Sunday, February 12, 2012

11:10 AM 2/12/2012

Mike Nova's starred items

Faces of protest are as varied as Russia itself - Boston.com

via Russia - Google News on 2/12/12


AFP

Faces of protest are as varied as Russia itself
Boston.com
February 11, 2012|Alexander Zemlianichenko, AP The faces of the Russian protesters who braved brutal cold to express their discontent were as varied as the vast country itself: youthful and aged, unshaven and elegantly made up, self-confident and shy.
Domestic logic of Russian protestsThe Voice of Russia
Russia Protests: Demonstrators Brave ColdHuffington Post
Russia's Putin too busy to meet election observersAFP
all 563 news articles »

Faces of protest are as varied as Russia itself - Atlanta Journal Constitution

via Russia - Google News on 2/11/12


AFP

Faces of protest are as varied as Russia itself
Atlanta Journal Constitution
By ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO AP MOSCOW — The faces of the Russian protesters who braved brutal cold to express their discontent were as varied as the vast country itself: youthful and aged, unshaven and elegantly made up, self-confident and shy.
Russia's Putin too busy to meet election observersAFP
Russia's presidential contenders unveil policies and objectivesThe Voice of Russia
all 554 news articles »

Digital espionage in US, China & Russia a real and growing threat - Economic Times

via Russia - Google News on 2/11/12

Digital espionage in US, China & Russia a real and growing threat
Economic Times
What might have once sounded like the behavior of a paranoid is now standard operating procedure for officials at US government agencies, research groups and companies that do business in China and Russia - like Google, the State Department and the ...
and more »

Unusual Cold Threatens Russian Fruit Crop

via Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty on 2/11/12

Russian agricultural officials say the abnormally cold temperatures are certain to have an adverse effect on this year's harvest.

Russia Protests: Demonstrators Brave Cold - Huffington Post

via Russia - Google News on 2/11/12


AFP

Russia Protests: Demonstrators Brave Cold
Huffington Post
By ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO 02/11/12 02:13 PM ET AP MOSCOW -- The faces of the Russian protesters who braved brutal cold to express their discontent were as varied as the vast country itself: youthful and aged, unshaven and elegantly made up, ...
Faces of protest are as varied as Russia itselfAlbany Times Union
Russia's Putin too busy to meet election observersAFP
Russia's presidential contenders unveil policies and objectivesThe Voice of Russia
Wall Street Journal (blog)
all 542 news articles »

From Soviet Past, Only Architecture Remains

via NYT > Europe by on 2/11/12

The Soviets invasion era buildings that are left behind in Afghanistan.

Winter Weather Brings Deaths and Disrupts Travel in Europe

via NYT > Europe by By MATT FLEGENHEIMER on 2/12/12

Regions across Europe sustained another deluge of extreme weather, prompting a deadly avalanche in Kosovo, snarling travel and blanketing Rome with snow.

Diplomat: Russia will keep shielding Assad at UN - CBS News

via Russia - Google News on 2/11/12


The Atlantic

Diplomat: Russia will keep shielding Assad at UN
CBS News
The European Union will impose harsher sanctions on Syria, a senior EU official said Wednesday, as Russia tried to broker talks between the vice president and the opposition to calm violence. Activists reported at least 50 killed in the regime's siege ...
TA activists condemn Assad, Russia, ChinaJerusalem Post
Russia supporting Syria to retain foothold in Middle EastTehran Times
Should the World Ask for Russia's Help in Syria?The Atlantic
all 7,379 news articles »

Russia Calls for Suspension of Adoptions to US Parents - Voice of America

via Russia - Google News on 2/11/12


USA TODAY

Russia Calls for Suspension of Adoptions to US Parents
Voice of America
February 11, 2012 Russia Calls for Suspension of Adoptions to US Parents VOA News FM statement cited what it described as unending series of crimes committed against adoptive children from Russia by US parents Americans who want to adopt Russian ...
Russia to halt US adoptions amid domestic violence claimsUSA TODAY
Russia May Suspend Child Adoption By U.S. CitizensRTT News
Russians alarmed by rash of teenage suicidesCBS News
Huffington Post -Washington Post
all 399 news articles »

