News and Opinions - Новости и Мнения: A blog about Russia and her relations with The West
Saturday, February 9, 2013
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence held a hearing on the nomination of John Brennan to become director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Senate Committee Select Intelligence
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence held a hearing on the nomination of John Brennan to become director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced Deputy National Security Adviser for .. Read More
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence held a hearing on the nomination of John Brennan to become director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced Deputy National Security Adviser for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Brennan, who had served in the CIA for 25 years. Mr. Brennan defended anti-terrorist attacks by unmanned drones and said lethal strikes were only used as a last resort. He also said that he was not certain the use of water-boarding in interrogations had produced valuable information. Other topics addressed included security leaks and counter-terrorism efforts against al-Qaeda
Committee Chair Feinstein stopped the hearing for a few minutes to clear the room after several outbursts from protesters delayed the hearing. Members of the public wishing to return to the hearing had to be screened by Capitol Police.
Committee Chair Feinstein stopped the hearing for a few minutes to clear the room after several outbursts from protesters delayed the hearing. Members of the public wishing to return to the hearing had to be screened by Capitol Police.
3 hours, 34 minutes | 3,816 Views
Грани.Ру начинают спецпроект "Против гомофобии" | Russia's Crackdown Against 'Homosexual Propaganda': The perception of homosexuality in Russia is that it's both a perversion of nature and a fashion import from the corrupt West
От любви до ненависти Грани.Ру начинают спецпроект "Против гомофобии". Известны...
from Russian Politics - Российская Политика's Facebook Wall by Russian Politics - Российская Политика
От любви до ненависти
Грани.Ру начинают спецпроект "Против гомофобии". Известные писатели, музыканты, журналисты говорят о своем отношении к "антигейскому" закону, к вторжению власти в частную жизнь, к очередной атаке мракобесия. Первыми выступают …
От любви до ненависти
Грани.Ру начинают спецпроект "Против гомофобии". Известные писатели, музыканты, журналисты говорят о своем отношении к "антигейскому" закону, к вторжению власти в частную жизнь, к очередной атаке мракобесия. Первыми выступают …
От любви до ненависти
Russia's Crackdown Against 'Homosexual Propaganda' - Daily Beast
via Russia - Google News on 2/8/13
Russia's Crackdown Against 'Homosexual Propaganda'
Daily Beast The perception of homosexuality in Russia is that it's both a perversion of nature and a fashion import from the corrupt West: something into which a man can slip if he's had a bit too much vodka—by all accounts a common occurrence in Russia—and as a ... and more » |
Russia's Crackdown Against 'Homosexual Propaganda'
by Justin Green
Go read The New Republic's Julia Ioffe on Russia's baffling new ban on "homosexual propaganda among minors." Money quote:
The perception of homosexuality in Russia is that it's both a perversion of nature and a fashion import from the corrupt West: something into which a man can slip if he's had a bit too much vodka—by all accounts a common occurrence in Russia—and as a posture one adopts to be cool. Thus, the "propaganda" ban. Homosexuality is seen as an aggressive ad campaign that, traditionalists fear, will persuade impressionable young minds that being gay not only isn't abnormal and abhorrent, but stylish and hip. The idea that homosexuality is a natural and innate phenomenon, needless to say, has not gained traction here outside of small circles among the educated. Even there, it's rare.
No 'reset' in sight amid US-Russia chill: "The Kremlin is now turning Russia towards a strategic confrontation with the US," said Lilia Shevtsova... "This isn't a reset but a full-on systems failure," Vlast weekly cited a highly placed official... "The US is very disappointed -- Obama is personally disappointed," Russia in Global Affairs editor Fyodor Lukyanov told AFP... "For Putin now, foreign policy is an instrument for internal politics," Shevtsova told AFP
via Russia - Google News on 2/4/13
RT |
No 'reset' in sight amid US-Russia chill
GlobalPost There are few hopes in Russia for another "reset" in relations as US President Barack Obama enters his second term, with bilateral disputes growing every month and mutual distrust increasing, analysts say. Russia has welcomed the appointment of old ... WMD may be key to US-Russia 'reset'RT Visits may improve US-Russia relationsChina Daily all 4 news articles » |
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There are few hopes in Russia for another "reset" in relations as US President Barack Obama enters his second term, with bilateral disputes growing every month and mutual distrust increasing, analysts say.
Russia has welcomed the appointment of old hand John Kerry as US secretary of state while Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held an apparently cordial meeting with Vice President Joe Biden on the sidelines of a security conference at the weekend.
But analysts caution that mistrust runs too deep and disputes are too numerous for Washington and Moscow to make any headway in bringing about the transformation in relations that Obama hoped for when he first came to power in 2009.
"The Kremlin is now turning Russia towards a strategic confrontation with the US," said Lilia Shevtsova, an analyst with the Carnegie Moscow Centre.
In its latest salvo in late January, Russia announced plans for bans on all US meat imports and the termination of a long-standing bilateral drug control agreement.
The US in turn pulled out of a joint working group on civil society. It also said it was "deeply concerned" by Russian draft legislation that would place a national ban on "homosexual propaganda among minors".
The trigger for the standoff was the passing by the United States of a rights bill targeting Russian officials with sanctions over the prison death of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.
Russia responded with a ban on US adoptions, widely regarded as the toughest piece of anti-US legislation during President Vladimir Putin's 13 years in power.
-- 'A full on systems failure' --
The buzz of the "reset" that Obama launched in 2009 with Putin's predecessor, Dmitry Medvedev after nearly a decade of distant ties now seems far off.
"This isn't a reset but a full-on systems failure," Vlast weekly cited a highly placed official in the Russian government as saying.
At the first high-level contact on Saturday between the countries since Obama's second-term inauguration, Biden was conciliatory as he met Lavrov at the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
Biden told Lavrov he would like to take the countries' relations "back on track", a source in the Russian delegation told Kommersant business daily.
Alexei Pushkov, international relations committee chief at the parliament's lower house, told Vedomosti business daily that a US representative suggested "Let's separate the topic of developing democracy from the broader agenda."
But Obama's own travel schedule is indicative of the state of Russia-US relations -- he appears to have dropped plans for a bilateral visit and will only come when Russia hosts the G20 summit in September.
"It looks like Obama won't come to Russia until the G20 in September since there are a lot of arguments and no topic for a breakthrough is in sight," Pushkov wrote on Twitter on Friday.
The former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton recently raised hackles in Moscow by accusing Russia of trying to "re-Sovietise" the region, a claim that Putin dismissed as "rubbish".
-- 'Obama is disappointed' --
"The US is very disappointed -- Obama is personally disappointed," Russia in Global Affairs editor Fyodor Lukyanov told AFP.
"Obama won't come to Moscow because a visit has to give a concrete result and there won't be one. Now there is nothing that could justify this visit."
Russian officials have resorted to rousing anti-American rhetoric against anti-Putin protesters allegedly funded by the US Department of State.
It banned USAID from Russia and ordered non-governmental organisations with international funding to call themselves "foreign agents".
"For Putin now, foreign policy is an instrument for internal politics," Shevtsova told AFP.
Yet while playing the anti-American card at home, Russia has in fact cooperated with the US in international crises such as Iran and North Korea.
But the key sticking point in diplomacy is the conflict in Syria, which has turned into another thorn in the side of bilateral ties.
Washington has denounced Russia's opposition to UN Security Council efforts to reach a global consensus on the need for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to quit.
Russia still holds strong cards in dealing with the United States but on a dwindling number of international issues, experts say.
"Relations are limited to specific diplomatic cases: on Syria, on Afghanistan and Iran. As a whole, the field of relations is narrowing," said Lukyanov.
am/sjw/mfp/pvh
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130205/no-reset-in-sight-amid-us-russia-chill
2.9.13 - Russia News Review: " Russia is lonely and out of fashion" - via oD Russia | Demonstrators Attack Allies of Georgian President, Injuring at Least 5 - NYT | No 'reset' in sight amid US-Russia chill - GlobalPost
" Russia is lonely and out of fashion"
"Foreign policy is very rarely shaped by the preferences of the people only, as
indeed are such preferences prone to change quickly. Instead, the foreign policy
of the post-Putin’s Russia will be determined by many factors that are now
impossible to predict: the state of Russia’s economy (and in particular the size
of its foreign debt); the political beliefs of its next leaders; the state of
global affairs in general; and the policy initiatives of the West. But reading
Russian opinion polls today is a healthy antidote to the naive expectations that
a democratic change in Russia is an answer to all questions in the bilateral
relations. You do not need to be George Kennan to realise that the
de-legitimation of the current regime in Russia cannot be reversed. Vladimir
Putin’s return to Kremlin blocked the institutional possibility for the
evolutionary development of the regime. Democratic change is possible and even
likely in Russia. What is unlikely is that a democratic government in Russia
will have foreign policy that does not emphasise Russia’s role as independent
regional power, and with the ambition to have an economic region of its own."
via oD Russia by Ivan
Krastev on 2/7/13
In Georgia, Crowd Attacks Mikheil Saakashvili’s Allies
via NYT > World by By OLESYA VARTANYAN and ELLEN BARRY on 2/8/13
At least five lawmakers from the party of President Mikheil Saakashvili were reported injured after an angry crowd of protesters attacked in Tbilisi.
Demonstrators Attack Allies of Georgian President, Injuring at Least 5
David Mdzinarishvili/Reuters
By OLESYA VARTANYAN and ELLEN BARRY
Published: February 8, 2013
__________________________________________________
Mike Nova's starred items
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/9/13
No 'reset' in sight amid US-Russia chill: "The Kremlin is now turning Russia towards a strategic confrontation with the US," said Lilia Shevtsova... "This isn't a reset but a full-on systems failure," Vlast weekly cited a highly placed official... …
No 'reset' in sight amid US-Russia chill: "The Kremlin is now turning Russia towards a strategic confrontation with the US," said Lilia Shevtsova... "This isn't a reset but a full-on systems failure," Vlast weekly cited a highly placed official... "The US is very disappointed -- Obama is personally disappointed," Russia in Global Affairs editor Fyodor Lukyanov told AFP... "For Putin now, foreign policy is an instrument for internal politics," Shevtsova told AFP
No 'reset' in sight amid US-Russia chill: "The Kremlin is now turning Russia towards a strategic confrontation with the US," said Lilia Shevtsova... "This isn't a reset but a full-on systems failure," Vlast weekly cited a highly placed official... "The US is very disappointed -- Obama is personally disappointed," Russia in Global Affairs editor Fyodor Lukyanov told AFP... "For Putin now, foreign policy is an instrument for internal politics," Shevtsova told AFP
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/3/13
Gleb Pavlovsky's Photos
Хорошо: «Путешественник видит то, что видит; турист видит то, на что он приехал посмотреть» (Г.К.Честертон, от @ Ольга Красноярова). – Наш-то вовсе не выезжает – он себя вывозит вовне.. И там себя рассуждает: эх, а у нас иначе.. а вот этого у нас не дождёшься! .. Ничего нет мельче и пошлей, чем написанное в новой России о жизни других народов. Едва советская граница открылась, русские захлебнулись туризмом. Старый русский путешественник, от Карамзина и Герцена до Эренбурга и Виктора Некрасова искал в загранке иную жизнь, любовно (или с ужасом) рассматривая мощь чужих обычаев. Новые знают лишь зоны комфорта, импортируя пошлости на Родину взад.
