Top Putin ally pushes childless couple social media ban so they have more sex
Childless Russian couples should be banned from accessing social media late at night in a bid to encourage them to have sex and start families, according to a pro-Putin politician. The madcap plan for 'digital abstinence' comes from the mind of Mikhail Ivanov, 51, a regional MP in region Bryansk which borders Ukraine.
If the scheme is implemented, the Russian state would switch off the couples' access to social media each night from 11pm to 2am. This is the latest bizarre scheme to meet Vladimir Putin 's order to boost the flagging birth rate in Russia and help bring back 'strong Russian families'.
'If young people spend nights on their phones instead of paying attention to each other, then this is a road to nowhere,' said Ivanov, deputy head of the pro-dictator World Russian People's Council which seeks a return to the Kremlin's empire.
'Russia has always been famous for its strong families, and our task is to bring back this tradition. If this requires temporarily restricting access to entertainment content at a late hour, then this is not a large price to pay for the future of the nation.'
He also wants psychologists to teach couples 'the importance of live communication and a conscious approach to creating a family'.
Critics say the Russian population is plummeting because couples are against having children in the middle or a war, which has also killed an estimated 250,000 people. But Ivanov, married with children, believes social media is the problem.
'The Internet has become a new form of addiction that corrodes the foundations of the family,' he said. 'Young people, instead of communicating with each other, building relationships and thinking about children, spend hours scrolling through the feed, playing games or watching TV series.
'This is not just a bad habit, it is a threat to the demographic security of the country. We must create conditions in which couples will have an incentive to return to real communication and conscious parenting.'
Meanwhile, a Kremlin-friendly MP has suggested giving workers one week's paid leave a year to procreate. An annual 'demographic week' would meet Putin's urgent demand to boost Russia's shrinking population level, according to Georgy Arapov, 25.
'For many citizens it would be a rare opportunity to stop, breathe out, recover from stress and come to that internal state that doctors and psychologists call optimal for making a decision to have a child,' said Arapov, Russia's youngest MP.
Another scheme for a tax on childlessness has been proposed by the Russian Orthodox Church, aiming to stigmatise 'sick' men in their 40s who fail to father babies. This was proposed by pro-Putin archpriest and propagandist Andrei Tkachev, 55.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
JAMnews
34 minutes ago
- JAMnews
"Nationalization of Armenia's electric networks would collapse Russian influence": Opinion
Nationalization of Electric Networks of Armenia Armenia's parliament has approved a bill to nationalize Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA), with only lawmakers from the ruling majority voting in favour. Both opposition factions voted against, calling it a 'company takeover' and warning it could damage Armenia's investment reputation. ENA has been operated by Tashir Group since 2016. As of April 2017, its shareholders are Tashir Capital (70%) and Liormand Holdings Limited (30%). The owner of the Tashir holding is Russian businessman of Armenian origin Samvel Karapetyan. The second company is also affiliated with him. Karapetyan himself has been under arrest since June 18 on charges of publicly calling for the seizure of power. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced the move on Facebook the same day: 'The time has come to nationalize Electric Networks of Armenia. This will happen soon.' Political analyst Robert Ghevondyan says the move should be seen in the context of neutralizing Russia's 'hybrid attacks' on Armenia: 'Nationalizing only the electric networks is not enough to stop the 'russification' process. ArmRosgazprom and the South Caucasus Railway must also be returned to Armenian control.' Is there a connection between arrest of Karapetyan and nationalization of ENA? The basis for the arrest of Tashir holding owner Samvel Karapetyan was his interview. Speaking about the standoff between the Armenian authorities and the church, he said he supported the clergy. At the same time, Karapetyan stressed: 'If the political forces of Armenia fail to handle this situation, we will have to intervene in our own way in the campaign against the church.' The ruling team believed that the phrase about intervening 'in our own way' could imply the use of weapons. The businessman's lawyers argue that he was referring to reconciling the church and the government. They describe the case against their client as political persecution. Meanwhile, the prime minister does not consider it a coincidence that Karapetyan became publicly active after he personally instructed government members to 'compensate for the damage caused