Latest news with #MargaritaSimonyan
Russia Today
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
RT editor-in-chief's X account blocked in France
RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan's X account has been blocked in France, as Western countries continue to crack down on Russian media. According to X, the account was withheld in response to an unspecified legal demand. It remains unclear when access was restricted. 'My X account has been blocked in France. I have no idea what I did to offend [French President Emmanuel] Macron – I haven't even been saying that his wife is a man,' Simonyan wrote on Telegram on Monday, referring to claims that France's First Lady Brigitte Macron is secretly a man. Macron has long accused RT of spreading falsehoods without providing evidence, first making the allegation during his 2017 election campaign. The EU and UK have banned RT and several other Russian media outlets since 2022, accusing the channel of spreading propaganda during the Ukraine conflict. Moscow has responded by banning a number of Western state-funded networks, including the BBC and Deutsche Welle. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the crackdown on Russian media in the West as 'global censorship and a regime of zero tolerance for dissenting opinions.'Earlier this year, prosecutors in Paris launched an investigation into X on suspicion that Elon Musk's platform was being used to meddle in French politics. The company denounced the probe as politically motivated and accused France of attempting to restrict free speech.
See - Sada Elbalad
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
France Blocks RT Editor's Account on X Platform
Israa Farhan France has blocked the X (formerly Twitter) account of Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT and the international media group Rossiya Segodnya, in a move that highlights the increasing restrictions on Russian media in Europe. Simonyan confirmed the suspension via her Telegram channel, stating that she was unaware of the reason behind the decision. She remarked that she had not posted anything that could justify the action and questioned whether it was politically motivated. The account ban comes amid ongoing tensions between Russia and Western countries following the Russian military campaign in Ukraine. Since the outbreak of the conflict, the European Union has implemented widespread sanctions and restrictions targeting Russian state media outlets, including RT and Sputnik. As part of these measures, access to RT and Sputnik has been blocked across EU member states. Their websites remain inaccessible through Google in Europe, and their channels have been restricted or removed from platforms including YouTube and Meta-owned services like Facebook and Instagram. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks
The Star
18-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Russia cracks down on Internet searches and VPNs with new fines
Individuals found to be deliberately searching for prohibited content online, including through the use of a VPN, will face fines of as much as 5,000 rubles, according to amendments published on the State Duma's website. — Pixabay Russia's State Duma approved new fines for searching for content considered "extremist' and virtual private network providers that enable access to that material as authorities deepen a long-running crackdown on the Internet. Individuals found to be deliberately searching for prohibited content online, including through the use of a VPN, will face fines of as much as 5,000 rubles (US$64), according to amendments published on the State Duma's website. VPN providers that enable access to such resources, fail to cooperate with Russian regulators, or advertise the use of VPNs could be fined as much as 500,000 rubles, with even higher penalties for repeat violations. The changes will take effect in September if President Vladimir Putin signs them into law, marking a shift under which Russians could face penalties for merely accessing content rather than creating or promoting it. The Russian government defines what counts as "extremist' under law by adding entities to a list. A Moscow court in 2022 banned Meta Platforms Inc and its Facebook and Instagram services, and placed the parent company on the list of extremist organisations. That list has more than 100 organisations on it now. Authorities have also outlawed multiple human rights organisations, and several songs with lyrics that criticise the government or war on Ukraine. Russia has already banned or throttled access to many popular social media platforms, including YouTube and Discord, as well as independent news outlets. Russia blocked nearly 800,000 web pages in 2024 alone, 19% more than in the previous year, Interfax reported citing the country's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor. The use of VPNs currently isn't prohibited in Russia, though it's illegal to use such software to access outlawed or blocked content, and many popular services have been blacklisted. In an unusual step, prominent Kremlin allies criticized aspects of the legal changes. The editor-in-chief of the state-funded broadcaster RT, Margarita Simonyan, questioned how she could conduct investigations if accessing materials was prohibited. "I hope there will be amendments,' she said in a statement on Telegram late Wednesday. Others questioned the ease with which someone could unknowingly fall afoul of the new regulations. President Vladimir Putin also signed a law in June to create a state-run messaging application, designed to integrate government services, similar to Chinese WeChat. That's expected to compete with Telegram and WhatsApp, which are currently Russia's most popular messengers. – Bloomberg
