The Power Vertical Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov gestures during a news conference in Moscow on September14. It is hard to look at Right Cause’s public meltdown last week as anything other than an unmitigated disaster for the Kremlin’s political managers. Not only has a high-profile project to create a regime-friendly pro-business party to draw the [...]
Archives: 20 September 2011
September 20, 2011
September 20, 2011
Russian Film Director Complains Of ‘Oscar Committee’s’ Favoritism
MOSCOW — A prominent Russian film director has called for changes in the composition of the country’s “Oscar Committee” because its members “are dependent” on director Nikita Mikhalkov, RFE/RL’s Russian Service reports. The Oscar Committee, which is headed by director Vladimir Menshov, nominated Mikhalkov’s movie “Burnt by the Sun 2″ for an Oscar on September [...]
September 20, 2011
September 20, 2011
September 20, 2011
Ruble plunges to new ten- month low
The Russian ruble fell to a new ten-month low on Tuesday as oil prices fell again. The official exchange rate of Russian ruble for tomorrow settlement fell 62.80 kopecks against the dollar to 31.4960 and 71.06 kopecks to the euro to 42.92, the central bank said on Tuesday. The value of the bi-currency basket, comprising [...]
September 20, 2011
Foreign investors see increasing opportunities in Russia
Foreign investors believe that Russia would become a more interesting place for investment and expansion in the next few years, a recent study by Ernst Young shows. “A high percentage (70 percent of businesses) are confident that Russia will have a greater investment appeal for their companies in the next three years,” the study said. [...]
September 20, 2011
Russia considers measures to improve regional air safety
The government is examining ways to boost air safety in the regions, Russia’s deputy transport minister said on Tuesday. Four plane crashes since June mean Russia has the highest number of air-related fatalities in the world for 2011. Ageing aircraft and poor maintenance, as well as a lack of properly-trained crews have been blamed for [...]
September 20, 2011
European court delivers mixed ruling on Yukos
The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that the Russian authorities had violated the rights of the now-defunct Yukos company, but rejected claims that the break-up of the oil giant was politically motivated. The split decision was welcomed by both sides. The court also deferred consideration of a Yukos claim for $98 billion [...]
September 20, 2011
Tennis player Chakvetadze named as Right Cause candidate
Tennis player Anna Chakvetadze was named on Tuesday as one of the three parliamentary candidates put forward by Russia’s Right Cause Party. Tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov quit as party head last week. Chakvetadze will be joined by the party’s joint leaders Andrei Dunayev and Andrei Bogdanov. She has said is ready to “take part in everything” [...]
September 20, 2011
Talks way forward for Syria
Moscow believes peaceful negotiations are the way forward in the Syria conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated on Tuesday. “Russia has its own project for a resolution on Syria…it is aimed at stopping the violence there, both by government forces and armed groups,” Lavrov said. The minister also said another goal of Russia’s draft [...]
September 20, 2011
Benefits for Russian carers of disabled children may rise by $1 a month
Russians who care for disabled children may see their monthly benefits increase by 34 rubles (just over $1) a month, the government said on its website on Tuesday. Under a bill submitted for consideration to the Health and Social Development Ministry, payments may rise from the current 570 rubles ($19) to 604 rubles (around $20). [...]
September 20, 2011
September 20, 2011
September 20, 2011
Afghan ex-President Rabbani killed in bombing: video
Former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani, together with four other people, has been killed in a suicide bomb attack in the country’s capital, Kabul. Rabbani has been killed at his home which is located in Kabul’s heavily guarded diplomatic enclave also known as “the green zone”. He was reportedly meeting two members of the Taliban at [...]