Stories from moscow · Russia

The Kremlin commented on the removal of the third season of the series 'Method' from online cinemas. Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov stated the removal is a matter of complying with existing laws. Political observers noted that such measures do not improve public sentiment. The series, which focuses on the psychology of serial killers, was removed following recent reviews. Media reports suggest the move was unexpected for the show's creators.

The SKSOS crisis group, which specializes in evacuating LGBT individuals facing violence from the North Caucasus, has demanded the removal of Ruslan Kutaev. Kutaev is a former Chechen political prisoner and president of the Assembly of Peoples of the Caucasus. The group opposes his participation in the platform of Russian democratic forces ahead of the elections. The group cited Kutayev's statements on The Breakfast Show YouTube channel as the reason for the demand. The demand was reported by Radio Svoboda. LGBT activists have submitted an appeal to remove Ruslan Kutayev, President of the Assembly of Peoples of the Caucasus, from a platform for Russian democratic forces. The group expressed dissatisfaction with Kutayev's explanations regarding violence against the LGBTQ community, women, and people in the Caucasus.

President Vladimir Putin's visit to China has been scheduled, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. The specific dates for the visit will be announced at a later time. The announcement was made by the spokesperson for the President of the Russian Federation. Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that the dates for Vladimir Putin's visit to China will be announced in due course. The announcement was made regarding the upcoming trip to the People's Republic of China. Putin previously described the current relationship between Russia and China as the best period in their history. The announcement follows reports of US actions in the Strait of Hormuz on April 20.

A recent vote regarding the increase of gambling zones in Russia shows public opposition. Approximately 75.93% of those voting do not support the creation of more gambling zones. Only 9.26% of respondents expressed support for the measure.

Igor Yushkov, an expert from the National Energy Security Fund and the Financial University under the Government of Russia, discussed strategies to avoid global oil overproduction. Increased production from the UAE is expected to absorb this global demand. Some countries without investments are seeing a decrease in production, which the UAE's output is expected to offset. The source noted that shale oil accounts for 90% of US production. The source also suggested that shale production is significantly smaller than the output from the Persian Gulf. The source noted that wells can be drilled in a couple of weeks and organized within 3 to 4 weeks using contractors and bank credits. According to the source, production can be organized from scratch in two to three months by negotiating with farmers and utilizing contractors.

A bill has been submitted to the Russian government allowing regional subjects to repay one-third of their budget loan debts by 2030. Under the proposed law, operators would be liable if a theft occurred following a call or SMS that violated regulatory requirements. Banks would be required to return funds if they failed to prevent suspicious transactions. The source noted that victims may still need to prove fault in court to receive reimbursement. Lawyers suggest that individuals listed in the Bank of Russia's 'dropper' database should return funds from fraudulent operations to avoid being blacklisted. Some individuals may be unknowingly assisting in the laundering of stolen money or may have sold cryptocurrency for stolen funds. Those whose details are in the database can formally refuse the credit of funds to their accounts to mitigate involvement in money laundering operations.

An anti-plagiarism company addressed student complaints regarding the detection of artificial intelligence in academic works. Graduates claim the system identifies AI where it does not exist, potentially preventing them from defending their theses.

Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Andrey Melchuk announced that over 620,000 budgetary university places are planned for the 2026 and 2027 academic years. This allocation includes over 83,000 places specifically designated for targeted training quotas. The announcement was made during a presentation regarding educational planning. According to Melchuk, approximately 79,000 of these places are allocated for pedagogical education. Medical specialties represent the largest block of these positions.

New international payment clusters are emerging that do not utilize the US dollar, such as yuan-based or ruble-based settlements within the CIS region. These developments suggest a growing global hesitation to invest in the dollar.

Sberbank Deputy Chairman Taras Kvartsov expressed concern regarding a trend of operations moving toward cash over recent months. The bank noted that the duration of this trend remains unclear. The statement was made during a discussion regarding savings and credit payments. Sberbank Chief Financial Officer Skvartsov expressed concern regarding the rapid growth of cash turnover in Russia. Skvartsov attributed this trend to recent changes in taxation. The report noted that Russian stock markets moved away from their yearly lows during the evening session. Sberbank Deputy Financial Director Taras Kvartsov reported an increase in cash transactions in Russia. The executive noted that while the share of cashless payments had been increasing annually, the process is now reversing.