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Faces of protest are as varied as Russia itself - CBS News

via Russia - Google News on 2/11/12


AFP

Faces of protest are as varied as Russia itself
CBS News
Despite temperatures plunging to minus 20 C (minus 4 F), thousands of Russians took to the streets of Moscow to challenge Putin's bid to reclaim presidency in March. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) (Alexander Zemlianichenko) (AP) MOSCOW — The ...
Russia's Putin too busy to meet election observersAFP
Russia's presidential contenders unveil policies and objectivesThe Voice of Russia
Putin Campaign Manager Says Russian Corruption at 'Civilized' LevelsWall Street Journal (blog)
all 537 news articles »

Russia to halt US adoptions amid domestic violence claims - USA TODAY

via Russia - Google News on 2/11/12


USA TODAY

Russia to halt US adoptions amid domestic violence claims
USA TODAY
MOSCOW (AP) – Russia's Foreign Ministry is asking the government to suspend adoptions of Russian children by US nationals following an "incessant string of crimes" allegedly committed by American adoptive parents. This April 2010 photo shows then ...
Russia seeks to suspend adoptions by Americans due to “incessant crimes ...Washington Post
Russia Calls for Suspension of Adoptions to US ParentsVoice of America (blog)
Teenage suicides shake up RussiaThe Hindu
all 380 news articles »

Russia wants to suspend US adoptions (AP)

via Yahoo! News: World - Russia on 2/11/12

AP - Russia's Foreign Ministry is asking the government to suspend adoptions of Russian children by U.S. nationals following an "incessant string of crimes" allegedly committed by American adoptive parents.

Putin's rivals face pressure, biased coverage (AP)

via Yahoo! News: World - Russia on 2/11/12

AP - European election observers say that presidential hopefuls running against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin face "biased" reports by Kremlin-controlled media and constant government pressure.

Faces of protest are as varied as Russia itself (AP)

via Yahoo! News: World - Russia on 2/11/12

These Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 photos show a dozen people from the thousands who attended a massive protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's rule in Bolotnaya square in Moscow. Despite temperatures plunging to minus 20 C (minus 4 F), masses of Russians took to the streets of Moscow to challenge Putin's bid to reclaim presidency in March. Top row from left are Yekaterina, 26, a translator; Artur Gazarov, 43; Liliya Pevter, 62, a pensioner; Kirill, 26, a scientist. Middle row from left are Mikhail Shats, 46, an actor; Nina Lipkina, 53, unemployed; Tatyana Lazareva, 46, a television presenter; Vyacheslav Barannikov, 38, an engineer. Bottom row from left are Igor German, 23, an engineer; Gennady, 73, a pensioner; Dmitry Polosov, 25, a scientist; Yana Romanova, 35, a designer. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) PART OF A PHOTO PACKAGE BY ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKOAP - The faces of the Russian protesters who braved brutal cold to express their discontent were as varied as the vast country itself: youthful and aged, unshaven and elegantly made up, self-confident and shy.

NATO Special Representative Holds Talks In Azerbaijan

via Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty on 2/11/12

NATO special representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai visited Azerbaijan on February 11 to discuss routes from NATO cargo to, and from Afghanistan.

