A court in St. Petersburg has ruled the demolition of 31 historical sites in the city illegal, with even more lawsuits to come. Mass demolition of Petersburg’s historic buildings was part of the policy developed by the city’s ex-mayor, Valentina Matvienko, who is currently the speaker in Russia’s upper house of parliament, the Federation Council. [...]
Archives: 15 November 2011
November 15, 2011
November 15, 2011
PACE puts spoke in Russian election’s wheel
The Central Election Committee has complained to Russian authorities about the foreign election observers. The officials claim that EU Parliamentary Assembly representatives have started criticizing the Duma election campaign way too early. “We are now studying their activity here during the visit of the so-called quintet,” said the head of Russia’s Central Election Commission, Vladimir [...]
November 15, 2011
RT guide around Moscow’s international schools
Choosing from the maze of education options can be bewildering for both parents and children. RT has examined the variety of Moscow’s international schools. Kat Malenchenko, an expat form the US, told RT she wants her little one to have a choice. Her daughter Kamilla is still in kindergarten. “I really like the Russian education,” [...]
November 15, 2011
Putin’s doppelganger found in Chinese outback
A small Chinese village has attracted the international spotlight after a ‘twin brother’ of Russia’s PM Vladimir Putin was spotted among its residents. The peasant with a very familiar appearance was found by a local newspaper correspondent, who happened to stop by. Amazed, the journalist sent a photo to his paper. The shot made such [...]
November 15, 2011
Crackdown on OWS camps coordinated by US city mayors
If you thought the recent crackdowns of Occupy encampments across the country was more than a coincidence, there is a good chance you were right. Oakland Mayor Jean Quan admits to talking to other cities before the massive coast-to-coast evictions . In an interview this morning with the BBC, Mayor Quan reveals that she spoke [...]
November 15, 2011
Hockey greats shine in Cup of Legends
Held in Moscow over the weekend, the Cup of Legends saw the brightest stars of Soviet hockey, representing CSKA, Dynamo, Spartak and VVS, back on the ice on the eve of a great jubilee. Held in Moscow over the weekend, the Cup of Legends saw the brightest stars of Soviet hockey, representing CSKA, Dynamo, Spartak [...]
November 15, 2011
November 15, 2011
Lavrov meets Syrian opposition, pushes for peaceful dialogue with Assad
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met on Tuesday with the leader of the dissident Syrian National Council (SNC), Burhan Ghalioun, in a landmark move towards a peaceful settlement in Syria. Lavrov met with Ghalioun, a Paris-based academic, to deliver the Russian position “about the necessity of a constructive approach towards solving issues that Syria is [...]
November 15, 2011
November 15, 2011
Ex-Moscow mayor Luzhkov ‘to cooperate’ over bank fraud inquiry
Former Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov will continue cooperating with investigators over an inquiry into an alleged $414-million bank fraud, his lawyer said on Tuesday. Luzhkov, who lost his job last year after 18 years in City Hall, was questioned over the fraud case at the Interior Ministry earlier on Tuesday. The case involves the Bank [...]
November 15, 2011
Kingsley Jones to take over as head coach of Russian rugby team
Kingsley Jones is to take over as head coach of the Russian rugby team, an official with the Russian Rugby Union told RIA Novosti on Tuesday. Jones has been with the Bears as team director since the spring, and assisted former coach Nikolai Nerush at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, where the Bears [...]
November 15, 2011
Qatar urges gas price link to oil prices
Gas producing and exporting countries should continue using a formula that links gas prices to prices on oil markets to stimulate a wider use of the fuel, the Qatari ruler said on Tuesday. “Gas exporters must not give up their legitimate demands to link gas prices to oil prices,” Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa [...]
November 15, 2011
Russian police detain car lover with 72-year license revocation
Police in the Russian Urals city of Chelyabinsk detained on Tuesday a 40-year-old named Sergei, who is banned from driving for 72 years, or until 2077, regional police said. “The driver was brought to administrative reprimand 247 times, including 68 times for driving with a revoked driver’s license, and 18 times for driving under the [...]
November 15, 2011
Ukraine to save $6 bln after reviewing gas contracts with Russia
Ukraine is planning to save about $6 billion annually after reviewing gas contracts with Russia, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said on Tuesday. “As soon as we agree on gas prices, we will save an additional $500 million monthly, which is equivalent to $6 billion a year,” Azarov said. On Tuesday, the Ukrainian [...]