Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#7 :: 9 January 2014

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Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#7 :: 9 January 2013
E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net
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POLITICS

1. Secrecy News: CIA Cuts Off Public Access to Its Translated News Reports.
2. Consortiumnews.com: Elizabeth Murray, U.S. Shutting Down a Key News Source.
3. Secrecy News: Orgs Ask DNI to Preserve Access to World News Connection.
4. Moscow Times: What the Papers Say, Jan. 9, 2014.
5. ITAR-TASS: Moscow infrastructure and prices neck in neck with Europe’s.
6. Paul Goble: Window on Eurasia: Putin’s New National Conservatism Resonates in Russian Regions.
7. Vestnik Kavkaza: Russian presidential council says migrants do not need to know Russian history and law.
8. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Why are there so many presidents in Russia? Russia’s complicated administrative division explained.
9. RIA Novosti: Moscow Police Hunt Quran Burners.
10. Vestnik Kavkaza: Sochi Olympic website launched.
11. AFP: NBC vows it won’t be PR tool for Putin during Olympics.
12. AP: Going to Sochi? What you need to know about the Winter Olympics city.
13. Moscow Times: U.S. Private Security Firm On Standby in Case of Emergency During Olympics.
14. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Moscow State University ranked Top 10 in BRICS countries. Russian universities have a good reputation in the developing world, even though they are falling behind their Chinese competitors. Experts say this is because historically, Russian universities have always prioritized education over research.
15. Paul Goble: Window on Eurasia: A Russian City Where Life Expectancy has Declined to 38 Years .16. Worldcrunch.com: Waclaw Radziwinowicz, A Polish Reporter’s Notes On A Rude And Brutal Russia. Russia’s own Academy of Sciences has declared the country the European leader in aggressive and loathsome behavior. And if you doubt it, just consider the grim statistics.
17. ITAR-TASS: Russian economist predicting collapse of socialist economy dies. (Nikolai Shmelev)

ECONOMY

18. ITAR-TASS: Industrialized countries to become driving force of global economy.
19. Interfax: Prosecutors sanction over 500,000 requests for inspecting businesses in 2014.
20. ITAR-TASS: Russian banks have a major margin of safety .
21. Interfax: Russia boosts oil output 1% in 2013.
22. Investors.com: Russia’s Internet Growth Seen To Outpace Its Economy.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

23. Russia Direct: Will the G8 in Sochi overshadow the G20 in St. Petersburg? RD Exclusive: Stanislav Tkachenko reflects on the results of the recent G20 Summit in St. Petersburg and applies them to the upcoming G8 Summit in Sochi.
24. The Voice of Russia: Russia’s G-8 presidency: agenda and priorities.
25. Russia Beyond the Headlines/VPK-news: Sergie Brezkun, Only nuclear weapons can guarantee Russia’s security. The significance of nuclear weapons for defense and security is written in Russian military doctrine, but today many believe their role is steadily declining. However, strategic nuclear forces have been and remain Russia’s only guarantee of security.
26. Reuters: U.S. needs modern nuclear deterrent despite high price tag – Hagel.
27. Carnegie Moscow Center: Maria Lipman, A World Without Authority.
28. Vestnik Kavkaza: Russia grows strong; Europe and the USA weaken. (Alexei Pushkov)
29. South Asia Analysis Group (India): Subhash Kapila, Russia and China Headed for an Inevitable Geopolitical Clash.
30. CNN.com: Anna Borshchevskaya, Russia’s growing Middle East influence.
31. New York Times: Greenpeace in New Feud With Russia Over a Ship Seized by Senegal.
32. Interfax; Moscow says Senegal promises to give materials confirming violations of fishing regulations by Russian boat.
33. Russia Direct: Nikolay Kaveshnikov, “Europe or Russia” is a false choice for Ukraine. The crisis in Ukraine is a new reason to reflect on a potential “Big Europe” strategy for relations between Russia and the European Union.
34. Reuters: Ukraine, Russia formalise cheaper gas deal.
35. Ukrainska Pravda: Battle of Orthodox Christian patriarchs as Ukraine’s Filaret denounces Russia’s Kirill.
36. Jamestown Foundation Eurasia Daily Monitor: Controversial Year for Ukraine: President Yanukovych Makes U-turn to Avoid Default.
37. RIA Novosti: US Senate Backs Sanctions Over Ukraine Violence.
38. Washington Post: Anne Applebaum, What paths will Ukraine and India take to change?
39. Eurasianet.org: Justin Burke, Is Latvia’s Door to Europe Closing for Russians, Central Asians?
40. Eurasianet.org: Congress Pulls Plug On Pentagon’s Central Asia Propaganda.
41. Vestnik Kavkaza: Georgia trammelled by stereotypes. (Georgy Kalatozishvili)