Русское зарубежье это Пхукет и Гоа, тоска конференций и shopping area в аэропортах.
Ещё наблюдения новоначальных перегнувшись через подоконник: гляди, гляди, а вот чех с собачкой - собачка покакала, так чех какашку раз- - и в бумажку! И полисмен на него – зырк-зырк, но как по-доброму!
За 25 лет – НИ ОДНОЙ МЫСЛИ (публично обсуждённой), кроме - «Где пышнее пироги?»
Наш опыт чужой жизни заключается в ресторанных счетах и «ах всюду эти японцы..китайцы..арабы..негры..». Раздражают все, кто живут не как мы..завистливо раздражают. Когда граница (уже скоро) снова захлопнется, мы станем мучительно припоминать: мир - что такое «мир»? Мы же там кажется бывали? Ты помнишь, какие бикинюшки купила в Сантъяго-де-Компостела? Ну там где ещё был топ на косточках?!
Владимир Владимирович зря боитесь что на Западе нас подкупят! .. ботильоны из Палермо, таиландские бусы и афинский мраморный хуй у нас уже есть!
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/3/13
"власти РФ взяли курс на патриотизм и ярко выраженный антиамериканизм: Соединенные Штаты представляются монстром" - See more of "Russian Politics - Российская Политика" via Mike Nova ...
Соединенные Штаты теряют интерес к России - INOTV
via …
"власти РФ взяли курс на патриотизм и ярко выраженный антиамериканизм: Соединенные Штаты представляются монстром" - See more of "Russian Politics - Российская Политика" via Mike Nova ...
Соединенные Штаты теряют интерес к России - INOTV
via …
"власти РФ взяли курс на патриотизм и ярко выраженный антиамериканизм: Соединенные Штаты представляются монстром" - See more of "Russian Politics - Российская Политика" via Mike Nova ...
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/4/13
Десятки фальшивых диссертаций в Московском педагогическом государственном университете (МПГУ)...
• Link
Десятки фальшивых диссертаций в Московском педагогическом государственном университете (МПГУ)...
• Feb. 4th, 2013 at 2:51 …
Десятки фальшивых диссертаций в Московском педагогическом государственном университете (МПГУ)...
• Link
Десятки фальшивых диссертаций в Московском педагогическом государственном университете (МПГУ)...
• Feb. 4th, 2013 at 2:51 …
Десятки фальшивых диссертаций в Московском педагогическом государственном университете (МПГУ)...
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/4/13
NYT: Dealing With the Real Putin
───────────────────────────────────
February 4, 2013
Dealing With the Real Putin
By FIONA HILL and CLIFFORD GADDY
THE Obama administration has decided it’s time to “reset the reset” with Russia. The reset was one …
NYT: Dealing With the Real Putin
───────────────────────────────────
February 4, 2013
Dealing With the Real Putin
By FIONA HILL and CLIFFORD GADDY
THE Obama administration has decided it’s time to “reset the reset” with Russia. The reset was one …
NYT: Dealing With the Real Putin
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/4/13
Putin and the monk - FT.com
www.ft.com
Father Tikhon Shevkunov looks a little too polished to fit the image of the Orthodox Christian monk branded into the western imagination by Dostoevsky. The beard is just unkempt enough, but his chin is a bit too sculpted, his mane of shoulder-length
Mike Nova's starred items
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/4/13
Путин и 300 архиереев: «Православная идеология» в путинской модели просто заменяет коммунистическую
Путин и 300 архиереев
«Православная идеология» в путинской модели просто заменяет коммунистическую
Mike Nova
4:42 PM - Public
ВЕДОМОСТИ - …
Путин и 300 архиереев: «Православная идеология» в путинской модели просто заменяет коммунистическую
Путин и 300 архиереев
«Православная идеология» в путинской модели просто заменяет коммунистическую
Mike Nova
4:42 PM - Public
ВЕДОМОСТИ - …
Путин и 300 архиереев: «Православная идеология» в путинской модели просто заменяет коммунистическую
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/4/13
“We are heading toward 1937,” Gudkov says. “All that’s left now is for them to shoot the opposition.”
Trial of Putin Foe Shows No Russian Investors are Safe - Bloomberg
via putin's face - Google News on 2/4/13
Trial of Putin Foe Shows No …
“We are heading toward 1937,” Gudkov says. “All that’s left now is for them to shoot the opposition.”
Trial of Putin Foe Shows No Russian Investors are Safe - Bloomberg
via putin's face - Google News on 2/4/13
Trial of Putin Foe Shows No …
“We are heading toward 1937,” Gudkov says. “All that’s left now is for them to shoot the opposition.”
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/4/13
RUSSIA and THE WEST - РОССИЯ и ЗАПАД: 2.4.13 - News Review: “We are heading toward 1937” - Link
east-and-west-org.blogspot.com
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/4/13
2.4.13 - News Review: “We are heading toward 1937” - Link
Mike Nova
7:52 PM - Public
http://east-and-west-org.blogspot.com/2013_02_04_archive.html
“We are heading toward 1937,” Gudkov says. “All that’s left now is for them to shoot the …
2.4.13 - News Review: “We are heading toward 1937” - Link
Mike Nova
7:52 PM - Public
http://east-and-west-org.blogspot.com/2013_02_04_archive.html
“We are heading toward 1937,” Gudkov says. “All that’s left now is for them to shoot the …
2.4.13 - News Review: “We are heading toward 1937” - Link
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/4/13
http://east-and-west-org.blogspot.com/2013_02_04_archive.html
RUSSIA and THE WEST - РОССИЯ и ЗАПАД: 02/04/13
east-and-west-org.blogspot.com
A blog about Russia and her relations with The West
RUSSIA and THE WEST - РОССИЯ и ЗАПАД: 02/04/13
east-and-west-org.blogspot.com
A blog about Russia and her relations with The West
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/4/13
RUSSIA and THE WEST - РОССИЯ и ЗАПАД: 2.4.13 - News Review: “We are heading toward 1937”...
RUSSIA and THE WEST - РОССИЯ и ЗАПАД: 2.4.13 - News Review: “We are heading toward 1937”...: Mike Nova 7:52 PM - Public …
RUSSIA and THE WEST - РОССИЯ и ЗАПАД: 2.4.13 - News Review: “We are heading toward 1937”...
RUSSIA and THE WEST - РОССИЯ и ЗАПАД: 2.4.13 - News Review: “We are heading toward 1937”...: Mike Nova 7:52 PM - Public …
RUSSIA and THE WEST - РОССИЯ и ЗАПАД: 2.4.13 - News Review: “We are heading toward 1937”...
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/5/13
Putinism In Winter
www.rferl.org
The recent disarray and intrigue in the Russian elite is reminiscent of the later 1990s, the twilight years of Boris Yeltsin's rule.
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/5/13
Blogs Review - 2.5.13
Mike Nova's starred items
The example of hateful, if not rabid anti-Americanism | Putin Doctrine
via RUSSIA and THE WEST - РОССИЯ и ЗАПАД by Mike Nova on 2/5/13
This is an example of hateful, if not rabid anti-Americanism …
Blogs Review - 2.5.13
Mike Nova's starred items
The example of hateful, if not rabid anti-Americanism | Putin Doctrine
via RUSSIA and THE WEST - РОССИЯ и ЗАПАД by Mike Nova on 2/5/13
This is an example of hateful, if not rabid anti-Americanism …
Blogs Review - 2.5.13
Mike Nova's starred items
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/5/13
Vladimir Putin has been the president or the prime minister of Russia for over 12 years. By now, many would think they are familiar with who this person is and yet he's still a mystery - By: Fiona Hill and Clifford G. Gaddy - Brookings …
Vladimir Putin has been the president or the prime minister of Russia for over 12 years. By now, many would think they are familiar with who this person is and yet he's still a mystery - By: Fiona Hill and Clifford G. Gaddy - Brookings Institution
Vladimir Putin has been the president or the prime minister of Russia for over 12 years. By now, many would think they are familiar with who this person is and yet he's still a mystery - By: Fiona Hill and Clifford G. Gaddy - Brookings Institution
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/5/13
News Review - 2.5.13
News Review - 2.5.13
The End of Russia's Thaw Hurts Medvedev, Navalny, & Friends
via Global Voices » Russia by Kevin Rothrock on 2/1/13
Earlier this week on January 29, federal investigators searched [ru] Kirov Governor …
News Review - 2.5.13
News Review - 2.5.13
The End of Russia's Thaw Hurts Medvedev, Navalny, & Friends
via Global Voices » Russia by Kevin Rothrock on 2/1/13
Earlier this week on January 29, federal investigators searched [ru] Kirov Governor …
News Review - 2.5.13
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/5/13
Gay News Review - 2.5.13
Mike Nova's starred items
UK Parliament Votes Approval Of Gay Marriage
via Queerty by Lester Brathwaite on 2/5/13
Today, the UK’s House of Commons voted by 400 to 175 in favor of allowing same-sex marriage, a cause …
Gay News Review - 2.5.13
Mike Nova's starred items
UK Parliament Votes Approval Of Gay Marriage
via Queerty by Lester Brathwaite on 2/5/13
Today, the UK’s House of Commons voted by 400 to 175 in favor of allowing same-sex marriage, a cause …
Gay News Review - 2.5.13
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/6/13
Мегаполис — Всемирный Karl-Marx-Stadt
www.youtube.com
Видеоклип на песню "Всемирный Karl-Marx-Stadt" (2007). Режиссер - Лео Габриадзе, анимация - "Болд Дизайн". "МЕГАПОЛИС" В СЕТИ: facebook - http://www.facebook/...
