A Russian teen told police that his female friend and another woman beat and sexually assaulted him over a damaged iPhone. The abusers then blackmailed him with the video of the entire ordeal. The high-achieving 19-year-old student used a break from school to visit his 22-year-old acquaintance in the city of Bugulma, in Russia’s Tatarstan Republic. At one point, the woman said she had some problems... 

A mysterious bright flash turned night into day over a huge area of Russia – sparking fears the US had launched a strike on North Korea. The explosion of light accompanied by the ‘ground shaking’ was also blamed on a UFO visitation or a meteor exploding in the atmosphere. The phenomenon was seen and felt over thousands of miles in Russia, but was especially evident in three regions... 

Islamic State has released a five-minute video threatening Russia with attacks in the near future and vowing to bring the Kremlin down. The video is awash with graphic images and clips from previously released execution footage. The clip was released by Islamic State’s (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) foreign language media division, the Al-Hayat Media Center. According to the SITE monitoring group, threats... 

Delegates attend the assembly of Crimea Tatars in Bakhchisaray on March 29, 2014. Crimean Tatars say they will establish their own autonomous region on the Black Sea peninsula. According to a Saturday vote by the Crimean Tatars’ assembly, the 300,000-strong Muslim minority will seek “ethnic and territorial autonomy.” “In the life of every nation there comes a time when it must... 

An Airbus A320 passenger plane operated by Russia’s charter air carrier Nordwind Airlines Foreign-sponsored Syrian militants have fired two missiles at a Russian plane with at least 159 passengers on board when it was flying over Syria. The targeted Airbus A320 plane, operated by Russia’s charter air carrier Nordwind Airlines, managed to avoid the two surface-to-air missiles, which subsequently... 

Celebrating the muslim festival Eid al-Adha in Moscow The four-day Eid al-Adha religious festival is underway, with millions of Muslims traveling around the world to visit family and loved ones. The holiday is also widely celebrated across Russia. Known as Kurban Bairam in Russia, the festival marks the end of Hajj, the annual Mecca pilgrimage, and commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice...