Author: JRL Russia List

Russian government to monitor business climate quarterly

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Empty Boardroom

MOSCOW. Dec 20 (Interfax) – The Russian government will monitor the implementation of roadmaps to improve the country’s business climate every quarter, Economic Development Minister Andrei Belousov said Thursday at a government session. Five roadmaps were approved and for three of them, including on customs administration, on connection to energy infrastructure and on administration in the construction sector, the deadlines […]

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U.S. missile defense threatens to nullify Russian nuclear potential – Putin

Nuclear Proliferation
Missile Defense Control Room file photo

MOSCOW. Dec 20 (Interfax) – Russia’s disregard of U.S. missile defense deployment may damage the national nuclear missile potential, President Vladimir Putin told a press conference on Thursday. “As we have said before, the creation of such systems by our partners is a threat. It may nullify our nuclear missile potential unless we do something,” he said. The global strategic […]

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Putin Hints He Can’t Ban U.S. Adoptions

Children, Adoptions, Orphans, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Russian Orphanage file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Yekaterina Kravtsova – December 21, 2012) President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signaled that a proposed ban on U.S. adoptions could not come into force for at least a year because of Russia’s obligations under a new agreement. Putin, who was asked about his stance on the ban by several journalists at his annual news conference, […]

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Russian Students Astonished by U.S. Holiday Cheer

Education, Academia, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
FLEX Student Exchange Program Logo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Jonathan Earle – December 21, 2012) Many travelers have pined for home during the holiday season. It’s the lucky exception who, finding himself in company of new friends, realizes that he’s found a home away from home. Kirov native Ivan Chesnokov, 17, was celebrating Thanksgiving Day in Gladewater, Texas, chowing down on turkey and chatting […]

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TRANSCRIPT PART II: News conference of Vladimir Putin [continued/earlier part in JRL #225]

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin Speaking with Flag Behind Him and Microphones in Front

[Click here for Transcript Part I] (Kremlin.ru – December 20, 2012) Moscow QUESTION: Mr President, I am Alexander Kolesnichenko from Argumenty i Fakty. I am an adoptive parent myself, and regardless of the foreign policy context I considered the amendment passed by the State Duma yesterday to be outrageous, inadequate and, sorry, cannibalistic. The people who have passed this law […]

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JRL E-Mail Newsletter Table of Contents :: Johnson’s Russia List 2012-#226 – 21 December 2012

JRL Tables of Contents
Map of Russia

Johnson’s Russia List 2012-#226 21 December 2012 davidjohnson@starpower.net A World Security Institute Project JRL homepage: www.russialist.org JRL on Facebook: www.facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: http://russialist.org/funding.php Your source for news and analysis since 1996 In this issue POLITICS 1. Moscow Times: Putin Shows He’s Back in Business. 2. Interfax: Putin accuses opposition of lack of agenda. 3. RIA Novosti: […]

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Putin Likens Libya Now to Syria in Event of Invasion

Middle East, North Africa, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Syria Map

MOSCOW, December 20 (RIA Novosti) ­ Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his opposition to military intervention in Syria on Thursday, emotionally citing the volatile situation in Libya as a sign of what would likely happen as a result. Libya “is disintegrating,” Putin said at a major press conference in Moscow, pointing to the fractious groups that have been struggling for […]

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Peskov blames Clinton for lack of understanding of processes in FSU

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Hillary Rodham Clinton with Nazarbayev

MOSCOW. Dec 19 (Interfax) – Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov thinks that the phrase of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about re-Sovietizing CIS countries is an indication of her incompetence about the processes taking place in the region. “To associate the natural processes that are maturing throughout the former Soviet Union with Sovietization is not to understand practically […]

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Tough Talks Expected At EU-Russia Summit

Europe, EU
EU Map

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Nikolaus von Twickel – December 20, 2012) President Vladimir Putin will meet with European Union leaders in Brussels on Friday for a pre-Christmas summit, but the mood will hardly be festive. Disputes involving visas, trade and energy have cast a shadow over EU-Russia relations in recent months, giving both sides tough issues to discuss. More […]

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Church estimates for Orthodox believers halved – poll

Religion
Russian Orthodox Believers Holding Candles at Cathedral at Christmas

(Alina Lobzina – Moscow News –  themoscownews.com – December 19, 2012) The number of Russian Christians came under scrutiny after polls registered dwindling ranks of the faithful. The most surprising finding was that only 41 percent of all Russians say they are members of the Russian Orthodox Church, according to a poll carried out by Sreda, a research service. This […]

