themoscowtimes--2020-08-03--8 Arrested in Russia's First Surrogacy Probe

Surrogacy is legal in Russia and has been a lucrative business for many years .
Eight Russians have been arrested and charged with human trafficking in the country 's first surrogacy probe , and a court on Monday was to consider extending the arrests .
However , a criminal probe was made possible due to `` ambiguities '' in legislation , defense lawyer Igor Trunov told AFP , adding it was the first such case in Russia 's history .
As part of the probe , eight people have been arrested including several doctors , the head of a surrogacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother .
The surrogate mother is being held under house arrest while other suspects are in pre-trial detention .
On Monday , seven of the eight suspects were in a Moscow court as defense appealed their arrests , Trunov said .
He said he did not expect a successful outcome .
The probe was launched after one of the babies born to a surrogate mother was found dead in a flat outside Moscow in January .
Three other babies found in the same flat were placed into state care .
The probe expanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a different flat in June .
Trunov said the case and the coronavirus restrictions were making things exceedingly difficult for babies , parents and surrogate mothers involved .
`` Ten more babies are about to be born , '' he said .
`` But all the bank accounts have been frozen , ( and ) documents seized , '' he said , adding that the surrogate mothers could no longer receive food and care that are part of the program .
Russia is one of the few countries in the world where commercial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some calls to make the practice unavailable for non-Russian couples .
`` Russia should not be a country with surrogate mothers serving as incubators for foreigners , '' senior MP Irina Yarovaya said last week .
Commercial surrogacy for foreigners in neighboring Ukraine was recently thrown into the spotlight after dozens of parents were prevented from picking up their children born to surrogates due to coronavirus restrictions .

Surrogacy is legal in Russia and has been a lucrative business for many years.
Eight Russians have been arrested and charged with human trafficking in the country's first surrogacy probe, and a court on Monday was to consider extending the arrests.
However, a criminal probe was made possible due to "ambiguities" in legislation, defense lawyer Igor Trunov told AFP, adding it was the first such case in Russia's history.
As part of the probe, eight people have been arrested including several doctors, the head of a surrogacy firm, a courier and a surrogate mother.
The surrogate mother is being held under house arrest while other suspects are in pre-trial detention.
On Monday, seven of the eight suspects were in a Moscow court as defense appealed their arrests, Trunov said.
He said he did not expect a successful outcome.
The probe was launched after one of the babies born to a surrogate mother was found dead in a flat outside Moscow in January.
Three other babies found in the same flat were placed into state care.
The probe expanded after five more babies were found in a different flat in June.
Trunov said the case and the coronavirus restrictions were making things exceedingly difficult for babies, parents and surrogate mothers involved.
"Ten more babies are about to be born," he said.
"But all the bank accounts have been frozen, (and) documents seized," he said, adding that the surrogate mothers could no longer receive food and care that are part of the program.
Russia is one of the few countries in the world where commercial surrogacy is legal.
There have been some calls to make the practice unavailable for non-Russian couples.
"Russia should not be a country with surrogate mothers serving as incubators for foreigners," senior MP Irina Yarovaya said last week.
Commercial surrogacy for foreigners in neighboring Ukraine was recently thrown into the spotlight after dozens of parents were prevented from picking up their children born to surrogates due to coronavirus restrictions.


themoscowtimes--2020-08-03--Russia Sparks Backlash for Allowing Deforestation, Construction Along Lake Baikal

A new Russian law that allows deforestation and construction near the shores of Siberia ’ s Lake Baikal has sparked @ @ @ @ @ say the law threatens protected natural areas .
Lake Baikal , the world ’ s @ @ @ @ @ been plagued with environmental problems caused by industrial pollution , mining and agricultural run-off .
@ @ @ @ @ water bottling plant along its shores roiled local residents , who successfully lobbied authorities to @ @ @ @ @ .
The new law , signed by President Vladimir Putin on Friday , effectively permits @ @ @ @ @ areas in order to build or upgrade transport infrastructure through 2024 .
The law also @ @ @ @ @ impact evaluations to be carried out ahead of transport construction and modernization projects .

