NEWS

RESTRICTIONS ON FIREWORKS FOLLOW IN WAKE OF TRAGEDY

Following the fire at the Khromaya Loshad (Lame Horse) nightclub in Perm which took over 140 lives and made international news headlines at the beginning of this month, restrictions have been imposed on the use of fireworks.

Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu has issued a decree banning fireworks at large-scale public events until the relevant laws have been tightened up.

St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko has supported Shoigu’s initiative and introduced a ban on the use of fireworks indoors and at large-scale events. Other regional authorities across the country are considering similar measures, according to the Emergency Situations Ministry.

Meanwhile, the local branch of the Emergency Situations Ministry has been carrying out inspections of the city’s nightclubs, discos, theaters and other entertainment venues. The inspectors have been ordered to check conditions at all venues before the end of the year. The branch has around 1,200 inspectors tackling the task of carrying out ...

TRAFFIC COP ADMITS TO RAPE SPREE

MOSCOW — A 32-year-old traffic police officer caught red-handed during an attempted rape last week has admitted to carrying out a series of sexual assaults in southern Moscow and has been positively identified by 12 victims, investigators said.

The suspect, who is expected to be charged with multiple counts of rape and formally placed under arrest Monday, ...