to the people by the company or nationalize the company.' Pashinyan clarified that he had ordered the use of financial compensation mechanisms for ENA's violations a month and a half before Karapetyan's statement in support of the church. Details of the bill allowing the nationalization of the company According to the legislative amendments, the management of ENA can be transferred to a temporary administrator. The mechanism described in the bill works as follows: the government can report the company's violations to the Public Services Regulatory Commission, in this case, the head of the commission must initiate administrative proceedings within a maximum of 5 days. The head of the Public Services Regulatory Commission is also granted the right to apply 'preventive measures,' including the appointment of a temporary administrator. As a result, the company's management can be replaced within a few days. The ruling team does not answer questions about possible candidates. Searches and detentions at ENA Early in the morning, the Investigative Committee conducted searches at Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA), as well as at the home of the company's board chairman, Narek Karapetyan. It was reported that 'urgent investigative actions' were being carried out within the framework of a criminal case. The searches lasted more than five hours. According to Narek Karapetyan, law enforcement officers seized 37 documents, two caps, a digital storage device, and cash as a result of the search. 'ENA created an energy crisis in Armenia': Pashinyan 'During my many visits to the regions, I noticed with surprise and dissatisfaction that, in fact, ESA's activities had nearly created an energy crisis in Armenia. My analysis suggests that all of this was done—and is still being done—to provoke internal discontent in Armenia,' the prime minister told journalists. According to Nikol Pashinyan, 'the church is just a smokescreen for the former owners of ESA, which they will soon become.' The prime minister stressed that nationalization is not a one-step process. He explained that the adoption of the bill is merely the first stage: 'The state will take over the management of the electric networks. And from that moment on, we will discuss further scenarios in a calmer environment.' By the time of publication, Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan had signed the law allowing the nationalization of Electric Networks of Armenia. 'We will fight by all legal means': ENA representative David Ghazinyan, the acting director general of Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA), believes the company is being targeted in what he described as a 'no-holds-barred fight.' However, ENA plans to legally challenge the process that has been launched: 'We will fight by all legal means. We have a strong legal team. We are in the right, and being right makes us several times stronger.' According to Ghazinyan, the authorized body—the Public Services Regulatory Commission—has never even hinted that ENA's operations could justify terminating its license. On June 18, the Public Services Regulatory Commission fined Electric Networks of Armenia 10 million drams ($26,178) for identified technical and commercial violations. Samvel Karapetyan and his family are even considering initiating international arbitration against Armenia. They stated that they had submitted a formal notice to government bodies regarding an investment dispute, based on an investment protection agreement signed between Armenia and Cyprus 30 years ago. The reason is that they also manage ENA through their Cyprus-registered company, Liormand Holdings Limited. Comment Political analyst Robert Ghevondyan notes that Russia has always shown interest in Armenia's economic activity. As a result, it acquired or gained control over various sectors of Armenia's economy. Among the long list of acquisitions by Russia or Russian state-affiliated private companies are Armenia's gas supply, railways, mobile communications, and manufacturing enterprises. 'The main motive was the total 'russification' of the state. This was meant to eventually allow full control over Armenia's regional and global politics, and, when the right opportunity arises, to integrate Armenia into Russia's main integration project, the Union State,' the analyst believes. He stresses the fact that the presence of a pro-Russian government in Armenia, led by President Robert Kocharyan, served as a 'fertile ground' for this project. Ghevondyan recalls that Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC was initially sold to the Russian company Inter RAO Holding B.V. And after large protests in Armenia against price hikes in 2015, the Russian owner sold ENA to a company owned by Russian businessman of Armenian origin Samvel Karapetyan. According to the political analyst, the bill on the nationalisation of ENA fundamentally changes the logic of 'russification': 'Strengthening the sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia and reducing Russian hybrid tools, in turn, leads to the downfall, the collapse of Russian