How the Kremlin's internet crackdown is frustrating Russians

Officials say the restrictions are for public safety, but businesses and the public are feeling the impact. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. A woman in a grey coat and sunglasses talking to Steve Rosenberg A woman in a grey goat with sunglasses talking to Steve Rosenberg Watch: How the Kremlin's internet crackdown is frustrating Russians Russian authorities have been tightening control of the country's cyber space, blocking access to global messaging apps, such as WhatsApp and Telegram, and even restricting mobile internet in some areas. Russians told the BBC that the crackdown on the internet is affecting businesses, but also cutting them off the outside world. "We are losing money every time there is a blockage of internet," said Yulia, who owns a catering company. Russian officials insist that curbs on communication are in the interests of public safety, claiming that mobile internet blackouts disorient Ukrainian attack drones. More on this story: Kremlin's tightening grip on internet fuels Russian discontent Kremlin's tightening grip on internet fuels Russian discontent A proposed three-year deal with Paris is aimed at stopping migrants crossing the Channel on small boats. The pro-EU leader's Tisza party has won a landslide victory, bringing to an end Viktor Orbán's 16 years in power. US exhibition squad, the Harlem Globetrotters, met the pontiff in the Vatican, helping him to spin a basketball on the tip of his finger. The Academy Award winning US actor won his third Oscar on Sunday, but skipped the ceremony to visit Ukraine. Video released by the Italian fire brigade shows the wolf being rescued from under a bridge. 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A town in northern Italy has started celebrating carnival with its annual Battle of the Oranges where people hurl the fruit at each other for fun. Ms Pelicot reveals it is "inconceivable" that the man she shared her life with "could have committed these horrors". Storms Marta and Leonardo have caused widespread flooding in Spain as thousands have been displaced. Italy's capital city has introduced a €2 fee to access the viewing area of its iconic fountain, which had previously been free to visit. Crowds have gathered in Rome for the funeral of Italian fashion designer Valentino, who has died at the age of 93. The BBC's Guy Hedgecoe visited the scene, where a large police cordon is in place. Passengers recount the moment two trains collided between Málaga and Madrid on Sunday evening. Video filmed after a deadly train crash in southern Spain shows a damaged train with a passenger climbing out of it to safety. On the frozen surface of Kyiv's River Dnipro, men are fishing to take their minds off the war with Russia. Authorities deliberately triggered the avalanche on Mount Elbrus to release a build up of snow. The limited deployment involves Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the UK. The trains are designed to boost public morale and provide some comfort, as a bitter winter coincides with intensifying Russian attacks. The crustaceans, which were worth about €60,000 (£52,000) were bound for shops and restaurants in Portugal. Footage recorded by Spanish skier Ares Masip shows the incident on Pic de l'Hortell, a mountain in Andorra.