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/6/13
Скандал в Большом театре. Версии Иксанова и Цискаридзе
www.snob.ru
Неизвестный плеснул Сергею Филину в лицо серной кислотой. Многолетняя драма вокруг Большого театра переросла в трагедию. Николай Усков встретился с двумя непримиримыми оппонентами, которые уже обменялись обвинениями в причастности к случившемуся, – генеральным директором Большого театра Анатол...
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/6/13
Конец коалиции перемен
www.colta.ru
АЛЕКСАНДР МОРОЗОВ о состоянии медиа после взлета и крушения надежд на перемены
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/6/13
АЛЕКСАНДР МОРОЗОВ о состоянии медиа после взлета и крушения надежд на перемены
Александр Морозов
а это мой текст про то, "что происходит" и как начинаются "благословенные годы реакции".
See Translation
Конец коалиции …
АЛЕКСАНДР МОРОЗОВ о состоянии медиа после взлета и крушения надежд на перемены
Александр Морозов
а это мой текст про то, "что происходит" и как начинаются "благословенные годы реакции".
See Translation
Конец коалиции …
АЛЕКСАНДР МОРОЗОВ о состоянии медиа после взлета и крушения надежд на перемены
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/6/13
https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc6/203403_100000874555016_2227139_q.jpg
Ольга Крыштановская
ВАК: давно защита диссертаций стала профанацией. Почти повсеместно. Чиновники и бизнесмены получают ученые степени пачками. Среди нашей политической элиты 47% кандидатов и докторов наук. Звание академик, некогда славное, утратило былой престиж. Ведь в академики берут сегодня только директоров институтов. Может быть, пора и здесь наводить порядок, открыто говорить о коррупции и деградации?
Ольга Крыштановская
ВАК: давно защита диссертаций стала профанацией. Почти повсеместно. Чиновники и бизнесмены получают ученые степени пачками. Среди нашей политической элиты 47% кандидатов и докторов наук. Звание академик, некогда славное, утратило былой престиж. Ведь в академики берут сегодня только директоров институтов. Может быть, пора и здесь наводить порядок, открыто говорить о коррупции и деградации?
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/6/13
Грани.Ру: Прощание с Долматовым: другороссы побили Удальцова
grani.ru
У Сахаровского центра, где проходит прощание с активистом "Другой России" Александром Долматовым, произошла драка. Другороссы побили координатора Левого фронта Сергея Удальцова, обвинив его в том, что он "сливает протест" и "пиарится" на трагедии. У Удальцова подбита ск...
Mike Nova's starred items
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/6/13
Грани.Ру: Экспертов СПЧ преследуют за доклад по второму делу ЮКОСа
grani.ru
Эксперты Совета по правам человека, готовившие доклад по второму делу Михаила Ходорковского и Платона Лебедева, подверглись преследованиям. Член СПЧ Тамара Морщакова заявила, что у ряда экспертов были проведены обыски, а один из них преследовался в служебном порядке. Экспертиза была завершена в нояб...
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/6/13
Latitude: The Farcical Russian Legal System on Display
Latitude: The Farcical Russian Legal System on Display: A member of Pussy Riot was left staring at a videoscreen in her Russian penal colony as her own trial for camp violations played out just …
Latitude: The Farcical Russian Legal System on Display
Latitude: The Farcical Russian Legal System on Display: A member of Pussy Riot was left staring at a videoscreen in her Russian penal colony as her own trial for camp violations played out just …
Latitude: The Farcical Russian Legal System on Display
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/6/13
NEWS: NYT Review: 2.6.13
NEWS: NYT Review: 2.6.13: NYT Review: 2.6.13 Mike Nova's starred items Boy Scouts Postpone Decision on Gays via NYT > U.S. by By LAUREN D’AV...
NEWS: NYT Review: 2.6.13
NEWS: NYT Review: 2.6.13: NYT Review: 2.6.13 Mike Nova's starred items Boy Scouts Postpone Decision on Gays via NYT > U.S. by By LAUREN D’AV...
NEWS: NYT Review: 2.6.13
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/7/13
Антон Красовский: Я гей, и я такой же человек, как президент Путин
www.snob.ru
Бывший главный редактор кремлевского канала «Контр ТВ» рассказывает о причинах, по которым он совершил coming out и покинул канал
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/7/13
Timeline Photos
Владимир Егорович Маковский (1846–1920)
Освящение публичного дома, эскиз к картине 1900
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/7/13
Гействующие лица и исполнители
www.mk.ru
Прогрессивная общественность нынче премного увлечена критикой так называемого гомофобского закона, вроде как призванного ограничить пропаганду однополой любви среди несовершеннолетних. Хотя, если разобраться, закон этот — чистая фикция, местами переходящая в политико-экономический анекдот.
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via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/8/13
Lion Hunt, short story - Охота на льва - Рассказ
Last Update: 2007 - 2.8.13
Mike Nova - МАЙК НОВА
Охота на льва
Рассказ
Animula vagula blandula,
Hospes comesque corporis,
Quae nunc abibis? in loca
Pallidula rigida nudula –
Nec ut soles dabis …
Lion Hunt, short story - Охота на льва - Рассказ
Last Update: 2007 - 2.8.13
Mike Nova - МАЙК НОВА
Охота на льва
Рассказ
Animula vagula blandula,
Hospes comesque corporis,
Quae nunc abibis? in loca
Pallidula rigida nudula –
Nec ut soles dabis …
Lion Hunt, short story - Охота на льва - Рассказ
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/9/13
Azerbaijan Is Rich. Now It Wants to Be Famous.
Azerbaijan Is Rich. Now It Wants to Be Famous.: Oil-rich, velvet-rope-poor Azerbaijan, a country about the size of South Carolina on the Caspian Sea, would very much like to be the world’s next party …
Azerbaijan Is Rich. Now It Wants to Be Famous.
Azerbaijan Is Rich. Now It Wants to Be Famous.: Oil-rich, velvet-rope-poor Azerbaijan, a country about the size of South Carolina on the Caspian Sea, would very much like to be the world’s next party …
Azerbaijan Is Rich. Now It Wants to Be Famous.
via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 2/9/13
2.9.13
Mike Nova's starred items
Five Myths About Russia - Forbes
via Russia - Google News on 2/4/13
The Voice of Russia
Five Myths About Russia
Forbes
The past several weeks have been very busy, and I haven't had a chance to post quite as …
2.9.13
Mike Nova's starred items
Five Myths About Russia - Forbes
via Russia - Google News on 2/4/13
The Voice of Russia
Five Myths About Russia
Forbes
The past several weeks have been very busy, and I haven't had a chance to post quite as …
2.9.13
via CSIS: Publication Feed by Mgraybeal on 2/6/13
Four years ago, U.S. energy policy in the Americas arose from a sense of energy scarcity. Today the situation has changed. By 2020, the United States could overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's largest oil producer. And thanks to shale gas deposits, it could be a net natural gas exporter.
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via Cybersecurity - Related by jdunton on 2/7/13
This report looks at the political-military aspects of cybersecurity and attempts to place it in the larger context of international security. Networks are embedded in our economies and our political and social life. They have become the central tool for human activity. These networks form cyberspace.
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via путин – Новости Google on 2/8/13
РБК - RBC.Ru |
В.Путин: В России не раскрывается каждое второе преступление
РБК - RBC.Ru Полиция в России работает недостаточно эффективно. Как сообщает корреспондент РБК, об этом на коллегии МВД заявил президент страны Владимир Путин. Глава государства в ходе своего выступления отметил, что в стране не раскрывается каждое второе преступление. Путин поставил задачи перед МВД, а политическим противникам велел "не разрушать и не подтачивать"NEWSru.com Владимир Путин принял участие в заседании расширенной коллегии МВДПервый канал Путин поручил усилить меры безопасности в общественных местахРИА Новости Российская Газета -НТВ.ru -Ведомости Все похожие статьи: 56 » |
via Putin - Google News on 2/7/13
Business Insider |
Putin Demands That The Russian Olympic Committee Fire One Of Its VPs
Business Insider SOCHI, Russia (AP) — A year before the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics begin, President Vladimir Putin has demanded that a senior member of the Russian Olympic Committee be fired. Putin's move came after he scolded officials over a two-year delay and ... |
via Putin - Google News on 2/7/13
The Guardian |
Putin fires Olympic official after publicly ridiculing him
The Guardian Vladimir Putin has fired a top Russian Olympic official after publicly ridiculing him on a visit to facilities being built for a winter Olympics dogged by reports of corruption and construction delays. The humiliation of Akhmed Bilalov, 42, stamped the ... |
via путин – Новости Google on 2/8/13
Известия |
Путин обратил внимание МВД на уличную преступность
Известия Владимир Путин в своем выступлении на коллегии МВД, говоря об итогах работы полиции в минувшем году, остановился на ключевых проблемах в деле поддержания общественной безопасности — низкой раскрываемости преступлений (55,6 % от зарегистрированных), росте ДТП с ... |
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via путин – Новости Google on 2/8/13
Аргументы и факты |
Путин: Половина преступлений в России не раскрывается
Аргументы и факты Москва, 8 февраля – АиФ-Москва. Президент РФ Владимир Путин выступил с резкой критикой работы МВД, передаёт РИА Новости. «В целом по России остаются нераскрытыми почти 45 % преступлений (44,4 %). Практически каждое второе. Это явный, очевидный факт, ... |
via путин – Новости Google on 2/8/13
Путин поставил задачи перед МВД, а политическим противникам велел "не разрушать и не подтачивать"
NEWSru.com Президент России Владимир Путин выступил перед коллегией МВД, указав министерству на цели и задачи, не забыв при этом перечислить заслуги. В частности, бюджет ведомства был увеличен вдвое в 2012 году, зарплаты и материальное обеспечение правоохранителей улучшилось ... |
via путин – Новости Google on 2/8/13
Владимир Путин принял участие в заседании расширенной коллегии МВД
Первый канал В России необходимо развивать эффективную систему профилактики правонарушений. Эту задачу Владимир Путин назвал одной из основных, выступая сегодня на коллегии МВД. Президент призвал сотрудников ведомства повысить уровень раскрываемости преступлений. Для этого ... |
via Putin - Google News on 2/8/13
The Independent |
Adam Osmayev: the public schoolboy and a plot to kill Vladimir Putin
The Independent Several hours in, she gets to the key phrase: “To carry out a terrorist act with the aim of the elimination of the head of the government of the Russian Federation, V. V. Putin.” Locked behind the black metal bars of the courtroom's cage, surrounded by ... and more » |
via Putin - Google News on 2/7/13
euronews |
Russia: Putin throws official out in the cold ahead of Winter Olympics
euronews With just a year to go until the Winter Olympics in Russia, President Vladimir Putin and the President of the International Olympic Committee held a ceremony at the Ice Palace in Sochi. The Olympics are a priority for Putin, who hopes to show how far ... |
via Putin - Google News on 2/7/13
Russia's Putin sacks Olympic official over Games delays
Reuters SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin fired a top Russian Olympic official on Thursday after publicly ridiculing him on a visit to half-finished sports complexes planned for a winter Olympics dogged by reports of corruption and construction delays. |
via NEWSru.com on 2/9/13
"Судья Карпов удовлетворил ходатайство СК. Домашний арест. До 6 апреля. Общение только с родственниками и адвокатами. Без переписки и средств связи", - написал Удальцов в своем микроблоге. Его должны лишить интернета и средств связи.
