompatible" with a continued French presence in the West African state.

"They are combating terrorism, incidentally, and they have turned to a&nbsp;private&nbsp;military&nbsp;company&nbsp;from Russia in connection with the fact that, as I understand, France wants to significantly draw down its&nbsp;military&nbsp;component which was present there,"&nbsp;Lavrov&nbsp;said of&nbsp;Mali's junta during a news conference.

The French defence ministry declined to comment. Paris has started reshaping its 5,000-strong Barkhane mission to include more European partners and earlier this month began redeploying from bases in northern&nbsp;Mali.

Mali's&nbsp;military&nbsp;junta has said it will oversee a transition to democracy leading to elections in February 2022.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-york-prepares-for-staff-shortages-as-it-prepares-to-enforce-its-covid-19-vaccination-deadline-416065">Also read |&nbsp;New York prepares for staff shortages as it prepares to enforce its COVID-19 vaccination deadline</a>

Mali's Prime Minister Choguel Maiga told the UN General Assembly on Saturday that his country felt abandoned by the French move and signaled they were seeking other&nbsp;military&nbsp;help&nbsp;"to fill the gap which will certainly result from the withdrawal of Barkhane in the north of the country."

"The new situation resulting from the end of Operation Barkhane puts&nbsp;Mali&nbsp;before a fait accompli - abandoning us, mid flight to a certain extent - and it leads us to explore pathways and means to better ensure our security autonomously, or with other partners," he said.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Friday that he told&nbsp;Lavrov&nbsp;and his counterpart from&nbsp;Mali&nbsp;this week in New York that the potential deployment of the Wagner Group would be a "red line" for the European Union, "and it would have immediate consequences on our cooperation."

EU foreign ministers discussed the issue on Monday during a closed-door meeting on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders for the UN General Assembly in New York.

Lavrov&nbsp;said the&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;government had nothing to do with any deal between the&nbsp;private&nbsp;military&nbsp;company&nbsp;and&nbsp;Mali.

Mali has asked a private Russian military company to help it fight against insurgents, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday at the United Nations.

Mali has asked a private Russian military company to help it fight against insurgents, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday at the United Nations. Mali's year-old military junta is close to a deal to recruit the Russian private military contractors the Wagner Group, sources have told Reuters, triggering opposition from France, which has said it was "incompatible" with a continued French presence in the West African state. "They are combating terrorism, incidentally, and they have turned to a private military company from Russia in connection with the fact that, as I understand, France wants to significantly draw down its military component which was present there," Lavrov said of Mali's junta during a news conference. The French defence ministry declined to comment. Paris has started reshaping its 5,000-strong Barkhane mission to include more European partners and earlier this month began redeploying from bases in northern Mali. Mali's military junta has said it will oversee a transition to democracy leading to elections in February 2022. Also read | New York prepares for staff shortages as it prepares to enforce its COVID-19 vaccination deadline Mali's Prime Minister Choguel Maiga told the UN General Assembly on Saturday that his country felt abandoned by the French move and signaled they were seeking other military help "to fill the gap which will certainly result from the withdrawal of Barkhane in the north of the country." "The new situation resulting from the end of Operation Barkhane puts Mali before a fait accompli - abandoning us, mid flight to a certain extent - and it leads us to explore pathways and means to better ensure our security autonomously, or with other partners," he said. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Friday that he told Lavrov and his counterpart from Mali this week in New York that the potential deployment of the Wagner Group would be a "red line" for the European Union, "and it would have immediate consequences on our cooperation." EU foreign ministers discussed the issue on Monday during a closed-door meeting on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders for the UN General Assembly in New York. Lavrov said the Russian government had nothing to do with any deal between the private military company and Mali.

Lavrov says Mali asked private Russian military company for help

Bulgaria's rhythmic gymnasts bagged the gold medal in the group event with 92.100 points at the Tokyo&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;on Sunday, ending a Russian winning streak that stretched back to the Sydney Games in 2000.

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team took silver with 90.700 while Italy won the bronze with 87.700 points.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing day, LIVE UPDATES: Final events underway followed by ceremony">Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing day, LIVE UPDATES: Final events underway followed by ceremony</a>

Russian athletes are competing under the ROC flag in Tokyo as part of sanctions for doping scandals.

It was the second upset in a row for Russian rhythmic gymnasts after Israel's Linoy Ashram finished ahead of three-time individual all-around world champion Dina Averina to win gold on Saturday by 0.150 points.

Rhythmic gymnastics sees athletes perform exquisite contortions and manoeuvres to music while using hoops, balls, clubs or ribbons.

It was added to the Olympic programme as an individual event in 1984, with the first group gold awarded at Atlanta in 1996, when Spain took the title.

Bulgaria's rhythmic gymnasts bagged the gold medal in the group event with 92.100 points at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday, ending a Russian winning streak that stretched back to the Sydney Games in 2000.

Bulgaria's rhythmic gymnasts bagged the gold medal in the group event with 92.100 points at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday, ending a Russian winning streak that stretched back to the Sydney Games in 2000. The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team took silver with 90.700 while Italy won the bronze with 87.700 points. ALSO READ: Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing day, LIVE UPDATES: Final events underway followed by ceremony Russian athletes are competing under the ROC flag in Tokyo as part of sanctions for doping scandals. It was the second upset in a row for Russian rhythmic gymnasts after Israel's Linoy Ashram finished ahead of three-time individual all-around world champion Dina Averina to win gold on Saturday by 0.150 points. Rhythmic gymnastics sees athletes perform exquisite contortions and manoeuvres to music while using hoops, balls, clubs or ribbons. It was added to the Olympic programme as an individual event in 1984, with the first group gold awarded at Atlanta in 1996, when Spain took the title.

Tokyo Olympics: Rhythmic Gymnastics - Bulgaria win group gold to end Russian streak

The&nbsp;International&nbsp;Space&nbsp;Station&nbsp;(ISS) was&nbsp;thrown&nbsp;briefly&nbsp;out&nbsp;of&nbsp;control&nbsp;on Thursday when jet thrusters of a newly arrived&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;research&nbsp;module&nbsp;inadvertently fired a few hours after it was docked to the orbiting&nbsp;outpost,&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;officials said.

The seven crew members aboard - two&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;cosmonauts, three&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;astronauts, a Japanese astronaut and a European&nbsp;space&nbsp;agency astronaut from France - were never in any immediate danger, according to&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;and&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;state-owned news agency RIA.

But the malfunction prompted&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;to postpone until at least Aug. 3 its planned launch of Boeing's new CST-100 Starliner capsule on a highly anticipated uncrewed test flight to the&nbsp;space&nbsp;station. The Starliner had been set to blast off atop an Atlas V rocket on Friday from the Kennedy&nbsp;Space&nbsp;Center in Florida.

Thursday's mishap began about&nbsp;three hours after the multipurpose Nauka&nbsp;module&nbsp;had latched onto the&nbsp;space&nbsp;station, as mission&nbsp;controllers in Moscow were performing some post-docking "reconfiguration" procedures, according to&nbsp;NASA.

The&nbsp;module's jets inexplicably restarted, causing the entire&nbsp;station&nbsp;to pitch&nbsp;out&nbsp;of its normal flight position some 250 miles above the Earth, leading the mission's flight director to declare a "spacecraft emergency," US&nbsp;space&nbsp;agency officials said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/boeings-starliner-crewed-mission-all-set-for-test-flight-to-international-space-station-401577">Also read |&nbsp;Boeing's Starliner crewed mission all set for test flight to International Space Station</a>

An unexpected drift in the&nbsp;station's orientation was first detected by automated ground sensors, followed 15 minutes later by a "loss of attitude&nbsp;control" that lasted a little over 45 minutes, according to Joel Montalbano, manager of&nbsp;NASA's&nbsp;space&nbsp;station&nbsp;program.