The Russian veto: saying “no” is not a policy - Al-Arabiya

via Russia - Google News on 2/11/12


Al-Arabiya

The Russian veto: saying “no” is not a policy
Al-Arabiya
This is the question that many in the Middle East are asking about Russia's veto of a United Nations' Security Council resolution on Syria. In itself, the veto is neither here nor there. The uprising in Syria is unlikely to end because of it.
Syria, Russia, China - a troika of oppressionSan Francisco Chronicle
Billions at stake as Russia backs SyriaCNN
Syria today and Russia in 1917: two teetering dictatorshipsGlobe and Mail
Boston.com -Kansas City Star
all 6,643 news articles »

Diplomat: Russia will keep shielding Assad at UN - Boston.com

via Russia - Google News on 2/11/12


The Atlantic

Diplomat: Russia will keep shielding Assad at UN
Boston.com
February 10, 2012|Vladimir Isachenkov, AP A senior Russian diplomat signaled Friday that Moscow will again use its veto power at the United Nations to block any resolution aimed at ousting Syrian President Bashar Assad from power.
Should the World Ask for Russia's Help in Syria?The Atlantic
The Russian veto: saying “no” is not a policyAl-Arabiya
Syria, Russia, China - a troika of oppressionSan Francisco Chronicle
all 6,979 news articles »

Putin Campaign Manager Says Russian Corruption at 'Civilized' Levels - Wall Street Journal (blog)

via Russia - Google News on 2/11/12


Washington Times

Putin Campaign Manager Says Russian Corruption at 'Civilized' Levels
Wall Street Journal (blog)
By Ira Iosebashvili Russia may stand alongside Nigeria in global corruption rankings, but to Vladimir Putin's campaign manager, that's just fine. Stanislav Govorukhin praised Mr. Putin for bringing corruption in Russia down to “civilized” levels ...
Why real change in Russia faltersWashington Times
The Russians are leaving … RussiaThe Hindu
Putin made Russian corruption 'civilised'-campaign chiefReuters
Montreal Gazette -Sacramento Bee -Forbes
all 289 news articles »

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Next US-Russia arms talks to move in challenging direction - Reuters

via Russia - Google News on 2/10/12


RT

Next US-Russia arms talks to move in challenging direction
Reuters
By David Alexander | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The next round of US-Russian nuclear arms talks is likely to focus on the delicate task of reducing a much broader range of atomic weapons, US negotiators said on Friday as they discussed the first ...
No Transparency Regarding Russia's Strategic BuildupHeritage.org (blog)
all 20 news articles »

Turmoil Erupts in Kremlin-Protected South Ossetia

via NYT > Europe by By ANDREW E. KRAMER on 2/10/12

The opposition leader in the Georgian enclave of South Ossetia was to be inaugurated as president, but her plans were thwarted by police officers apparently acting on Russia’s orders.

Uzbek National Pleads Guilty To Plot To Kill Obama

via Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty on 2/10/12

An Uzbek national pleaded guilty to a plot to kill U.S. President Barack Obama

Russian Stocks in 'Sweet Spot' to Benefit Over Turkey: Aton - Bloomberg

via Russia - Google News on 2/10/12

Russian Stocks in 'Sweet Spot' to Benefit Over Turkey: Aton
Bloomberg
Russian stocks will benefit at the expense of equities in Turkey and South Africa as their lower valuations lure investors as global risk appetite returns, according to Aton LLC. Russia's 30-stock Micex Index (INDEXCF) trades at 5.7 times analysts' ...
and more »

Syria, Russia, China - a troika of oppression - San Francisco Chronicle

via Russia - Google News on 2/10/12


Globe and Mail

Syria, Russia, China - a troika of oppression
San Francisco Chronicle
Syrian President Bashar Assad (left) welcomes Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the presidential palace in Damascus on Tuesday. It's no surprise that on the very day Russia insisted it would not support a UN resolution calling for an arms ...
Syria today and Russia in 1917: two teetering dictatorshipsGlobe and Mail
Billions at stake as Russia backs SyriaCNN
Diplomat: Russia will keep shielding Assad at UNBoston.com
Fox News
all 6,014 news articles »

Why real change in Russia falters - Washington Times

via Russia - Google News on 2/10/12


Washington Times

Why real change in Russia falters
Washington Times
By David Satter Anyone who has paid heed to Russia in the two decades since the collapse of communism and the Soviet Union has come to realize that things have not worked out all that well. Those desiring better lives, seeking the freedoms enjoyed by ...
The Russians are leaving … RussiaThe Hindu
Putin made Russian corruption 'civilised'-campaign chiefReuters
Who Will Save Russia's IdentitySacramento Bee
Forbes -gulfnews.com
all 281 news articles »