via NEWSru.com on 2/9/13
Казаки и националисты призвали собраться "для обсуждения вопросов стабилизации" обстановки в регионе. После конфликта с ингушами казак Спасибов оказался в реанимации. Власти ответили задержаниями.
via Russia - Google News on 2/8/13
TIME |
Forward Russia: Grand Sochi project highlights Putin ambition
CNN International It's a grand project that Vladimir Putin hopes will transform an ailing region of Russia and make a bold statement of intent, using sport as the fulcrum -- much in the way that China did with its Olympics in 2008 and Qatar hopes to do with soccer's ... Russian Winter Olympics Hit a Snag Over TimeNew York Times One Year Out, Russia Is Already Stockpiling Snow for the Sochi OlympicsTIME Russia's Putin sacks Olympic official over Games delaysReuters The Voice of Russia -Advocate.com all 422 news articles » |
Mike Nova's starred items
via Russia - Google News on 2/8/13
RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty |
In Russia, Reasons To Fear Year Of The Snake
RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty "The Year of the Snake is different because it's a year that, for Russia, has always marked very important, sweeping changes in our social and political life," Pavel Sviridov, a futurologist and president of the Temporal Research Fund, explained in a ... |
via World news: Russia | guardian.co.uk by Lauren Niland on 2/8/13
Next week will see a small asteroid pass closer to the earth than TV satellites, but Nasa have assured the world that there is no danger of impact. The celestial visitor has been named DA14 and is expected to travel at speeds of about 8 miles (13km) a second.
Something travelling that fast has collided with the earth before - in June of 1908, when an asteroid or comet exploded over Siberia. It has come to be known as the Tunguska event.
People were aware that something momentous had happened - but as the above report demonstrates, the region itself was inaccessible until the 1920s. The 1921 expedition laid bare the devastation caused by impact, with 80m of trees levelled over 830 square miles (2,150 sq km).
These days, thanks to NASA and satellites, we are able to track and announce what will be happening in the skies, but in the earlier part of the 20th century, explanations were not so easily obtainable - and the fear of the unknown convinced some people (probably understandably) of an apocalypse.
The effect of the collision was also felt in Britain, with a reader writing to the Times newspaper inquiring why the sky was so bright at night. She didn't receive an answer in 1908, but a 1991 Guardian Notes and Queries offered the hypothesis that the amount of dust thrown up by the blast diffracted the sun's rays, leading to "someone [playing] a round of golf at St Andrews at 2.30 in the morning."
Fascination with the Tungaska event has been fuelled not only by the sheer scale of the event, but with the mystery surrounding it. Scientists have been divided for over a century over what actually caused the impact, arguing between comet, asteroid and meteor.
It has even infiltrated popular culture - in 2008, Nintendo brought out a Wii game based on the Tunguska event and in 1996 it received one of the true accolades of mysterious happenings - inspiring an episode of the X-Files.
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via Russia News Headlines - Yahoo! News on 2/8/13
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's top investigative agency said on Friday it was seeking to put under house arrest a prominent opposition leader charged with plotting mass disorder in protests against President Vladimir Putin. The leftist Sergei Udaltsov is among several opposition figures charged with riots and violence against police during a protest against Putin in May on the eve of the former KGB spy's inauguration for a third presidential term. ...
via World news: Russia | guardian.co.uk by Miriam Elder on 2/8/13
For nearly three weeks, the main action at the Bolshoi theatre has been happening far from its famous stage, as dancers and directors exchange heated accusations about who is behind the brutal acid attack on its ballet troupe's director, Sergei Filin.
Now, police have begun to treat several employees and dancers as suspects, according to an "informed source in Moscow's law enforcement agencies" cited by the Interfax news agency.
"Evidence is now being collected," the source said, providing no further details.
The unprecedented attack against Filin has lifted the veil on the bitter rivalries and personality clashes inside the country's most renowned theatre. Filin immediately linked the attack to his work as artistic director of the Bolshoi ballet.
The 42-year-old former dancer is in Germany receiving treatment aimed at restoring his eyesight. He was released from a Moscow hospital on Monday after undergoing several operations on his eyes and face, which were left with third degree burns after a masked attacker accosted him with sulphuric acid outside his home on 17 January.
Since the attack, the key players in the Bolshoi drama have approached the incident with theatrical flair, giving incendiary interviews and trading accusations almost daily. On one side stands Filin, backed by the Bolshoi's general director, Anatoly Iksanov. On the other is Nikolai Tsiskaridze, a principal dancer and celebrity backed by hordes of adoring fans. He has been a longtime critic of the theatre's leadership and had been a contender for Filin's position.
The Russian press immediately turned to the rivalry between the two men in speculating what could have prompted the brutal assault.
In television interviews, some from his hospital bed, Filin has said he knows who was responsible for the attack, but has refused to name names. Iksanov has repeatedly pointed the finger at Tsiskaridze – if not for carrying out the attack, at least for creating an "atmosphere" that allowed it to happen.
Tsiskaridze has denied being involved. Speaking to the BBC in an interview that aired on Friday, he went one step further and wondered if Filin was attacked at all.
"If this, God forbid, really was acid, you wouldn't be able to show your face for months," Tsiskaridze told the BBC. "I don't know what the substance was, but it's clear that it wasn't what they claim."
Filin left hospital on Monday wearing dark glasses, his face exposed but framed in a white bandage.
Tsiskaridze speculated that the attack and its attendant publicity could have been part of a set-up designed to blacken his name.
"If you look at all the specially commissioned TV shows that have been hinting at my involvement, it looks like a campaign against me," Tsiskaridze said. "This isn't against Sergei Filin, it's against me."
Tsiskaridze has long had a contentious relationship with the theatre's management. He has publicly denounced favouritism inside the Bolshoi and likened the result of the theatre's recent major renovation to a "Turkish hotel". He has accused the management of trying to push him out.
"It's like 1937, the days of Stalin – they're constantly organising meetings against me, they're trying to force staff to sign letters condemning me," he told the BBC.
The attack on Filin has had its effect on the theatre. Last week, the Bolshoi postponed its premiere of a new version of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring by British choreographer Wayne McGregor, one of the most eagerly awaited new productions in its repertoire.
"The Bolshoi management and the stage team led by Wayne McGregor have taken a joint decision to postpone The Rite of Spring as Sergei Filin is undergoing treatment," the Bolshoi said in a statement. It said it would announce new dates once Filin was back at work.
guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
via Russia News Headlines - Yahoo! News on 2/8/13
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian police have arrested a Moldovan man wanted for attempted murder in Romania in November and who is also suspected by London police of shooting a Russian banker in the British capital last spring. Police arrested Vitali Proca, a 33-year-old from Moldova, in Moscow on Wednesday, the Russian Interior Ministry said in a statement. The arrest was confirmed by Interpol and Britain's Metropolitan Police. According to Interpol, Proca allegedly gunned down his victim in a mob-style shooting in a Bucharest parking lot on November 26 last year. ...
via Russia - Google News on 2/8/13
Washington Post |
Canadian navy officer who sold secrets to Russia sentenced to 20 years for ...
Washington Post HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — A Canadian navy intelligence officer who pleaded guilty to selling military secrets to Russia was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison. Sub-Lt. Jeffrey Paul Delisle will serve 18 years and five months behind bars because of ... Canada: Spy for Russia SentencedNew York Times Halifax navy spy who sold secrets to Russia sentenced to 20 yearsCTV News Canadian who spied for Russia jailed for 20 yearsTVNZ Globe and Mail -GlobalPost all 23 news articles » |
via World news: Russia | guardian.co.uk by Julian Borger on 2/8/13
A report out today by the Centre for Public Integrity in Washington says that the Obama administration has made the decision that the US can make do with just two thirds of its current arsenal of deployed strategic nuclear warheads.
The current ceiling, agreed in the 2010 New Start Treaty with Russia, allows for 1550 of these warheads, consisting in the US case of Minuteman III missiles, submarine-launched Trident missiles and long-range bombers (the 'triad' of US deterrence). The new report says Obama will cut that to 1000-1,100 after an inter-agency review found it would not affect national security and save many billions of dollars.
However, the administration will seek to make the cuts in tandem with Russia, as an extension of New Start, thereby ducking the need for Senate approval of a new treaty. The CPI report says that Vice President Joseph Biden discussed the issue with the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, when the two met at the Munich Security Conference last weekend.
Nuclear experts in Washington said the numbers sounded about right. In fact they were first reported last July by the Associated Press. But they were a bit surprised by the timing.
The new report suggests the announcement would come in the coming weeks, after it receives Obama's signature. While Biden said in Munich that the president would mention the nuclear disarmament in his State of the Union address on February 12, most observers do not expect the final version of the new policy to be rolled out before spring, perhaps in time for the fourth anniversary of the president's famous Prague speech, where he promised to start moving towards a world without nuclear weapons.
Daryl Kimball, the head of the Arms Control Association in Washington said:
It makes common sense for the US and Russia to further reduce their strategic stockpiles. Moving from 1500 to 1000 warheads makes sense, and hopefully that will induce Russia to go below its present ceilings. The US could downsize its SSBN fleet from 12 to 10 to even 8 submarines, and that would save $20 billion over the next decade, and it would still be possible to maintain the triad.The report in question springs from the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review which concluded:
The massive nuclear arsenal we inherited from the Cold War era of bipolar military confrontation is poorly suited to address the challenges posed by suicidal terrorists and unfriendly regimes seeking nuclear weapons.That however was simply a declaration of intent. To be translated into actual strategic cuts, there had be a further inter-agency implementation study which has been underway ever since. By all accounts the basic decisions were made last year but not released to avoid making them grist for the election mill. Joe Cirincione, the president of the Ploughshares Fund said:
As you know, this guidance has been under development for almost two years. With the election and the Inauguration complete and the President's new security leadership almost in place, it makes sense for him to turn back in earnest to the nuclear policy agenda. I know from talking with senior officials that nuclear policy remains a personal priority or the President.Cirincione added:
Reducing our immense nuclear arsenal has a number of benefits: it would strengthen U.S. global leadership, enhance the country's ability to deter new nuclear weapon states, accelerate efforts to prevent nuclear terrorism, and greatly reduce the danger of the use of nuclear weapons from miscalculation, misunderstanding, or accident. It would make us all safer.
guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
via - Europe RSS Feed on 2/8/13
The state prosecutor, dressed in a regulation navy jacket with gilded buttons and insignia, reads in a monotone from the thick sheaf of papers that make up the indictment. Several hours in, she gets to the key phrase: “To carry out a terrorist act with the aim of the elimination of the head of the government of the Russian Federation, V. V. Putin.” Locked behind the black metal bars of the courtroom’s cage, surrounded by armed police, the defendant Adam Osmayev smiles wryly.
