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Shaun Walker

@shaunwalker7

Shaun Walker was The Independent's Moscow Correspondent between 2007-2013.

Ebb and flow: the rooms complement the river views
Asia

Room service: Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul

The Olympic Rings are displayed outside Adler airport, near Sochi
Europe

Gay Olympians competing at Sochi Winter Games face risk of prosecution

The fugitive US whistleblower Edward Snowden alleged yesterday that the National Security Agency was 'in bed together' with German intelligence
Americas

Edward Snowden latest: NSA whistleblower will stay in Moscow airport,

Russia temporarily freed Alexei Navalny today
Europe

Navalny may run for Moscow mayor after being freed on bail

Bolshoi dancers have recently played second fiddle to the scandals at the famous Bolshoi Theatre
News

Bolshoi violinist Viktor Sedov dies after fall from stage

Europe

Anger grows after Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is jailed

Rustam Ibragimbekov and Ilham Aliyev will go head to head for the Azeri presidency
Europe

Director vs dictator: Oscar-winning film-maker Rustam Ibragimbekov

Edward Snowden at a meeting with human rights campaigners at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport today
World Politics

Edward Snowden 'yet to seek' Russia asylum as NSA whistleblower

Hundreds of dating agencies operate in Odessa, luring the foreign dollar into the laidback Black Sea port city with a suggestion of the nubile young model living a life so impoverished that she will be ready to fly away with the first slack-skinned foreign pensioner who offers her a way out
Europe

Marriage, Ukrainian-style: Hopeful bachelors from all over the world

Andrei Borodin with his wife Tatiana
Home News

From Russia with Hate: What's not to like about billionaire Andrey

Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky died in prison in 2009
Europe

'The height of absurdity': Moscow court finds whistle-blowing Russian

Bolshoi dancers have recently played second fiddle to the scandals at the famous Bolshoi Theatre
News

Exit stage left: Russian government replaces Bolshoi boss Anatoly

The actress Tilda Swinton has posed on Red Square with a rainbow flag in an act of support for Russia’s beleaguered gay community
Europe

Russia a regime of 'scumbags', says opposition leader

Europe

Russia a regime of 'scumbags', says opposition leader

The actress Tilda Swinton has posed on Red Square with a rainbow flag in an act of support for Russia’s beleaguered gay community
The opposition politician Alexei Navalny says a “feudal system” runs Russia
Europe

Alexei Navalvy on trial: blogger denounces regime of 'scumbags'

Chechen militant leader Doku Umarov
Europe

Chechen militant, Doku Umarov, targets Winter Olympics in Sochi

A bare-chested Vladimir Putin graces the front cover of 'Secrets of the Stars'
Europe

Newly single Vladimir Putin is the most wanted man in Russia

Americas

Edward Snowden saga: Bolivia accuses Europe of 'kidnapping' Bolivian

Americas

Edward Snowden saga: Bolivia accuses Europe of 'kidnapping' Bolivian

Alexander Lebedev is surrounded by media in the Moscow courtroom
Europe

Alexander Lebedev avoids jail and is sentenced to 150 hours of

Comment

NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden is a gift to Russia

The opposition politician Alexei Navalny launched his campaign to be elected mayor of Moscow on Monday
Europe

Anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny bids to be mayor of Moscow

Jennifer Lopez performed one of the most unusual – and controversial – concerts of her career, when she crooned 'Happy Birthday Mr President' at a lavish ceremony to mark the 56th birthday of Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, the leader of Turkmenistan and one of the world’s most repressive dictators
Asia

Jennifer Lopez criticised over controversial concert for Turkmenistan

Europe

'Gay propaganda' becomes illegal in Russia

Europe

Alexander Lebedev trial: A fittingly bizarre end to court case that

Alexander Lebedev faced charges of punching the tycoon Sergei Polonsky
Europe

Jail threat recedes as Alexander Lebedev hooliganism charges are

Edward Snowden would be extradited without any special circumstances, said Obama
News

US ‘will not scramble jets’ to fetch NSA whistleblower Edward

Europe

Alexander Lebedev trial: A fittingly bizarre end to court case that

Alexander Lebedev faced charges of punching the tycoon Sergei Polonsky
Europe

Jail threat recedes as Alexander Lebedev hooliganism charges are

Edward Snowden would be extradited without any special circumstances, said Obama
News