influence.' Ghevondyan says it is not surprising that Moscow is extremely concerned and closely following the developments in Armenia. He points out that both Russian officials and experts, as well as Armenian political forces defending Russian influence and Armenian experts funded from Russia, are voicing criticism of what is happening in Armenia. He views the process that has begun positively. At the same time, he stresses that the nationalisation of ENA alone is not enough to counter 'russification': 'ArmRosgazprom, South Caucasus Railway, and a number of other organisations continue to serve as hubs of Russian hybrid attacks. Just like the electric networks, these infrastructures are also the property of the Republic of Armenia and must be returned to Armenia.' Follow us – Twitter | Facebook | Instagram Nationalization of Electric Networks of Armenia
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Trump news at a glance: president complains about Putin's ‘bullshit'
Donald Trump has voiced his irritation with Vladimir Putin, telling a cabinet meeting he was getting increasingly frustrated with the Russian leader. The US president told the televised meeting of top officials: 'We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.' Asked if he wanted to see further sanctions against Russia, Trump replied: 'I'm looking at it.' He refused to give further details but said any action would come as 'a little surprise'. Here's more on that and other key US politics stories of the day: As well as voicing his frustration with Putin, Trump promised to send 10 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, according to an official familiar with the matter. Trump had announced on Monday that US weapons deliveries would resume, just a few days after they were halted by the Pentagon. On Monday, the president said he was 'disappointed' with Russia's president and would send 'more weapons' to Ukraine. 'We're gonna send some more weapons we have to them. They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now,' Trump said, alongside a US and Israeli delegation. Read the full story The United States only has about 25% of the Patriot missile interceptors it needs for all of the Pentagon's military plans after burning through stockpiles in the Middle East in recent months, an alarming depletion that led to the Trump administration freezing the latest transfer of munitions to Ukraine, according to sources in the government. Read the full story Trump vowed to further escalate his trade wars on Tuesday, threatening US tariffs of up to 200% on foreign drugs and 50% on copper, amid widespread confusion around his shifting plans. Hours after saying his latest deadline for a new wave of steep duties was 'not 100% firm', the US president declared that 'no extensions will be granted' beyond 1 August. 'There has been no change to this date, and there will be no change,' Trump wrote on social media, a day after signing an executive order that changed the date from 9 July. Read the full story The US supreme court has cleared the way for Trump's administration to resume plans for mass firings of federal workers that critics warn could threaten crucial government services. Extending a winning streak for the US president, the justices on Tuesday lifted a lower court order that had frozen sweeping federal layoffs known as 'reductions in force' while litigation in the case proceeds. The decision could result in hundreds of thousands of job losses at the departments of agriculture, commerce, health and human services, state, treasury, veterans affairs and other agencies. Read the full story A new study of defense department spending previewed exclusively to the Guardian shows that most of the Pentagon's discretionary spending from 2020 to 2024 has gone to outside military contractors, providing a $2.4tn boon in public funds to private firms in what was described as a 'continuing and massive transfer of wealth from taxpayers to fund war and weapons manufacturing'. The report, from the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and Costs of War, said that the Trump administration's new Pentagon budget will push annual US military spending past the $1tn mark. Read the full story The deadly Texas floods could signal a new norm in the US, as Trump and his allies dismantle critical federal agencies that help states prepare and respond to extreme weather and other hazards, experts warn. Read the full story An unknown fraudster has used artificial intelligence to impersonate the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, contacting at least five senior officials. According to a state department cable first seen by the Washington Post and confirmed by the Guardian, the impostor sent fake voice messages and texts that mimicked Rubio's voice and writing style to those targets, including three foreign ministers, a US governor and a member of Congress. Read the full story A Houston pediatrician is 'no longer employed' after a posting on social media that the 'Maga' voters in Texas 'get what they voted for' amid deadly flash flooding. A federal judge has ruled against five non-profit organizations that sued the Trump administration over the rescinding of hundreds of millions of dollars meant to prevent and respond to issues such as gun violence, substance abuse and hate crimes. Fifa's relationship with Trump now has a physically tangible marker, with soccer's world governing body announcing it has opened an office in Trump Tower in New York City. Catching up? Here's what happened on 7 July 2025.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Trump news at a glance: president complains about Putin's ‘bullshit'
