Sochi spotlights dark side of Putin's Russia

Islamist rebels based in the North Caucasus, where Russian federal forces are battling an escalating insurgency, have set a goal to disrupt the event.

If that was not enough to drive away visitors, a string of western statesmen from Barack Obama to his German counterpart Joachim Gauck and the UK prime minister David Cameron have decided to skip the Sochi games, apparently in protest at the Kremlin’s suppression of human rights.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/sochi-throws-a-spotlight-on-the-dark-side-of-putin-s-russia-1.1684244?page=1

Rising animosity between US-Russia widens at Sochi

The Olympic Games, created to bring countries together around sports, appear to be having the opposite effect on U.S.-Russia relations.Rising animosity between the former Cold War powers was on full display Friday when Russia chose a former figure skater who tweeted out a racially charged picture of President Obama for the symbolic lighting of the Olympic cauldron...

http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/europe/197853-us-russia-rift-widens-at-sochi

Sochi Residents Where Ordered to Surrender Their Pillows to Athletes...

Sochi was Running Out of Pillows

Four days before the Winter Games began, Sochi staffers were looking for a few goose men

http://www.vocativ.com/02-2014/sochi-running-pillows/

Vodka blamed for high death rates in Russia

The high number of early deaths in Russia is mainly due to people drinking too much alcohol, particularly vodka, research shows. The study, in The Lancet, says 25% of Russian men die before they are 55, and most of the deaths are down to alcohol.

The comparable UK figure is 7%. Causes of death include liver disease and alcohol poisoning. Many also die in accidents or after getting into fights.  

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25961063

Muslim terrorists caught in Russia

(CNN) -- Russian police have identified two people they believe are the suicide bombers responsible for deadly bombings in Volgograd and detained two suspected accomplices, anti-terrorism officials said Thursday, according to Russian state news agency Ria Novosti.

CNN

› Gold Coast Blog — Queensland Australia

Mayor of Sochi ,The Russian city hosting the Winter Olympics says homosexuality not accepted in his region

The mayor of Sochi, the Russian city hosting the Winter Olympics next month, said homosexuality was not accepted in his Caucasus region, but that gay visitors would be welcome at the Games if they respected Russian laws.

Russia's stance on gay rights, including laws introduced last year to ban the dissemination of "gay propaganda" among children, has drawn strong criticism from Western states and gay rights groups in the run-up to the Games, casting a shadow over President Vladimir Putin's $50-billion showpiece event.

http://news.yahoo.com/sochi-39-mayor-says-homosexuality-not-accepted-region-000643310--oly.html

American Olympians Cautioned On Wearing USA Clothing Outside Venues...

"The U.S. Department of State has advised that wearing conspicuous Team USA clothing in non-accredited areas may put your personal safety at greater risk," says the memo, which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

http://nation.foxnews.com/2014/01/24/american-olympians-cautioned-wearing-usa-clothing-outside-venues

Russian police gun down Islamic jihadist leader ahead of Sochi Olympic Games

MOSCOW — Police have killed a senior Islamist militant in a shootout in Russia’s North Caucasus ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, the National Anti-terror Committee said on Tuesday.

The shooting of Eldar Magatov, a suspect in numerous attacks on Russian targets, at a house where he had taken refuge in the Dagestan region was part of an intensifying security clampdown as the Games approach. http://nypost.com/2014/01/21/russian-police-gun-down-islamist-militant-leader-ahead-of-sochi/

Gays May Be Prosecuted at 2014 Olympics

In Russia it is now illegal to even speak about homosexuality around minors, much less openly display gay pride.

Technically the ban is against "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" around minors, but the implication for openly gay individuals is clear.

Public displays of affection by gays, including holding hands or displaying symbols like a rainbow flag, are now banned. Violators face steep fines and jail time; foreigners face similar penalties plus deportation....

http://bredred.com/gay-athletes-could-be-prosecuted-at-14-winter-olympics/

Russia's Top Public Health Official: Russians Should Not Visit China

Russia’s chief public health official Gennady Onishchenko has recommended the country’s nationals not to visit China where a new strain of bird flu is spreading.

“Now there’s not need to ban [visits to China] but please do not go there if there is such a chance,” Onishchenko said on Echo Moskvy radio.He said over 130 people are infected with H7N9 avian influenza in China, and 26 of them have died.Onishchenko said in April that his consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor was considering restrictions on poultry meat imports from China.

Russians Should Not Visit China - Top Public Health Official | Russia | RIA Novosti