January 25 News Digest: Key Events of the Day
Every day, many events happen in the world that are impossible to keep up with in the news flow. Therefore, we collect the main events in this digest. Today, we summarize January 25.
Dog Owners Face Hefty Fines
Russian dog owners are required to follow strict rules for walking and keeping animals, with violations leading to significant administrative fines. Currently, bills aimed at further tightening responsibility are under consideration in the State Duma.
Key rules and current penalties:
Dogs in public places must be on a leash, and for potentially dangerous breeds, a muzzle is mandatory.
Walking is only permitted in designated areas and is prohibited on children«s and sports grounds, as well as on the territories of hospitals and schools.
The owner is required to clean up after their pet.
Violation of these rules threatens citizens with a fine of 1.5 to 3 thousand rubles ($19–$38 at current rates) under federal norms. Regions can increase the amounts.
If a dog«s actions cause harm to health or property, the fine for the owner increases to 10–30 thousand rubles ($126–$379 at current rates), without waiving the obligation to compensate the victim for all damages.
Planned changes:
The main bill proposes a sharp increase in fines for violations causing damage: for citizens — up to 25–50 thousand rubles ($315–$631 at current rates).
Another initiative proposes introducing mandatory free animal registration (via microchip or special collar) in a unified state veterinary database.
Fraudsters Deploy New Multi-Stage Schemes
Fraudsters in Russia are actively developing sophisticated multi-stage schemes, disguising themselves as government agencies and creating pseudo-useful services. Criminals have started using social engineering and malicious software more often, increasing the effectiveness of their attacks even against cautious citizens.
Main new deception schemes:
Malicious apps for drivers. The number of fraudulent programs masquerading as navigation apps, radar detectors, or services with information about cameras is growing. They are distributed through Telegram channels and pirate websites, RIA Novosti found out. After installation, such an app requests permissions to access SMS, notifications, or banking applications, allowing it to intercept confirmation codes or initiate unauthorized withdrawals.
False account diagnostics on «Gosuslugi». Scammers send emails about an allegedly issued power of attorney and then, posing as employees of the Ministry of Digital Development or other agencies, demand to «check» the account on the portal, TASS reports. In case of refusal, pseudo-police officers join in to pressure the victim, trying by any means to gain access to funds.
Fictitious participation in a «murder» investigation. Scammers call on behalf of local police officers, reporting a neighbor«s murder and an upcoming interrogation, writes RIA Novosti. Under the pretext of helping in a »secret operation«, they convince the person to withdraw all money from their accounts and hand it over to a courier, while forbidding contact with relatives.
Russia to Introduce Automatic Recalculation of Utility Fees for Service Interruptions
The Russian government is developing a mechanism for automatic recalculation of utility fees for accidents and service interruptions. The new system will allow residents to receive compensation without the need to file applications.
Currently, to reduce the payment, the consumer must personally record the violation by drawing up an act with a representative of the management company and sending a written demand for recalculation. After the changes are implemented, data from metering devices recording the fact and duration of the interruption in resource supply will become the basis for automatic payment reduction, TASS reports.
According to current regulations, the monthly payment is reduced by 0.15% for each hour exceeding the permissible duration of an interruption in electricity, water, heating, or gas supply. The proposed no-application procedure is designed to simplify the process and make it as transparent as possible for citizens.
Kangaroo Causes Chaos During Bicycle Race
An extraordinary incident occurred on the final stage of the international Tour Down Under bicycle race in Australia. As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, a wild kangaroo suddenly jumped onto the track and crashed into the race leader, Australian Jay Vine, causing several athletes to fall.
Despite the high-speed incident, the cyclist changed his bicycle, continued the race, and won the overall victory. This is his second victory in the home multi-day race, the first being in 2023.
Rospotrebnadzor Monitors Situation with Dangerous Virus from India
Rospotrebnadzor (the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing) has taken control of the situation with the Nipah virus outbreak in India. No cases of the disease being imported into Russia have been registered so far. This was reported by the agency«s press service.
«The Russian Federation has a sufficient number of test systems for timely laboratory diagnosis of the virus. At the state border crossing points, the »Perimeter« AIS (Automated Information System) is operational; the system allows for real-time identification of citizens with signs of infectious diseases and prevents further spread of diseases on the country»s territory,« the Rospotrebnadzor website states.
The dangerous virus can be transmitted from animals, people, or through food. Tourists were urged to wash their hands thoroughly, avoid contact with sick animals and dirty water. Signs of the disease were also listed: high fever, cough, severe headache.
