Russia

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Key Watchdog Won't Monitor Russia Vote

Group cites Kremlin's excessive restrictions on March 2 election

(Newser) - Europe's main election watchdog will boycott Russia's March 2 presidential vote due to excessive Kremlin restrictions, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights announced today. The group had agreed to send just 70 monitors to oversee the campaign, the New York Times reports, but when Russia barred them from...

Russians Smash Records at Sotheby's Sale

Recession-defying London art auction brings in $230M

(Newser) - Sotheby's held its most successful sale ever of modern and impressionist art in London last night, with Russian collectors leading a buying frenzy on a day stock markets tumbled. The auction house sold 67 lots worth $230 million—topping high estimate, Bloomberg reports. "There was a lot of buying...

Putin Critic Committed to Mental Hospital

Disturbing echo of Soviet era tactics

(Newser) - An opponent of Russian president Vladimir Putin has been imprisoned  in a mental hospital in a move reminiscent of the "punitive psychiatry" used to discredit dissidents in the old Soviet era. Roman Nikolaichik, a member of chess champ Garry Kasparov's anti-Putin coalition, Other Russia, was certified mentally unstable after...

Poland, US Move Closer on Missile Shield

Countries agree, in principle, on military cooperation plan

(Newser) - Poland agreed, in principle, yesterday to host controversial US missile interceptors on its soil, the AP reports, after Condoleezza Rice sat down with Poland's foreign minister and agreed to help upgrade its military in return. The foreign minister told reporters in Washington that there was still a lot of negotiating...

Putin Opponent Kasyanov Barred From Election

Ex-PM decries 'farce' after disqualification from presidential race

(Newser) - Mikhail Kasyanov, a former Putin loyalist who became one of his fiercest critics, has been disqualified from the presidential ballot, reports the BBC. Russia's electoral commission ruled that too many of his supporting signatures were fraudulent—up to 5% is OK. Kasyanov has another theory: "There is no doubt...

UK Social Network Badoo Gets $30M to Enter Russia

Ad-free service was Google's second-fastest rising search term in '07

(Newser) - UK social networking site Badoo has received $30 million to build its service in Russia from Russian investor Finam, giving Finam a 10% stake in the company. The network will face competition from several Russian sites and from the local version of MySpace, which launched last week, reports TechCrunch. Badoo...

Serbia's Future Depends on Kosovo
Serbia's Future Depends on Kosovo
Jan 21, 2008 11:11 AM CST

Serbia's Future Depends on Kosovo

Looming declaration of independence may sway presidential voting

(Newser) - On the verge of declaring independence, Kosovo is the key in this year’s Serbian election, the Guardian reports. Tomislav Nicolic, a Russian-aligned Serbian nationalist, won the first round of the presidential elections last night, defeating moderate incumbent Boris Tadic 39% to 35%. Seven other candidates, many pro-Western, are out...

Brits Close Russian Offices Over Brouhaha

'Cold War' intimidation of cultural centers' staff has minister outraged

(Newser) - After days of what Britain called “Soviet-era” intimidation tactics, the British Council today closed its offices in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, the Times reports. Britain had tried to keep the cultural centers going, despite Russian orders to close them, but after staff members were subjected to multiple visits—and...

There's Plenty of Oil Left: Study
There's Plenty of Oil Left: Study
Jan 17, 2008 9:37 AM CST

There's Plenty of Oil Left: Study

Researchers say new discoveries more than offset worked-out fields

(Newser) - New oilfields being brought online more than offset losses from depleted fields, says an optimistic report released today. Though it cited an Iran-sized 4.5% annual loss, key oil industry adviser CERA contends “there is no impending short-term peak in global oil production," reports the Wall Street Journal....

UK Defies Russia in Latest Diplomatic Row

Moscow irate as Brits reopen cultural offices in Russia

(Newser) - Moscow's tit-for-tat diplomatic row with the UK continues to escalate as British officials defied Russian orders to close two cultural offices, the BBC reports. Russia called the reopening of British Council offices in St. Petersburg and the Urals city of Yekaterinburg an "intentional provocation aimed at inflaming tensions,"...

