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Russian Duma Approves Move Against LGBTQ Rights

Legislation prohibits 'gay propaganda' in ads, art

(Newser) - Russian lawmakers on Thursday gave their final approval to a bill that significantly expands restrictions on activities seen as promoting gay rights in the country, another step in a yearslong crackdown on the country's embattled LGBTQ community. The new bill expands a ban on what authorities call "propaganda...

Russia Looks to Decriminalize Domestic Violence

Bill will go before the Duma this week eliminating criminal liability

(Newser) - In Russia, giving one's spouse a slap is nothing extraordinary for many people. This week, the Russian parliament is expected to take a step closer toward decriminalizing it altogether, reports the AP . Battery is a criminal offense in Russia, but a study this month showed that 19% of Russians...

Russian Pol Tells Aides to 'Violently Rape' Journalist

Vladimir Zhirinovsky faces legal action, ethics investigation

(Newser) - A longtime Russian politician is facing sanctions after a pretty staggering outburst against a pregnant journalist. In an exchange caught by cameras, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party, told aides to "violently rape" Russia Today reporter Stella Dubovitskaya. After Dubovitskaya asked about a ban on Russian...

Russian Leaders to Crimea: Come on Over

Leaders say lawmakers will 'certainly' agree to let Crimea join Russia

(Newser) - A delegation from Crimea's parliament visited Moscow today, where they got a warm reception and assurances that Russia would back their secession play . "If the people of Crimea decide to join Russia in the referendum, we ...will certainly support this decision," Valentina Matvienko, the chair of Russia'...

Russia's Speaker Resigns Amid Protests

He says it would 'not be right' to serve third term

(Newser) - Russia's protesters look to have claimed their first scalp: Longtime parliament speaker Boris Gryzlov today announced that he is stepping down, despite his United Russia party's election victory . Gryzlov heads United Russia's Supreme Council, and has been Duma speaker since 2003, making him a potent symbol of...

Russia Paves Way for Return of Putin
Russia Paves Way for Return of Putin
Nov 21, 2008 12:04 PM CST

Russia Paves Way for Return of Putin

Parliament extends term of president; early elections could follow

(Newser) - Russia's lower house of parliament approved a change to the constitution that extends the term of the president from four to six years, CNN reports. The move is widely seen as a bureaucratic maneuver that will lead to the return of Vladimir Putin as president. The upper house of parliament...

Russia Goes After Emo
 Russia Goes After Emo   
Jul 24, 2008 3:55 PM CDT

Russia Goes After Emo

Fearing for teens, Duma debates legislation to outlaw fashion, monitor websites

(Newser) - Fearing a threat to the wellbeing of its youth, the Russian Duma is going after what it sees as Public Enemy No. 1—emo.  Lawmakers are debating legislation to ban all signs of emo culture—an offshoot of punk music—from schools and government buildings, the Guardian reports. Lawmakers...

Observers Cry Foul Over Putin Victory

Monitors say gov't tampered with polls Kasparov calls 'dirtiest'

(Newser) - Even as Vladimir Putin hailed his party's decisive victory in Russian elections yesterday as a mandate, international elections observers said the polling was neither free nor fair, and complained of government interference. State employees were reportedly ordered to vote for Putin, CNN reports, and Garry Kasparov’s Other Russia party...

Kremlin Hails Big Putin Win
Kremlin Hails Big Putin Win
Dec 2, 2007 2:14 PM CST

Kremlin Hails Big Putin Win

PM's party expected to garner landslide victory in parliamentary election

(Newser) - Vladimir Putin had garnered more than 60% of the vote in parliamentary elections today, hailed by the Kremlin as continued popular mandate for his policies even after his term ends. Putin's United Russia party, boosted by the country's oil boom, was expected to grab a landslide victory, but opposition and...

Kasparov in Presidential Gambit
Kasparov in Presidential Gambit
Oct 1, 2007 3:29 AM CDT

Kasparov in Presidential Gambit

Former world chess champ maneuvering to replace Putin

(Newser) - Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov has been overwhelmingly chosen by an opposition coalition to run for president of Russia when Vladimir Putin's current term ends next March, reports the Daily Telegraph. His place on the ballot is not guaranteed until he registers, a process likely to be checked by...

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