Tug of war

Flight teams on the ground managed to restore the&nbsp;space&nbsp;station's orientation by activating thrusters on another&nbsp;module&nbsp;of the orbiting platform,&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;officials said.

In its broadcast coverage of the incident, RIA cited&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;specialists at the Johnson&nbsp;Space&nbsp;Center in Houston, Texas, as describing the struggle to regain&nbsp;control&nbsp;of the&nbsp;space&nbsp;station&nbsp;as a "tug of war" between the two&nbsp;modules.

At the height of the incident, the&nbsp;station&nbsp;was pitching&nbsp;out&nbsp;of alignment at the rate of about&nbsp;a half a degree per second, Montalbano said during a&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;conference call with reporters.

The Nauka engines were ultimately switched off, the&nbsp;space&nbsp;station&nbsp;was stabilized and its orientation was restored to where it had begun,&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;said.

Communication with the crew was lost for several minutes twice during the disruption, but "there was no immediate danger at any time to the crew," Montalbano said. He said "the crew really didn't feel any movement."

Had the situation become so dangerous as to require evacuation of personnel, the crew could have escaped in a&nbsp;SpaceX crew capsule still parked at the&nbsp;outpost and designed to serve as a "lifeboat" if necessary, said Steve Stich, manager of&nbsp;NASA's commercial crew program.

What caused the malfunction of the thrusters on the Nauka&nbsp;module, delivered by the&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;space&nbsp;agency Roscosmos, has yet to be determined,&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;officials said.

Montalbano said there was no immediate sign of any damage to the&nbsp;space&nbsp;station. The flight correction maneuvers used up more propellant reserves than desired, "but nothing I would worry about," he said.

After its launch last week from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome, the&nbsp;module&nbsp;experienced a series of glitches that raised concern about&nbsp;whether the docking procedure would go smoothly.

Roscosmos attributed Thursday's post-docking issue to Nauka's engines having to work with residual fuel in the craft, TASS news agency reported.

"The process of transferring the Nauka&nbsp;module&nbsp;from flight mode to 'docked with ISS' mode is underway. Work is being carried&nbsp;out&nbsp;on the remaining fuel in the&nbsp;module," Roscosmos was cited by TASS as saying.

The Nauka&nbsp;module&nbsp;is designed to serve as a research lab, storage unit and airlock that will upgrade Russia's capabilities aboard the ISS.

A live broadcast showed the&nbsp;module, named after the&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;word for "science," docking with the&nbsp;space&nbsp;station&nbsp;a few minutes later than scheduled.

"According to telemetry data and reports from the ISS crew, the onboard systems of the&nbsp;station&nbsp;and the Nauka&nbsp;module&nbsp;are operating normally," Roscosmos said in a statement.

"There is contact!!!" Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Roscosmos, wrote on Twitter moments after the docking.

The International Space Station (ISS) was thrown briefly out of control on Thursday when jet thrusters of a newly arrived Russian research module inadvertently fired a few hours after it was docked to the orbiting outpost, NASA officials said.

The International Space Station (ISS) was thrown briefly out of control on Thursday when jet thrusters of a newly arrived Russian research module inadvertently fired a few hours after it was docked to the orbiting outpost, NASA officials said. The seven crew members aboard - two Russian cosmonauts, three NASA astronauts, a Japanese astronaut and a European space agency astronaut from France - were never in any immediate danger, according to NASA and Russian state-owned news agency RIA. But the malfunction prompted NASA to postpone until at least Aug. 3 its planned launch of Boeing's new CST-100 Starliner capsule on a highly anticipated uncrewed test flight to the space station. The Starliner had been set to blast off atop an Atlas V rocket on Friday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Thursday's mishap began about three hours after the multipurpose Nauka module had latched onto the space station, as mission controllers in Moscow were performing some post-docking "reconfiguration" procedures, according to NASA. The module's jets inexplicably restarted, causing the entire station to pitch out of its normal flight position some 250 miles above the Earth, leading the mission's flight director to declare a "spacecraft emergency," US space agency officials said. Also read | Boeing's Starliner crewed mission all set for test flight to International Space Station An unexpected drift in the station's orientation was first detected by automated ground sensors, followed 15 minutes later by a "loss of attitude control" that lasted a little over 45 minutes, according to Joel Montalbano, manager of NASA's space station program. Tug of war Flight teams on the ground managed to restore the space station's orientation by activating thrusters on another module of the orbiting platform, NASA officials said. In its broadcast coverage of the incident, RIA cited NASA specialists at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, as describing the struggle to regain control of the space station as a "tug of war" between the two modules. At the height of the incident, the station was pitching out of alignment at the rate of about a half a degree per second, Montalbano said during a NASA conference call with reporters. The Nauka engines were ultimately switched off, the space station was stabilized and its orientation was restored to where it had begun, NASA said. Communication with the crew was lost for several minutes twice during the disruption, but "there was no immediate danger at any time to the crew," Montalbano said. He said "the crew really didn't feel any movement." Had the situation become so dangerous as to require evacuation of personnel, the crew could have escaped in a SpaceX crew capsule still parked at the outpost and designed to serve as a "lifeboat" if necessary, said Steve Stich, manager of NASA's commercial crew program. What caused the malfunction of the thrusters on the Nauka module, delivered by the Russian space agency Roscosmos, has yet to be determined, NASA officials said. Montalbano said there was no immediate sign of any damage to the space station. The flight correction maneuvers used up more propellant reserves than desired, "but nothing I would worry about," he said. After its launch last week from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome, the module experienced a series of glitches that raised concern about whether the docking procedure would go smoothly. Roscosmos attributed Thursday's post-docking issue to Nauka's engines having to work with residual fuel in the craft, TASS news agency reported. "The process of transferring the Nauka module from flight mode to 'docked with ISS' mode is underway. Work is being carried out on the remaining fuel in the module," Roscosmos was cited by TASS as saying. The Nauka module is designed to serve as a research lab, storage unit and airlock that will upgrade Russia's capabilities aboard the ISS. A live broadcast showed the module, named after the Russian word for "science," docking with the space station a few minutes later than scheduled. "According to telemetry data and reports from the ISS crew, the onboard systems of the station and the Nauka module are operating normally," Roscosmos said in a statement. "There is contact!!!" Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Roscosmos, wrote on Twitter moments after the docking.

International Space Station thrown out of control by misfire of Russian module - NASA

England's High Court will begin hearing arguments on Wednesday from lawyers for four Russian billionaires including Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich and state-owned oil firm Rosneft about a book on President Vladimir Putin which they say defames them. 
 
In the 2020 book, British journalist Catherine Belton chronicles Putin's rise to power and how many of his associates from the former Soviet spy services rose to positions of wealth and influence after he won the top Kremlin job in 1999. 
 
Lawyers for the businessmen will tell the court that passages in the book "Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and then Took on the West", published by HarperCollins, are defamatory. Abramovich is suing both HarperCollins and Belton, according to case details filed with the courts and tribunals service. 
 
HarperCollins said it would "robustly defend this acclaimed and ground-breaking book and the right to report on matters of considerable public interest". 
 
Belton, a former Financial Times Moscow correspondent and now a Reuters special correspondent, declined to comment. Law firm Wiggin, which is representing HarperCollins and Belton, did not respond to a request for comment. 
 
"The book falsely alleges that our client has acted corruptly, and makes false claims about our client`s purchase, and the activities, of Chelsea Football Club. Such claims are totally unacceptable and are without foundation," Abramovich`s lawyers, Harbottle &amp; Lewis, said on March 22. 
 