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Putin: Protesters should not be sent to prison

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Moscow Protest file photo

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com –  David Burghardt – December 20, 2012) Russian President Vladimir Putin said he does not believe that those who participate in mass protests should be sent to prison, but added that anyone who resists police authority should be punished. “I don’t think that participation in a mass protest, even if it was held in breach of […]

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Putin defines himself as democrat demanding order, observation of laws

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin Speaking with Flag Behind Him and Microphones in Front

MOSCOW. Dec 20 (Interfax) – President Vladimir Putin disagrees with the claims that he has built an authoritarian system in Russia. “I think we have ensured stability as a mandatory condition of development. I think this is extremely important. Yet I cannot call this system authoritarian; I cannot agree with this thesis,” he told a grand press conference on Thursday. […]

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OUTLOOK 2013: Confused picture for Russia (Part 1)

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Ben Aris in Moscow – December 22, 2012 – click here to see original article with charts) Overview The world and Russia both passed through the trough of the global crisis in 2012, say investment banks in Moscow, and the question for 2013 is: if the upswing starts, how fast will it go? Going into […]

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Putin Pictured in Hell on The Economist Cover

Iran, Middle East, North Africa, Nuclear Proliferation, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Vladimir Putin file photo

(Moscow Times – Dec. 20, 2012 – themoscowtimes.com/news/article/putin-pictured-in-hell-on-the-economist-cover/473430.html) The cartoon’s accompanying article, which is presented as a travel guide, says the quickest way to hell is by constantly committing major sins without giving in to feelings of remorse. President Vladimir Putin was pictured in hell on the cover of The Economist‘s last issue for 2012, floating along in a fiery […]

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Corruption customary for Russia but must be fought resolutely – Putin

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Man Placing Stack of Large Bills into Inside Pocket of Suitcoat

MOSCOW. Dec 20 (Interfax) – Corruption is customary for Russia but the government still has to combat it, President Vladimir Putin told a Thursday press conference. “Speaking of the anti-corruption fight; this is one of our problems and a customary one,” he said. Putin told reporters a historical anecdote: Peter the Great ordered Prosecutor General Pavel Yaguzhinsky to execute thieves […]

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TRANSCRIPT PART I: News conference of Vladimir Putin

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin Speaking with Flag Behind Him and Microphones in Front

[Click here for Transcript Part II] [Fuller Russian transcript and video here http://kremlin.ru/news/17173] (Kremlin.ru – December 20, 2012) Moscow Vladimir Putin’s news conference took place at the World Trade Centre on Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment. Over 1,000 Russian and 200 foreign journalists were accredited to cover the news conference. Channel One, Rossiya-1 and Rossiya-24 TV channels and Radio Mayak, Vesti FM and […]

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JRL Table of Contents :: Johnson’s Russia List 2012-#225 – 20 December 2012

JRL Tables of Contents
Map of Russia

Johnson’s Russia List 2012-#225 20 December 2012 davidjohnson@starpower.net A World Security Institute Project JRL homepage: www.russialist.org JRL on Facebook: www.facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: http://russialist.org/funding.php Your source for news and analysis since 1996 In this issue POLITICS 1. Interfax: Putin defines himself as democrat demanding order, observation of laws. 2. ITAR-TASS: Putin favours direct elections of governors, in […]

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Russian Opposition Leaders Attend Student Protest

Education, Academia, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Sergei Udaltsov file photo

MOSCOW, December 19 (RIA Novosti) – Leading opposition figures joined students protesting against the inclusion of their university on Russia’s notorious “list of inefficient colleges” on Tuesday evening. Leftist opposition figure Sergei Udaltsov and two State Duma lawmakers from the A Just Russia party, Ilya Ponomaryov and Dmitry Gudkov, visited students, who began their sit-in in a lecture hall of […]

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Deputies Threaten Harsh Measures Against U.S.-Linked NGOs

Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Russian Duma Building

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Nikolaus von Twickel – December 19, 2012) As the State Duma considers a bill countering the U.S. Magnitsky Act, a group of lawmakers is threatening to add a provision that would massively increase pressure on nongovernmental organizations they believe to be meddling in domestic politics. The deputies support amendments that would enable authorities to close […]

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Adoption Ban Faces Wave of Criticism

Children, Adoptions, Orphans, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Russian Orphanage file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Jonathan Earle – December 19, 2012) A growing chorus of senior government officials and ordinary citizens have publicly denounced a ban on U.S. adoptions proposed by pro-Kremlin State Duma deputies. The criticism, including from two Cabinet ministers and the president’s human rights ombudsman, seemed to jeopardize the measure, which has been widely condemned by human […]