Mike Nova's starred items
via - Europe RSS Feed on 2/8/13
For Adam Osmayev, the manicured countryside of the Cotswolds was a world away from the battle-scarred landscape of his Chechen homeland. But as he mixed with students at his expensive private school, he did not forget his roots.
via Russia - Google News on 2/8/13
Washington Post |
Canada: Spy for Russia Sentenced
New York Times A Canadian naval intelligence officer, who gave Russia secrets from five nations, including the United States, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Friday. The officer, Sub-Lt. Jeffrey Paul Delisle, 41, said he began selling secrets in 2007 while ... Canadian navy officer who sold secrets to Russia sentenced to 20 years for ...Washington Post Canadian who spied for Russia jailed for 20 yearsTVNZ Halifax navy spy who sold secrets to Russia sentenced to 20 yearsCTV News GlobalPost -Waterloo Record -Global Times all 48 news articles » |
via Russia - Google News on 2/8/13
RT |
Russia: Officer Jailed in Coup Plot
New York Times A Moscow court sentenced a former Soviet intelligence officer on Friday to 13 years in a prison colony for plotting an armed coup against the Russian government. The officer, Vladimir Kvachkov, a former colonel in the Soviet military intelligence ... Russia jails crossbow coup conspiratorsScotsman Russia jails colonel cleared of Chubais plotGlobalPost Former military intelligence officer Vladimir KvachkovRIA Novosti all 11 news articles » |
via World news: Russia | guardian.co.uk by Andrew Brown on 2/9/13
I have been reading about Siberian shamanism, which transports me to a world where fairytale horrors were still alive deep into the 20th century. One story collected in the 1980s tells of the shaman Khosogoi who was believed to "eat the souls of children". A suspicious guest places the shaman's own child in the cradle provided for hers: "In the night, as though dreaming, the guest saw Khosogoi wave his drum beater three times in the direction of the cradle and bring it to his lips, whereupon something resembling sour cream flowed into his mouth. After this, the woman again switched children.
"Early next morning, the household was awakened by a heartrending howl from the hosts' child. The child cried for a while and soon died. Khosogoi tried to vomit what he had swallowed in the night, but nothing came out. He then said: 'What has been eaten can never return. And my spirits have left me for ever, being angry that I fed them my own child.'"
The tale has the quick, undeviating cruelty of the Brothers Grimm but it takes place not in the long ago and far away world of witches, but in – as it might be – the yurt next door.
Another contrast with Grimm is that in their 19th-century fairytales of Germany, the constant theme is hunger. But in these Siberian folk tales, the overhanging dread is of disease. Children die; mothers die; tuberculosis and smallpox wipe out whole tribes. All these deaths are due to evil spirits. This explanation of disease and death is of course common to almost all preliterate religions, and survives even in literate ones. The shamanism of Siberia has hybridised in various places with Islam, Buddhism and Christianity, depending on the religion of the invaders of any particular region. In all these cases the rituals of drumming and singing in a darkened tent survived, even if the spirits invoked changed their names and characters.
The shaman, though he – or she – has dark powers, is necessary to the tribe because the spirits with whom they communicate are the only powers that can combat the evil ones that are imagined with startling vividness: "The Evén believed that the evil spirit of smallpox appeared on the migration routes of reindeer herders in the form of a woman with red hair like a European."
"The woman with red hair like a European" is not embedded in any worked-out system of mythology. That would demand the kind of tidying that can only emerge in literate religions. Even then, there will be a layer of unofficial folk beliefs that contradict official doctrine on almost every point. What matters is ritual, in which the meaning cannot be separated from the performance. The other really important thing about shamanism is that its purpose is not to explain the world, but to cure it. This is of course what Marx claimed for his own followers: "The philosophers up till now have tried to understand the world. The point, however, is to change it." That is another way in which Marxism resembled a religion more than a science.
The book I'm reading – Shamanic Worlds – is a translation of a volume originally published in Soviet Russia, so that the chapters make ritual obeisance to the spirits of Marx and Lenin. The authors, whatever their private views may have been, are obliged to pretend they are studying something that must disappear. "The extinction of religious vestiges is not a straightforward process. Under certain circumstances, they may revive, influencing some groups of people. But the general tendency of the development of society inevitably dooms them to gradual extinction."
It is pleasant to read this and reflect that there are almost certainly more shamanists than communists flourishing in Siberia today. Neither Marxism nor shamanism could cure the diseases they claimed to, but shamans had the better songs and made the world a little easier to endure.
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via oD Russia by Vladimir Zvonovsky on 2/8/13
In Putin’s Russia, NGOs funded from abroad are now officially considered ‘foreign agents’. However a recent poll suggests that the Russian public’s attitude to them is rather less one-sided. Vladimir Zvonovsky reports from Samara.
Opponents of this ‘traditional’ way of thinking rightly note that such a diametrical opposition of ‘us’ and ‘them’ was only possible within the Soviet framework of a fairly rigid ideology, underpinned by fixed socio-political practice. Today, when neither the practice nor the ideology behind it exists any more, Russia suffers from a lack of any common identity that would create national unity. So the boundaries between ‘Russian’ and ‘foreign’ are also very fluid, uncertain and they vary between different social groups.
Why ‘foreign’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘bad’
A study carried out back in 2001 showed that the Russian public and Russia’s political and media elite have quite different attitudes to the USA and the West in general. It showed that ordinary Russians think their own ruling classes are more closely connected to their global, and especially western, counterparts than they are to their own voters. To put it bluntly, the Russian man and woman in the street regard their own political elites as a sort of a branch of world government (with its centre in Washington, of course).This hypothesis ought in theory to produce a tolerant attitude to foreign institutions being involved in everyday life in Russia, provided their involvement could be seen to be beneficial. After all, it need not mean the presence of actual foreigners or their organisations, let alone anything more invasive. It could be just a question of copying or importing individual social institutions, norms and functions into Russian practice, in part by means of foreign agents, i.e. NGOs funded from abroad. This could, for example, involve the training of election observers, a look at ways for consumers to monitor the quality of retail products, or campaigns to improve the rights of disabled people, women or children.
In this scenario any person’s ‘foreign agent’ status should not stigmatise him or her in the eyes of the Russian public, but, on the contrary, could even act as a ‘trademark’, signifying the high quality of their functioning (like a car or a computer). And the functioning of Russia state social institutions would be recognised as ineffective by comparison.
Last year our Centre (the Social Research Fund) undertook a two stage computer-assisted survey among a representative sample of residents of the Volga city of Tolyatti. We interviewed 500 people in total, first in July and then returning in November. The sample was divided into two subgroups.
The first subgroup, Group A, was asked "who does more to uphold the rule of law in Russia: governmental law enforcement agencies (police, the courts, the Public Prosecutor’s department) or civil rights and environmental NGOs?’ For the other subgroup, Group B the idea of 'foreign' involvement was introduced. The question they were asked was: "who does more to uphold the rule of law in our country today: Russian law enforcement agencies (police, the courts, the Public Prosecutor’s department) or foreign governments that finance civil rights and environmental NGOs?’
Just over a third of Group B answered in favour of Russian law enforcers, while on the other hand 12% believed that foreign governments had a more positive influence. In other words, for every three respondents who were confident in the effectiveness of their own government, one believed that foreign governments did a better job. The remaining 53% were recorded as ‘don’t knows’ (further analysis revealed that many of this group didn’t believe anyone was doing anything to uphold the rule of law in Russia). You might have thought that, of all Russian government agencies, those responsible for law enforcement ought to have been considered highly competitive in their field. But as we see here, a significant proportion of the sample believe that there are some areas of life where organisations representing civic society and supported by foreign governments are not only useful but also more effective than their own country’s governmental institutions. All of this despite the belief in a centralised state so ingrained in Russian mass consciousness, about which so much has been written and which is so obvious to the observer.
In Group A, the subgroup asked to choose between ‘law enforcement agencies’ and ‘NGOs’ (i.e. without any reference to foreign governments), the ratio of responses was less, 2:1. The number of respondents supporting their own agencies remained about the same, at 36%, but the number of NGO supporters rose to 17%, with a corresponding decrease in the ranks of ‘don’t knows’. In other words, he effect of the terms‘foreign agents’ and ‘foreign governments’ was evidently significant and negative in its connotations for some of those polled. But another conclusion tells a different story — a significant number of Tolyatti residents still believe that foreign governments are more effective in upholding the rule of law in Russia, i.e. a sector where, formally at least, Russian state agencies and government should have unlimited sovereignty.
‘A significant proportion [of those polled] believed that there were spheres of everyday life where organisations supported by foreign governments were not only useful but also more effective than their own country’s governmental institutions.’
For the second stage of the survey, in November 2012, the entire sample of 500 people was asked the question containing the word ‘foreign’, since this version was more likely to polarise opinions. This time, the proportion of respondents who thought that foreign governments were more effective in upholding the rule of law in Russia remained at 12%, but the number of those who trusted Russia’s internal agencies had risen significantly, from 35% to 43%.
Around the time of this second poll, President Putin had just sacked his Defence Minister, Anatoly Serdyukov, ostensibly in connection with a corruption scandal at his ministry. It is likely that his dismissal and investigation had a positive effect on the public’s perception of Russia’s law enforcement system. But even so, it didn’t change attitudes to foreign influences.
Looking at specific groups within the sample, the proportion of respondents who were also active users of social networks seemed to show a greater rise in trust of law enforcement than those who were not active online. The percentage who were confident of Russian law enforcers’ commitment to upholding the rule of law rose from 34% to 46%, whereas there was no statistically significant change among non-users (36% in July, 40% in November). Presumably, the information published on such online networks between July and November had a significant effect on those polled.