Abramovich said in the same statement that "the false allegations in this book are having a damaging effect, not only on my personal reputation, but also in respect of the activities of Chelsea Football Club." 
 
A spokeswoman for Abramovich declined to comment further. Harbottle &amp; Lewis did not respond to a request for comment. 
 
Rosneft, Russia's largest oil producer, is also suing both HarperCollins and Belton for defamation. The firm, and its lawyers Carter-Ruck, did not did not respond to a request for comment. 
 
Businessman Mikhail Fridman is suing HarperCollins for defamation and on data protection grounds. His long-term business partner, Pyotr Aven, is suing on data protection grounds. 
 
A spokesman said both men regretted it had not been possible to resolve the matter before Wednesday`s hearing. 
 
"Ms Belton's book, which has been promoted as a 'definitive historical record', contains inaccurate and offensive statements about Mr Aven and Mr Fridman," the spokesman said.&nbsp;"It is important to them that the record is set straight." 
 
Businessman Shalva Chigirinsky is suing both HarperCollins and Belton for defamation. His lawyers, Taylor Wessing LLP, passed on to him a Reuters request for comment on the proceedings. He did not immediately respond.

England's High Court will begin hearing arguments on Wednesday from lawyers for four Russian billionaires including Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich and state-owned oil firm Rosneft about a book on President Vladimir Putin which they say defames them.

England's High Court will begin hearing arguments on Wednesday from lawyers for four Russian billionaires including Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich and state-owned oil firm Rosneft about a book on President Vladimir Putin which they say defames them. In the 2020 book, British journalist Catherine Belton chronicles Putin's rise to power and how many of his associates from the former Soviet spy services rose to positions of wealth and influence after he won the top Kremlin job in 1999. Lawyers for the businessmen will tell the court that passages in the book "Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and then Took on the West", published by HarperCollins, are defamatory. Abramovich is suing both HarperCollins and Belton, according to case details filed with the courts and tribunals service. HarperCollins said it would "robustly defend this acclaimed and ground-breaking book and the right to report on matters of considerable public interest". Belton, a former Financial Times Moscow correspondent and now a Reuters special correspondent, declined to comment. Law firm Wiggin, which is representing HarperCollins and Belton, did not respond to a request for comment. "The book falsely alleges that our client has acted corruptly, and makes false claims about our client`s purchase, and the activities, of Chelsea Football Club. Such claims are totally unacceptable and are without foundation," Abramovich`s lawyers, Harbottle & Lewis, said on March 22. Abramovich said in the same statement that "the false allegations in this book are having a damaging effect, not only on my personal reputation, but also in respect of the activities of Chelsea Football Club." A spokeswoman for Abramovich declined to comment further. Harbottle & Lewis did not respond to a request for comment. Rosneft, Russia's largest oil producer, is also suing both HarperCollins and Belton for defamation. The firm, and its lawyers Carter-Ruck, did not did not respond to a request for comment. Businessman Mikhail Fridman is suing HarperCollins for defamation and on data protection grounds. His long-term business partner, Pyotr Aven, is suing on data protection grounds. A spokesman said both men regretted it had not been possible to resolve the matter before Wednesday`s hearing. "Ms Belton's book, which has been promoted as a 'definitive historical record', contains inaccurate and offensive statements about Mr Aven and Mr Fridman," the spokesman said. "It is important to them that the record is set straight." Businessman Shalva Chigirinsky is suing both HarperCollins and Belton for defamation. His lawyers, Taylor Wessing LLP, passed on to him a Reuters request for comment on the proceedings. He did not immediately respond.

Russian billionaires vs British writer: Court battle begins over Putin book

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that in Russia only Russian wine can be called champagne. French producers from the region of Champagne are in a fizz over the new label law.

Gravitas: The Wine War: France Vs Russia

A Russian court on Wednesday outlawed groups linked to jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny after declaring them "extremist", a move that bans his allies from elections and will further strain U.S.-Russia ties before a closely watched summit.

President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden are due to hold talks in Geneva next week with the fate of Navalny and the crackdown on his movement certain to be on the agenda.

Washington, which has asked Moscow to free Navalny, condemned the court decision, with the State Department calling it "particularly disturbing." The Kremlin says the matter is a purely domestic one and not Biden's business. It has portrayed Navalny as a U.S.-backed trouble maker, something Navalny has denied.

Wednesday's ruling, the latest chapter in a long-running crackdown on Putin's fiercest domestic opponent, delivers a final hammer blow to a vast political network that Navalny built up over many years to try to challenge the veteran Russian leader's grip on power.

Putin, 68, has been in power as either president or prime minister since 1999. Navalny, in jail for parole violations related to an embezzlement case he says was trumped up, had mounted a bold challenge to Putin via street protests and graft investigations which he had hoped would bring about a change of leadership.

The legal case against Navalny's network was brought by the office of Moscow's top prosecutor who had accused Navalny and his allies of trying to foment a revolution by seeking to destabilize the socio-political situation inside Russia with their activity.

A spokesperson for the Moscow prosecutor's office told reporters on Wednesday that he was pleased with the ruling which had recognized that Navalny's allies had organized illegal street rallies that had ended in mass unrest.

After a 12.5 hour legal hearing behind closed doors, Navalny's lawyers said in a statement they would appeal and that the evidence presented by prosecutors had not been satisfactory.

The legal offensive mirrors ones waged in the past against far-right groups, Islamist organizations, and the Jehovah's Witnesses which were also declared "extremist" by courts and banned.

Navalny and his allies denied the prosecutor's allegations, casting them as an attempt to try to crush their political opposition to the ruling United Russia party ahead of parliamentary elections in September.

In a message posted on Navalny's Instagram account apparently drafted in anticipation of what was a widely expected ruling, Navalny was cited as urging his supporters to not be disheartened. "We're not going anywhere," the message read. 
"We'll digest this, sort things out, change, and evolve. We'll adapt. We won't step back from our aims and ideas. This is our country and we do not have another one."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/navalny-dedicates-human-rights-award-to-political-prisoners-in-russia-and-belarus-390311">Also Read |&nbsp;Navalny dedicates human rights award to political prisoners in Russia and Belarus&nbsp;</a>

The prosecutor's request formally ends the activity of a network of groups set up by Navalny, 45, who is serving a 2-1/2 year jail term, something many Western countries have portrayed as politically motivated revenge for his anti-Kremlin political activities.

Specifically, the ruling targets Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation which has produced high-profile investigations into alleged official corruption, and Navalny's regional campaign headquarters which have mobilized in the past to organize anti-Kremlin protests.

The authorities now have the formal power to jail activists and freeze their bank accounts if they continue their activities. The case had already prompted Navalny's allies to suspend the groups even before the ruling.

In the run-up to the verdict, Putin last week signed legislation that barred members of "extremist" organizations from running for office. Combined with Wednesday's ruling, the new legislation ends hopes by some Navalny allies to run for parliament.

They say they will try to use a smart or tactical voting strategy instead to seek to undermine support for the pro-Kremlin ruling party, a strategy Kremlin sources have belittled.

A Russian court on Wednesday outlawed groups linked to jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny after declaring them "extremist", a move that bans his allies from elections and will further strain U.