Billions at stake as Russia backs Syria - CNN

via Russia - Google News on 2/10/12


Fox News

Billions at stake as Russia backs Syria
CNN
By James O'Toole @CNNMoney February 10, 2012: 4:15 PM ET A Syrian pro-government supporter holds up a sign as a convoy carrying Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov heads towards the presidential palace in Damascus on Tuesday.
Crisis in Syria Looks Very Different on Satellite Channels Owned by Russia and ...New York Times (blog)
Russian diplomat: Moscow will block any UN resolution urging Assad to step downWashington Post
Diplomat: Russia will keep shielding Assad at UNBoston.com
Fox News
all 5,739 news articles »

Azerbaijani Aviation Engineer Seeks Niche In Civilian Drone Market

via Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty by Ron Synovitz on 2/10/12

A Baku-born aviation engineer is trying to make a niche for his private company in Germany by producing multirotar miniature drone aircraft that sell for about 5,000 euros each

The Russians are leaving … Russia - The Hindu

via Russia - Google News on 2/10/12


The Hindu

The Russians are leaving … Russia
The Hindu
They are the kind of people who are supposed to be the mainstay of new Russia and the driving force of its resurgence. Except that they are planning to leave this country for good. They live in the ancient Russian city of Vladimir, about 200 km east of ...
Putin leaves a bitter taste for many Russian votersgulfnews.com
Who Will Save Russia's IdentitySacramento Bee
Russian Leftists Plan More Anti-Putin ProtestsForbes
Reuters
all 275 news articles »

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Russian lawmakers back Assad regime, blast West - Fox News

via Russia - Google News on 2/10/12


Fox News

Russian lawmakers back Assad regime, blast West
Fox News
MOSCOW -- Russian lawmakers voiced strong support Friday for the Kremlin's action to shield Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime from international sanctions over its crackdown on a 11-month old uprising. Lawmakers in the lower house of parliament ...
Russian Foreign Ministry: Responsibility for Stopping Bloodshed in Syria Lies ...Syrian Arab News Agency
Russian diplomat: Moscow will block any UN resolution urging Assad to step downWashington Post
Diplomat: Russia will keep shielding Assad at UNBoston.com
all 5,860 news articles »

Ukraine Wants to Help Russia Facilitate Non-Stop Gas Supply to Europe - Sacramento Bee

via Russia - Google News on 2/10/12


BBC News

Ukraine Wants to Help Russia Facilitate Non-Stop Gas Supply to Europe
Sacramento Bee
By Worldwide News Ukraine "We are ready, upon official request from Russia, to grant extra gas to Europe," said Ukraine's Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko. In his interview to CNN, the Ukrainian minister explained that currently Ukraine receives 400 million ...
Is Russia Behind Bulgarian Anti-Fracking Protests?Minyanville.com
Russia Behind Bulgarian Anti-Fracking Protests?FXstreet.com
all 109 news articles »

Russian daily accuses Putin group of cyber attack - AFP

via Russia - Google News on 2/10/12


AFP

Russian daily accuses Putin group of cyber attack
AFP
MOSCOW — Russia's Kommersant business daily said Friday it had asked the police to probe a Kremlin youth group for alleged involvement in repeated hack attacks on its website. The popular broadsheet vanished from the Internet for several days in 2008 ...
Russia's 30-Ruble Army Emerges AgainRadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty (blog)
Russian Anonymous targets pro-Kremlin youth movement NashiNew Europe
Hackers vow new 'Anonymous' attacks on Kremlin groupsBBC News
The Moscow Times
all 25 news articles »

Gorbachev talks! (And Putin won't like what he's saying.) (+video) (The Christian Science Monitor)

via Yahoo! News: World - Russia on 2/9/12

The Christian Science Monitor - It may be time to add a familiar old face to the gallery of fresh pro-democracy leaders that's been created by Russia's growing anti-Putin street protest movement: the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev.

