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Well-organized, festive and friendly, the World Cup has shown off a welcoming and modern Russia in sharp contrast to common biases abroad that cast the country as dour, devious and a bit backward. Putin is likely to try to leverage that Monday when he holds a summit in Finland with U.S. President Donald Trump, and there have been strong signs the American side will be receptive. When national security adviser John Bolton was in Moscow last month to arrange the summit, he told Putin he looked forward to “learning how you’ve handled the World Cup so successfully....

As Russian society comes crashing down, one pillar stands fast: the babushka. In fact, the term connotes not so much a familial relationship as an informal institution made up of stalwart, patient, forbearing women of grit. They are the indomitable survivors who keep Russian families afloat during hard times. Many Russians grow up with a babushka in the house, or nearby: only 83,000 people in Russia live in retirement homes, compared with more than 4 million in the United States....

TOULOUSE (Reuters) - The sight of Russian players passing around the captain’s armband after Roman Shirokov went off early in the second half spoke volumes about their performance at Euro 2016. Shirokov was substituted in the 52nd minute of the embarrassing 3-0 capitulation to Wales but nobody appeared to want to replace him as captain. The armband was initially handed to Sergei Ignashevich, but he did not put it on, and eventually it found its way back to goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev who half-heartedly accepted it....

Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told reporters on Tuesday that “all options” would be considered if NATO moved ahead with proposed Ukrainian membership, or deployed additional weaponry in Baltic member states along the Russian border, RIA Novosti reported. Some 100,000 troops backed by armored vehicles and artillery are currently deployed along Ukraine’s frontiers with Russia and Belarus—a longtime Moscow ally led by dictator President Alexander Lukashenko. Lukashenko is currently under sanctions for intensified suppression of political opponents since he claimed victory in August 2020’s disputed presidential election....

In a Facebook post on Sunday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said about 65,000 Russians had died since the full-scale invasion began on February 24. The statement, which included a running tally of Russia’s supposed casualties and equipment losses, said as of October 16 “about 65,000 (+300) persons liquidated.” That total is about 10,000 more than Ukrainian officials estimated on September 21. The new unverified figure exceeds, if accurate, would mean Russia’s death toll after eight months would exceed the U....

After conceding two first-half goals, Zenit failed to find a way back into the match in the second half Friday, reports Xinhua. Second-placed Lokomotiv Moscow have a chance to overtake Zenit on goal difference with a win in their Round 17 match later this weekend. Despite their recent dip in Premier League form and their shock early exit from the knockout Russian Cup, Zenit remain well placed to make it through to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, currently lying second in Group G with matches remaining against Austria Vienna and the unbeaten Atletico Madrid....

Aleksandr Grichishkin, 34, was sentenced to 60 months behind bars after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a racketeer-influenced corrupt organization (RICO). Passed in 1970, the RICO Act outlines federal penalties for those found guilty of criminal enterprising in the United States, specifically concerning racketeer-influenced corrupt organizations. Grichishkin, along with a number of co-conspirators, was the founder of a specialized illegal online organization. This organization, known as a bulletproof hosting service, “rented internet protocol (IP) addresses, servers, and domains to cybercriminal clients,” according to DOJ court documents....

“This emu has been spotted around town and ended up at the airport,” tweeted airport authorities on Monday. “Shout out to our staff that stayed with the bird and a huge shout out to Blackspruce Farm Tours for picking him up even though he didn’t belong to you!” According to CBC, the emu’s origins are a mystery, but before being spotted at the airport, the large bird was also spotted running alongside a train and in another part of town....

Rocky, still upset about Westbrook blocking his half-court backward shot during a break in a Nuggets – Thunder game back in 2013, wore a “I’m with stupid” T-shirt then after a timeout, stood next to Westbrook, who clearly didn’t like it. MORE: Midseason awards: Can Russ make a run at MVP Steph? After Westbrook gave Rocky some choice words, he responded with his signature pose like he was about to rip off a crane kick from “The Karate Kid....

