The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, citing its own sources, stated that Russian Intelligence Director Igor Sergun, who passed away two months ago, died in Beirut while conducting a secret mission. According to the news paper, Saudi Arabian and other Middle Eastern secret service groups may have been involved in the death of Colonel-General Sergun, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, better known as the GRU.

Orientalexpress.info noted that the …

The final hearing of Ukrainian citizen, Nadiya Savchenko, has been postponed by the judge after the Ukrainian pilot compared Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to Hitler. Anton Naumock, the correspondent of the Russian Bureau of Radio Liberty, stated this during the evening radio broadcast of Krym.Realii.

According to him, Nadiya Savchenko "has always responded bluntly to any injustice" and that is why the judge has postponed the session on March 9, 2016.

"She was constantly in altercations …

On March 3rd, 2016, the trial which aims to prohibit the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars on the peninsula, began in the Supreme Court of Crimea.

 “Traditionally, the quarter of the courthouse is surrounded by police officers.  The court itself is fenced with turnstiles. Entrance to the building is allowed through the framework of metal detectors. People are searched,” the Head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Kurultay of the Crimean Tatars, Zaire Smedlyaev, reported to Krym.Realii .

" …

Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the hunger strike declared by Nadiya Savchenko, the Ukrainian pilot being charged in a Russian court.

“I do not want to comment on it. It is not a question that relates to our agenda. Moreover, there is a trial, and certainly some comments from our side would not be allowed,” Peskov said, as reported by Interfax.

Savchenko declared a hunger strike starting March 3rd after the Donetsk City Court in the Rostov region …

The Constitutional Court of Moldova reversed a 16-year-old amendment to the constitution that allowed lawmakers to select the head of state. Following the court’s decision on Friday, Moldovans will now be able to choose their leader through direct presidential elections.

"We think that that the president of the republic is to be elected by the nation," Court President Alexandru Tanase said on March 4th, as reported by TASS.

The court made its decision in response to a complaint filed by …

German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, stated that the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, is afraid of the European social and democratic model and therefore is trying to separate EU member States.

He stated on the 3rd of March, in London, that Russian President Vladimir Putin is afraid of the European democratic model thus, Europe has to resist his attempts to separate EU member states. According to Schäuble, the Russian Government is not concerned about the extension of the European …

The President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, has pardoned a Russian citizen in order to ensure the release of Ukrainian journalist, Maria Varfolomeyeva.  This was announced on Facebook by the Press Secretary of the Head of State, Svyatoslav Tsegolko.

“The militants continuously delayed or refused to make the exchange.  With the aim of facilitating the release of Varfolomeyeva, the President pardoned a Russian citizen who was transferred to the occupied territory today,” Tsegolko said.

Irina …

The head of the Higher School of Economics' Center for Development, Natalya Akindinova, explained that January economic data indicated that the Russian economy has started to worsen.

“This relates in particular to construction, cargo turnover and trade. The total fall in basic industries in January was 0.4-0.6% lower than December without taking into account seasonal fluctuations. The huge lack of growth has been accumulated in real incomes and consumer demand, and its downside potential has …