Russia drops extortion charge against editor after outcry A Russian court releases a local newspaper editor and former lawmaker who had been facing extortion charges, following an outcry from supporters and international organisations. Igor Rudnikov, founder and editor of the weekly Novye Kolesa (New Wheels) in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, had been in detention since November 2017, accused of extorting $50,000 from a senior investigator. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES