
Rs 5,600 Fine For Googling These 2 Words!
Nearly everyone who uses the internet is familiar with Google Search. Whether we're looking up health information or finding an address, Google is often our first port of call. However, there are certain things one should avoid searching online, as doing so may now carry legal consequences, particularly in Russia.
According to The Washington Post, Russian lawmakers have introduced new legislation that imposes fines of up to $65 (USD) for searching so-called 'extremist' content online. In Russia, this term is applied broadly.
For example, the LGBT movement has been officially labelled as a 'terrorist' organisation, alongside any material linked to al-Qaeda or Nazi ideology. The government currently maintains a list of over 5,500 prohibited topics and organisations, and this list is expanding rapidly.
Previously, individuals in Russia could be penalised for sharing or distributing such content. Under the new law, however, even conducting private online searches, such as through a VPN, can result in fines. Additionally, those who promote or advertise VPNs may face penalties of up to $2,500 for individuals and $13,000 for companies.
Russian authorities claim these restrictions are necessary during times of conflict, but critics argue the move represents a serious erosion of freedom of expression. It is widely viewed as yet another attempt by the Russian government to tighten its grip on internet access and online behaviour.

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Hindustan Times
19 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
'Deeply saddened': PM Modi condoles loss of lives after Russian plane crashes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed condolences over the deaths in a deadly passenger plane crash in Russia. The Prime Minister said India stands in solidarity with Russians. Extending condolences, PM Modi said India stood in solidarity with the Russians.(PTI file photo) "Deeply saddened at the loss of lives in the tragic plane crash in Russia. Extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. We stand in solidarity with Russia and its people," the PM said in a post on X. A passenger plane with 49 on board crashed in Russia, reportedly leaving behind no survivors. It was earlier reported missing from radar, but its wreckage was later found in Russia's Far East, local emergency services said. The debris was located by a rescue chopper and smoke was seen coming out of the wreckage in visuals that went viral online. The wreckage was seen lying in a dense forest. "An Mi-8 helicopter operated by Rosaviatsiya (Russia's civil aviation authority) has spotted the burning fuselage of the aircraft," Russia's emergencies ministry was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters. Regional Governor Vasily Orlov later announced that all aboard were dead, calling the accident a 'terrible tragedy". A Siberia-based airline called Angara operated the plane, which reportedly dropped off radar screens while approaching its destination -- Tynda, a town in the Amur region bordering China. While the cause behind the plane crash wasn't immediately clear, it was reported that the weather situation was adverse at the time of the crash. According to TASS, a Russian news agency, the crash was caused by a crew error during landing. Besides, it is also being said that the plane was nearly 50-years-old. The plane took off from Khabarovsk and was headed to Blagoveshchensk on the Russian-Chinese border and onwards to Tynda, reported news agency AP.

The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Russian attacks kill five, including family, in east Ukraine
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First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
PM Modi condoles Russia plane crash deaths, says India stands in solidarity
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the tragic plane crash in Russia's Amur region that killed nearly 50 people, extending condolences to the victims' families and affirming India's solidarity with the Russian people. read more This handout picture released by the Far Eastern Transport Prosecutor's Office on July 24, 2025, shows what it said is the crash site of the Antonov AN-24 passenger plane outside the town of Tynda in Russia's far eastern Amur region. Image- AFP Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in a plane crash in Russia, extending condolences to the families of the victims. In a post on social media platform X, PM Modi said India stands in solidarity with the people of Russia during this tragic time. Deeply saddened at the loss of lives in the tragic plane crash in Russia. Extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. We stand in solidarity with Russia and its people. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 24, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD An Antonov An-24 passenger plane carrying 48 people crashed in Russia's far east on Thursday as it was preparing to land, killing everyone on board in an incident that spotlighted the continued use of old, Soviet-era aircraft. The burning fuselage of the plane, which was made in 1976, was spotted by a search helicopter after it disappeared from radar screens. It had been attempting to land for a second time after failing to touch down on its first approach, the Far Eastern Transport Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. Operated by the privately owned Siberian regional airline Angara, it had been en route from the city of Blagoveshchensk near the Chinese border to Tynda, an important railway junction in the Amur region. It was carrying 42 passengers, including five children, and six crew. The regional governor and federal investigators confirmed that everyone on board had been killed. Investigators said they had opened a criminal case into the suspected violation of air traffic and air transport rules, resulting in the death of more than two people through negligence. The plane had recently passed a technical safety inspection, Russian news agencies reported, and had been involved in four apparently minor incidents since 2018. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The crash is likely to raise new questions about the viability of continuing to fly such old planes in far-flung corners of Russia at a time when Western sanctions have crimped Moscow's ability to access investment and spare parts. It may also prompt other countries that operate the aircraft to review their fleets. North Korea, Kazakhstan, Laos, Cuba, Ethiopia, Myanmar and Zimbabwe operate the An-24, according to the authoritative RussianPlanes web-portal. Video shot from a helicopter showed pale smoke rising from the crash site in a densely forested hilly area around 15 km (10 miles) from Tynda. There were no roads to the site and a rescue team had to use heavy machinery to cut a path there. President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to the families of those killed and held a minute's silence at the start of a government meeting. With inputs from agencies