Foreign agent

Lawmakers in the former Soviet republic voted Friday to drop their "foreign agents" bill, which critics view as a threat to democracy as well as the country's push to join the European Union.

The recently expanded law says that freelance journalists, YouTube bloggers and practically anyone else who receives money from abroad and voices a political opinion can be considered a foreign agent.

The controversial coronavirus adviser apologized on Sunday for doing an interview with Russia's state-controlled network RT, saying he "was unaware they are a registered foreign agent."