A Russian court on Wednesday outlawed groups linked to jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny after declaring them "extremist", a move that bans his allies from elections and will further strain U.S.-Russia ties before a closely watched summit. President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden are due to hold talks in Geneva next week with the fate of Navalny and the crackdown on his movement certain to be on the agenda. Washington, which has asked Moscow to free Navalny, condemned the court decision, with the State Department calling it "particularly disturbing." The Kremlin says the matter is a purely domestic one and not Biden's business. It has portrayed Navalny as a U.S.-backed trouble maker, something Navalny has denied. Wednesday's ruling, the latest chapter in a long-running crackdown on Putin's fiercest domestic opponent, delivers a final hammer blow to a vast political network that Navalny built up over many years to try to challenge the veteran Russian leader's grip on power. Putin, 68, has been in power as either president or prime minister since 1999. Navalny, in jail for parole violations related to an embezzlement case he says was trumped up, had mounted a bold challenge to Putin via street protests and graft investigations which he had hoped would bring about a change of leadership. The legal case against Navalny's network was brought by the office of Moscow's top prosecutor who had accused Navalny and his allies of trying to foment a revolution by seeking to destabilize the socio-political situation inside Russia with their activity. A spokesperson for the Moscow prosecutor's office told reporters on Wednesday that he was pleased with the ruling which had recognized that Navalny's allies had organized illegal street rallies that had ended in mass unrest. After a 12.5 hour legal hearing behind closed doors, Navalny's lawyers said in a statement they would appeal and that the evidence presented by prosecutors had not been satisfactory. The legal offensive mirrors ones waged in the past against far-right groups, Islamist organizations, and the Jehovah's Witnesses which were also declared "extremist" by courts and banned. Navalny and his allies denied the prosecutor's allegations, casting them as an attempt to try to crush their political opposition to the ruling United Russia party ahead of parliamentary elections in September. In a message posted on Navalny's Instagram account apparently drafted in anticipation of what was a widely expected ruling, Navalny was cited as urging his supporters to not be disheartened. "We're not going anywhere," the message read. "We'll digest this, sort things out, change, and evolve. We'll adapt. We won't step back from our aims and ideas. This is our country and we do not have another one." Also Read | Navalny dedicates human rights award to political prisoners in Russia and Belarus The prosecutor's request formally ends the activity of a network of groups set up by Navalny, 45, who is serving a 2-1/2 year jail term, something many Western countries have portrayed as politically motivated revenge for his anti-Kremlin political activities. Specifically, the ruling targets Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation which has produced high-profile investigations into alleged official corruption, and Navalny's regional campaign headquarters which have mobilized in the past to organize anti-Kremlin protests. The authorities now have the formal power to jail activists and freeze their bank accounts if they continue their activities. The case had already prompted Navalny's allies to suspend the groups even before the ruling. In the run-up to the verdict, Putin last week signed legislation that barred members of "extremist" organizations from running for office. Combined with Wednesday's ruling, the new legislation ends hopes by some Navalny allies to run for parliament. They say they will try to use a smart or tactical voting strategy instead to seek to undermine support for the pro-Kremlin ruling party, a strategy Kremlin sources have belittled.

Russian court outlaws Kremlin critic Navalny's network in pre-election knockout

The White House says it believes US government agencies largely fended off the latest cyberespionage onslaught blamed on Russian intelligence operatives, saying the spear-phishing campaign should not further damage relations with Moscow ahead of next month's planned presidential summit.&nbsp;

Officials downplayed the cyber assault as 'basic phishing' in which hackers used malware-laden emails to target the computer systems of US and foreign government agencies, think tanks and humanitarian groups. Microsoft, which disclosed the effort on Friday, said it believed most of the e-mails were blocked by automated systems that marked them as spam.&nbsp;

As of Friday, the company said it was "not seeing evidence of any significant number of compromised organisations at this time?”&nbsp;

Even so, the revelation of a new spy campaign so close to the June 16 summit between President Joe Biden and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin adds to the urgency of White House efforts to confront the Kremlin over aggressive cyber activity that criminal indictments and diplomatic sanctions have done little to deter.&nbsp;

"I don't think it'll create a new point of tension because the point of tension is already so big," said James Lewis, a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.&nbsp;

"This clearly has to be on the summit agenda. The president has to lay down some markers ‘to make clear’ that the days when you people could do whatever you want are over."&nbsp;

The summit comes amid simmering tensions driven in part by election interference by Moscow and by a massive breach of US government agencies and private corporations by Russian elite cyber spies, who infected the software supply chain with malicious code. The US responded with sanctions last month, prompting the Kremlin to warn of retribution.&nbsp;

Asked on Friday whether the latest hacking effort would affect the Biden-Putin summit, principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "We're going to move forward with that."&nbsp;

The US, which has previously called out Russia or criminal groups based there for hacking operations, did not blame anyone for the latest incident.&nbsp;

In this case, hackers gained access to an email marketing account of the US Agency for International Development, and masquerading as the government body, targeted about 3,000 email accounts at more than 150 different organizations. At least a quarter of them involved in international development, humanitarian and human rights work, Microsoft Vice President Tom Burt said in a blog post late on Thursday.&nbsp;

The company did not say what portion of the attempts may have led to successful intrusions but said in a separate technical blog post that most were blocked by automated systems that marked them as spam. The White House said even if an email eluded those systems, a user would still have to click on the link to activate the malicious payload.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The White House says it believes US government agencies largely fended off the latest cyberespionage onslaught blamed on Russian intelligence operatives, saying the spear-phishing campaign should not further damage relations with Moscow ahead of next month's planned presidential summit.

The White House says it believes US government agencies largely fended off the latest cyberespionage onslaught blamed on Russian intelligence operatives, saying the spear-phishing campaign should not further damage relations with Moscow ahead of next month's planned presidential summit. Officials downplayed the cyber assault as 'basic phishing' in which hackers used malware-laden emails to target the computer systems of US and foreign government agencies, think tanks and humanitarian groups. Microsoft, which disclosed the effort on Friday, said it believed most of the e-mails were blocked by automated systems that marked them as spam. As of Friday, the company said it was "not seeing evidence of any significant number of compromised organisations at this time?” Even so, the revelation of a new spy campaign so close to the June 16 summit between President Joe Biden and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin adds to the urgency of White House efforts to confront the Kremlin over aggressive cyber activity that criminal indictments and diplomatic sanctions have done little to deter. "I don't think it'll create a new point of tension because the point of tension is already so big," said James Lewis, a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "This clearly has to be on the summit agenda. The president has to lay down some markers ‘to make clear’ that the days when you people could do whatever you want are over." The summit comes amid simmering tensions driven in part by election interference by Moscow and by a massive breach of US government agencies and private corporations by Russian elite cyber spies, who infected the software supply chain with malicious code. The US responded with sanctions last month, prompting the Kremlin to warn of retribution. Asked on Friday whether the latest hacking effort would affect the Biden-Putin summit, principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "We're going to move forward with that." The US, which has previously called out Russia or criminal groups based there for hacking operations, did not blame anyone for the latest incident. In this case, hackers gained access to an email marketing account of the US Agency for International Development, and masquerading as the government body, targeted about 3,000 email accounts at more than 150 different organizations. At least a quarter of them involved in international development, humanitarian and human rights work, Microsoft Vice President Tom Burt said in a blog post late on Thursday. The company did not say what portion of the attempts may have led to successful intrusions but said in a separate technical blog post that most were blocked by automated systems that marked them as spam. The White House said even if an email eluded those systems, a user would still have to click on the link to activate the malicious payload. (With inputs from agencies)

US says agencies largely fended off latest Russian hack 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree allowing the country to limit the number of Russians employed at embassies of countries determined to be unfriendly, or to ban their employment entirely.&nbsp;

The measure, announced by the Kremlin on Friday, comes amid a flurry of expulsions of Russian diplomats from the United States and European countries and Moscow's retaliatory expulsions. &nbsp;

The decree directs the government to draw up a list of countries determined to be unfriendly. It would affect not only those countries' embassies, but consular offices and offices of state institutions. &nbsp;

