No More Life Broadcasts
The Life.ru tabloid's television channel said on Friday it would stop broadcasting on cable and satellite, and move online. The channel aired its last broadcast on Saturday. Russian media report around 90 people have lost their jobs.
Knife Attack
Police in the west Siberian city of Surgut have killed a man who attacked pedestrians with a knife, injuring seven people. The attacker was reportedly a local resident and Russian media have reported he was inspired by Islamic State, a terrorist organization banned in Russia.
A video circulated by Russian media showed the man running away from police before being shot in the back.
Turbine War
Moscow’s Arbitration Court this weekend rejected a request filed by German manufacturer Siemens to seize gas turbines it produced for Russian state company Rostekh. The Russian state-owned company transported the turbines to Crimea in violation of EU sanctions.
Deadly Fist Fight
Powerlifting champion Andrei Drachev was killed during a one-on-one fist fight outside a café in the Far East city of Khabarovsk. A video of the fight shows Drachev going down after being kicked in the head by his attacker.
Show You're Sorry
Relatives of Chechens accused of terrorism were allegedly forced to attend a “repentance rally” in the center of Grozny after writing a letter to Russia’s Prosecutor General, Yuri Chaika, asking for an investigation into the abuse their relatives allegedly experienced in police custody.
A Grand Idea
Yuri Krupnov, chairman of the board of supervisors at the Institute of Demography, Migration and Regional Development, has called on Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin to consider moving Russia’s capital “beyond the Urals” to combat “Moscowization.”
Sobyanin has dismissed the idea, comparing it to Soviet-era deportations. “Officials used to be forced into exile to Siberia and the East before too, but in a cheaper way.”
Anti- LGBT Attacker Detained
Police have detained a suspect in the Aug. 12 pepper spray attack on LGBT activists on the Field of Mars in downtown St. Petersburg. A week ago, members of the city’s Legislative Assembly demanded police investigate the attack that left ten injured, including two journalists.
Patriotic Sweet Tooth
A Latvian court banned the sale of the famous Russian chocolate, Clumsy Little Bear, which is produced by the Krasny Oktyabr confectionary company in Moscow. The trademark for the legendary chocolate belongs to the Latvian company, Laima, the court ruled, and the decision cannot be appealed.
Toxic Stay
More than 30 Italian tourists staying at the Hotel Borodino in Moscow came down with food poisoning on Sunday. The hotel denies any responsibility and claims that the infection resulted from eating somewhere else.
Mrs. Russia
A mother of three from the Moscow region beat out 25 finalists to claim the title of Mrs. Russia. Polina Dibrova said the main secret to her beauty is a strong marriage and her husband’s support.
Jazzy President
President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev visited Crimea’s port city Sevastopol on Aug. 18, where they spoke with city officials, visited a new school, and met with the patriotic Night Wolves motorcycle gang at a bike show.
Putin then went on to make an appearance at the Koktebel Jazz Festival on Sunday. “Music is an international language, like Esperanto, which doesn’t require translation," Putin said at the festival opening.