BlackRock Fund Cuts Russia Stocks Before Election, Buys Turkey - BusinessWeek

via Russia - Google News on 2/10/12


Bloomberg

BlackRock Fund Cuts Russia Stocks Before Election, Buys Turkey
BusinessWeek
10 (Bloomberg) -- The Eastern European Trust Plc, the stock fund run by BlackRock Inc. that beat the regional index by 19 percentage points in the past three years, has cut holdings in Russia before presidential elections and is buying in Turkey.
Is Now The Time To Buy Russia ETFs?Zacks.com
Is it Time for Investors to Show Russia Some Love?U.S. News & World Report
all 56 news articles »

'Police Detain Stuffed Animals' In Minsk Toy Protest

via Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty on 2/10/12

Belarusian youth activists say police have "detained" some stuffed animals used in an antigovernment protest in Minsk, in an echo of similar recent protests in Russia.

Russian police chief fired after boy's death - CBS News

via Russia - Google News on 2/11/12

Russian police chief fired after boy's death
CBS News
PETERSBURG, RussiaRussia's president has fired the police chief of St. Petersburg, where a 15-year-old boy died after being beaten while in police custody. The dismissal of Mikhail Sukhodolsky on Friday caused some drama at police headquarters, ...
and more »

St. Petersburg Police Chief Fired on Medvedev’s Orders

via NYT > Europe by By ELLEN BARRY on 2/10/12

The dismissal came on the orders of President Dmitri A. Medvedev, amid a probe into the death of a 15-year-old boy in police custody.

Russian Police Chief Fired After Boy's Death

via Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty on 2/10/12

President Dmitry Medvedev has dismissed the police chief of St. Petersburg, where a 15-year-old boy died after allegedly being beaten while in police custody.

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City Police Chief Fired, Riot Police Seal Off Police Headquarters

via The St. Petersburg Times on 2/7/12

St. Petersburg police chief Mikhail Sukhodolsky was removed from his position Friday amid drama at the city’s police headquarters. Armed OMON special task force officers blocked the entrance and exit to the headquarters of the St.


Rash of teenage suicides in Russia spurs calls for govt to take quick action - Washington Post

via Russia - Google News on 2/10/12

Rash of teenage suicides in Russia spurs calls for govt to take quick action
Washington Post
MOSCOW — A rash of teenage suicides in Russia has set off alarm bells and experts are urging the government to take immediate action. Russia has the world's third-highest rate of suicide among teenagers aged 15 to 19, with about 1500 taking their own ...
and more »

Russians alarmed by rash of teenage suicides - Newsday

via Russia - Google News on 2/10/12


Al-Arabiya

Russians alarmed by rash of teenage suicides
Newsday
Nation Newsday > News > Nation Russians alarmed by rash of teenage suicides Originally published: February 10, 2012 7:54 AM Updated: February 10, 2012 10:22 AM By The Associated Press MANSUR MIROVALEV (Associated Press) MOSCOW - (AP) -- A rash of ...
Rash of teenage suicides in Russia spurs calls for govt to take quick, strong ...Washington Post
all 183 news articles »

Russians alarmed by rash of teenage suicides - CBS News

via Russia - Google News on 2/10/12


New York Daily News

Russians alarmed by rash of teenage suicides
CBS News
(AP Photo) MOSCOW - A rash of teenage suicides in Russia has set off alarm bells and experts are urging the government to take immediate action. Russia has the world's third-highest rate of suicide among teenagers aged 15-to-19, with about 1500 taking ...
Russians alarmed by teenage suicides; Russia has the world's third-highest ...New York Daily News
all 178 news articles »