US ‘will not scramble jets’ to fetch NSA whistleblower Edward

The actor Kevin Spacey provided a character reference
Europe

Judge hears A-listers’ personal references in support of Alexander

Europe

Judge hears A-listers’ personal references in support of Alexander

The actor Kevin Spacey provided a character reference
A TV screen shows Edward Snowden appearing on the news, at a restaurant in Hong Kong
World Politics

Venezuela offers Edward Snowden hope of asylum - but for now

Europe

Kremlin suspends election watchdog for failing to register as 'foreign

The seat on the Moscow-Havana flight which Edward Snowden was booked to sit in
Independent Plus

Venezuela offers Edward Snowden hope of asylum - but for whistleblower

A TV screen shows a news report about Edward Snowden in Hong Kong
World Politics

Vladimir Putin confirms Edward Snowden is still in Moscow airport and

A TV screen shows a news report about Edward Snowden in Hong Kong
World Politics

Vladimir Putin confirms Edward Snowden is still in Moscow airport and

The seat on the Moscow-Havana flight which Edward Snowden was booked to sit in
Europe

Flight SU150 from Moscow arrives in Cuba without Edward Snowden - but

Bolshoi Ballet
World

Postcard from... Moscow

The Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev
Europe

Verdict expected early next week over charge against Alexander Lebedev

The Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev
Europe

Verdict expected early next week over charge against Alexander Lebedev

Alexander Lebedev
Europe

Martial arts experts give evidence in Lebedev trial

The seat on the Moscow-Havana flight which Edward Snowden was booked to sit in
Independent Plus

Indyplus update: 'Invisible man' Edward Snowden fails to board flight

Fili rugby club training at their grounds in west Moscow
Rugby Union

Moscow maul: Russians are finally falling in love with rugby

Anna Politkovskaya: The journalist was shot in Moscow in October 2006
Europe

Chechens face second trial in Anna Politkovskaya murder case

Europe

Russia's anti-gay laws extended to foreigners

Kazakhstan's president Nursultan Nazarbayev invited Mr Cameron to visit when he was at the Olympics
UK Politics

Cameron will go to Kazakhstan despite dubious record on rights

Sergei Polonsky (centre) is led away by Cambodian officials earlier this year
Europe

Sergei Polonsky 'wanted by Moscow in connection with £120m fraud

Europe

Sergei Polonsky 'wanted by Moscow in connection with £120m fraud

Sergei Polonsky (centre) is led away by Cambodian officials earlier this year
Tereshkova in space
Europe

The first female cosmonaut: Valentina Tereshkova - The woman who fell

Members of the Free Syrian Army run to avoid a sniper in Deir al-Zor
Middle East

Syria civil war: Russia sceptical over US claims Bashar al-Assad's

Mikhail Prokhorov speaking in Moscow today
Europe

'Who you sleep with is a personal choice': Oligarch Mikhai Prokhorov

Vladimir Putin during his appearance on Russia Today
Europe

Fawning interviewers give President Vladimir Putin easy ride on

Vladimir Putin during his appearance on Russia Today
Europe

Fawning interviewers give President Vladimir Putin easy ride on

Gay-rights activists kiss during a protest against the anti-gay bill in Moscow
Europe

Russia’s Duma waves through anti-gay law – by 436 votes to 0

Russia’s parliament will debate a controversial law on Tuesday that could see people arrested for behaviour that is deemed to promote homosexuality
Europe

Russia set to pass strict anti-gay law that could see foreigners

Vladimir Putin with Lyudmila at the ballet on Thursday
Europe

Putin’s marriage is finished, but the rumours are far from over

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Ludmila have divorced
Europe

Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin taboo: Russian President announces

Garry Kasparov fears being targeted in his native land
Europe

Chess grandmaster-turned-opposition politician, Gary Kasparov, ponders

The trial of Alexander Lebedev continued in a surreal vein today, as the court heard from a former billionaire who now lives in the forest as a pious peasant
Europe

Feuding tycoons and pious rustics: Alexander Lebedev’s 'comical'

The father of Ibragim Todashev, who was shot by the FBI during questioning over his possible involvement with the Boston bombings, has accused the US of executing his son.
Americas

Father of man shot by FBI in connection with Boston bombing claims his

Larry King handed over his CNN timeslot to Piers Morgan in 2010
News

American broadcaster Larry King back on the airwaves... on a Russian

Russia's foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Moscow has a contract for the delivery of the S-300s to Syria and sees the deal as a key deterrent against foreign invasion in that country
Middle East