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Ban on US Adoptions Advances in Duma

Children, Adoptions, Orphans, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Duma Session file photo

MOSCOW, December 19 (RIA Novosti) ­ A controversial amendment that would ban US citizens from adopting Russian children passed in a second reading in the State Duma on Wednesday. The draft law retaliates for enactment of the Magnitsky Act in the US, which imposes visa bans and asset freezes on Russian officials deemed guilty of human rights abuses. The amendment […]

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Russia, EU discussing liberalization of economic ties, impact of Customs Union

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU
EU Map

(Interfax – December 19, 2012) The differences between Russia and the European Union in negotiations on a new basic agreement are not insurmountable, Russian Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov told Russian reporters in Brussels. “The EU, and it is not hiding this, would like to go further in relations with Russia than the package of conditions on which Russia […]

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State support for Russian agriculture to double despite WTO rules – minister

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of U.S. Dairy Cows

(Interfax – Moscow, 18 December) State support for agriculture will double as part of the new state programme covering the 2013-2020 period. “Whereas under the existing state programme (for 2008-2012 – Interfax) we have been giving agriculture R100bn (3.25bn dollars at the current rate of exchange) a year on average, in the period until 2020 the mean figure of federal […]

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Utilities to go up as industry on brink of catastrophe

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Water Facet with Drop of Water Coming Out

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Evgeniya Chaykovskaya – December 19, 2012) Russia’s Federal Tariff Services asked the government to raise tariffs for heating (by 11.5 percent instead of 9.5 percent proposed by the Economic Development Ministry) and water supply (11-13 percent instead of 5-6 percent). If their wish is granted, households will face a 15 percent increase in utility payments, […]

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Central Banker Blames Capital Flight on Investment Climate

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

MOSCOW, December 19 (RIA Novosti) ­ Russia’s unfavorable investment climate is a major factor behind huge capital flight from the country in recent years, Central Bank Chairman Sergei Ignatyev said on Wednesday. The Central Bank has carried out a comparative research of capital outflows in other countries to understand why capital is leaving Russia on such a large scale, the […]

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Russian Ex-FM Kudrin to Take Over USAID’s Job

Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Alexei Kudrin file photo

MOSCOW, December 18 (RIA Novosti) ­ Russian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), cash-strapped due to a recent restrictive law on foreign funding, may get much needed support from an organization led by former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, he said on Tuesday. “There’s currently a shortage of support foundations in Russia, and we’re filling that niche,” Kudrin said about his Civic Initiatives Committee. […]

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Russian human-rights NGOs ignore new rule to register as ‘foreign agents’

Human Rights, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's
Kremlin and St. Basil's

(Interfax – December 18, 2012) No Russian non-government organizations have registered as “foreign agents” nearly a month after being required to do so under a new law, Interfax news agency reported on 18 December. The Ministry of Justice has added a section to its website with the rules for the register, an application form and the register itself. “We’re awaiting […]

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Bill Seeks to End Election of Governors

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
Arm and Torso of Person in Brown Sweater Placing Paper Ballot into Ballot Box

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Alexander Bratersky – December 19, 2012) A bill that could once again abolish direct gubernatorial elections, which were reinstated this year, was submitted to the State Duma on Tuesday by members of the majority United Russia party. Popular elections of governors were discontinued following the Beslan school hostage crisis in 2004, when Vladimir Putin, early […]

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Moscow’s Top Shrink Proposes Doomsday Censorship

Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse
Mayan Temple file photo

MOSCOW, December 18 (RIA Novosti) – Moscow’s top psychiatrist backed on Tuesday a recent bid to legislate human emotion by imposing a limit on “negative information” in the media, starting with Apocalypse rumors. Reports about the upcoming doomsday and other soul-crushing news breed hopelessness and increase depression and suicide rates, said Boris Tsygankov, who supervises psychiatric help at the city’s […]

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Kudrin Lashes Out at Medvedev’s Cabinet

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Alexei Kudrin file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Irina Filatova – December 19, 2012) Former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin on Tuesday castigated Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s Cabinet as inefficient, but he rejected speculation that he would come back to the government in the near future. Despite praising Medvedev’s personal contribution to the 18-year process of Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization during […]

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JRL Table of Contents :: Johnson’s Russia List 2012-#224 – 19 December 2012

