A Moscow court has fined Telegram Messenger Inc. 7 million roubles (about $80,000) for failing to delete content deemed extremist, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Tuesday.
The ruling cited Telegram’s refusal to take down information and channels that allegedly encouraged terrorist attacks and called for protests aimed at overthrowing the Russian government. Specific examples included calls for violence on railway transport and messages purportedly aimed at aiding Ukrainian forces.
"Telegram Messenger Inc., being the owner of an information resource, failed to remove information or channels containing calls for extremist activity," TASS quoted from court documents.
Telegram did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
Founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov, the Dubai-based platform has close to 1 billion users and remains widely used across Russia, Ukraine, and several other former Soviet republics. It has become a critical tool for both official and opposition communication in wartime and crisis situations.
Durov himself has faced increasing scrutiny from Russian authorities. He returned to Dubai in March, following several months in France after his August 2024 arrest tied to investigations involving Telegram’s use for fraud, money laundering, and distribution of child abuse material.
Russia has previously clashed with Telegram over content moderation, encryption policies, and access to user data. Tuesday’s court decision marks the latest in a series of escalating efforts by the Kremlin to regulate digital platforms it deems hostile or subversive.
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President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Morocco booked their place in the World Cup quarter-finals with a convincing 3-0 victory over Canada, ending the co-host's historic run in the tournament.
Kyrgyzstan’s ex-second in command, Kamchybek Tashiev, has been convicted of plotting to overthrow the country’s President Sadyr Japarov. Tashiev and Japarov had ruled the Central Asian nation in tandem since 2020, until the former was unexpectedly ousted in February.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Germany has requested urgent talks with China's ambassador following reports that Chinese authorities trained Russian soldiers, adding fresh strain to relations between Beijing and Europe amid the war in Ukraine.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to use next week's NATO summit in Ankara to advance his push for greater European responsibility in security, with a bilateral meeting planned with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as Paris seeks closer coordination with key allies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and the United States share a special responsibility for maintaining global security as the world's two largest nuclear powers.
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally expanding its authority and undermining regional stability.
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