Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#201 :: Friday, 8 November 2013

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter]

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#201 :: 8 November 2013
E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net
A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George
Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org
JRL homepage: russialist.org
JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist
JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi
Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php

POLITICS

1. Moscow News: Anna Arutunyan, Road rage: Reality in Russia. 10 facts about Russian roads that will make you weep.
2. Interfax: Two thirds of Russians take positive view of police, many ready to help – poll.
3. Entertainment Weekly: These Russian policemen recorded the year’s most delightful ‘Get Lucky’ cover — VIDEO.
4. Carnegie Moscow Center: Akio Kawato, “Russia, Russia, Wherefore Art Thou Russia?”
5. Moscow Times: More Officials Make VIP List for Cushy Airport Lounges.
6. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Chris Fleming, Romancing the Revolution. Russians may not celebrate the start of the Revolution officially, but that has not stopped them from finding ways to revel in revolution.
7. Interfax: Russian Communists celebrate 1917 revolution, call for dismissal of government.
8. RIA Novosti: Scientists See Increased Asteroid Threat.
9. Moscow Times/BBC Monitoring: What the Papers Say, Nov. 8, 2013.
9a. ITAR-TASS: Putin promises to hold extraordinary checks into reports of mass violations of people’s right.
10. Nezavisimaya Gazeta:Regime Considering Expediency of Switching to Single-Seat Constituency System for Elections.
11. Moskovskiye Novosti: Russian Authorities Considering Introduction of Fines to Improve Voter Turnout.
12. BBC Monitoring: Russian TV talk show discusses economic policy, prospects for Eurasian Union.
13. BBC Monitoring: Putin says Russia’s constitution should trump international pacts.
14. Ekho Moskvy: Alexei Navalny: Go to the Russian March Without Me. “This year, I am deliberately not going, and I will try to explain why.”
15. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Sergey Shoigu’s praised for his first year as Minister of Defense.
16. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. Lawmakers to receive pay 14 times higher than average in Russia.
17. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. Human rights activists against unification of courts.
18. RFE/RL: Zhirinovsky Comments Trigger Outcry Across North Caucasus.
19. BBC Monitoring: Russian TV film reports on Islamist unrest in Dagestan.
20. Paul Goble: Window on Eurasia: ‘Tribal Consciousness Turning Russians into a Small People,’ Moscow Commentator Says.
21. Interfax: Prosecutor’s office cannot suspend proceedings of civil cases regarding several NGOs.
22. Russia Beyond the Headlines/Moskovsky Komsomolets: Pussy Riot’s member: Birthday behind bars.
23. Voice of America: James Brooke, Putincare: Russia’s Alternative to Obamacare.
24. Interfax: Russian Olympic Committee says gay hysteria over Sochi Games ‘whipped up’
25. Moscow TImes: Miss Universe 2013 Competition Kicks Off in Moscow.

ECONOMY

26. Vedomosti: Economic Development Ministry Revises Forecast for Economic Development Until 2030.
27. The Economist: Russia’s economy. The S word. Will the stagnating economy bring about much-needed structural reform?
28. ITAR-TASS: Russia’s grain harvest exceeds 91 mln tonnes.
29. Reuters: Russian central bank holds rates, facing stagflation dilemma.
30. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russian brands find it tough to compete in global value survey.
31. New York TImes editorial: When Proles Fly Business Class. A rising middle class in Russia puts a premium on customer service.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

32. Russia Direct: Leora Knopp, Four cultural misconceptions Russians have about Americans.
33. Russia Direct: Leora Knopp, Four cultural misconceptions Americans have about Russians.
34. Carnegie Moscow Center: Julie Leighton, Title VIII: a Worthwhile Expense.
35. http://usforeignpolicy.blogs.lalibre.be: Gilbert Doctorow, De-funding Title VIII Financial Aid to Russian Language Studies: a blessing in disguise?
36. Moscow Times: Russia, U.S. to ‘Investigate Cases’ Against Magnitsky Act Targets .
37. Columbia Daily Tribune (Missouri): U.S. and Russia at impasse on nuclear disarmament.
38. ITAR-TASS: Russia to study UN draft resolution against electronic spying.
39. ITAR-TASS: Lavrov calls for reforming OSCE to make organisation more effective.
40. Reuters: Russia sees chance of road map on Iran nuclear dispute.
41. Reuters: U.S., Russia see Syrian chemical disarmament overrunning.
42. RIA Novosti: Russia Dismisses US Doubts Over Syrian Chemical Arms Data.
43. ITAR-TASS: Russian human rights council asks to release Arctic Sunrise crew from custody.
44. ITAR-TASS: Ukrainian authorities doing their best to improve trade with Russia – prime minister.
45. Svobodnaya Pressa: Russian Central Asia Policy Seen Lacking Flexibility.