The Russian justice ministry updated its registry of “foreign agents” on the evening of March 10. New additions include economist Sergey Guriev; politician Gennady Gudkov; the former head of Yandex.News and creator of news aggregator True Story, Lev Gershenzon; blogger Nika Vodvud; journalist Daniil Gubarev; and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Priests of the Catholic Church in Germany will henceforth be able to bless same-sex couples. It is reported by Deutsche Welle. The corresponding decision was made following the congress of the leadership of the church in Frankfurt am Main. 81% of local bishops voted for him. The decision will come into force from March 2026.

The Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives allocated 28.8 million rubles for the production of the "ethno-opera" "Prince Vladimir". In total, the production will cost 40 million - another 11 million will be attracted through co-financing of the project. The goal of the project is "raising the patriotic spirit" and "promotion of traditional spiritual and moral values." The main role in the opera will be performed by the singer Shaman (Yaroslav Dronov).

The “Supreme Court” of the Russian-annexed Donetsk and Luhansk “People’s Republics” has sentenced three Ukrainian nationals, who were accused of committing war crimes, the Russian Investigative Committee Reports. Among the convicted is Maksym Butkevych — a Ukrainian human rights activist, journalist, and one of the founders of Ukrainian media organization Hromadske Radio.

The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on the evening of March 10 expanded the list of "foreign agents". Economist Sergei Guriev, politician Gennady Gudkov, former head of Yandex.News and creator of the True Story aggregator Lev Gershenzon, blogger Nika Vodvud, journalist Daniil Gubarev, as well as the Free Buryatia Foundation and the Wildlife Fund (WWF) were included in the register.

According to the results of 2022, the population of Russia with incomes below the subsistence level amounted to 15.3 million people (10.5% of the population). According to Interfax, the number of people below the poverty line is at a historic low. Prior to this, the minimum poverty rate was recorded in 2012 (10.7%), then it grew for three years in a row, and after that it began to decline again. A year earlier, 16 million people (11%) lived below the poverty line.

The management of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve has ordered representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to leave the territory and buildings of the Lavra by March 29. This was reported in a warning from the acting general director of the reserve, Alexander Rudnik, which was published on the Lavra’s website.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky denied recent suggestions that Ukraine may have had a hand in the Nord Stream pipeline explosions last year. “I think it’s very dangerous that several independent media outlets, which I’ve always respected greatly, are taking this step. Ukraine definitely didn’t do it. That’s the main thing,” Zelensky said.

The International Fencing Federation (FIE) allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in competitions under its auspices, according to the Inside the Games portal. The decision was adopted by 89 votes in favor, there were 46 votes against. In accordance with the recommendations of the IOC, athletes will only be allowed to compete under a neutral flag. The decision should come into force at the end of April.

Representatives of Iran and Saudi Arabia signed a joint statement following talks in Beijing and agreed to restore diplomatic relations between the countries, the Iranian Tasnim news agency reported. According to the statement, the parties agreed to restore diplomatic relations and open their embassies and diplomatic missions within a maximum of two months. The details of the implementation of the agreement, as well as the exchange of ambassadors, are to be agreed upon by the foreign ministers.

The euro exchange rate during trading on the Moscow Exchange exceeded 81 rubles. This has happened for the first time since April 22, 2022. Since the beginning of the day, the euro has grown by more than 80 kopecks. The dollar is trading at a level slightly above 76 rubles. The ruble has been consistently weakening against major currencies since December. Over the three winter months, the Russian currency has fallen in price against the dollar and the euro by more than 20%.

Andrey Morev, deputy chairman of the Moscow branch of the Yabloko party, launched a petition on the Change.org website in defense of schoolgirl Masha Moskaleva from the city of Efremov, Tula region. On March 1, the girl was sent to a social rehabilitation center after her father, Aleksey Moskalev, was detained on charges of “discrediting” the army. Soon it became known that the girl was not going to be released from the shelter.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected the version that Kiev could be connected with the explosions at Nord Stream. "I think it is very dangerous that some independent media, which I have always had great respect for, are taking such steps. <…> Ukraine certainly did not do this. And this is the most important thing. And who came up with what, as they said, there are some signs, and maybe even under some flag, it looks funny, to be honest," he said.

Lia Akhedzhakova in a letter to Novaya Gazeta said goodbye to the stage Russian look Ltd. / Alamy / Vida Press In early February, the People's Artist of Russia Leah Akhedzhakov was deprived of the last role in the Contemporary Theater - in the play “Game of Gene”. In the fall of 2022, the show “First Bread” was canceled, where she played the main role. Director Kirill Serebrennikov and New Gazeta were asked to send letters in support of the actress. She was sent more than 15 thousand letters.

Your Browser Does Not Support the Audio Element. We are talking about Georgian protests due to the law on "foreign agents." Was he really inspired by Russia? And how will all this affect the Russians living in Georgia? On March 10, the Georgian parliament in the second reading rejected one of two bills on “foreign agents”. The second bill was previously recalled from the parliament.