JRL Tables of Contents
Map of Russia

Johnson’s Russia List 2012-#224 19 December 1012 davidjohnson@starpower.net A World Security Institute Project JRL homepage: www.russialist.org JRL on Facebook: www.facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: http://russialist.org/funding.php Your source for news and analysis since 1996 POLITICS 1. Moscow Times: Kudrin Lashes Out at Medvedev’s Cabinet. 2. ITAR-TASS: Struggle against corruption seems to be easing – analysts. 3. Vedomosti editorial: CORRUPTION […]

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It’s time for Africa: In a new scramble for the continent, Russia doesn’t have to be an outsider

Africa, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Africa Satellite Image

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Tai Adelaja – Dec. 17, 2012) Suddenly, a new scramble for Africa is gaining momentum. The saving grace this time around is that the BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China and since 2011, South Africa) are leading the charge. The Chinese have long dug in their heels, spending billions of dollars to boost economies and […]

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Retaliatory Ban of U.S. Adoptions Proposed

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Russian Duma Building

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Jonathan Earle and Howard Amos – Dec. 18, 2012) State Duma deputies stepped up Russia’s retaliatory response to the so-called Magnitsky Act on Monday by introducing a measure that would ban U.S. citizens from adopting Russian orphans. The move was roundly condemned by children’s rights advocates, who warned that a blanket ban on U.S. adoptions […]

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More precision in taxation: Entrepreneurs report higher satisfaction with the tax service, but question the government’s commitment to supporting business

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Cash, Calculator, Pen

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Anastasia Matveyeva, Moskovskiye Novosti – Dec. 17, 2012) Market participants are recognizing that the Federal Tax Service has started to work more efficiently, according to statistics presented at a tax summit at RIA Novosti’s press center. “In 2000, 1,350,000 tax inspections of corporate entities were carried out, and the average level of additional charges was […]

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Capital Flight Calculation Open for Debate

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Irina Filatova – Dec. 18, 2012) The real size of capital outflow last year was actually half as much as reported, and only reached about $40 billion, with the figure having no correlation to the investment climate, according to a survey released Monday. Some components considered by the Central Bank, such as cash leaving the […]

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Anti-western rhetoric stopped international financial center in Russia – Kudrin

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Russia & the West
Alexei Kudrin file photo

MOSCOW. Dec 18 (Interfax) – Anti-western rhetoric has stopped the establishment of an International Financial Center (IFC) in Russia, former finance minister and now chairman of the Civil Initiatives Committee, Alexei Kudrin, said. Instead of dialogue between the authorities and the public, legislation is being passed that is hitting protestors. One myth is the assertion that almost all civil activity […]

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Kudrin Slams Russia for ‘Creeping De-Privatization’

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Empty Boardroom

MOSCOW, December 18 (RIA Novosti) ­ Former Russian finance minister Alexei Kudrin on Tuesday slammed the authorities for allowing “creeping de-privatization” of the economy despite the government’s commitment to sell state-run companies in order to raise their efficiency and lure much-needed foreign investment. “Despite the declared goals of privatization, we are witnessing creeping de-privatization,” Kudrin said at a press conference […]

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Try being constructive: When protesters on municipal councils ‘get in the way’ of democracy

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Map of Russia

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Anna Arutunyan – Anna Arutunyan is the politics editor of The Moscow News – Dec. 17, 2012) I should say something about the latest anti-government protest ­ how about 2,000 people showed up to the first white-ribbon demonstration that failed to get City Hall authorization, but… snore. The rallies have disintegrated into a mere tribute […]

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Russian Pundits Blame Lack Of Clear Agenda For Wane In Protest Movement

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Moscow Winter Protest

(RIA Novosti – Dec. 17, 2012) The decision of the Russian opposition Coordination Council to hold off on mass rallies until spring 2013 is a sensible one in view of the wane in protest activity, political analysts told state-owned news agency RIA Novosti on 17 December. Meanwhile, the managing director of the independent Levada Centre pollster, Lev Gudkov, predicted a […]

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Russian Foreign Ministry’s ombudsman slams EU’s human rights

Europe, EU, Human Rights
EU Map

(Interfax – December 17, 2012) The Russian Foreign Ministry’s ombudsman for human rights, Konstantin Dolgov, has criticized the human rights situation in the European Union. Dolgov was speaking at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) conference in Turin, as reported by the Russian news agency Interfax on 17 December. Speaking about some EU countries’ involvement in the […]

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Magnitsky Act is not targeted against Russia – Ambassador McFaul

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Ambassador Michael McFaul file photo