The United States last week expelled 10 Russian diplomats in connection with interference in the 2020 US Presidential election and for involvement in the SolarWind hack of federal agencies.&nbsp;

The Czech Republic last week expelled 18 Russian envoys they labeled as spies, prompting Russia to send 20 Czech diplomats home. That devastated Czech Embassy operations in Moscow, prompting Czech authorities on Thursday to order 63 more Russian diplomats to leave so that both countries had the same number of staff in their respective embassies.&nbsp;

Poland last week said it was expelling three Russians and Moscow expelled five in retaliation. The Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia ordered a total of four Russian envoys to leave. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree allowing the country to limit the number of Russians employed at embassies of countries determined to be unfriendly, or to ban their employment entirely.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree allowing the country to limit the number of Russians employed at embassies of countries determined to be unfriendly, or to ban their employment entirely. The measure, announced by the Kremlin on Friday, comes amid a flurry of expulsions of Russian diplomats from the United States and European countries and Moscow's retaliatory expulsions. The decree directs the government to draw up a list of countries determined to be unfriendly. It would affect not only those countries' embassies, but consular offices and offices of state institutions. The United States last week expelled 10 Russian diplomats in connection with interference in the 2020 US Presidential election and for involvement in the SolarWind hack of federal agencies. The Czech Republic last week expelled 18 Russian envoys they labeled as spies, prompting Russia to send 20 Czech diplomats home. That devastated Czech Embassy operations in Moscow, prompting Czech authorities on Thursday to order 63 more Russian diplomats to leave so that both countries had the same number of staff in their respective embassies. Poland last week said it was expelling three Russians and Moscow expelled five in retaliation. The Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia ordered a total of four Russian envoys to leave. (With inputs from agencies)

Putin: 'Unfriendly' embassies may face Russian hiring bans 

The judge gave Navalny five minutes to speak to his lawyer via video link and asked prison guards to leave the room so that he could talk privately.

Judge allows Alexei Navalny to speak to lawyer for 5 minutes

Dances and songs with Father Frost are an essential part of New Year celebrations for Russian children, and this year most regional authorities have not cancelled the festivities, although some restrictions have been put in place.

Russia holds NY matinees for children despite pandemic

Two robots designed to look and act like a male and female clerks began work in a public services centre in Moscow on Monday (December 21). Both humanoids, named Alex and Dasha, welcome customers at the centre in the north-eastern part of Russian capital.

Robot workers amuse visitors in Moscow public service centre

A Russian journalist died on Friday after setting herself on fire in front of the local branch of the interior ministry in the city of Nizhny Novgorod, a day after her apartment was searched by police, her news outlet said.

Prior to her self-immolation, Irina Slavina wrote on her Facebook page: “I ask you to blame the Russian Federation for my death.” She worked as editor-in-chief at Koza Press, a small local news outlet that advertised itself as having “no censorship, no orders ‘from above’”.

A day before her death, she wrote on Facebook that police officers and investigators had searched her apartment, writing that they were looking for “brochures, leaflets and accounts” from the Open Russia opposition group, which is financed by Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

She said they seized notebooks, her laptop and other electronics, as well as her daughter’s laptop and her husband’s mobile phone.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said it was opening a preliminary inquiry after a woman self-immolated in Nizhny Novgorod, a city of 1.3 million around 400 km (250 miles) east of Moscow. It did not name Slavina in its statement.

The committee’s local branch in the Nizhny Novgorod region later said that Slavina’s self-immolation had nothing to do with the searches carried out at her apartment on the previous day.

It said she was only a witness in the criminal case for which the searches were being carried out.

Members of Russia’s opposition said Slavina had been under pressure from the authorities.

“Over the past years security officials have subjected her to endless persecution because of her opposition (activities),” opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov wrote on Instagram.

“What a nightmare,” Ilya Yashin, another Kremlin critic, wrote on Twitter. “All of these cases of police amusing themselves, these shows of men in masks - these are not games. The government is truly breaking people psychologically.”

A Russian journalist died on Friday after setting herself on fire in front of the local branch of the interior ministry in the city of Nizhny Novgorod, a day after her apartment was searched by police, her news outlet said.

A Russian journalist died on Friday after setting herself on fire in front of the local branch of the interior ministry in the city of Nizhny Novgorod, a day after her apartment was searched by police, her news outlet said. Prior to her self-immolation, Irina Slavina wrote on her Facebook page: “I ask you to blame the Russian Federation for my death.” She worked as editor-in-chief at Koza Press, a small local news outlet that advertised itself as having “no censorship, no orders ‘from above’”. A day before her death, she wrote on Facebook that police officers and investigators had searched her apartment, writing that they were looking for “brochures, leaflets and accounts” from the Open Russia opposition group, which is financed by Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky. She said they seized notebooks, her laptop and other electronics, as well as her daughter’s laptop and her husband’s mobile phone. Russia’s Investigative Committee said it was opening a preliminary inquiry after a woman self-immolated in Nizhny Novgorod, a city of 1.3 million around 400 km (250 miles) east of Moscow. It did not name Slavina in its statement. The committee’s local branch in the Nizhny Novgorod region later said that Slavina’s self-immolation had nothing to do with the searches carried out at her apartment on the previous day. It said she was only a witness in the criminal case for which the searches were being carried out. Members of Russia’s opposition said Slavina had been under pressure from the authorities. “Over the past years security officials have subjected her to endless persecution because of her opposition (activities),” opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov wrote on Instagram. “What a nightmare,” Ilya Yashin, another Kremlin critic, wrote on Twitter. “All of these cases of police amusing themselves, these shows of men in masks - these are not games. The government is truly breaking people psychologically.”

Russian journalist dies after setting herself on fire

Poisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is set to go back to Russia.

Navalny's Spokesperson Kira Yarmysh confirmed that Navalny will return to Russia. "I'll confirm again to everyone: no other options were ever considered”, he said.

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Все утро мне пишут журналисты и спрашивают, правда ли, что Алексей планирует вернуться в Россию. Я понимаю причину вопроса, но тем не менее мне странно, что кто-то мог думать иначе. 
Ещё раз подтверждаю всем: никаких других вариантов никогда не рассматривалось <a href="https://t.co/sSq5Bb4ufr">https://t.co/sSq5Bb4ufr</a>
— Кира Ярмыш (@Kira_Yarmysh) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kira_Yarmysh/status/1305817712766136327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Russia is still playing coy, suggesting they have ‘questions’ for Germany over Navalny’s alleged poisoning.

The country is still claiming that Navalny left Russia with no traces of poison in his body. Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergei Naryshkin said, "It is a fact that the moment Alexei Navalny left Russian territory there were no toxins in his system”.&nbsp;

In Pics:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/photos/the-curious-case-of-russian-kremlin-critics-who-were-allegedly-poisoned-321943" hreflang="en">The curious case of Russian Kremlin critics who were allegedly poisoned</a>

"Therefore, we have many questions to the German side," he added.

Alexei Navalny, the fierce Russian opposition leader is now recovering from an alleged poisoning.&nbsp;Last week, he had come out of a medically induced coma.

Now, he seems to be doing even better. The man who has garnered international attention in the recent weeks posted a picture from the hospital on Tuesday.

"I miss you all"

"Hi, this is Navalny. I miss you all," he wrote on Instagram,. "I can still hardly do anything, but yesterday I could breathe all day on my own. Actually on my own”, he added.

One of Russian President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critics, Navalny fell sick on a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20, after which he was taken to a hospital in the city of Omsk in Siberia following an emergency landing.

In Pics:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/photos/mysterious-russian-poison-cases-radioactive-polonium-toxic-nerve-agent-to-chemicals-322391" hreflang="en">Mysterious Russian poison cases: Radioactive polonium, toxic nerve agent to chemicals</a>

As international pressure mounted, he was shifted to Berlin's Charite hospital.

