World International Affairs Russian President Vladimir Putin’s iconic strongman calendar has found a seemingly unlikely fanbase in Japan. The calendars, which feature photographs of 66-year-old Putin doing a range of activities such as riding a horse, cuddling a dog and bathing shirtless in frigid temperatures, have been flying off the shelves of the popular Japanese store Loft, Japan Today reported. The chain store, which has exclusive rights to sell the calendars in the Asian nation, has said they are even outselling those featuring other popular local celebrities. The Russian president’s calendars were first officially sanctioned and went on sale in 2016. Referred to as the VVP calendar—for the president’s full name, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin—some have also quipped that it could stand for "Very Virile Person." Previous editions have shown the Russian leader fishing shirtless and practicing judo. Back in September, Loft began selling 2019 … [Read more...] about Vladimir Putin Calendar Is a Major Hit in Japan, Outselling Those of Other Celebrities
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Vladimir Putin says Russia must control ‘degrading’ rap music
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he wants to control the popularity of rap music so that it does not lead to "the degradation of the nation". Alarmed by the growing fondness people in his country have for the genre, Mr Putin has told a meeting of cultural leaders in St Petersburg that they must come up with a means to "lead it and direct it".He acknowledged that attempting to ban rap in Russia would likely prove futile, as "protest" is one of its "three pillars" alongside "sex" and "drugs".The latter is what Mr Putin said he was particularly concerned about, as he said any efforts to glamourise the use of drugs was "a path to the degradation of the nation".He added that he considered "drug propaganda" to be worse than cursing. His comments come amid a crackdown on contemporary music in Russia, with a rapper known as Husky having been arrested last month after staging an impromptu gig on top of a car.The 25-year-old - who has garnered more than six million views on YouTube - … [Read more...] about Vladimir Putin says Russia must control ‘degrading’ rap music
Vladimir Putin Says He’s Fearful of Rap Music, and That it Should Be Government-Controlled
World International Affairs Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to devise a plan of controlling rap as the music genre becomes more popular with his country’s youth. According to the Associated Press, during a meeting with Russian cultural advisers on Saturday Putin said that rap music is “based on three pillars: sex, drugs and protest.” He has a history of suppressing protests. But he stated that his biggest issue with the music is themes of drug use and abuse, noting to his advisers that listening to rap is “a path to the degradation of the nation.” The genre’s “drug propaganda” is worse than the expletives used, Putin said. The comments came amid a recent crackdown on contemporary Russian musicians. Last month the rapper Husky was arrested after he put on an impromptu performance after his concert was shut down in Krasnodar, Russia. Husky’s music videos have been viewed by over 6 million people and his lyrics address … [Read more...] about Vladimir Putin Says He’s Fearful of Rap Music, and That it Should Be Government-Controlled
Vladimir Putin threatens to ban Google unless it blocks foreign news websites in Russia
RUSSIA has reportedly threatened to block access to Google unless it bans news websites which knock leader Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin is piling intense pressure on internet companies to censor content it deems harmful to the Motherland. The move comes after officials passed a law that required search engines to comply with the state registry of banned websites and omit certain content from search results. While the registry does contain websites promoting hate speech it also includes many websites blacklisted for purely political reasons - including a critical Ukrainian news website. Communications Oversight Agency chief Vitaly Subbotin said Russia may now push for amendments that would also block search engines like Google if they fail to comply, according to Russian news agencies. The news comes as Google is getting heat about potentially launching a search engine in China from US lawmakers - over fears the country would also censor searches. LOTTO LIAR? Lottery bosses call in … [Read more...] about Vladimir Putin threatens to ban Google unless it blocks foreign news websites in Russia
Vladimir Putin’s revealed as ex-member of East Germany’s feared Stasi police as spy ID pass is found
RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin is revealed to have been a former member of East Germany’s Stasi police after the secretive spy ID pass was found in an archive. Putin was a Soviet spy in Dresden, Germany, when he served in the Stasi secret police. The 66-year-old has previously mentioned pride in his personal achievements as a communist KGB officer in Germany in the 1980s. During research into the close co-operation between KGB and Stasi, his ID pass was found by US historian Douglas Selvage. The card was issued in 1986 when Putin was in the KGB spy unit based in Dresden under Russian occupation. In a statement on Tuesday, the Stasi Records Agency (BStU) said that Putin "received the pass so that he could carry out his KGB work in co-operation with the Stasi". Stasi was the nickname for East German Ministry of State Security agents. It was notorious for its surveillance of the public, of which many spied on each other. The statement added: "Current research gives no indication … [Read more...] about Vladimir Putin’s revealed as ex-member of East Germany’s feared Stasi police as spy ID pass is found