Taxi rampage
A taxi drove into a crowd of pedestrians near Moscow's Red Square, injuring eight people, including two Mexican fans, as throngs of residents and football fans from around the world poured into the city for the World Cup.
The driver, who was filmed pulling sharply out of a line of stationary traffic, accelerating and mounting the packed narrow pavement, blamed driver fatigue. City authorities denied that the incident was an act of terror.
No diversity
The Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) sports anti-discrimination network’s community center in St. Petersburg has been shut down after the venue’s owner revoked his agreement to host the space, which was expected to run for the duration of the World Cup.
“[The organizations] recognize it as the method through which the city authorities shut down activities which do not conform to their political outlook,” the network said in a statement.
No-shows
Around 5,000 seats were left empty at the World Cup match between Egypt and Uruguay in the Siberian city of Yekaterinburg. Football governing body FIFA linked the empty seats to “no-shows” among member associations, sponsors and the general public.
“There were no problems with FIFA’s ticketing operations on-site that would have prevented ticket holders from attending the match and … 32,278 tickets had been allocated,” a FIFA spokesman said, in response to Russian fans online outrage over the unfilled pitch-side seats.
Impossible pensions
An online petition against the controversial government proposal to increase Russia’s retirement age, passed against the backdrop of the World Cup, has garnered more than 1 million signatures.
Its authors estimate that around 40 percent of Russian men and 20 percent of women may not reach their new respective retirement ages of 65 and 63 a decade from now. World Bank figures show many Russian men do not live to see 65 years of age.
Siberian discontent
Around 400 residents of Novosibirsk took to the streets to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev over the proposal to raise the retirement age and rising gas prices.
“I don’t want to die at work,” “Deputy, live on my pension” and “Putin-Russia 5:0” read some of the banners held up in front of the Siberian city’s City Hall.
Dubious milestone
A Peruvian tourist became the first foreign World Cup visitor to be arrested during the tournament.
Evi Patricia Cavessas Ayama, alleged to have pickpocketed 17,000 rubles from a citizen of Thailand in central Moscow, was placed in pre-trial detention until August 13.
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