NDTV
17-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Russia To Now Fine Searching For 'Extremist' Content Online, Promoting VPNs
Russia's State Duma approved new fines for searching for content considered "extremist" and virtual private network providers that enable access to that material as authorities deepen a long-running crackdown on the internet. Fines for individuals found to be deliberately searching for prohibited content online, including through the use of a VPN, will face fines of as much as 5,000 rubles ($64), according to amendments published on the State Duma's website. VPN providers that enable access to such resources, fail to cooperate with Russian regulators, or advertise the use of VPNs could be fined as much as 500,000 rubles, with even higher penalties for repeat violations. The changes will take effect in September if President Vladimir Putin signs them into law, marking a shift under which Russians could face penalties for merely accessing content rather than creating or promoting it. The Russian government defines what counts as "extremist" under law by adding entities to a list. A Moscow court in 2022 banned Meta Platforms Inc. and its Facebook and Instagram services, and placed the parent company on the list of extremist organizations. That list has more than 100 organizations on it now. Authorities have also outlawed LGBTQ content, multiple human rights organizations, and several songs with lyrics that criticize the government or war on Ukraine. Russia has already banned or throttled access to many popular social media platforms, including YouTube and Discord, as well as independent news outlets. Russia blocked nearly 800,000 web pages in 2024 alone, 19% more than in the previous year, Interfax reported citing the country's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor. The use of VPNs currently isn't prohibited in Russia, though it's illegal to use such software to access outlawed or blocked content, and many popular services have been blacklisted. In an unusual step, prominent Kremlin allies criticized aspects of the legal changes. The editor-in-chief of the state-funded broadcaster RT, Margarita Simonyan, questioned how she could conduct investigations if accessing materials was prohibited. "I hope there will be amendments," she said in a statement on Telegram late Wednesday. Others questioned the ease with which someone could unknowingly fall afoul of the new regulations.
Russia Today
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Journalism a ‘crime' in UK – RT reporter after detention
The head of RT's Lebanon bureau, Steve Sweeney, has said British counterterrorism officers who briefly detained him at a London airport wanted to know if he had links with Russian officials and if he still loved his home country, the UK. RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan revealed in a Telegram post on Wednesday that Sweeney had been apprehended on arrival at Heathrow Airport and interrogated at length about his work for the Russian broadcaster. The British journalist, who has since returned to Lebanon, appeared live on RT on Thursday, saying that as soon as he got off the plane he was met by 'two plain-clothed police officers,' who took him away for questioning. The officers told Sweeney that he was not under suspicion or arrest, but 'merely detained,' which still allowed them to seize his phones, laptop, and other devices, he recalled. During the questioning, which lasted 'about four hours,' the officers were 'particularly focusing on Russia and my reporting for RT. They asked me whether I have links to Russian officials, which is a fairly... a broad description,' Sweeney said. 'Then they switch focus… to Lebanon. They were very interested in the nature of my relationship with Hezbollah, for example,' the journalist stated. The officers also asked 'about my feelings towards my own country, whether I love my country, whether I feel uncomfortable in my country. Why do I come back to my country if I do not like it?' he recalled. According to Sweeney, he flew to the UK to 'spend a week with family and friends, take my daughter to a concert, [and] see my mother.' The journalist said that following his detention, he could 'no longer feel safe in my own country.' As a result of the 'dystopian' policies pursued by the government of Keir Starmer, he has become 'a dissident living in exile,' simply because he was doing his job, he added. 'The political climate is not just the same in Britain – this is Europe-wide. You know, journalism is not a crime, but in those countries, journalism is a crime,' Sweeney stressed.
