russia

When the United Nations released its annual Demographic Yearbook, a collection of global population stats, earlier this week, Russia was crowned the divorce capital of the world. In fact, if you look at the top nine countries for divorce, it becomes clear splitting up is very popular in Eastern Europe: Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, and Lithuania all make the top nine. Could Eastern Europe be to the world what Reno, NV, was to the US in the midcentury — a place with slapdash laws and waits so short people make vacations out of it?

Not really. While Russia doesn't have particularly strict divorce laws, it doesn't exactly encourage it either. It's not so different than the United States (ranked No. 6), since both consider the vague "irreconcilable differences" catchall a valid reason.

What may be boosting the rate is the region's communist history and current attitude. They were all part of the Soviet Union, where divorce was very difficult and rare. In the last 20 years, divorce — like everything else — has become more democratic, less sacred, and much more popular.

See the top nine countries for divorce below.

When you're drowning in debt, you can lose your home, your car, and more. But as long as you're not in Russia, your puppies will be safe.

A woman in Kamchatka, Russia had three of her precious Shar Pei puppies taken away from her because she did not pay up the $11,330 she owed to someone in her hometown, reports Reuters. The collectors stated on their website that if the debtor "does not fulfill her obligations (to pay back the debt) within 10 days, the puppies will be sold by the Federal Agency for State Property Management."

Do you think this is a low blow or did the woman deserve it?

Earlier this week, the US government brought charges against a band of 11 Russian spies. As more details emerge, the whole story seems stranger than fiction — which means it will probably be made into a movie. Here are five details screenwriters may want to include.

1. The FBI alleges that one of the men assumed the identity of a Canadian infant who died in 1963.
2. Twenty-something spy Mikhail Semenko was snapped partying while wearing a Bill Clinton mask and a "USSR" shirt. He might want to work on his disguise.
3. There's a femme fatale — Anna Chapman, 28, has posted sexy pictures of herself on Facebook.
4. The duo "Cyndi and Rick" lived in an all-American neighborhood in New Jersey with their two daughters. One neighbor told the New York Times that Cyndi had great gardening skills: "They couldn't have been spies. Look what she did with the hydrangeas."
5. Many have posted their resumes on LinkedIn, presumably not including their espionage experience.

Fireworks lit up the sky above Red Square and the Kremlin in Moscow last night, as Russia celebrated Victory Day with the biggest military parade since the collapse of the Soviet Union 20 years ago. Victory Day marks the anniversary of the end of World War II.

Though the dream of Brighton Beach, the Jersey Shore-inspired reality show about Russian-Americans, has yet to be realized, an article in The New Yorker all but assures it will be.

The show's producers, two 20-somethings of Ukrainian and Belarusian descent, have received hundreds of audition videos and are shopping the show. Besides an uptick in vodka sales, the show is sure to bring the gaudy, brawny Russian-American pride into our Internet, so we're going to have to learn to speak Rushlish. Here are three words to get you started.

• Vassya: A term of feigned endearment, like "bro" or "dude," between two male friends.
• Russki: The Russian equivalent of "guido." Be careful with this one though! Though it simply means one who is an ethnic Russian, it can be a slur when used by foreigners.
• A dura: I've seen it used to describe an idiotic female, but Urban Dictionary defines it as a naive female who doesn't know what's best for her. It can derogatory or playful.

That's it so far. Please add to it! The Internet is surprisingly ignorant of Rushlish. A wrong we hope Brighton Beach will promptly correct.


Source: Flickr User Bob Jagendorm

• President Obama arrived in Moscow today with hopes of reaching a deal to cut stockpiles of nuclear weapons. — New York Times
• After her surprise resignation as Alaska's governor on Friday, Sarah Palin continued to twitter against rumors this weekend. — Sarah Palin's Twitter
• Riots in China's western province have left 140 dead and at least 828 people injured. — AP
• Robert McNamara, the former US defense secretary and architect of the Vietnam War, has died. — Washington Post
• After 1.6 million people registered for the chance to go to Michael Jackson's Staples Center memorial tomorrow, 8,550 fans have been chosen at random to attend. — LA Times