Snowstorm Leaves Hundreds of Thousands Without Power, Paralyzes Air Travel in US
A powerful winter storm continues to seriously impact life in the United States. According to PowerOutage.us, more than 730,000 people were left without electricity due to the bad weather. Over four days, U.S. airlines were forced to cancel over 16,000 flights, Fox News reports.
The storm affected a significant part of the country. As The Washington Post writes, a state of emergency has been declared in at least 22 states. In a number of cities in the southeast, freezing rain occurred, worsening the situation on the roads. In Kansas City on January 24, a 70-year record was set: about 13 cm (5.1 inches) of snow fell in 24 hours, with the previous maximum being just over 5 cm (2 inches).
According to forecasts from the meteorological service, snowfall and icing will persist for several more days. This could lead to new mass power outages and further disruptions to the transportation system.
Company Meta* Accused of Lying About WhatsApp** Chat Security
A class-action lawsuit has been filed in the United States against Meta*, which owns the WhatsApp** messenger. The plaintiffs accuse the company of fraud and spreading false information about the confidentiality and security of user data, the Bloomberg agency reports.
A group of users from Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, and South Africa claims that Meta«s public statements about the complete privacy of correspondence do not correspond to reality. The lawsuit, filed in the district court of San Francisco, states that despite assurances of end-to-end encryption, Meta* and WhatsApp** »store, analyze, and can access almost all supposedly «private» messages.« These data, according to the plaintiffs, were obtained from whistleblowers.
Meta* spokesman Andy Stone resolutely rejected all accusations. He called the lawsuit baseless and the claims that WhatsApp** messages are not encrypted — «categorically false and absurd.» Stone emphasized that the messenger has been using Signal protocol end-to-end encryption for ten years and stated that the company will seek sanctions against the plaintiffs« lawyers.
*Meta is an extremist organization whose activities are prohibited in the territory of the Russian Federation.
** Owned by the corporation Meta, an extremist organization whose activities are prohibited in the territory of the Russian Federation.
Guitarist for Lyube and VIA «Leya, Pesnya» Passes Away
Russian guitarist, composer, and vocalist Yuri Rymanov has passed away at the age of 70. The sad news was confirmed by the ensemble VIA «Leya, pesnya» (Sing, Song Vocal-Instrumental Ensemble), where the musician worked for a long time.
«Our Yura has left us... He undoubtedly brought into our collective a special, incomparable air of performance quality,» the ensemble«s message on VKontakte states.
According to TASS, the musician died in a clinic from heart problems. The date and place of the funeral have not yet been announced.
Yuri Rymanov was born on March 8, 1956, in Kstovo, Gorky Oblast. His career began in 1977 as part of VIA «Shestero molodykh» (Six Young). The most famous stages of his work were the periods from 1998 to 2000 and from 2002 to 2008, when he was a guitarist in the group «Lyube». He also collaborated with Vladimir Vysotsky and VIA «Leya, pesnya», and in 2010 joined the tribute band Dipped in Purple.
VAT Proposed to Be Reduced on Some Food Products
State Duma deputy Sergei Mironov has come forward with an initiative to expand the list of socially significant goods and reduce the VAT rate for them. He proposed reducing the preferential tax rate from 10% to 5%.
In the politician«s opinion, the list of goods subject to the preferential rate needs revision and expansion, writes RIA Novosti. Mironov noted that popular products among Russians, such as processed vegetables, mayonnaise, tea, and canned peas, should be added to it.
Passers-by Save Woman and Child from Sinking Taxi in Makhachkala
In Makhachkala, local residents saved a woman and a child from a car that had slid into a canal. The incident occurred in the evening in the Semender district, where a taxi with passengers ended up in the water.
The driver managed to get out on his own, but the woman and child were pulled from the sinking car by passers-by. Employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations quickly arrived at the scene, but their help was no longer needed.
The Makhachkala city administration promised to find and reward the accidental rescuers after all circumstances are clarified. According to the driver, he was observing the speed limit, and the car skidded. When the car touched the bottom, eyewitnesses entered the water with a cable and helped everyone get out. The rescued passengers had no complaints against the taxi driver.
Other News
In addition to the daily news digest, we collect the main events of the week. You can learn about incidents, bills, and what lies ahead in this article.
We also report on the main events that occurred during the SMO (special military operation). You can read about how the situation on the battlefield changed and what political decisions were made this week here.
A lot of interesting things are happening in the world of show business too. Singer Klava Koka was accused of using artificial intelligence, Telegram founder Pavel Durov decided to become a TikToker, and actor Nikita Kologrivy infuriated fraudsters. We told all the stories from the life of stars in a separate article.