Steffen Seibert, the spokesperson to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on September 2 said that after testing by a military laboratory, it was ascertained that “a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group" was used on Navalny.

Novichok was notoriously famous during the Soviet era, and was also used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter who were&nbsp;then in Britain.

A cholinesterase inhibitor, it is part of a grouping of substances that the doctors had identified in Navalny after he was moved to Germany.

Poisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is set to go back to Russia. Navalny's Spokesperson Kira Yarmysh confirmed that Navalny will return to Russia. "I'll confirm again to everyone: no other options were ever considered”, he said.

Poisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is set to go back to Russia. Navalny's Spokesperson Kira Yarmysh confirmed that Navalny will return to Russia. "I'll confirm again to everyone: no other options were ever considered”, he said. Все утро мне пишут журналисты и спрашивают, правда ли, что Алексей планирует вернуться в Россию. Я понимаю причину вопроса, но тем не менее мне странно, что кто-то мог думать иначе. Ещё раз подтверждаю всем: никаких других вариантов никогда не рассматривалось https://t.co/sSq5Bb4ufr — Кира Ярмыш (@Kira_Yarmysh) September 15, 2020 × Russia is still playing coy, suggesting they have ‘questions’ for Germany over Navalny’s alleged poisoning. The country is still claiming that Navalny left Russia with no traces of poison in his body. Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergei Naryshkin said, "It is a fact that the moment Alexei Navalny left Russian territory there were no toxins in his system”. In Pics: The curious case of Russian Kremlin critics who were allegedly poisoned "Therefore, we have many questions to the German side," he added. Alexei Navalny, the fierce Russian opposition leader is now recovering from an alleged poisoning. Last week, he had come out of a medically induced coma. Now, he seems to be doing even better. The man who has garnered international attention in the recent weeks posted a picture from the hospital on Tuesday. "I miss you all" "Hi, this is Navalny. I miss you all," he wrote on Instagram,. "I can still hardly do anything, but yesterday I could breathe all day on my own. Actually on my own”, he added. One of Russian President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critics, Navalny fell sick on a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20, after which he was taken to a hospital in the city of Omsk in Siberia following an emergency landing. In Pics: Mysterious Russian poison cases: Radioactive polonium, toxic nerve agent to chemicals As international pressure mounted, he was shifted to Berlin's Charite hospital. Steffen Seibert, the spokesperson to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on September 2 said that after testing by a military laboratory, it was ascertained that “a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group" was used on Navalny. Novichok was notoriously famous during the Soviet era, and was also used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter who were then in Britain. A cholinesterase inhibitor, it is part of a grouping of substances that the doctors had identified in Navalny after he was moved to Germany.

'No other options': Poisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to fly back to Russia after treatment

Alexei Navalny, the fierce Russian opposition leader is now recovering from an alleged poisoning.&nbsp;Last week, he had come out of a medically induced coma.

Now, he seems to be doing even better. The man who has garnered international attention in the recent weeks posted a picture from the hospital on Tuesday.

In Pics:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/photos/mysterious-russian-poison-cases-radioactive-polonium-toxic-nerve-agent-to-chemicals-322391" hreflang="en">Mysterious Russian poison cases: Radioactive polonium, toxic nerve agent to chemicals</a>

Sitting up in bed and surrounded by family, he told his followers and well-wishers that he was now able to breathe independently.

"Hi, this is Navalny. I miss you all," he wrote on Instagram,. "I can still hardly do anything, but yesterday I could breathe all day on my own. Actually on my own”, he added.

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CFJwV0Dly0Z/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Привет, это Навальный. Скучаю по вам 😍. Я все ещё почти ничего не умею, но вот вчера смог целый день дышать сам. Вообще сам. Никакой посторонней помощи, даже простейший вентиль в горле не использовал. Очень понравилось. Удивительный, недооценённый многими процесс. Рекомендую</a>

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One of Russian President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critics, Navalny fell sick on a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20, after which he was taken to a hospital in the city of Omsk in Siberia following an emergency landing.

As international pressure mounted, he was shifted to Berlin's Charite hospital.

Steffen Seibert, the spokesperson to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on September 2 said that after testing by a military laboratory, it was ascertained that “a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group" was used on Navalny.

In Pics:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/photos/the-curious-case-of-russian-kremlin-critics-who-were-allegedly-poisoned-321943" hreflang="en">The curious case of Russian Kremlin critics who were allegedly poisoned</a>

Novichok was notoriously famous during the Soviet era, and was also used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter who were&nbsp;then in Britain.

A cholinesterase inhibitor, it is part of a grouping of substances that the doctors had identified in Navalny after he was moved to Germany.

Russia has continuously rejected accusing of deliberate poisoning by the country, calling the accusations "empty noise". Russian doctors who had treated Navalny in Siberia have repeatedly claimed that poisoning was ruled out as no trace of poisonous substances was found in his body.

Alexei Navalny, the fierce Russian opposition leader is now recovering from an alleged poisoning. Last week, he had come out of a medically induced coma. Now, he seems to be doing even better.

Alexei Navalny, the fierce Russian opposition leader is now recovering from an alleged poisoning. Last week, he had come out of a medically induced coma. Now, he seems to be doing even better. The man who has garnered international attention in the recent weeks posted a picture from the hospital on Tuesday. In Pics: Mysterious Russian poison cases: Radioactive polonium, toxic nerve agent to chemicals Sitting up in bed and surrounded by family, he told his followers and well-wishers that he was now able to breathe independently. "Hi, this is Navalny. I miss you all," he wrote on Instagram,. "I can still hardly do anything, but yesterday I could breathe all day on my own. Actually on my own”, he added. View this post on Instagram Привет, это Навальный. Скучаю по вам 😍. Я все ещё почти ничего не умею, но вот вчера смог целый день дышать сам. Вообще сам. Никакой посторонней помощи, даже простейший вентиль в горле не использовал. Очень понравилось. Удивительный, недооценённый многими процесс. Рекомендую A post shared by Алексей Навальный (@navalny) on Sep 15, 2020 at 2:38am PDT × One of Russian President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critics, Navalny fell sick on a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20, after which he was taken to a hospital in the city of Omsk in Siberia following an emergency landing. As international pressure mounted, he was shifted to Berlin's Charite hospital. Steffen Seibert, the spokesperson to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on September 2 said that after testing by a military laboratory, it was ascertained that “a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group" was used on Navalny. In Pics: The curious case of Russian Kremlin critics who were allegedly poisoned Novichok was notoriously famous during the Soviet era, and was also used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter who were then in Britain. A cholinesterase inhibitor, it is part of a grouping of substances that the doctors had identified in Navalny after he was moved to Germany. Russia has continuously rejected accusing of deliberate poisoning by the country, calling the accusations "empty noise". Russian doctors who had treated Navalny in Siberia have repeatedly claimed that poisoning was ruled out as no trace of poisonous substances was found in his body.

Poisoned Russian critic Navalny shares a picture from the hospital, says he is now 'able to breathe'

A Russian historian who unearthed the graves of Stalin’s victims has been found guilty of sexually assaulting his adopted daughter. The charges have, however, been dismissed by rights groups, his family and friends as blatantly fabricated for political reasons.

This has, in a way, ended a long campaign by the authorities to silence a scholar and rights activist whose work had challenged the Kremlin’s glorification of Russia’s past, including the Soviet era.

The court sentenced the historian to three and a half years in jail, less than the 15-year sentence requested by prosecutors and less than the prison term required by law for the crime he was convicted of.

