Russia

They're up-and-coming nations. They're regional political powers. And they're especially vulnerable to the impact of the pandemic.

The arrest of a popular regional governor has led to protests demanding his release. Amid the pandemic and an economic downturn, the protests pose an additional challenge for President Vladimir Putin.

A Russian satellite hatched from another satellite fired a projectile last week that American military officials say is meant to take out other satellites. Moscow says it's an inspection tool.

The report by Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee said government did little to find out if Russia tried to influence the Brexit referendum. "They did not want to know," a lawmaker said.

Russia has denied any involvement in the 2014 crash of the Malaysian jetliner that killed nearly 300 people. Investigators say it was hit by a Russian-supplied surface-to-air missile.

Russian military intelligence, the GRU, is linked to the invasion of Ukraine and interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Now it's suspected of a bounty program to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

A bounty program on U.S. soldiers would constitute a "massive escalation" in Moscow's testy relations with Washington, says one Russia expert. A Russian lawmaker asks: "What would we get out of this?"

The president says no one told him about the threat to U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Reports say the information was available in a detailed intelligence file called the President's Daily Briefing.

The vote approves constitutional changes, including a reset on presidential terms that will allow Putin to run twice more after his current six-year term expires in 2024.

"It is very important to him to have this popular endorsement, even if it is a farce, even if it is a travesty of popular will," analyst Masha Lipman says of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The "Secondary Infektion" campaign spread thousands of false stories, including forged documents and fake tweets. Still operating, the campaign may now target the November election, researchers say.

Russia's capital, the epicenter of the country's coronavirus pandemic, is lifting restrictions as the Kremlin prepares for a massive military parade and a referendum on term limits.