Donald Trump has voiced his irritation with Vladimir Putin, telling a cabinet meeting he was getting increasingly frustrated with the Russian leader. The US president told the televised meeting of top officials: 'We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.' Asked if he wanted to see further sanctions against Russia, Trump replied: 'I'm looking at it.' He refused to give further details but said any action would come as 'a little surprise'. Here's more on that and other key US politics stories of the day: As well as voicing his frustration with Putin, Trump promised to send 10 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, according to an official familiar with the matter. Trump had announced on Monday that US weapons deliveries would resume, just a few days after they were halted by the Pentagon. On Monday, the president said he was 'disappointed' with Russia's president and would send 'more weapons' to Ukraine. 'We're gonna send some more weapons we have to them. They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now,' Trump said, alongside a US and Israeli delegation. Read the full story The United States only has about 25% of the Patriot missile interceptors it needs for all of the Pentagon's military plans after burning through stockpiles in the Middle East in recent months, an alarming depletion that led to the Trump administration freezing the latest transfer of munitions to Ukraine, according to sources in the government. Read the full story Trump vowed to further escalate his trade wars on Tuesday, threatening US tariffs of up to 200% on foreign drugs and 50% on copper, amid widespread confusion around his shifting plans. Hours after saying his latest deadline for a new wave of steep duties was 'not 100% firm', the US president declared that 'no extensions will be granted' beyond 1 August. 'There has been no change to this date, and there will be no change,' Trump wrote on social media, a day after signing an executive order that changed the date from 9 July. Read the full story The US supreme court has cleared the way for Trump's administration to resume plans for mass firings of federal workers that critics warn could threaten crucial government services. Extending a winning streak for the US president, the justices on Tuesday lifted a lower court order that had frozen sweeping federal layoffs known as 'reductions in force' while litigation in the case proceeds. The decision could result in hundreds of thousands of job losses at the departments of agriculture, commerce, health and human services, state, treasury, veterans affairs and other agencies. Read the full story A new study of defense department spending previewed exclusively to the Guardian shows that most of the Pentagon's discretionary spending from 2020 to 2024 has gone to outside military contractors, providing a $2.4tn boon in public funds to private firms in what was described as a 'continuing and massive transfer of wealth from taxpayers to fund war and weapons manufacturing'. The report, from the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and Costs of War, said that the Trump administration's new Pentagon budget will push annual US military spending past the $1tn mark. Read the full story The deadly Texas floods could signal a new norm in the US, as Trump and his allies dismantle critical federal agencies that help states prepare and respond to extreme weather and other hazards, experts warn. Read the full story An unknown fraudster has used artificial intelligence to impersonate the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, contacting at least five senior officials. According to a state department cable first seen by the Washington Post and confirmed by the Guardian, the impostor sent fake voice messages and texts that mimicked Rubio's voice and writing style to those targets, including three foreign ministers, a US governor and a member of Congress. Read the full story A Houston pediatrician is 'no longer employed' after a posting on social media that the 'Maga' voters in Texas 'get what they voted for' amid deadly flash flooding. A federal judge has ruled against five non-profit organizations that sued the Trump administration over the rescinding of hundreds of millions of dollars meant to prevent and respond to issues such as gun violence, substance abuse and hate crimes. Fifa's relationship with Trump now has a physically tangible marker, with soccer's world governing body announcing it has opened an office in Trump Tower in New York City. Catching up? Here's what happened on 7 July 2025.