He was found not guilty of illegal arms possession and of exploitation of children for the production of pornography.

Because of the long period of time Dmitriev has been held in pretrial detention, he should be released by the end of the year.

His defenders believe that the case was driven mostly by politics, particularly a desire by the authorities to defend historical narratives promoted by President Vladimir Putin.

Dmitriev was first arrested in 2016, initially on child pornography charges, and later acquitted by a Karelia court. In 2018, he was slapped with a new case on the more serious charges of sexual violence against a minor. Prosecutors later added additional charges relating to firearms.

Memorial, a rights group where Dmitriev works, said the accusations were groundless and that the sentence, though milder than prosecutors had sought, was not fair.

“These charges have already taken away more than three years of freedom from Yuri Dmitriev and crippled the fate of his adopted daughter,” Memorial said in a statement.

A first trial in 2018 cleared him of charges of child pornography involving his adopted daughter. But that ruling was annulled and he was arrested on a new charge shortly afterwards.

Fellow historians, rights activists and some leading cultural figures say Dmitriev was framed because his focus on Stalin’s crimes has become politically untenable in a modern Russia where the dominant state narrative is of a great nation rising from its knees.

(with inputs from agencies)

A Russian historian who unearthed the graves of Stalin’s victims has been found guilty of sexually assaulting his adopted daughter. The charges have, however, been dismissed by rights groups, his family and friends as blatantly fabricated for political reasons.

A Russian historian who unearthed the graves of Stalin’s victims has been found guilty of sexually assaulting his adopted daughter. The charges have, however, been dismissed by rights groups, his family and friends as blatantly fabricated for political reasons. This has, in a way, ended a long campaign by the authorities to silence a scholar and rights activist whose work had challenged the Kremlin’s glorification of Russia’s past, including the Soviet era. The court sentenced the historian to three and a half years in jail, less than the 15-year sentence requested by prosecutors and less than the prison term required by law for the crime he was convicted of. He was found not guilty of illegal arms possession and of exploitation of children for the production of pornography. Because of the long period of time Dmitriev has been held in pretrial detention, he should be released by the end of the year. His defenders believe that the case was driven mostly by politics, particularly a desire by the authorities to defend historical narratives promoted by President Vladimir Putin. Dmitriev was first arrested in 2016, initially on child pornography charges, and later acquitted by a Karelia court. In 2018, he was slapped with a new case on the more serious charges of sexual violence against a minor. Prosecutors later added additional charges relating to firearms. Memorial, a rights group where Dmitriev works, said the accusations were groundless and that the sentence, though milder than prosecutors had sought, was not fair. “These charges have already taken away more than three years of freedom from Yuri Dmitriev and crippled the fate of his adopted daughter,” Memorial said in a statement. A first trial in 2018 cleared him of charges of child pornography involving his adopted daughter. But that ruling was annulled and he was arrested on a new charge shortly afterwards. Fellow historians, rights activists and some leading cultural figures say Dmitriev was framed because his focus on Stalin’s crimes has become politically untenable in a modern Russia where the dominant state narrative is of a great nation rising from its knees. (with inputs from agencies)

Russian historian who found Stalin-era graves is convicted

Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed comparisons to a tsar on Thursday, arguing he "works every day" and listens to what people want.

"Well, this is not true," Putin said when asked about being described as a Russian imperial-era ruler.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/opinions-blogs/wion-edit-vladimir-putin-may-remain-president-for-life-285897" hreflang="en">WION Edit: Vladimir Putin may remain President for life</a>

"Maybe someone else can be called a tsar. But in my case, I don't reign, I work every day," he told the state-run TASS news agency.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/business-economy/coronavirus-fears-continue-to-hurt-indian-markets-sensex-tumble-nearly-2000-points-287286" hreflang="en">Coronavirus fears continue to hurt Indian markets, Sensex tumble nearly 2,000 points</a>

The interview aired on Thursday as part of a series rolled out by TASS this month to mark 20 years since the 67-year-old Putin took the helm of Russian politics.

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It was not clear when the segments were recorded, but the series began airing before Putin said this month that he wants an opportunity to run for president again, as part of his constitutional reforms.

Explained:<a href="http://13.235.153.162/opinions-blogs/explained-how-vladimir-putin-could-stay-russian-president-for-two-more-terms-285657" hreflang="en"> How Vladimir Putin could stay Russian President for two more terms</a>

The reforms proposed in January include granting more power to parliament and strengthening the role of the State Council.

An amendment approved last week would allow Putin to run for another six years in the Kremlin in 2024 and again in 2030. The reforms will be subject to a public vote.

In pics:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/photos/twenty-years-of-vladimir-putin-274723" hreflang="en">Key dates in President Vladimir Putin's life: 1952 - 2020</a>

When asked what he foresees past 2024, Putin deferred to the perspective of "people's sentiments... what they want."

"The primary source of power is the people," he said. "It's very important for me to feel and understand what people want."

"A tsar is one who just sits there, looks down from above and says: 'They will do as I order,' while he just tries on a cap and looks at himself in the mirror," Putin said.

"On the contrary, I work every day."

Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed comparisons to a tsar on Thursday, arguing he "works every day" and listens to what people want. "Well, this is not true," Putin said when asked about being described as a Russian imperial-era ruler.

Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed comparisons to a tsar on Thursday, arguing he "works every day" and listens to what people want. "Well, this is not true," Putin said when asked about being described as a Russian imperial-era ruler. Also read: WION Edit: Vladimir Putin may remain President for life "Maybe someone else can be called a tsar. But in my case, I don't reign, I work every day," he told the state-run TASS news agency. Also read: Coronavirus fears continue to hurt Indian markets, Sensex tumble nearly 2,000 points The interview aired on Thursday as part of a series rolled out by TASS this month to mark 20 years since the 67-year-old Putin took the helm of Russian politics. It was not clear when the segments were recorded, but the series began airing before Putin said this month that he wants an opportunity to run for president again, as part of his constitutional reforms. Explained: How Vladimir Putin could stay Russian President for two more terms The reforms proposed in January include granting more power to parliament and strengthening the role of the State Council. An amendment approved last week would allow Putin to run for another six years in the Kremlin in 2024 and again in 2030. The reforms will be subject to a public vote. In pics: Key dates in President Vladimir Putin's life: 1952 - 2020 When asked what he foresees past 2024, Putin deferred to the perspective of "people's sentiments... what they want." "The primary source of power is the people," he said. "It's very important for me to feel and understand what people want." "A tsar is one who just sits there, looks down from above and says: 'They will do as I order,' while he just tries on a cap and looks at himself in the mirror," Putin said. "On the contrary, I work every day."

Russian President Vladimir Putin says, 'I am not a 'tsar', I work every day'

Since December, more than 800,000 Syrians, mostly women and children, have fled during a Russian-backed Syrian military campaign to defray protests in northwest Syria.

More than 800,000 Syrians flee their homes during Russian-backed offensive

The executive committee of&nbsp;Russia's suspended&nbsp;athletics federation resigned on Monday and transferred its authority to a working group designed to lift the organisation out of a 4-1/2-year doping crisis, the federation said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wada-imposes-four-year-ban-on-russia-over-doping-data-manipulation-267195">WADA imposes four year ban on Russia over doping data manipulation</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../no-chance-of-winning-wada-ban-appeal-russia- anti-doping-chief-267261">Russia's&nbsp;athletics federation</a> was suspended in 2015 after a report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found evidence of mass doping among the country's track and field athletes.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-officially-challenges-four-year-doping-ban-270611">Russia officially challenges four year doping ban</a>

The federation was plunged into deeper crisis when its president and six other people were provisionally suspended last November for having provided false explanations and forged documents to justify three missed doping tests by high jumper Danil Lysenko.