Russia stokes fears of an arms race with threat to deliver

February 24, 2012: Activists from Ukrainian women's rights movement Femen, demonstrate in front of the Versace show during Milan Fashion Week in Milan.
Comment

The New Suffragettes: Witness the bare-chested defiance of Femen

Maria Alekhina, Ekaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova in court in 2012
Comment

The New Suffragettes: Pussy Riot are the band that dared to rock

Comment

The New Suffragettes: Pussy Riot are the band that dared to rock

Maria Alekhina, Ekaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova in court in 2012
Mr Lebedev is charged with hooliganism motivated by political hatred
Europe

Key witness against Lebedev 'can't testify'

The trial of the businessman Alexander Lebedev has descended into farce as witnesses admitted they had been pressured into attending the court case by investigators
Europe

Alexander Lebedev witnesses say they were coerced into testifying

Europe

The joke’s on me – Chechen leader is double the trouble in online

Europe

Don’t mention the human rights abuses! When Gérard Depardieu and

Europe

Don’t mention the human rights abuses! When Gérard Depardieu and

Europe

Alexander Lebedev says charges are 'fabricated'

Wigged US diplomat Ryan Fogle
Europe

Russian agent claims Ryan Fogle is not the first CIA agent caught this

An Interior Ministry officer looks on as visitors enter the mausoleum of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin
Europe

Vladimir Lenin is once again on display to visitors in Moscow's Red

Pictures released showing Ryan Fogle, in a blond wig and cap, being wrestled to the ground by Russian agents
Europe

Red-handed? Russia ‘catches CIA spy on Moscow recruitment mission’

Police detain a gay rights activist during a protest in St. Petersburg
Europe

Russia: The country that hates gay people

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron arrive to address the media after their meeting in Sochi
World Politics

'History of Syria being written in blood of its people' says David

Vladislav Surkov was responsible for modernising the Russian economy at Mr Putin’s behest
Europe

A last audience for Vladimir Putin's 'grey cardinal' as the architect

World

Postcard from... Moscow

John Kerry at St Basil’s cathedral in Moscow’s Red Square yesterday
Middle East

Russia and US agree to hold Syrian peace conference

Europe

Alexander Lebedev appears in court over punching property tycoon

A fire raged through a psychiatric hospital north of Moscow today killing 38 people
Europe

Blaze at psychiatric hospital near Moscow leaves 38 dead

Russsian President Vladimir Putin speaks to the press after the annual call-in show on Russian television April
Europe

Vladimir Putin: Tycoon Boris Berezovsky asked for forgiveness in two

Europe

Anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny: Fraud case is ‘political

Sergei Pomazun, a former convict, who is the main suspect of a shooting on April 22 in Belgorod
Europe

Man wanted for massacre of six people in Belgorod captured after

Americas

Boston Marathon bombing: Tamerlan Tsarnaev may have met Dagestan

Investigators inspect the body of a victim killed by a gunman in Belgorod. A gunman shot dead five people in the western Russian city before speeding away in a car, local police said.
Europe

Six die after man opens fire in the street in Russian town of Belgorod

Sergei Pomazun, a former convict, who is the main suspect of a shooting on April 22 in Belgorod
Europe

Man wanted for massacre of six people in Belgorod captured after

Americas

Boston Marathon bombing: Tamerlan Tsarnaev may have met Dagestan

Investigators inspect the body of a victim killed by a gunman in Belgorod. A gunman shot dead five people in the western Russian city before speeding away in a car, local police said.
Europe

Six die after man opens fire in the street in Russian town of Belgorod

Ramzan Kadyrov says the ‘root of the evil’ should be sought in America
Americas

Boston Marathon bombing: Independence, not Islam, has driven

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny takes photos on his smartphone during his court appearance in Kirov
Europe

'This case is nonsense': Defiant anti-corruption blogger Alexei

World

Postcard from... Moscow

Sergei Magnitsky: The lawyer died in custody after helping to expose a large tax scam
Americas

US risks angering Russia by publishing blacklist

Putin wants to set up a Russian space ministry
Europe

Putin aims for the stars with £33bn space programme

Vladimir Putin rides with the Night Wolves biker gang in the port of Novorossiysk in 2011
Europe

Finland accidentally blacklists Vladimir Putin over links to motorcyle

A portrait of Mikhail Beketov at his funeral in Moscow yesterday
Europe

Russian journalist Mikhail Beketov endured a life of torment in

The opposition leader Alexei Navalny has said he is preparing for a prison term
Europe

Russia's opposition leader Alexei Navalny says he will not flee

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