Topic: Russian Politics

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Briefing
Chechnya: How a remote Russian republic became linked with terrorism

The main suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing are two brothers from Chechnya, a Russian republic that has been the scene of cyclical revolts and brutal crackdowns for the past 200 years.
When dictators fall, so do their banknotes

The following now defunct or possibly soon-to-be defunct banknotes are imbued with the symbols and iconography of their leaders, past and present.
War with Iran? 5 ways events overseas could shape Obama's second term.

The threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program is the most urgent example of the foreign-policy challenges that face President Obama in his second term. Here are four others.
50 years after Cuban missile crisis: 5 ways US must promote nuclear nonproliferation

Fifty years after the Cuban missile crisis brought the world to the brink of a nuclear holocaust, the threats posed by the bomb still hang over us all. The next US president must pursue a nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament “stimulus plan.” It should include the following elements.
In Pictures: Julian Assange and the WikiLeaks Scandal

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Two Pussy Riot members flee Russia

The Pussy Riot group says two of their members have fled the country. Russian police were searching for other members of the band after sentencing three to two years in prison for staging a 'punk prayer.'
In Pictures: Julian Assange and the WikiLeaks Scandal
Terrorism & Security Russia, US spar over threat posed by Syria's chemical weapons

Russia sought to reassure the international community about the security and possible use of Syria's chemical weapons after Obama warned the Assad regime about 'red lines.'
Moscow court responsible for sentencing Pussy Riot hacked (+video)

'Putin's thieving gang is robbing our country! Wake up, comrades,' read the website of the court after it was attacked by activists associated with Anonymous.
Moscow: Will police find other Pussy Riot members? (+video)

After the conviction of three members of the Russian band, Pussy Riot, Russian police are still searching for others. The punk band released its most recent anti-Putin song on Friday.
Pussy Riot: the anonymous band behind the high-profile conviction (+video)

Pussy Riot – which has members beyond the three convicted – isn't your typical band that performs songs back to back in a live concert. But the group now has worldwide recognition and is expected to continue recording.
How Russia transformed Pussy Riot into international cause célèbre (+video)

Few people took much note of Russia's Pussy Riot punk band before it was put on trial for blasphemy. Now even Putin supporters are sympathizing with the young women.
Pussy Riot sentence: How did it play in Russia?

The Pussy Riot punk band's harsh sentence drew swift Western condemnation. More important for Putin will be how it influences the views of Russians, especially the elite.
Pussy Riot sentenced: Is chorus of support helpful, or just fashionable?

Cities across the US took part Friday in Pussy Riot Global Day, but it's not clear whether the support, from governments and celebrities, will help members of the feminist punk group who were sentenced to prison for criticizing Vladimir Putin.
Russian band Pussy Riot sentenced to two years in prison (+video)

The judge in Moscow said the three women were blasphemers who had deliberately offended Russian Orthodox believers by storming the altar of a cathedral in Feburary. President Putin's opponents portray the trial as part of a wider crackdown to crush their protest movement.
Pussy Riot punk band verdict caps rocky first hundred days for Putin

Since it began on May 7, Putin's third term in the Kremlin has appeared mostly defensive and downbeat.
Iran's twin quakes kill hundreds, flatten mud-brick villages

Nobody was killed or hurt in the nearby city of Tabriz, however, thanks to more substantial construction materials than in the countryside.
Was Putin in charge during Georgia war? Medvedev begs to differ.

On fourth anniversary of the Georgia war, Russia's President Putin said he was in close contact with then-President Medvedev. He also created a stir by saying Russia had a 'war plan' before the conflict.
Opinion: Vladimir Putin's karate chop to Russian liberties

In less than 100 days since he returned to the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin has further curbed Russian civil liberties and dissenters. But this is risky. As political dialogue no longer becomes an option, radicals on both sides are emboldened and the threshold for violence is lowered.
Madonna, in Moscow, wades into Pussy Riot trial controversy

The Russian Orthodox church, responding angrily to Madonna's sympathy for the embattled Pussy Riot punk rock group, charged that 'this little singer is openly mocking our laws.'
Russians fear Pussy Riot trial is just the start

The women who make up the punk group Pussy Riot are being prosecuted for "religious hatred," which many Russians see as the Kremlin's latest tactic for silencing dissent.
Pussy Riot trial: Putin expresses hope for 'correct decision'

Popular sentiment about the trial of Pussy Riot, a band accused of profaning a Russian Orthodox altar, has shifted amid dismay over the women's harsh treatment. Putin has now weighed in.
List of legislation left undone as Congress departs for vacation

Major bills that Congress left unfinished as it left for its August recess:
Syria: Kofi Annan steps down (+video)

Citing the Syrian government's intractability, increasing violence and the international community's lack of consensus, former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan announced his resignation. He says there is still a chance for Syria to avoid the worst, 'if the international community can show the courage and leadership necessary.'
Pussy Riot trial sends warning shot toward anti-Putin protesters

Critics argue that the growing list of Russian state actions against opposition figures is part of a creeping crackdown aimed at quashing new protests in September.
Russian punk rockers challenge close church-Putin ties (+video)

The punk rock group, Pussy Riot, goes on trial in what is seen as a test of how Russian leader Vladimir Putin will handled political dissent. The three women say the Russian Orthodox Church is backing Putin.
At end of rocky Europe tour, Romney visits Poland

Mitt Romney hopes to capitalize on Polish disappointment with the Obama administration, after cancellation of missile shield plans in 2009. Will he capture the Polish-American vote?
Five reasons why Syria may be at a tipping point

Since the start of the conflict in Syria, international observers have been watching the government of President Bashar al-Assad for signs that the once-feared regime might be vulnerable to overthrow. Despite Syrian efforts to crush the rebels and to stifle news out of the country, this past week has shown the strongest evidence yet that the end of the Assad regime may be near. Here are five signs that the Syrian conflict may finally be tipping in favor of the rebels.
Syria: The next few days will be critical (+video)

Russia and China voted down a U.N. Security Council resolution that might have imposed sanctions on Syria. Diplomacy has been mostly ineffective throughout much of the crisis. Violence persists in the country's capital, Damascus.
Syria resolution defeated at UN. Does that free up US to act on its own?

For the third time since the crisis began, Russia and China teamed up to defeat a UN Security Council resolution on Syria. The US may now pursue 'action outside of the council.'