Putin Pick Hits Campaign Trail
Putin Pick Hits Campaign Trail
Jan 11, 2008 12:46 PM CST

Putin Pick Hits Campaign Trail

Medvedev launches bid with 79% support in polls, virtually no competition

(Newser) - Vladimir Putin's hand-picked replacement has launched his presidential campaign with a 2-day visit to Russia's far west. Dmitry Medvedev has seen his popularity soar since the president announced he would like to see him as his successor: he's now polling 79%, higher than Putin did before his 2004 landslide victory,...

Russian Art Approved for UK Display
Russian Art Approved for UK Display
Jan 10, 2008 1:40 PM CST

Russian Art Approved for UK Display

Moscow allows paintings to travel after diplomatic spat, fears of seizure

(Newser) - The Royal Academy in London will scramble to open a major exhibition of Russian-owned art after Russian officials finally granted permission to send the works to the UK, the Times of London reports. The show faced cancellation over Russian concerns that the works would be subject to seizure, a dispute...

Georgians Want New Vote, Plan Hunger Strike

Opposition alleges fraud after Saakashvili reelection

(Newser) - Opposition leaders in Georgia have vowed to go on a hunger strike after the country's election committee declared Mikheil Saakashvili the winner of last week's presidential election. The Independent reports that Saakashvili won 52% of the ballots, and although international observers have said the voting was largely fair, the opposition...

Sky-High Oil Will Reshape World Power, Dent US Clout

Power shifts as global economies change

(Newser) - The surging price of oil from $10 a barrel a decade ago to a record $100 today is remaking the global economy and altering the balance of power across the world, according to the Wall Street Journal. If oil prices continue to climb, as many experts predict, US political power...

Investors Uncork Wild Wine Prices
Investors Uncork Wild Wine Prices
Dec 30, 2007 6:50 PM CST

Investors Uncork Wild Wine Prices

Internet, foreign funds make even second-tier wines pricier

(Newser) - Investors are uncorking a new area of speculation these days: fine wine. Thanks to the Internet, which has turned an elite hobby into a worldwide auction, prices are overflowing. Buyers can even throw money at vino investment funds and an electronic trading exchange based in London, which is up 39%...

Martial Arts Champ Takes on Ultimate Fight

The Tiger Woods of mixed martial arts defects from league

(Newser) - Not unlike a real-life version of Soviet pain machine Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, Russian mixed martial arts fighter Fedor Emelianenko is, pound-for-pound, the world's best fighter, Esquire reports, and now he's set to give the MMA industry a run for its money. Or maybe his money. Emelianenko's decision to...

Inside the Siemens Bribery Scandal
Inside the Siemens Bribery Scandal
Dec 28, 2007 8:40 AM CST

Inside the Siemens Bribery Scandal

How international prosecutors dug up suspicious payments

(Newser) - In one of the world's largest corporate bribery scandals in recent years, German industrial giant Siemens allegedly channeled millions of euros in bribes to customers in Nigeria, Russia, Libya, and other countries to win infrastructure contracts. The Wall Street Journal traces the unearthing of the Siemens case across four years...

Russia Completes GPS Rival
Russia Completes
GPS Rival
Dec 27, 2007 10:31 AM CST

Russia Completes GPS Rival

Final satellite for orbital positioning network launched

(Newser) - Russia launched three additional satellites for its GLONASS positioning system today, Reuters reports. The Russian positioning system is similar to the American GPS network, and currently consists of 18 satellites operated by the country's military. GLONASS already provides ground coverage for most of Russia itself, and is expected to expand...

Russian Liberal Stands Down
Russian Liberal Stands Down
Dec 27, 2007 8:30 AM CST

Russian Liberal Stands Down

Opposition candidate accuses Kremlin of turning presidential contest into 'farce'

(Newser) - Another candidate has dropped out of the race for the Russian presidency, complaining of dirty tricks, the Washington Post reports. Boris Nemtsov, leader of a mainstream liberal party, said the uneven playing field was turning the contest into a farce. He accused the Kremlin of using "Goebbels-like propaganda, force...

Russia's Gas Giant Faces Big Squeeze

Powerful Gazprom has too little oil to meet demands

(Newser) - Russia faces a threat to its international trump card as Gazprom—its powerful natural gas company—struggles to meet massive worldwide demand, Newsweek reports. The company gets much of its oil dirt cheap from former Soviet republics in Central Asia, then resells it a handsome profit to Europe. Now those...

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