Russia Convicts Engineer of Passing Secrets to US - New York Times

via Russia - Google News on 2/10/12


BBC News

Russia Convicts Engineer of Passing Secrets to US
New York Times
MOSCOW — An engineer at a Russian space facility primarily used for military rocket launchings and ballistic missile research was sentenced to 13 years in prison on Friday for passing on classified military information to the CIA, according to Russia ...
Russian jailed for selling missile secrets to CIABBC News
Russian officer convicted of spying for CIACt Post
Russian military officer convicted of spying for the CIA and sent to prisonWashington Post
AFP
all 270 news articles »

Russian military officer convicted of spying for the CIA and sent to prison - Washington Post

via Russia - Google News on 2/10/12


Daily Mail

Russian military officer convicted of spying for the CIA and sent to prison
Washington Post
MOSCOW — A military court on Friday convicted a Russian officer of providing the CIA with secret information on Russia's new intercontinental ballistic missiles and sentenced him to 13 years in prison. Lt. Col. Vladimir Nesterets pleaded guilty to ...
Russia Convicts Engineer of Passing Secrets to USNew York Times
Russian engineer jailed for 13 years for passing data to CIATimes of India
Russia jails CIA mole for passing information on missile systems to the USDaily Mail
all 267 news articles »

Russian officer convicted of spying for CIA - CBS News

via Russia - Google News on 2/11/12


BBC News

Russian officer convicted of spying for CIA
CBS News
(AP) MOSCOW — A military court on Friday convicted a Russian officer of providing the CIA with secret information on Russia's new intercontinental ballistic missiles and sentenced him to 13 years in prison. Lt. Col. Vladimir Nesterets pleaded guilty ...
Russian jailed for selling missile secrets to CIABBC News
Russia Convicts Engineer of Passing Secrets to USNew York Times
Russia jails CIA mole for passing information on missile systems to the USDaily Mail
all 280 news articles »

Russian officer convicted of spying for CIA - Boston.com

via Russia - Google News on 2/10/12


BBC News

Russian officer convicted of spying for CIA
Boston.com
February 10, 2012|Romain Goguelin, AP A military court on Friday convicted a Russian officer of providing the CIA with secret information on Russia's new intercontinental ballistic missiles and sentenced him to 13 years in prison. Lt. Col.
Russian jailed for selling missile secrets to CIABBC News
Russia Convicts Engineer of Passing Secrets to USNew York Times
Russians convict their own military officer of spying for the CIADigitalJournal.com
Daily Mail
all 278 news articles »

Colonel jailed for selling missile secrets to CIA

via - Europe RSS Feed on 2/10/12

A Russian military officer was jailed for 13 years yesterday after he was convicted of treason for passing missile secrets to the CIA.

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Russian Military Officer Jailed For 13 Years For Spying For U.S.

via Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty on 2/10/12

Russia's Federal Security Service says a military officer has been convicted of passing missile secrets to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

Nat Rothschild loses libel case against Daily Mail over Mandelson trip

via World news: Russia | guardian.co.uk by Peter Walker on 2/10/12

Judge rules that conduct of multimillionare financier on Siberian trip exposed Peter Mandelson to conflict of interest claims

It was a week-long libel case which offered an intimate, if brief, glimpse into the lives of the politically powerful and super-rich: impulse trips to Russia in a pair of private jets, birch-leaf beatings in a communal sauna, and an impromptu game of ice hockey, with staff members roped in to make up the numbers.

It was resolved by multimillionare financier Nat Rothschild failing to win damages over the Daily Mail's claims he was a "puppet master". The paper said Rothschild took Lord Mandelson on a trip to Moscow and Siberia to impress a key business contact, exposing Mandelson, the then-EU trade commissioner, to allegations of a conflict of interest.

Sitting at the high court in London, Mr Justice Tugendhat agreed on Friday that some elements were incorrect in the Mail article from May 2010, which recounted how Mandelson had flown in Rothschild's private jet from Switzerland to Moscow, and then on to Siberia as a guest of Oleg Deripaska, the billionaire Russian industrialist.

