A new Russian law will fine citizens up to 5,000 rubles for searching online for "extremist" content, raising concerns over digital privacy and self-censorship.
Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has approved legislation punishing online searches for extremist materials, a move critics say will heighten censorship and jeopardise digital freedoms.
The law targets individuals who intentionally seek out extremist content, including through VPNs, with fines reaching up to 5,000 rubles. The Ministry of Justice’s list of extremist materials spans over 500 pages and includes organisations such as Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Fund and U.S. tech giant Meta Platforms.
WhatsApp, owned by Meta, may soon be designated as restricted software. Lawmakers have warned the platform to prepare for a possible exit from Russia, further narrowing the digital space.
Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadaev said authorities must prove intent, not mere access. Still, rights groups say the law’s vagueness could spur abuse. Yekaterina Mizulina of the League for a Safe Internet called the wording unclear and warned it may lead to fraud and extortion.
Critics like Roskomsvoboda’s Sarkis Darbinyan see the law as a tool to instil fear and increase self-censorship, with users likely to abandon apps and online communities.
Although the law still awaits approval from the Federation Council before taking effect on 1 September, it has already sparked political pushback. Opposition figure Boris Nadezhdin protested outside the Duma, vowing to challenge the law's advancement.
Unusually, 14.9% of lawmakers voted against the bill, with 22 abstaining—indicating a level of dissent rarely seen in Russia’s legislative process.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to hold negotiations with “everyone,” including European leaders, the Kremlin said on Friday, after reports that the European Union is considering possible talks with Moscow.
Ukraine’s military said it struck a Russian Karakurt-class small missile carrier in the Caspian Sea near Russia’s Dagestan region on Thursday. The extent of the damage is still being assessed, according to Kyiv.
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British paratroopers and military medics have been deployed to Tristan da Cunha after a suspected hantavirus case was confirmed, as first evacuation flights carrying passengers from the stricken MV Hondius cruise ship left Tenerife for Madrid and Paris.
Russia is holding a significantly scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May 2026, reflecting heightened security concerns and the ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
Indonesian rescue teams have located two Singaporeans who went missing after Mount Dukono erupted on Friday (8 May) on the island of Halmahera, though authorities say it remains unclear whether they are alive.
The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified files on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) on Friday (8 May), following an order from President Donald Trump. U.S. officials described as a push for “unprecedented transparency”.
A memorandum of understanding has been signed between Baku State University (BSU) and the international television channel AnewZ, marking a new stage of cooperation in journalism education and media development.
China’s leading chipmakers are funnelling unprecedented sums into research and development as Beijing accelerates efforts to reduce reliance on foreign technology amid intensifying U.S. export restrictions.
Centre-right leader Péter Magyar was sworn in as Hungary’s prime minister on Saturday, propelled into office on promises of change after years of economic stagnation and strained ties with key allies under his predecessor Viktor Orbán.
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has warned that France risks undermining the self-determination rights of the Kanak Indigenous People in New Caledonia amid proposed political and constitutional reforms.
Somalia is facing a severe malnutrition crisis and urgently needs additional humanitarian funding to prevent conditions deteriorating further, the World Food Programme has warned.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to carry on as leader on Friday (8 May) after his ruling Labour Party suffered heavy losses in local elections. Labour lost hundreds of councillors across the country, as some figures in the party said he should stand down.
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