The poll results hold good for other Russian cities
In December 2012 we carried out a similar poll in Samara, the Volga regional capital, and our results were not significantly different from those in neighbouring Tolyatti. Again, about one in eight of respondents (12%) thought that foreign governments had a more positive effect on the rule of law in Russia than its own law enforcement system, while 42% held the opposite opinion. This comparative evaluation has allowed us to conclude that these results are typical for Russia as a whole.To further unpack our evaluation we can use a comparative effectiveness index, which records the ratio of those who consider Russian agencies more effective to those who favour‘foreign agents’. If the index number is more than 1, it means that the ‘yes’s’outnumber the ‘no’s’. If it is less than 1, the opposite is the case. In the Tolyatti poll the overall index number is 3.5; i.e. for every two government supporters there are seven supporters of civil society. Among young people the index number is lower, 2.26. There is a clear difference in attitudes between men and women (4.08 and 3.08 respectively). This probably suggests that State law enforcement agencies are least effective in cases where everyday civil rights are infringed: the rights of consumers and children, labour rights – areas particularly affecting women and young people.
Both state employees (4.08) and pensioners (4.00) come out in support of the law enforcers, but those for those in the private and municipal sectors the index numbers are lower than the average (3.09 and 2.54 respectively). On the other hand, employees of AvtoVAZ, Russia’s largest carmaker and the city’s main work provider, give the state agencies a significantly higher than average rating – 5.78. We may assume that the factory staff look to the state to uphold their rights and are appreciative of the work of the police.
In summary, though there are some differences in the socio-demographic structure of the comparative evaluation in Samara and Tolyatti, the results are broadly the same. In both cities NGOs polled reasonably well, though the Russian state was clearly trusted more than so-called 'foreign agents'. On the other hand, anything other than 100% confidence in the Russian state might justifiably be interpreted as a certain disloyalty and a vote of distrust towards the state. Appreciation of the ‘foreign agents’, meanwhile, was clearly stronger among certain social groups — among under-30s, business owners, housewives on a low income and the highly educated — whereas the Russian law enforcers have a higher rating among managers, older people, men, middle-income groups and pensioners.
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via oD Russia by Ivan Krastev on 2/7/13
The incompatibility of an anachronistic and arbitrary regime with the modern world is leading many to consider that democratic change is possible — likely even — in Russia. But those expecting that a new ‘democratic’ government would somehow take a softer line on foreign policy should think again, says Ivan Krastev.
These questions, all posed recently by American analyst Mark Katz, are important ones, particularly so given that relations between Putin’s Russia and the West seem to have reached a dead end. Obama’s ‘reset’ with Moscow is over, and in the near future we can expect only banality, frustration, noise and growing mutual mistrust. Viewed from Washington, Russia has become both more annoying and less needed. The shale gas revolution has made Americans uninterested in Russia’s energy resources. The UN has proven ineffective in dealing with global crisis, so Russia’s seat on the Security Council is of diminishing value. American troops are on their way out of Afghanistan, so there is less need for Moscow’s assistance there either. Washington has outsourced the task of changing Moscow’s position on Syria to the Turks. And the American Senate has lost patience with Kremlin’s symbolic politics, most recently over legislation banning American citizens from adopting Russian children. (Americans were of course expecting retaliation for the Magnitsky Act, but they were shocked by the cruelness of the response. Does the Kremlin really believe that it punishes America by punishing its own orphans?)
Pause is the new reset
In short, Russia has lost much of its strategic importance to the US, and business relations are decidedly unimpressive too. Obama fears, quite rightly, that his policy of ‘reset’ makes him vulnerable to the attacks of his Republican critics. We are not surprised, therefore, when the New York Times tells us that Washington has resolved to do ‘as little as possible’ and wait for political climate change in Moscow. In other words, the post-reset mood in the White House seems to have something in common with the position taken by America’s first ambassador to the Soviet Union, William Bullitt, who advised his President almost 80 years ago ‘we should neither expect too much, nor despair of getting anything at all’.‘Obama’s ‘reset’ with Moscow is over, and in the near future we can expect only banality, frustration, noise and growing mutual mistrust. Viewed from Washington, Russia has become both more annoying and less needed.’The EU is also in a waiting mood, but Russia does not look as strategically unimportant to Europe as it now does to the US. Europeans know that Moscow still matters both in security and economic terms. Yet there are several factors that tame any desire for more active engagement. First, the EU is much too preoccupied with implementing the institutional reforms needed to save the eurozone to be ready for any ambitious foreign policy initiatives. Second, Brussels is politically unable to deliver what Russia really wants most: a free visa regime for its citizens. Europe is also determined to put an end to Gazprom’s politics of manipulating EU’s energy market, and it is generally sceptical about the chances of Russia’s modernisation under the current conditions.
Putin's second term has been marked by a unmistakenly anti-modern turn in the country's politics. Photo (c) Ria Novosti / Sergey Guneev
To top it all off, European public opinion has turned dramatically against Putin. The persecution of opposition activists, the Pussy Riot trial, the campaign against homosexuals - all this looks cruel and disgusting to Europeans. For them, the Russian regime has become more and more redolent of a 19th century autocracy, teleported into the contemporary world — a regime that is not only non-democratic and capricious, but also dull and old-fashioned. And if in the 19th century many of the other European states were also run by emperors who at least to some extent shared some of Russia’s sensitivities, this is no longer the case. Russia is lonely and out of fashion. If a century ago, it was perceived as a dynamic rising power, it is not now; if 19th century Europe was mesmerised by the power of Russia’s high culture (Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, etc.), this is not the case now. Today, it is the oligarchs and not the artists that symbolise Putin’s Russia. They can buy almost anything but they hardly have anything to sell.
‘Russia is lonely and out of fashion. If a century ago, it was perceived as a dynamic rising power, it is not now; if 19th century Europe was mesmerised by the power of Russia’s high culture, this is not the case now. Today it is the oligarchs and not the artists that symbolise Putin’s Russia. They can buy almost anything... but they hardly have anything to sell.’While Europeans know that they have many common interests with Russia, they are losing confidence in Russia ever becoming a genuine part of Europe. Polling data indicates that a great majority of Germans, French and Swedes have over the last year changed their perception of Russia from favourable to negative, just at the very moment that public opinion has begun to play a more important factor in European foreign policy. And looking at the dynamics of the political perceptions of Russia in the West, and the politics of the Russian government, it is unlikely that the relations between them will improve while Putin remains in office.
Unfortunately, the Kremlin finds it much easier to play the anti-Western card than it does to embrace the advantages of closer alignment with the West. Putin is not simply playing games when he accuses the West of instigating the anti-government protests last winter, he truly believes it. And he also takes comfort in his reading of global financial crisis. This can be summarised in two simple points: first, the West is not as powerful as Moscow used to believe and second, globalisation is not as irreversible as it looked some years ago. We can expect that these two points will inform much of Russia’s foreign policy thinking over the coming decade. We should assume the continued emphasis on the preservation of Russia’s financial independence (taking care of the financial reserves) and political stability (no space for opposition); an effort to secure Russia’s own economic region by making the Eurasian Union a reality; attempts to build national identity by establishing closer alliance with the Orthodox Church; and moves to nationalise the elites by forcing them to repatriate both their money and their families.
We have reached a point where is probably more realistic to wait for political change in Russia, than it is to wait for a closer cooperation within the current status quo — to press not the ‘reset’ but a ‘pause’ button in dealings with Russia. While the West has many reasons to fear instability or further authoritarian mutation as a result of political change in Moscow, the explosion of civic energy after the 2011 parliamentary elections do give grounds to hope that a more democratic Russia will emerge. It is assumed by some that a post-Putin Russia would be accompanied by a radical shift in Moscow’s foreign policy.
Imagining a post-Putin Russia
But how different would the foreign policy of post-Putin Russia be? Can we suppose that even if political change brings a relatively effective democratic government to power in Moscow, Russia will become a natural ally of the West in preserving the liberal international order? Can a change of regime be enough to change Russia’s view of the world order, so shaped by its geography and history? Could such a change temper the deep-seated fears and concerns of both elites and the public?These questions are simply impossible to answer. It is always easy to have dreams or nightmares about a post-Putin Russia; it is more difficult to have credible predictions. We do not know if, how and when democratic change will take place, or what its driving forces will be. We do not know if democratic change will bring back new fears of territorial disintegration. And we can only speculate who the political leaders of new democratic Russia will be.
Some analysts have insisted that Russia’s foreign policy will not change significantly, since it represents Russia’s national interests. I would argue the one thing we can be sure of is that democratic transformation will bring public opinion to the fore in shaping Russia’s foreign policy. New democratic leaders, if and when they arrive, will not be able to cast aside public sentiment. Foreign policy will likely be a major source of legitimacy for any post-Putin regime.
When it comes to Russia, there is a widespread belief that in order to understand what is going on there, you need to do two things: read the great Russian novels of the last two centuries and follow the oil prices closely. In Russia it is the soul and oil that matters. But looking at opinion polls in addition to that offers useful insights.
‘When it comes to Russia, there is a widespread belief you need to do two things: read the great Russian novels and follow the oil prices. But looking at opinion polls also offers insights.’
What will Russians think?
We cannot possibly predict what Russians will think if and when democratic change comes. But we do already have a gauge on today’s foreign policy views, in particular, the 2012 Transatlantic Trends Survey, a piece of work that was sponsored by the German Marshall fund of the US.The survey shows that when it comes to foreign policy, a large majority of Russians (71 percent) are inclined to approve the work of the government. Russians generally want their country to assume a strong leadership role in the world, as they are also unenthusiastic about global leadership by either Europe or America. Russians are sceptical about value-driven foreign policy and favour state sovereignty at the expense of human rights. In addition, the majority of Russians broadly support their country’s position on Syria.
These results should not surprise anybody. For years, the Russian worldview has been shaped by Putin’s propaganda machine, and it is also a common enough phenomenon that people tend to trust their governments on matters of foreign policy. What is surprising given the extent of anti-Western propaganda over the last year is that a majority of Russians have a fairly benign view of the West. What are also interesting are the foreign policy preferences of those who have lost trust in the Putin system.
‘On foreign policy matters, ‘Disaffected Russia’ and ‘Anti-Putin Russia’ not only subscribe to Kremlin’s current agenda, but are less likely to support Western priorities’The Transatlantic Trends Survey data makes it possible to identify these preferences easily enough. Almost half of the Russians surveyed expressed doubt about the fairness of the last elections and the way the institutions work: we can define this group of Russians as ‘Disaffected Russia’. Almost a third of the Russians are openly critical of Putin’s performance, thus representing a more radical element of the ‘Disaffected Russia’ group: we can define them as ‘Anti-Putin Russia’.