Notably, the paper withdrew the claim that Rothschild facilitated Mandelson's attendance at a dinner at a Moscow restaurant which sealed a £500m deal involving aluminium plants owned by Deripaska. Mandelson had responsibility at the time for EU metals tariffs. In fact Mandelson did not attend the dinner and the deal had already been sealed.

However, this was where the good news ended for Rothschild, 40, whose closeness to both Mandelson and Deripaska first underwent public scrutiny in 2008 when the trio were together on a yacht off Corfu alongside the then-shadow chancellor, George Osborne. That gathering caused a bitter spat over whether or not Osborne tried to solicit Conservative party funds from Russia's richest man.

Rothschild insisted that Mandelson undertook the entire Russian trip in January 2005 purely for leisure, including a one-night stopover at Abakan in Siberia, where temperatures were somewhere around -30C and the itinerary included a "fascinating" tour of one of Deripaska's aluminium smelting plants. "As far as I was concerned this was a trip made with a group of friends, not an official business trip," Rothschild said in evidence.

But the judge said Rothschild should have known that Mandelson travelling from Moscow to Siberia on Deripaska's private jet and staying at the tycoon's chalet would give "at the very least reasonable grounds" for confusion.

The Daily Mail argued that Rothschild's conduct was "inappropriate in a number of respects", Tugendhat said in his ruling. "I accept that submission. In my judgment, that conduct foreseeably brought Lord Mandelson's public office and personal integrity into disrepute and exposed him to accusations of conflict of interest, and it gave rise to the reasonable grounds to suspect that Lord Mandelson had engaged in improper discussions with Mr Deripaska about aluminium." But there was no suggestion that Mandelson had such discussions.

Rothschild's "different and developing" accounts of the Siberia trip were confusing, Tugendhat said, adding that on this subject Rothschild had not been entirely candid.

Neither Mandelson nor Deripaska was involved in the libel case and Tugendhat said none of his ruling should be construed as a criticism of them.

Rothschild said he would appeal, arguing that claims about Mandelson attending a dinner which ultimately led to the loss of 300 British jobs was "utterly false". "The truth is, as the Daily Mail has now accepted, that I had nothing whatsoever to do with this deal and that it had in any event been completed before Lord Mandelson and I even arrived in Moscow.

"Lord Mandelson's trip to Russia was entirely recreational – as the court has accepted – and Lord Mandelson had obtained clearance for the trip from his office before undertaking it.

"I am disappointed with today's ruling, although I do not regret bringing the action."

The court heard how Mandelson joined Rothschild and others in flying to Moscow from the World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, Switzerland, on an apparent whim, to the extent that he did not even have a Russian visa. In Moscow, Mandelson dined in the same restaurant where the deal was discussed between Deripaska's Rusal corporation and Alcoa, the US aluminium giant, but was sitting separately with a Russian government minister.

That same evening the party flew on Deripaska's Gulfstream jet to Siberia. There, Rothschild said in evidence, they toured the smelting plant, played five-a-side football and had a floodlit game of ice hockey alongside "some of the locals who worked for Mr Deripaska". The group enjoyed "the most delightful banya", a traditional sauna, where a young man beat them with birch leaves, a treatment supposedly good for the circulation. Entertainments at Deripaska's chalet included Russian billiards and a Cossack band.

Rothschild said: "I think that Deripaska's desire to develop a relationship with Mandelson was because Mandelson was an interesting and highly intelligent and, you know, fantastic guy. That's the way I look at it."

This notion seemed "quite unrealistic", Tugendhat ruled.

Peter Walker

guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

What really happened on the bridge when the Costa Concordia crashed

via - Europe RSS Feed on 2/10/12

Astonishing video footage revealing the turmoil on the bridge of the doomed Costa Concordia vessel in the crucial hour after it crashed into rocks near the Italian coast was last night broadcast on the country's TG5 news show.

