Hostage survivors sue
The week's news at a glance.
Moscow
Survivors of the Chechen hostage debacle in a Moscow theater last fall filed suit this week against the Russian government. Of more than 800 hostages taken by Chechen fighters, 129 died and dozens more were disabled when Russian forces pumped a massive dose of knockout gas into the theater to end the three-day siege. Survivors and victims’ families were each given $1,600, a sum they disdain. “Recently our president gave our prime minister a pair of skis,” survivor Alexander Shalnov told CNN. “They cost $800. So my family got the equivalent of two pairs of skis. Gee, thanks.” The lawsuit seeks $60 million—an astronomical sum in Russia, where such litigation is rare.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Fox’s Kilmeade sorry for ‘just kill’ homeless remark
Speed Read Kilmeade’s ‘rare on-air apology’ also served as Fox News’ response to the controversy
-
Russian drone tests Romania as Trump spins
Speed Read Trump is ‘resisting congressional plans to impose newer and tougher penalties on Russia’s energy sector’
-
Trump renews push to fire Cook before Fed meeting
Speed Read The push to remove Cook has ‘quickly become the defining battle in Trump’s effort to take control of the Fed’