Even Putin's greatest detractors are unlikely to disagree about Russia taking a hardline position in world politics, or on the undesirability of either American or European dominance.
Here is the surprising bit: on foreign policy matters, ‘Disaffected Russia’ and ‘Anti-Putin Russia’ not only subscribe to Kremlin’s current agenda, but are less likely to support Western priorities than other groups. So opposition-minded Russians might not like how Russia is ruled today, but they are largely in agreement with her foreign policy. Of course, most analysts realise that the Russian opposition is a strange mixture of pro-western liberals and anti-Western nationalists. Normally, however, we tend to forget about the second group, and this can be very misleading.
So when it comes to foreign policy, we should expect that a democratic Russia will also be a nationalistic Russia, not unlike other regional powers like Turkey. The analysis of the foreign policy opinions of opposition-minded Russian citizens makes us believe that democratic Russia will insist on its role as independent regional power with special interests in the post-Soviet space, and that it is unlikely that she will share the EU’s post-modern view of the world. The survey data also indicate that the Russian public generally does not see China as a military threat, so it is unrealistic to expect that today’s Russian democratic opposition would in government support a coalition between Russia and the West aimed at containing China.
It would of course be a mistake to make far-reaching conclusions based on a single opinion poll or even on all opinion polls. Foreign policy is very rarely shaped by the preferences of the people only, as indeed are such preferences prone to change quickly. Instead, the foreign policy of the post-Putin’s Russia will be determined by many factors that are now impossible to predict: the state of Russia’s economy (and in particular the size of its foreign debt); the political beliefs of its next leaders; the state of global affairs in general; and the policy initiatives of the West. But reading Russian opinion polls today is a healthy antidote to the naive expectations that a democratic change in Russia is an answer to all questions in the bilateral relations. You do not need to be George Kennan to realise that the de-legitimation of the current regime in Russia cannot be reversed. Vladimir Putin’s return to Kremlin blocked the institutional possibility for the evolutionary development of the regime. Democratic change is possible and even likely in Russia. What is unlikely is that a democratic government in Russia will have foreign policy that does not emphasise Russia’s role as independent regional power, and with the ambition to have an economic region of its own.
And while I do personally believe that democratic change in Russia will benefit both Russia and the world, praying for democratic Russia should not be confused with a foreign policy strategy for dealing with Russia.
The author is grateful to Josh Raisher, Program Assistant on Transatlantic Trends Surveys, GMF and Kaat Smets from the Centre for the Study of Political Change (CIRCaP), University of Siena for their help in presenting the survey data
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via Russia - Google News on 2/4/13
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Five Myths About Russia
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via NYT > Home Page by By PETER SAVODNIK on 2/8/13
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via Russia - Google News on 2/4/13
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Jeremy Kinsman: Russia's Vladimir Putin, democrat or dictator?
CBC.ca There are good reasons democratic republics place term limits on their leaders. Among the most important is the dysfunction affecting those who simply stay in office too long, in the process losing connection to the mood of change that they rode into ... Russia outlaws 'homosexual propaganda'World Magazine Russia's Medvedev hunted in mystery video campaignAl-Arabiya Russia: inflation jumps to 7.1 per cent, hitting interest rate cut hopesFinancial Times (blog) Global Voices Online -RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty all 19 news articles » |
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RT |
No 'reset' in sight amid US-Russia chill
News24 Moscow - There are few hopes in Russia for another "reset" in relations as US President Barack Obama enters his second term, with bilateral disputes growing every month and mutual distrust increasing, analysts say. Russia has welcomed the appointment ... WMD may be key to US-Russia 'reset'RT Visits may improve US-Russia relationsChina Daily Russia, US may sign a new arms disposal agreementRussia Beyond The Headlines The Voice of Russia all 7 news articles » |
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New York Times (blog) |
An X-Ray of Russian Corruption
New York Times (blog) Mr. Friedman has journeyed through Russia and created a series called “Photo51 — Is Corruption in Russia's DNA?” But his images are not documentary evidence of corrupt acts. Rather, they are a visual tour of the ways in which public corruption ... |
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The National Interest Online |
Don't Rule Out Russia
The National Interest Online Andranik Migranyan has published in these spaces a serious critique of the article by Dmitri Trenin and myself in the International Herald Tribune advocating a high-level U.S.-Russian strategic dialogue. I find myself in agreement with many of his ... |
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Mike Nova's starred items
Mike Nova's starred items
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RT |
Russia braces for Japan 'propaganda' as territorial disputes flare
RT Tokyo is preparing to promote Japan's position regarding its territorial dispute with Russia, as well as with other Pacific nations, by opening a new government agency. In an effort to win over global opinion over the disputed South Kuril Islands ... Russia Starts Kuril Islands ExercisesRIA Novosti all 3 news articles » |
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Skype begins direct carrier billing in Russia, US and Canada to follow
Engadget As data bundles become more prevalent, it's natural to see Skype as a thorn in the side of mobile operators' voice offerings. A new direct billing deal with carriers announced today, however, could prove that the two can play nice. While it's not a ... Skype rolls out direct carrier billing for call credit in Russia, with a US ...The Next Web all 5 news articles » |
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Russia Plans to Increase Grain Sales From State Stocks Next Week
Bloomberg Russia expects to have 7.7 million tons of carryover stocks, suggesting a 2.3 million ton shortfall, by the start of the new season on July 1, Agriculture Minister Nikolai Fedorov said. At least 10 million tons of stockpiles are needed to ensure ... and more » |
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Parsing the Marriage of Russia's Paris Hilton
Bloomberg The wedding of a 31-year-old Russian socialite is hardly political news, unless the woman in question is Ksenia Sobchak. Just a year ago, Moscow's ultimate “it” girl threw herself passionately into the “snow revolution,” a then-powerful movement of ... |
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The Independent |
Russia's casualties of the new Cold War
The Independent The American slap to which Mr Putin was responding was a new law that bans Russian officials implicated in human rights abuses from entering the US or having property there. Dubbed the Magnitsky act, the law primarily focuses on officials allegedly ... Jeremy Kinsman: Russia's Vladimir Putin, democrat or dictator?CBC.ca Russia outlaws 'homosexual propaganda'World Magazine Russia's Medvedev hunted in mystery video campaignTengrinews Financial Times (blog) -Business New Europe all 25 news articles » |
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The Voice of Russia |
Georgian Sees Closer Ties With Russia
New York Times TBILISI, Georgia — As Russia took steps to resume imports of Georgian-produced wine and mineral water, Georgia's new prime minister, the billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, said Tuesday that he was making progress on one of his campaign promises — to ... Saakashvili's address to parliament postponedThe Voice of Russia all 76 news articles » |
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French, British gay marriage harms adoption chance: Russia
GlobalPost The approval of gay marriage by parliaments in France and Britain harms the chances of citizens of those countries adopting Russian children, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official said Wednesday. "The British and French parliaments have legalised ... and more » |
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French, British gay marriage harms adoption chance: Russia
GlobalPost The approval of gay marriage by parliaments in France and Britain harms the chances of citizens of those countries adopting Russian children, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official said Wednesday. "The British and French parliaments have legalised ... and more » |
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Human Rights Watch |
Russia Exploits Migrant Workers for Olympics, Rights Group Says
Bloomberg Workers building sites and infrastructure for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia's Black Sea city of Sochi are being exploited and cheated out of their wages, according to Human Rights Watch. Employers have forced some workers to work 12-hour shifts ... Russia: Migrant Olympic Workers Cheated, ExploitedHuman Rights Watch How do you say 'volunteer' in Russian? Sochi 2014 Olympics introduces a new ...NBCNews.com (blog) Sochi counts down 1 year to GamesESPN RT -CBC.ca -EurasiaNet all 117 news articles » |
Mike Nova's starred items
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Naharnet |
Russia says kills last militant linked to Moscow metro bombing
Reuters MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Wednesday it had killed the last surviving North Caucasus insurgent wanted for organizing twin bombings on the Moscow metro that killed 40 people in 2010. Moscow is fighting an Islamist insurgency in the mountainous ... Russian police kill terror suspect in CaucasusMiamiHerald.com Russia kills last man wanted for Moscow metro bombingThe Star Online Russia Kills Last Militant Linked to Metro BombingNaharnet The Voice of Russia -RIA Novosti all 8 news articles » |
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RT |
Russia ready to improve ties with US
RT Russia is not satisfied with the current state of relations with the United States, but it is ready for constructive steps to improve them, the deputy minister said in an interview on Wednesday. He said the biggest problems were raised by the United ... Russia to scrap WMD disposal actThe Voice of Russia Russia hopes to see 'serious progress' at Iran nuclear talksAl-Arabiya Russia expects 'serious progress' on Iran nuclear crisisGlobalPost Trend.az all 13 news articles » |
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Telegraph.co.uk |
Gay marriage: Russia warns Britain vote could hinder adoption
Telegraph.co.uk In December, Russia's parliament approved a controversial law banning American parents from adopting Russian children, in retaliation against the US Magnitsky Act – a new piece of legislation preventing alleged human rights abusers from Russia from ... French, British gay marriage harms adoption chance: RussiaGlobalPost Putin's Commissar to Protect Russian Orphans — from AmericansTIME Russia won't allow adoptions by French gay couplesThe Voice of Russia PinkNews.co.uk -RT all 15 news articles » |
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Naharnet |
Russian police kill terror suspect in Caucasus
MiamiHerald.com MAKHACHKALA, Russia -- Russia's Interior Ministry says police have shot and killed a militant suspected of involvement in a 2010 double suicide bombing on the Moscow subway that killed 40 people. Vyacheslav Gasanov, a spokesman for the ministry's ... Russia says kills last militant linked to Moscow metro bombingReuters Russia kills last man wanted for Moscow metro bombingThe Star Online Russia Kills Last Militant Linked to Metro BombingNaharnet The Voice of Russia -RIA Novosti all 8 news articles » |
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International Business Times |
Nyet! Russia May Ban Adoption For Gay Couples In Britain, France
International Business Times Moscow claimed that it had implemented the prohibition, because Russian children were being abused by their adoptive parents in the U.S., citing the case of Dima Yakovlev, a Russian toddler who died in 2008 after being left in a locked car for nine ... Gay marriage: Russia warns Britain vote could hinder adoptionTelegraph.co.uk French, British gay marriage harms adoption chance: RussiaGlobalPost Putin's Commissar to Protect Russian Orphans — from AmericansTIME The Voice of Russia -PinkNews.co.uk -RFI all 16 news articles » |
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Goldman Sachs Shouldn't Work for Russia, Human Rights Group Says
Bloomberg “It is in the long-term interest of Russia and its people to attract foreign investment,” Michael DuVally, a spokesman for New York-based Goldman Sachs, said in an e-mail. “That is why we are pleased to play a role helping to make Russia more open to ... |
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Yahoo!7 News |
Supreme Court refuses to hear Russia case
Financial Times The UK's highest court has ruled that a Russian case over a multimillion-dollar loan should be heard in Russia rather than London, in a move that lawyers say could deter more overseas litigants from using English courts as a place to fight their legal ... Supreme Court rejects appeal from Russia's VTB CapitalThe Lawyer all 10 news articles » |
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Naharnet |
Russia kills last man wanted for Moscow metro bombing
Reuters MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said it had shot dead the last surviving militant involved in twin bombings that killed 40 people on the Moscow metro in 2010 during a night-time sweep of a forest hideout in the volatile North Caucasus. The National Anti ... Russia says kills last militant linked to Moscow metro bombingYahoo! News (blog) Russian police kill terror suspect in CaucasusMiamiHerald.com Russia Kills Last Militant Linked to Metro BombingNaharnet The Voice of Russia -RTT News all 9 news articles » |
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Yahoo! Singapore News |
Russia celebrates year before Sochi Games
Yahoo! Singapore News Russian President Vladimir Putin was set to oversee lavish ceremonies on Thursday, marking the start of the one-year countdown to Russia's first Winter Olympic Games in the palm tree-lined port city of Sochi. The sports-mad Kremlin chief has made the ... |
Mike Nova's starred items
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Business New Europe |
Russia Stocks Fluctuate on Crude Oil Gains, Europe Concerns
Bloomberg Russian equities swung between gains and losses as OAO Sberbank slid, offsetting rising prices for energy producers amid an increase in crude oil. The Micex Index declined less than 0.1 percent to 1,529.97 by 3:09 p.m. in Moscow after rising 0.2 ... Russia's Micex sells itself as more than just a stock exchangeBusiness New Europe all 9 news articles » |
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Globe and Mail |
How Russia has changed since its last Olympic Games
CBC.ca CBC is the official Canadian broadcaster for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Russia. This week, CBCNews.ca begins indepth coverage looking at preparations for the Games and life in Russia today. CBCSports.ca will have full coverage leading up ... Russia in last push to get their Games onGlobe and Mail Sochi Winter Olympics: 'Russia Will Be Ready'Sky News Russia Rejects Worker-Exploitation AllegationsWall Street Journal RT -Voice of America -Reuters all 235 news articles » |
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ABC News |
Russia's Medvedev reluctant to reverse his move to keep clocks on summer time ...