Russia, Europe freeze in cold spell - The Voice of Russia

via Russia - Google News on 2/11/12


The Voice of Russia

Russia, Europe freeze in cold spell
The Voice of Russia
According to weather forecasts, temperatures in the European part of Russia will drop to -35C this weekend. While meteorologists predict record low temperatures for Russia, Europe's freeze is showing no signs of letting go. The current cold snap has ...
Ukraine Wants to Help Russia Facilitate Non-Stop Gas Supply to EuropeSacramento Bee
Is Russia Behind Bulgarian Anti-Fracking Protests?Minyanville.com
Russia Behind Bulgarian Anti-Fracking Protests?FXstreet.com
all 119 news articles »

Russians alarmed by rash of teenage suicides - CBS News

via Russia - Google News on 2/11/12


Al-Arabiya

Russians alarmed by rash of teenage suicides
CBS News
(AP) MOSCOW — A rash of teenage suicides in Russia has set off alarm bells and experts are urging the government to take immediate action. Russia has the world's third-highest rate of suicide among teenagers aged 15-to-19, with about 1500 taking their ...
Rash of teenage suicides in Russia spurs calls for actionHamilton Spectator
all 187 news articles »

Singer Whitney Houston Dead At 48

via Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty on 2/11/12

U.S. singer Whitney Houston, who rose to stardom with such songs as "How Will I Know," Saving All My Love," and "I Will Always Love You," has died at the age of 48.

9.2.12

via Puerto Rico News - Archive Links's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico News - Archive Links on 2/10/12

9.2.12

News Archive Links – 2.9.2012 - 2011

via Puerto Rico News - Archive Links's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico News - Archive Links on 2/10/12

News Archive Links – 2.9.2012 - 2011

News Archive Links – 2.9.2012 - 2011
Mike Nova's starred items 'Testimonios,' Popular Arts at El Museo del Barrio - New York Timesvia puerto rico - Google News on 2/9/12 New York Times 'Testimonios,' Popular Arts at El Museo del BarrioNew York TimesBut El Museo del Barrio has something few other New York museums can touch: some 10 percent of its collection is concentrated on works by self-taught artists and artisans from New York, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean...

9:47 AM 2/10/2012

via Puerto Rico News - Archive Links's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico News - Archive Links on 2/10/12

9:47 AM 2/10/2012
9:47 AM 2/10/2012
'Testimonios,' Popular Arts at El Museo del Barrio - New York Times via Puerto Rico News's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico News on 2/9/12 'Testimonios,' Popular Arts at El Museo del Barrio - New York Times'Testimonios,' Popular Arts at El Museo del Barrio - New York Times'Testimonios,' Popular Arts at El Museo del BarrioNew York TimesBut El Museo del Barrio has something few other New York museums can touch: some 10

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St. Petersburg Police Chief Fired on Medvedev’s Orders

Russian police chief fired after boy's death - CBS News

via Russia - Google News on 2/11/12

Russian police chief fired after boy's death
CBS News
PETERSBURG, RussiaRussia's president has fired the police chief of St. Petersburg, where a 15-year-old boy died after being beaten while in police custody. The dismissal of Mikhail Sukhodolsky on Friday caused some drama at police headquarters, ...
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St. Petersburg Police Chief Fired on Medvedev’s Orders

via NYT > Europe by By ELLEN BARRY on 2/10/12

The dismissal came on the orders of President Dmitri A. Medvedev, amid a probe into the death of a 15-year-old boy in police custody.

Russian Police Chief Fired After Boy's Death

via Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty on 2/10/12

President Dmitry Medvedev has dismissed the police chief of St. Petersburg, where a 15-year-old boy died after allegedly being beaten while in police custody.

City Police Chief Fired, Riot Police Seal Off Police Headquarters

via The St. Petersburg Times on 2/7/12

St. Petersburg police chief Mikhail Sukhodolsky was removed from his position Friday amid drama at the city’s police headquarters. Armed OMON special task force officers blocked the entrance and exit to the headquarters of the St.