The FS1 host was highly vocal about the Lakers during the 2021-22 NBA season. He blamed Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis for the team’s collective failings. And although some of his criticism was warranted, Bayless’ comments always seem to straddle the line between fair and excessive. Case in point: what he tweeted Thursday night. Los Angeles wasn’t the biggest mover and shaker in the 2022 NBA Draft. It made a trade with the Magic, acquiring the No....

It’s hard to imagine Wilson in that light because once he steps off the football field he seems like a respectful and gentle guy. His aggression and intensity is controlled and confined to the 60 minutes of an NFL game. But what about those who don’t have the same handle on their anger? “Recent incidents of domestic violence have forced The League, its fans and the players to take a hard look into our collective conscience,” Wilson states....

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke Monday by virtual call with his Syrian counterpart, emphasizing Moscow’s “intensive efforts to facilitate a long-term settlement in Syria, restoring its sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity” after nearly a decade of civil war. The Russian leader touted the progress achieved from his country’s engagement with fellow Assad backer Iran as well as Turkey, which supports opposition forces. Thanks to their joint effort, Putin said that “the hotbed of international terrorism in Syria has been almost completely eliminated; the level of violence has been reduced significantly,” according to a Kremlin readout....

On Thursday, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense wrote on Twitter that “The large landing ship Orsk of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian occupiers was temporarily destroyed in the Russian-occupied port of Berdyansk.” The tweet also showed pictures of what appeared to be the Russian Orsk ship in flames. The claims made by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense come just a few days after Russian military officials bragged about taking the port of Berdyansk and docking the Orsk ship....

The pipeline, which stretches more than 5,500 miles and carries 45 percent of the East Coast’s supply of diesel, petrol and jet fuel, was taken offline over the weekend, disrupting fuel supply across eastern parts of the country and pushing prices up. The company was forced to take IT systems offline and shut down operations on Friday last week as it announced it had hired a third-party cybersecurity firm to investigate the targeted ransomware attack....

In a video released Thursday, Bastion coastal defense missile systems could be seen being relocated to Matua, a deserted volcanic island in the Pacific chain’s middle. The Bastion can hit targets at sea at a range of up to 500 kilometers. The missile systems were not the only thing deployed to the islands; living quarters for military personnel and vehicle hangars were also transported. The islands have a history of Russian ties....

Natural gas is likely to grow in significance for Europe even as renewable energy is expected to reach 32 percent of total consumption by 2030. In practice, it translates into a shutdown of coal-powered plants and increasing wind and solar energy output by 33 percent and 50 percent off the current levels respectively. Combined with the phase-out of nuclear reactors in Germany and the fate of troubled new nuclear projects in France and Finland, this would have a dramatic impact on the energy landscape, requiring more gas....

In an update on Thursday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that 109,720 Russian personnel had been killed since the start of the invasion on February 24, 2022. This figure included 810 Russian personnel reportedly killed in the 24 hours preceding the update. The unverified number that Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry about is a sobering statistic when compared with Kyiv’s claims two weeks ago....

MONTREAL (Reuters) - Russia is making progress but more work lies ahead, including the removal of Yelena Isinbayeva as chair of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), before the country can be ruled compliant, the World Anti-Doping Agency said on Thursday. It has been nearly two years since RUSADA was ruled non-compliant and WADA said Russia will remain an outcast until four key demands are met, chief among them Isinbayeva’s removal from RUSADA and replacement by an independent chair and vice-chair....

The Kremlin has given the green light to authorities moving to have Sakhalin Island, located north of Japan, reach net-zero carbon emissions in a matter of years. The goal will be made easier by the makeup of Russia’s largest island, two-thirds of which is covered in forests. Russia hopes that Sakhalin’s trees will be able to absorb the same volume of carbon dioxide that the island’s residents and businesses generate, AP reported....

The payments made in rubles on two dollar-denominated bonds qualified as a “selective default” because investors would be unlikely to be able to convert the rubles into the dollar amount the debt was originally for, according to CNN. Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told Russian newspaper Izvestia Monday that the country has made efforts to pay the debts, but sanctions that have frozen foreign assets have prevented them from doing so....