Fox News MOSCOW – Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says he has no immediate intention to reverse his decision to leave Russia's clocks on summer time year-round. The move Medvedev made in 2011 when he was president has been widely unpopular as ... What Time Is It? Russia's Medvedev Resists ChangeABC News Russia's Medvedev reluctant to reverse time changeCharlotte Observer all 5 news articles » |
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The Voice of Russia |
Russia, France beef up ties
The Voice of Russia A Russian parliamentary delegation led by State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin has completed their working visit to France. Even though the agenda of the talks included knotty international issues, they were held in a friendly and constructive atmosphere. |
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Pussy Riot Claims Russia Violated Expression, Fair Trial Rights
Bloomberg Members of the punk group Pussy Riot sued Russia at the European Court of Human Rights, saying their conviction on charges related to a protest against President Vladimir Putin violated their rights to freedom of expression. The complaint, the women's ... and more » |
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Huffington Post |
A Russian Village That Creates Art And Jobs
Huffington Post Quirky art configurations dot a vast, snowy plain: a giant silver cylinder curves upwards into the sky, a wooden ship tosses on an icy sea and long-winged insects cling to a pole. In some ways, the Russian village of Nikola-Lenivets in December looks ... |
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Business Insider |
Facebook Has Got Russia Surrounded And Is Closing In For The Kill
Business Insider The main culprit was Russia, where citizens have opted for a Facebook clone, vKontakte, over Facebook because it offers a lot of free pirated movies in addition to the usual friend lists and photo sharing. But as this map of the world's social networks ... |
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Ban on Shooting Foreign Films Proposed in Russia
Hollywood Reporter The draft law “On the Film Industry of the Russian Federation,” submitted to the State Duma, the lower chamber of Russian parliament, stipulates that all films are to be divided into “national,” “co-produced” and “foreign,” and films of the third ... US-Russia cooperation should continue: BidenVancouver Desi all 5 news articles » |
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Wired |
Russia's Pussy Riot appeal to European rights court
Reuters Lawyer Pavel Chikov said Russia had violated their right to freedom of speech, a fair trial and liberty. They were also treated in an inhumane way in custody by being deprived of sleep and enough food on days when they attended court, he added. Pussy Riot Claims Russia Violated Expression, Fair Trial RightsBloomberg all 15 news articles » |
Mike Nova's starred items
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Foreign Policy (blog) |
White Russia
Foreign Policy (blog) "The snow this year has already reached one and a half times the climactic norm," the city's deputy mayor for residential issues remarked this week, as Russian news outlets breathlessly reported on the "Storm of the Century" and nightmarish traffic ... and more » |
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In Russia, Protester in May Rally Arrested
New York Times A Moscow district court on Thursday arrested a participant in a protest last May on charges of rioting and attacking the police. Investigators said they had video evidence that the protester, Ilya Guschin, 24, grabbed a police officer by his uniform ... |
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International Business Times |
Lilia Shevtsova: A new way to contain Russia
Financial Times For a prime example of a state with a split personality, watch Russia. On one hand, President Vladimir Putin writes to US counterpart Barack Obama, expressing hopes that their “relationship will move ahead in various areas”. On the other, the Kremlin ... Russia's 'figleaf' rights council gets an overhaul 08.02.2013Deutsche Welle A 'new' foreign strategy for RussiaEurActiv Would democratic change in Russia transform its foreign policy?Open Democracy International Business Times -RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty -Voice of Russia - UK Edition all 31 news articles » |
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The Weekly Standard (blog) |
Russia's 'figleaf' rights council gets an overhaul 08.02.2013
Deutsche Welle After a series of resignations and widespread criticism, Russia's Presidential Human Rights Council has been given more members than before. But, it must now show that it actually has authority of its own. In November 2012, Russian President Vladimir ... A 'new' foreign strategy for RussiaEurActiv 13 Abortions for Every 10 Live Births in RussiaThe Weekly Standard (blog) Lilia Shevtsova: A new way to contain RussiaFinancial Times Open Democracy -Russia Beyond The Headlines -International Business Times all 34 news articles » |
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SportsGrid |
Russia's Ridiculous Proposed Anti-Gay Bill Could Be Troublesome For Athletes ...
SportsGrid Oh, so you thought as time passed, progress was achieved? Well, everything is backwards in Russia, friend! Russia is in the midst of passing an anti-gay bill, which basically criminalizes any public display of gay rights. And since the 2014 Winter ... |
via Russia - Google News on 2/8/13
Kyiv Post |
Russia Stocks Sink for First Weekly Drop in 5 as Gazprom Falls
Businessweek Russian equities fell for the first week in five as OAO Gazprom, the country's biggest company, said dividends may be cut on lower profit. Volatility dropped to a two-year low. The Micex Index declined 0.4 percent to 1,519.94 by the close in Moscow ... Russia's Gazprom Neft says 2012 net profit up 10%Economic Times all 11 news articles » |
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ABC News |
China, Russia Deny Japanese Accusations
ABC News Japan's defense minister on Friday accused two Russian fighter jets of intruding into Japanese air space, heightening regional tensions as Beijing denied Tokyo's claims that Chinese naval vessels had locked their weapons-targeting radar on to a ... Japan says Russia intruded air space; Russia denies chargeReuters Russia enters Japan's air spaceThe Australian Russia-Japan dispute over islands erupts againeuronews Regina Leader-Post -International Business Times all 148 news articles » |
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RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty |
In Russia, Reasons To Fear Year Of The Snake
RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty "The Year of the Snake is different because it's a year that, for Russia, has always marked very important, sweeping changes in our social and political life," Pavel Sviridov, a futurologist and president of the Temporal Research Fund, explained in a ... |
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RT |
Russia, US in Hasid books brawl: Moscow wants recourse over $50000 daily ...
RT Russia's Foreign Ministry is planning to fight the Washington court's ruling, which reads that Russia must pay $50,000 daily until it agrees to hand over the so-called Schneerson Library to US-based Jewish organization Chabad-Lubavitch (Agudas Chasidei ... Russia to fine USA for seven books of Schneerson collectionPravda Schneerson Library spat: Russia strikes backThe Voice of Russia all 5 news articles » |
Mike Nova's starred items
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Russia's Crackdown Against 'Homosexual Propaganda'
Daily Beast The perception of homosexuality in Russia is that it's both a perversion of nature and a fashion import from the corrupt West: something into which a man can slip if he's had a bit too much vodka—by all accounts a common occurrence in Russia—and as a ... and more » |
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Washington Post |
Canadian navy officer who sold secrets to Russia sentenced to 20 years for ...
Washington Post HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — A Canadian navy intelligence officer who pleaded guilty to selling military secrets to Russia was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison. Sub-Lt. Jeffrey Paul Delisle will serve 18 years and five months behind bars because of ... Canada: Spy for Russia SentencedNew York Times Halifax navy spy who sold secrets to Russia sentenced to 20 yearsCTV News Canadian who spied for Russia jailed for 20 yearsTVNZ Globe and Mail -GlobalPost all 23 news articles » |
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Naharnet |
Russia: Officer Jailed in Coup Plot
New York Times A Moscow court sentenced a former Soviet intelligence officer on Friday to 13 years in a prison colony for plotting an armed coup against the Russian government. The officer, Vladimir Kvachkov, a former colonel in the Soviet military intelligence ... Russia Jails Colonel Cleared of Chubais PlotNaharnet all 11 news articles » |
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Washington Post |
Canada: Spy for Russia Sentenced
New York Times A Canadian naval intelligence officer, who gave Russia secrets from five nations, including the United States, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Friday. The officer, Sub-Lt. Jeffrey Paul Delisle, 41, said he began selling secrets in 2007 while ... Canadian navy officer who sold secrets to Russia sentenced to 20 years for ...Washington Post Canadian who spied for Russia jailed for 20 yearsTVNZ Halifax navy spy who sold secrets to Russia sentenced to 20 yearsCTV News GlobalPost -Waterloo Record all 48 news articles » |
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