Gay Activists Denied Rally

Moscow city authorities have rejected a request by gay rights activists to hold a rally during U.S. President Barack Obama's visit, rally organizer Nikolai Alexeyev said Monday.

The activists had wanted to lobby Obama to support same-sex marriage with a rally outside the U.S. Embassy on July 7, the second day of his three-day visit. Alexeyev said activists would hold an unsanctioned protest and request a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is expected to accompany Obama. (MT)

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Nigerian Killed in Fall

A Nigerian woman died Monday after falling out of the 13th-floor window of an apartment building in southeastern Moscow, Interfax reported.

Vivian Abes Igbinokhuo, 23, fell out of the window of 19/2 Tashkentskaya Ulitsa on Monday morning, a police source told Interfax. Police detained three drunk young men, including the apartment owner, in connection with the fall of the woman, who had worked as a prostitute, Interfax reported. (MT)

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U.S., Russia May Sign Deal

Russia and the United States may sign a deal for more transits of U.S. military cargo to Afghanistan via Russia when U.S. President Barack Obama visits Moscow next week, Russia's ambassador to NATO said Monday.

Moscow and its allies in Central Asia agreed earlier this year to allow NATO to deliver nonlethal cargo to U.S.-led coalition forces in Afghanistan across their territory, complementing a more dangerous route via Pakistan. Dmitry Rogozin, Moscow's envoy to NATO, said Russia had also signed bilateral agreements on additional cargo supplies to troops deployed in Afghanistan with France, Germany and Spain.

Asked in a video link from Brussels whether a similar deal was being discussed with the United States, he replied, "Yes, we know the U.S. side has addressed [Russia] with the same request. And not only the Americans but another country too, which I am not going to name now." (Reuters)

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Visa-Free Travel to Argentina

Russian and Argentine authorities have signed an agreement on visa-free travel, effective Monday.

Russian and Argentine nationals can stay on each other's territory without a visa for 90 days during every period of 180 days, according to a copy of the agreement published on the Foreign Ministry's web site. (MT)

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Assaulted Journalist Dies

The editor of a Rostov-on-Don investigative newspaper died Monday from head injuries sustained two months ago in what his colleagues believe was an attack, RIA-Novosti reported.

Vyacheslav Yaroshenko, editor of the monthly Korruptsiya i Prestupnost, was brought to a hospital in late April with head trauma. Some colleagues have said they believe that he was attacked because of his work at the newspapers, although police have said there is evidence that he fell on the steps of his building, the news agency said. (MT)

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Azeri Civil Rights Concern

BAKU, Azerbaijan -- Rights groups are warning that proposed restrictions on civil society in Azerbaijan, due to be considered in the parliament Tuesday, will further curb democratic freedoms.

The proposals include banning nongovernmental organizations from receiving more than 50 percent funding from abroad, requiring NGOs to register with the state and prohibiting activities of foreign NGOs unless based on a "relevant international agreement."

A newspaper or other publication found to have published a "biased article" three times within two years risks closure.(Reuters)

Policemen Guilty in Killing

Three Saratov policemen were convicted Monday after killing a suspect during an interrogation by drenching him in gasoline and setting him on fire, RIA-Novosti reported.

The police officers, Dmitry Korchagin, Yury Ogolstov and Denis Churikov, detained the victim, Armenian citizen Armen Gasparyan, on suspicion of theft last year. The drunken officers beat him with rubber truncheons at a police station and then took him out to a wooded area. When he still did not confess, they poured gasoline on him and set it alight.

Following the jury trial, all three were convicted of abuse of office, but only Korchagin was convicted of murder. (MT)

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