Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is one of the most popular multiplayer first-person shooter games around, and the unofficial CS:GO world title now belongs to Natus Vincere (NAVI), a team based in Kyiv comprising Russian and Ukrainian players. In the final game of the latest Major Championship tournament (held in Stockholm over the past two weeks), NAVI defeated the European team G2 Esports by a score of 2:0. For the first time in the tournament's history, the winning team claimed its crown without losing a single map in the game. During the competition's closing ceremony, NAVI player Kirill Mikhailov even proposed to his girlfriend. (She later said yes.)

The Russian Justice Ministry has made two high-profile additions to its registries of "foreign agents" -- the rights group Russian LGBT Network and exiled human rights lawyer Ivan Pavlov.

Months after adding four Proekt journalists to its "foreign agent" registry, the Russian Justice Ministry has finally clarified the formal basis for this decision. The justifications were listed in the written objections the ministry submitted to Moscow's Zamoskvoretsky District Court, which is considering the journalists' administrative claims demanding the repeal of their "foreign agent" status. The court hearings began on Monday, November 8, with both sides presenting evidence in the cases. The court allocated just 15 minutes for each hearing.

In an abrupt policy change, the Russian state news agency Rossiya Segodnya has forbidden its reporters from referring to the Taliban in published content as a terrorist organization that is banned in Russia. The Telegram channel Ostorozhno Novosti (a project by Ksenia Sobchak) broke the story, sharing a copy of an internal memo sent to the news agency's personnel.

Russia's nationwide period of "non-working days" -- announced by the federal government in late October, to slow the spread of COVID-19 -- ended on Sunday, November 7. But five regions opted for extended lockdowns at the local level.

Russian national Yegor Dudnikov has been in detention in Minsk since May, awaiting trial on charges of organizing actions that grossly violated public order. Now, the Belarusian authorities have brought an additional charge against him.

Legendary Soviet news anchor Igor Kirillov died in Moscow on October 30. He was 89 years old. For more than two decades, Kirillov hosted Vremya -- a nightly news program viewed religiously throughout the entire USSR -- and in doing so became a Soviet institution. Like hundreds of millions of others, journalist Ekaterina Barabash experienced Kirillov live and on the air. At Meduza's request, she reflects on the man and his broadcasts.

Four years ago today, on November 5, 2017, Vladislav Mordasov picked the wrong day to go out and protest. Then 21-years-old, he and his friend -- 18-year-old Yan Sidorov -- took to the square outside of the regional government building in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, with posters demanding support for local residents who had lost their homes to a major fire. The activists were arrested, and later accused of helping "Artpodgotovka," a banned movement led by exiled nationalist politician Vyacheslav Maltsev, orchestrate the so-called "November 5th Revolution." Initially, both Mordasov and Sidorov pleaded guilty, but they later stated that they confessed under torture. Nevertheless, the two were convicted and sentenced to 6.5 years in a maximum security prison colony. The Russian Supreme Court later reduced their prison sentences to three years. Both Mordasov and Sidorov were released on Wednesday, November 3. At Meduza's request, journalist Gleb Golod, who covered the "Rostov Case," spoke to Vladislav Mordasov about his time in prison and plans for the future.

Russia's gastronomic world was shaken in mid-October when the renowned Michelin Guide awarded Michelin stars to several Moscow restaurants for the first time ever. It was a long time coming for the country's gourmands, who have hoped for the Michelin Guide's recognition for over two decades. Seven restaurants received one star while two others received two stars, but no establishment received the coveted three-star distinction. In total, 69 Moscow eateries received a mention in this year's Michelin Guide. For Meduza, food reporter Anton Obrezchikov breaks down who received stars, how they earned them, and why some people are critical of the whole affair.

On Friday, November 5, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands overturned a ruling for Russia to pay approximately $50 billion to former shareholders of the oil giant Yukos.