A new Russian law that allows deforestation and construction near the shores of Siberia’s Lake Baikal has sparked backlash among environmental activists who say the law threatens protected natural areas.
Lake Baikal, the world’s largest freshwater lake, has been plagued with environmental problems caused by industrial pollution, mining and agricultural run-off. Plans to construct a Chinese water bottling plant along its shores roiled local residents, who successfully lobbied authorities to halt the project last year.
The new law, signed by President Vladimir Putin on Friday, effectively permits deforestation in specially protected natural areas through 2024 in order to build or upgrade transport infrastructure.
The law also suspends requirements for state environmental impact evaluations to be carried out ahead of transport construction and modernization projects.


themoscowtimes--2020-08-03--The Mischief and Mayhem of Russian Paratroopers' Day

Each year on Aug. 2 , current and former members of Russia 's Airborne Troops meet up to raise a @ @ @ @ @ likely , many drinks ) to each other 's achievements and remember fallen comrades .
@ @ @ @ @ anniversary of the Soviet military 's first parachute flight , which was held during exercises @ @ @ @ @ of Voronezh in 1930 .
Over the years , the sight of bawdy , striped @ @ @ @ @ fountains and generally causing chaos all over town has become a familiar staple of this @ @ @ @ @ a look at this year 's Paratroopers ' Day festivities :

The Mischief and Mayhem of Russian Paratroopers' Day
Each year on Aug. 2, current and former members of Russia's Airborne Troops meet up to raise a drink (or, more likely, many drinks) to each other's achievements and remember fallen comrades.
The holiday falls on the anniversary of the Soviet military's first parachute flight, which was held during exercises near the southern Russian city of Voronezh in 1930.
Over the years, the sight of bawdy, striped shirt-clad men romping in public fountains and generally causing chaos all over town has become a familiar staple of this summertime holiday.
Here's a look at this year's Paratroopers' Day festivities:


themoscowtimes--2020-08-03--Trump Сalls for New Death Sentence for Boston Marathon Bomber Tsarnaev

`` Rarely has anybody deserved the death penalty more than the Boston Bomber , Dzhokhar Tsarnaev , '' Trump tweeted .
U.S. President Donald Trump called Sunday for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to be re-sentenced to death after an appeals court overturned the death penalty .
`` So many lives lost and ruined .
The Federal Government must again seek the Death Penalty in a do-over of the original trial .
Our Country can not let the appellate decision stand , '' he added .
Tsarnaev , 27 , was sentenced to death in 2015 for planting two homemade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race in 2013 , killing three people and injuring 264 others .
He has admitted carrying out the attack as a 19-year-old with his older brother , Tamerlan Tsarnaev , who died four days after the atrocity in a gunfight with police .
Citing in particular issues with neutrality in the jury selection process , a federal appeals court in Massachusetts on Friday upheld most of Tsarnaev 's convictions but instructed a district court to hold a new penalty-phase trial to determine his fate for crimes that carried the death sentence .
Regardless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tsarnaev will remain `` confined to prison for the rest of his life , '' the three appellate judges said .
Attorneys for Tsarnaev , a U.S. citizen who came to the United States from the former Soviet Union as a child , have always claimed that his brother was more culpable of the two , saying Dzhokhar had no history of violence .
Trump has regularly called for increased use of the death penalty , and in the runup to the Nov. 3 election — in which Trump is seeking a second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration appears determined to carry out a record number of federal executions .
Federal death penalty cases are rare in the United States , though three inmates were executed this month after Trump ordered a resumption of federal executions following a 17-year hiatus .
A fourth is scheduled for late next month .

"Rarely has anybody deserved the death penalty more than the Boston Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev," Trump tweeted.
U.S. President Donald Trump called Sunday for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to be re-sentenced to death after an appeals court overturned the death penalty.
"So many lives lost and ruined. The Federal Government must again seek the Death Penalty in a do-over of the original trial. Our Country cannot let the appellate decision stand," he added.
Tsarnaev, 27, was sentenced to death in 2015 for planting two homemade bombs near the finish line of the race in 2013, killing three people and injuring 264 others.
He has admitted carrying out the attack as a 19-year-old with his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died four days after the atrocity in a gunfight with police.
Citing in particular issues with neutrality in the jury selection process, a federal appeals court in Massachusetts on Friday upheld most of Tsarnaev's convictions but instructed a district court to hold a new penalty-phase trial to determine his fate for crimes that carried the death sentence.
Regardless of the new trial's outcome, Tsarnaev will remain "confined to prison for the rest of his life," the three appellate judges said.
Attorneys for Tsarnaev, a U.S. citizen who came to the United States from the former Soviet Union as a child, have always claimed that his brother was more culpable of the two, saying Dzhokhar had no history of violence.
Trump has regularly called for increased use of the death penalty, and in the runup to the Nov. 3 election — in which Trump is seeking a second term in the White House — his administration appears determined to carry out a record number of federal executions.
Federal death penalty cases are rare in the United States, though three inmates were executed this month after Trump ordered a resumption of federal executions following a 17-year hiatus.
A fourth is scheduled for late next month.