Actor Pavel Ustinov was this week sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for violence against police at an opposition protest, despite insisting he was merely a passerby.
Russian celebrities, most of whom usually steer clear of politics and have millions of followers on social media, said the case tarnished the reputation of authorities.
Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden says had no other choice than to share top-secret documents with the world.
Kremlin-backed candidates previously held 38 of the Moscow assembly's 45 seats, but after voting that figure is down to 25. Analysts describe the local vote as a test ahead of parliamentary elections due in 2021.
Protests erupted in the Russian capital Moscow in mid-July after the Central Election Commission refused to register a large numbers of opposition-minded candidates.
Russia and Ukraine conducted a major prisoner exchange that freed 35 people detained in each country and flew them to the other, a deal that could help advance Russia-Ukraine relations and end five years of fighting in Ukraine's east.
On the 160th anniversary of Shamil's surrender to Tsarist forces, he inspires courage among the youth of Dagestan, including MMA champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. But in neighbouring Chechnya, he's viewed differently.
Demonstrations have been held on an almost weekly basis since July after authorities denied most opposition candidates registration in the elections for city parliament next Sunday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan met for talks in Moscow as they seek common ground on the deadly fighting in northwestern Syria. They also discussed defence cooperation.
The craft launched a repeat of the docking manoeuvres after the failure of the first attempt, which had been scheduled for 0530 GMT, the agencies said.
The plant, loaded with nuclear fuel, will replace a coal-fired power plant and an ageing nuclear power plant supplying more than 50,000 people with electricity. Rosatom says the plant is safe, but environmentalists voice concerns.
Russian state nuclear company Rosatom says the plant is safe and can serve as a new power source for the planet's most isolated communities, but environmentalists have voiced concerns over the risk of nuclear accidents.
Subscribe to our Youtube channel for all latest in-depth, on the ground reporting from around the world.
Copyright © 2019 TRT World.
Like
Follow