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WADA Executive Committee unanimously endorses four-year period of non-compliance for the Russian Anti-Doping Agency:<a href="https://t.co/K8QjAz7u4R">https://t.co/K8QjAz7u4R</a>
— WADA (@wada_ama) <a href="https://twitter.com/wada_ama/status/1203993267756511233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The charges prompted World&nbsp;Athletics, the sport's global governing body, to suspend the federation's reinstatement procedure and bar&nbsp;Russian track and field athletes from competing internationally as neutrals.

The&nbsp;Russian federation's woes worsened last week when the&nbsp;Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), the global body overseeing integrity in the sport, said the organisation had shown a "total lack of contrition" in its response to the Lysenko case and recommended that it be expelled from global&nbsp;athletics.

The federation said on Monday that its leadership was resigning and all responsibilities, including liaising with World&nbsp;Athletics, the AIU and other global organisations, was being transferred to a working group run by the&nbsp;Russian Olympic Committee.

"The crisis in&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;athletics has already lasted five years and it is clear to everyone that is had dragged on," the federation quoted Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin as saying.

"Our common goal is to promptly normalise cooperation with World&nbsp;Athletics in order to restore our membership."

World&nbsp;Athletics said last week that the federation could avoid expulsion if its officials admitted to their involvement in the scandal.

Russia&nbsp;is also in the process of appealing a four-year ban from competing under its flag at major international events as punishment for having provided WADA with doctored laboratory data.

The executive committee of Russia's suspended athletics federation resigned on Monday and transferred its authority to a working group designed to lift the organisation out of a 4-1/2-year doping crisis, the federation said.

The executive committee of Russia's suspended athletics federation resigned on Monday and transferred its authority to a working group designed to lift the organisation out of a 4-1/2-year doping crisis, the federation said. Also read: WADA imposes four year ban on Russia over doping data manipulation Russia's athletics federation was suspended in 2015 after a report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found evidence of mass doping among the country's track and field athletes. Also read: Russia officially challenges four year doping ban The federation was plunged into deeper crisis when its president and six other people were provisionally suspended last November for having provided false explanations and forged documents to justify three missed doping tests by high jumper Danil Lysenko. WADA Executive Committee unanimously endorses four-year period of non-compliance for the Russian Anti-Doping Agency:https://t.co/K8QjAz7u4R — WADA (@wada_ama) December 9, 2019 × The charges prompted World Athletics, the sport's global governing body, to suspend the federation's reinstatement procedure and bar Russian track and field athletes from competing internationally as neutrals. The Russian federation's woes worsened last week when the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), the global body overseeing integrity in the sport, said the organisation had shown a "total lack of contrition" in its response to the Lysenko case and recommended that it be expelled from global athletics. The federation said on Monday that its leadership was resigning and all responsibilities, including liaising with World Athletics, the AIU and other global organisations, was being transferred to a working group run by the Russian Olympic Committee. "The crisis in Russian athletics has already lasted five years and it is clear to everyone that is had dragged on," the federation quoted Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin as saying. "Our common goal is to promptly normalise cooperation with World Athletics in order to restore our membership." World Athletics said last week that the federation could avoid expulsion if its officials admitted to their involvement in the scandal. Russia is also in the process of appealing a four-year ban from competing under its flag at major international events as punishment for having provided WADA with doctored laboratory data.

Leadership of Russia's suspended federation resigns amid scandal

In the last three days, Northern Syria has seen more than 200 airstrikes on rebel-held territories. Most of the air raids have been carried out by Russian forces. Syria says it is wiping out the rebels - but it is happening at the cost of innocent lives.

Gravitas: Airstrikes in Syria kills civilians

People in Moscow seemed to be making the most of the unusually warm weather in the Russian capital on Tuesday (December 24).

Snow joke! Muscovites get to grips with snowless December

For a serious fashion city like Moscow, Sunday's (December 22) "Mature Beauty" fashion show is light-hearted change of tune. The show featured radiant 50+ women hitting the catwalk obviously having a lot of fun doing it.

Russian grannies hit catwalk with style and pride

Israel's top court upheld Sunday an extradition order of a Russian alleged hacker to the United States, where he is wanted for fraud.

The justice ministry had last month finalised the extradition of Aleksey Burkov, who has been held in Israeli custody since 2015, without providing a date.

Burkov appealed the decision to the supreme court, asking that he be sent to Moscow, or that his extradition to the US be&nbsp;conditioned on him serving any future prison term in Russia.

"The appeal is rejected," a panel of three supreme court justices wrote in their Sunday ruling.

They noted that the decision to extradite him was made "after a deep and exhaustive examination of all the considerations".

"We did not find any circumstances... that justify our intervention in the decision," the panel wrote.

Burkov's name has been mentioned several times by Russian and Israeli media in connection with a possible prisoner swap with Naama Issachar, an Israeli-American convicted in Russia on cannabis charges.&nbsp;

The 26-year-old Issachar was arrested in Russia in April for possession of nine grams of cannabis in her baggage when she was transiting Moscow between India and Israel.&nbsp;

She was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for trafficking and possession of the drug.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after the verdict that he "would appreciate" Russian President Vladimir Putin looking into the case.&nbsp;

Israel's top court upheld Sunday an extradition order of a Russian alleged hacker to the United States, where he is wanted for fraud. The justice ministry had last month finalised the extradition of Aleksey Burkov, who has been held in Israeli custody since 2015, without providing a date.

Israel's top court upheld Sunday an extradition order of a Russian alleged hacker to the United States, where he is wanted for fraud. The justice ministry had last month finalised the extradition of Aleksey Burkov, who has been held in Israeli custody since 2015, without providing a date. Burkov appealed the decision to the supreme court, asking that he be sent to Moscow, or that his extradition to the US be conditioned on him serving any future prison term in Russia. "The appeal is rejected," a panel of three supreme court justices wrote in their Sunday ruling. They noted that the decision to extradite him was made "after a deep and exhaustive examination of all the considerations". "We did not find any circumstances... that justify our intervention in the decision," the panel wrote. Burkov's name has been mentioned several times by Russian and Israeli media in connection with a possible prisoner swap with Naama Issachar, an Israeli-American convicted in Russia on cannabis charges. The 26-year-old Issachar was arrested in Russia in April for possession of nine grams of cannabis in her baggage when she was transiting Moscow between India and Israel. She was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for trafficking and possession of the drug. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after the verdict that he "would appreciate" Russian President Vladimir Putin looking into the case.

Israel court rejects Russian 'hacker' appeal against United States extradition

Five young children and two adults were killed when a fire ripped through a two-storey residential building in the central Russian city of Rostov early Saturday, authorities said.

The youngest child to have died was 15 months old and the oldest six, a spokeswoman for the emergencies ministry told AFP.

Three more people were hospitalised with various injuries, said Sergei Shokin, head of the Rostov municipal district.

Rostov is located some 200 kilometres northeast&nbsp;of the capital Moscow.

Officials did not immediately say what caused the fire but confirmed investigators were working at the scene.

The Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal probe.

Five young children and two adults were killed when a fire ripped through a two-storey residential building in the central Russian city of Rostov early Saturday, authorities said.

Five young children and two adults were killed when a fire ripped through a two-storey residential building in the central Russian city of Rostov early Saturday, authorities said. The youngest child to have died was 15 months old and the oldest six, a spokeswoman for the emergencies ministry told AFP. Three more people were hospitalised with various injuries, said Sergei Shokin, head of the Rostov municipal district. Rostov is located some 200 kilometres northeast of the capital Moscow. Officials did not immediately say what caused the fire but confirmed investigators were working at the scene. The Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal probe.

Five young children killed in Russian fire

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