Topic: The Kremlin

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Newly Russian, Gérard Depardieu tours his adopted homeland

But critics say that his high-profile, flamboyant appearances echo the old Soviet-era practice of using sympathetic foreign celebrities to reflect well on the government.
Adopted Russian child's death: What is known about the case so far

The death of Max Shatto, a toddler adopted from Russia, brings grief to a Texas town and fires up protests in Russia, where a ban on US adoptions has taken on a cold-war tone.
Adopted toddler's alleged death-by-abuse in Texas inflames Russia

A Kremlin ombudsman says that Russian 3-year-old Maxim Kuzmin was killed by his adoptive Texan mother last month. The accusation has stoked a new firestorm in Russia over US adoptions.
Russians may end up with a web vetted by The League for Internet Safety

Russia's Internet is facing official efforts to rein it in. Users are in an uproar over suggestions they should soon be sent only to a list of approved websites proposed by The League for Internet Safety.
Russian bill looks to hide gay identity, affirm democracy of the majority

The country faces two competing visions of democracy, one that emphasizes majority rule versus another that stresses minority protections.
Sochi cha-ching: Putin defends most expensive Olympics ever (+video)

London 2012 cost $19 billion. Beijing 2008 clocked in at $40 billion. But Sochi's price may be more than $50 billion, sporting the world's most expensive road, amid allegations of corruption.
What's in a name? Russian city mulls returning to its Stalinist moniker.

Volgograd will temporarily revert to its former name, Stalingrad, in commemoration of its WWII Soviet victory. But some see it as a Trojan horse for glorification of Stalinist times.
Anti-drug pact latest casualty of souring US-Russia relations

Russian experts say the downturn is a result of Putin's determination to do away with international pacts that he sees as demeaning or forcing Russia into a 'junior partner' role.
Global News Blog Putin eyes trip to Antarctica, shuns elder image

The Russian president has insisted on a full slate of his traditional macho stunts this year, including scuba diving and possibly a trip to the way down under.
Russian PM Medvedev says odds against Assad's political survival

In a CNN interview aired over the weekend, the former president and current prime minister commented on Syria, Sergei Magnitsky, and his office-swap with Vladimir Putin.
Russia's Vladimir Putin says West is fomenting jihadi 'blowback'

Moscow is criticized for weak support of the Arab Spring, and for actively backing Bashir al-Assad in Syria. But the Kremlin says its policies are consistent and the West is exporting revolt.
Kremlin: Adoption ban needed to create 'Russia Without Orphans' (+video)

Responding to a 20,000-strong protest in Moscow Sunday against the ban on US adoptions of Russian orphans, the Kremlin said that the law is part of a plan to improve Russian orphanages.
Russians march in protest of American adoption ban

On Sunday, about 20,000 protesters took part in a march in Moscow, protesting a new law supported by both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's parliament, which bans Americans from adopting Russian children.
Is Russia backing off its anti-US adoption ban?

A Putin spokesman said today that the ban on adoption of Russian orphans by Americans will not kick in until 2014. Is Putin just abiding by treaty requirements, or is he softening?
Does Depardieu herald Russia as a tax haven for Europe?

Fleeing France's high taxes for Russia's flat 13 percent rate, the French actor spoke of Russia in glowing terms during a high-profile meeting with Vladimir Putin over the weekend.
Global News Blog Gerard Depardieu's latest drama: a Russian passport (+video)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has given a Russian passport to the famous French movie star in what some see as part of an escalating war of words between Russia and the West.
Why Gerard Depardieu became a Russisan citizen (+video)

Gerard Depardieu, the French actor, is opposed to paying 75 percent of his earnings above $1.33 million to the French government. Depardieu may avoid the proposed French tax hike if he is a Russian citizen.
Is Russia trying a dead whistle-blower because of a US law?

The US recently enacted legislation targeting those Russian officials involved in the 2009 death of whistle-blowing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, spurring an angry reaction from the Kremlin.
Opinion Putin shows Russian insecurity in signing ban on US adoption of orphans

Russia's ban on US adoption of orphans is retaliation for a US law that targets human-rights abusers in Russia. Moscow's response reveals one of its greatest weaknesses, a deep-seated national sense of insecurity. Now Russians themselves must demand better for their children.
Russia urges Damascus to talk with Syrian opposition

Russia, Syria's biggest international supporter, is leaning on President Bashar al-Assad to begin a dialogue with the Syrian opposition and take steps toward ending the conflict.
Global News Blog Putin signs antiadoption law, throwing pending adoptions into confusion (+video)

About 1,000 Russian children were adopted by US families in 2011, and around 50 such adoptions are pending.
Assad sends envoy to Moscow for talks on ending Syria's conflict

The Syrian senior diplomat is expected to discuss the UN mediator's proposals for ending the conflict. Russia, meanwhile, has signaled growing acceptance of President Assad exiting power.
Russia's adoption ban exposes political rift (+video)

Russian President Putin is expected to back the parliament's adoption ban. But the move has exposed a rare split in the government, with some top officials speaking out against the ban.
Global News Blog Deep emotions run beneath Russia's adoption ban

The Duma's bill to ban US adoptions of Russian children, which passed another legislative hurdle today, appeals to Russian pride and concerns about the US.
Putin presser: chilling news for orphans, but warm words for Depardieu (+video)

In a lengthy session, Russian President Putin backed a bill banning US adoption of Russian children – but offered residency to Gérard Depardieu, who renounced his French citizenship over high taxes.