News

Council of Europe praises UK for successfully combatting corruption

The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) heaped praise on the UK for its success in combatting corruption within the judiciary, the parliament, and among prosecutors in its fourth evaluation report.

19:36 06.03.2013

US criticized for failure to adhere to UN drug conventions

The Independent Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the independent body charged with implementing the United Nations drug control conventions, criticized the US for slipping up on its requirements under various UN drug treaties by virtue of a series of increasingly liberal marijuana laws that have passed in certain states.

17:45 06.03.2013

Sochi 2014 constructor accused of inflating costs by $506 mln

The state-run construction company set up to build most of the facilities for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics has been accused by Russian auditors of unjustified cost inflations to the tune of $506 million.

17:07 06.03.2013

Egypt sentences steel magnate to jail for misappropriating government money

The Giza criminal court has sentenced steel magnate Ahmed Ezz to 37 years in prison for misappropriating government funds and money laundering.

16:54 06.03.2013

Bolshoi Ballet acid attack detention hearing - live

RAPSI is live on the scene as Moscow's Tagansky District Court is expected to issue a decision today on the detention of Bolshoi Theater leading soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko and two suspected accomplices in connection with the brutal acid attack that left Bolshoi Artistic Director Sergei Filin with third degree burns to his face and eyes.

16:27 06.03.2013

Germany, Luxembourg agree to cancel visas for Russians with civil service passports

Germany and Luxembourg have agreed to allow Russian civil servants to enter the country without a visa, Spanish Ambassador Jose Ignacio Carbajal told the media on Wednesday.

16:07 06.03.2013

Three suspects confess over Bolshoi acid attack

Three suspects detained by Moscow police over the acid attack on the Bolshoi Theater’s artistic director Sergei Filin, including the organizer, have signed statements admitting their part in the crime.

15:46 06.03.2013

Russian upper house approves law objecting to Bolivia's coca leaf exception

The Federation Council approved on Wednesday a bill objecting to Bolivia's reservation to the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, allowing coca bushes to grow in the country.

15:29 06.03.2013

Adoption pending for 33 St. Petersburg orphans

The adoption process of 33 children residing in a St Petersburg orphanage has been suspended, Child Rights Commissioner for St. Petersburg Svetlana Agapitova told a news conference on Wednesday.

14:56 06.03.2013

Audit Chamber exposes $120 million leak in state penitentiary system

The Audit Chamber has exposed 3.7 billion rubles ($120.5mn, or 92.5mn) worth of violations in state contracts signed by the Federal Penitentiary Service.

14:15 06.03.2013

Top news

Russian courts allowed not to implement rulings of Europe's human rights court

Russia's Supreme Court proposed not to implement rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the provisions of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR).

12:53 09.12.2025

Redomiciliation stalls: How sanctions are shaping new practices for Russian companies

The mechanism for redomiciliating foreign companies to Russian jurisdiction, in effect since 2018, has recently encountered serious obstacles. Taking into account the background of sanctions-related restrictions introduced in 2022 through 2025, it has become extremely difficult to achieve the goal. The situation gave rise to the phenomenon of dual domicile and led to a rise in the number of new litigations, both in Russia and abroad.

12:32 09.12.2025

Soldiers jailed for killing US journalist Russell Bentley

A military court in Donetsk sentenced three soldiers to up to 12 years in prison for torturing and killing Russell Bentley, a 63-year-old U.S. national who collaborated with Sputnik news agency.

14:05 08.12.2025