MOSCOW/WASHINGTON. Dec 17 (Interfax) – The Magnitsky Act endorsed by the Congress and signed by U.S. President Barack Obama is not targeted against Russia, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul posted in his blog. He said the act did not stipulate any extraterritorial measures. The act concerns the U.S. sovereignty and ability to bar persons involved in violations of human […]

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Coping With Cancer: Patients Struggle in Faulty State System

Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse
Map of Russia

(Moscow TImes – themoscowtimes.com – Natalya Krainova – Dec. 18, 2012) When Maria Gritsai was diagnosed with late-stage cervical cancer, she didn’t spend much time grieving. She knew she had to act fast. With the support of her husband and son, she turned to the Blokhin Cancer Center, one of Russia’s best oncology hospitals, where the diagnosis was confirmed. Doctors […]

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Russia still far from solving Politkovskaya murder

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
File Photo of Mourners with Photo of Anna Politkovskaya

From: “Committee to Protect Journalists – ECA” <eurasia@cpj.org> Subject: CPJ: Russia still far from solving Politkovskaya murder Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2012 Committee to Protect Journalists www.cpj.org News Alert Russia still far from solving Politkovskaya murder New York, December 17, 2012–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called for a retrial of a key defendant in the murder of Anna Politkovskaya. […]

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No ‘Color Revolutions’ in Russia – Security Council Chief

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and St. Basil's file photo

MOSCOW, December 18 (RIA Novosti) ­ Foreign forces trying to spark “a color revolution” in Russia won’t succeed, Russia’s Security Council chief said in an interview published Tuesday. “There are no grounds for ‘color revolutions’ in Russia and we will not permit those scenarios to develop in our country,” Nikolai Patrushev, security chief and longtime ally of President Putin, told […]

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Pride of the nation: Searching for a new national idea, the Kremlin hedges its bets on patriotism

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin Speaking with Flag Behind Him and Microphones in Front

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Anna Arutunyan – Dec. 17, 2012) On the day that President Vladimir Putin called the nation to patriotism last week, Josef Stalin, wearing his recognizable overcoat against the frost, had a lot of “foreign stuff” to gripe about. “How can you talk of patriotism?” he said, puffing on a smokeless pipe as he stood at […]

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Moscow’s Cabbies, Prices, Locals ‘World’s Worst’ ­ Poll

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Roads
Moscow Traffic file photo

OSCOW, December 17 (RIA Novosti) ­ Moscow ranked last in four categories in a new list of the top 40 global tourist destinations, its score ruined by vicious cabbies, antisocial locals and ungodly prices. The Russian capital scored last on “friendliest locals,” “friendliest taxi drivers,” “best taxi services,” and “best for shopping” in the new World City survey by the […]

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U.S. school shooting buries idea of free selling of weapons in Russia – Pushkov

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Makarov Handgun file photo

MOSCOW. Dec 18 (Interfax) – The shooting incident at a primary school in Connecticut, the U.S., which claimed the lives of 20 children and seven adults, will make it impossible to freely sell weapons in Russia, State Duma International Affairs Committee Chairman Alexei Pushkov tweeted on Tuesday. “The consequences of freely selling weapons in the U.S. and the beginning campaign […]

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Kremlin to stay impregnable for 10-15 years – poll

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and Moscow Environs Aerial View

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com –  Alina Lobzina – Dec. 18, 2012) After a year of tensions between the Kremlin and opposition-minded citizens not seen for over a decade, Russian society decisively split into three parts, with only a minority ready to push for thorough reforms, a new poll reveals. The reform efforts of the 20 percent of “wealthy, educated and […]

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JRL Table of Contents :: Johnson’s Russia List 2012-#223 – 18 December 2012

JRL Tables of Contents
Map of Russia

Johnson’s Russia List 2012-#223 18 December 2012 davidjohnson@starpower.net A World Security Institute Project JRL homepage: www.russialist.org JRL on Facebook: www.facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: http://russialist.org/funding.php Your source for news and analysis since 1996n0 “We don’t see things as they are, but as we are” In this issue POLITICS 1. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Fyodor Lukyanov, Putin outlines his […]

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General: NATO Air Hub Being Tested

Afghanistan, NATO
NATO Meeting file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Nikolaus von Twickel – Dec. 17, 2012) A planned air cargo route for NATO countries’ military equipment from Afghanistan via Ulyanovsk is being tested and should be operating soon, a top general for the alliance said. General Knud Bartels, who chairs the alliance’s military committee, told reporters Friday that containers are being shipped from Afghanistan […]

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