Russia’s ‘top informer’ sets his sights on The Bell Paid Members Public
The state campaign against independent media in Russia shows no sign of relenting. Pro-Kremlin activist Alexander Ionov — who successfully suggested outlet Meduza be made a ‘foreign agent’ earlier this year — requested Wednesday that The Bell be given the same designation. * Ionov, who describes himself as a human rights activist, told
Online voting spat Paid Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is on the fallout from Russia’s parliamentary elections, particularly arguments about the impact of online voting. We also look at a fatal shooting at a university in the central Russian city of Perm, why Russia’s ‘informer-in-chief’ is now targeting The Bell, and
Russia goes to the polls Paid Members Public
Hello! This week events have been dominated by the build-up to tightly-controlled elections to the State Duma, Russia’s 450-seat parliament. For the first time in history, voting is taking place over three days — polls close Sunday. We’ll look at what to expect from the vote, problems for United
Who are the ‘New People’ in Russian politics? Paid Members Public
The big story in upcoming parliamentary elections is the New People political party. A survey by pro-Kremlin pollsters recently suggested they even have a chance of getting past the 5-percent threshold and into the State Duma as a result of next weekend’s vote — even if The Bell’s sources
Russian minister, Putin confidante dies in cliff-top tragedy Paid Members Public
Minister of Emergency Situations Yevgeny Zinichev died Wednesday in the Krasnoyarsk region of Eastern Siberia. The ministry said that Zinichev — also a military general — hit a rock when he jumped into a river to try and rescue a renowned film director. But there is an alternative – less heroic – version of
Political turmoil in Guinea hits aluminum giant Rusal Paid Members Public
A coup d’etat in Guinea this week rocked international aluminum markets and sent prices for the metal shooting to a 10-year high on the London Stock Exchange. The overthrow of President Alpha Condé is a major headache for Russian aluminum giant Rusal, which owns Guinea’s large Friguia alumina
Rusal's Guinea woes Paid Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is about how a coup in one of the world’s poorest countries caused a major financial headache for Russian aluminum producer Rusal. We also look in depth at political party New People, which is tipped to do surprisingly well in next weekend’s
Comedian banned for life from Russia after joke Paid Members Public
When Russia first started to brand media outlets ‘foreign agents’ and ‘undesirable organizations’, the joke was that we would soon see ‘undesirable’ individuals’. Sadly, it wasn’t long before the joke became reality. The Russian Interior Ministry designated stand-up Belarusian comedian Idrak Mirzalizade ‘undesirable’ Monday and said he was barred
