Columnists

Columnists

Abkhazian President Sergei Bagapsh named...

Abkhazian President Sergei Bagapsh named longtime Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba the republic"s new prime minister on Saturday.

According to unofficial sources, at least...

According to unofficial sources, at least nine people were killed in violence in Iran, including the nephew of opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi, local media has reported.

A group of NATO experts will visit Moscow...

A group of NATO experts will visit Moscow on February 10 to discuss the alliance"s future plans, NATO official representative James Appathurai said on Tuesday.

A new Russian-Indian military transport...

A new Russian-Indian military transport plane could make its maiden flight by 2018, the head of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) said.

A proposed merger between the two largest...

A proposed merger between the two largest gas companies of Russia and Ukraine has caused a surge of criticism among the Ukrainian opposition, the Russian press said on Tuesday.

A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman confirmed...

A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman confirmed on Saturday that Moscow and Washington would continue their dialogue on a new strategic arms deal in Geneva in February.

A Russian Orthodox priest has been killed...

A Russian Orthodox priest has been killed in the Moscow Region south of the Russian capital, and two suspects have been detained, police said.

A Thai Airways Boeing 747 with 330 passengers...

A Thai Airways Boeing 747 with 330 passengers on board made an emergency landing after an engine caught fire shortly after takeoff, a Thai news agency reported on its website on Friday.

At last something interesting is happening...

At last something interesting is happening in Brussels, that is, in the European Union. It seems to have left behind a stultifying period of business routine, with the first series of haggling and squabbles since Lisbon (where the group reformed itself) now well underway.

A U.S. Navy helicopter crashed in West Virginia...

A U.S. Navy helicopter crashed in West Virginia during a military training injuring at least four out of 17 people on board the aircraft, MSNBC television channel reported.

A Washington-Moscow plane, which made an...

A Washington-Moscow plane, which made an emergency landing at an airport in the Azores in the mid-Atlantic, has taken off to its final destination of Moscow, the press attache for the Russian embassy in Portugal said.

A young composer from St. Petersburg, Russia"s...

A young composer from St. Petersburg, Russia"s second largest city, has written a symphony in honor of the Shtokman gas condensate field in the Russian sector of the Barents Sea, the Sinemafonika producer company said on Friday.

BRUSSELS, September 17 (RIA Novosti) - NATO...

BRUSSELS, September 17 (RIA Novosti) - NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Russian envoy to the Western military bloc Dmitry Rogozin will hold an extraordinary meeting on Thursday.

Canadian snowboarder Jasey Jay Anderson...

Canadian snowboarder Jasey Jay Anderson brought his Olympics-hosting country 12th gold medal after winning in men"s parallel giant slalom.

Chinese companies may invest $2 billion...

Chinese companies may invest $2 billion to build hotels in Russia"s Black Sea resort of Sochi, the host city for the 2014 Winter Olympic games, Russia"s RBC daily said on Tuesday.

Former Saddam Hussein deputy and the most...

Former Saddam Hussein deputy and the most wanted fugitive in Iraq has been captured in a special operation on al-Qaeda in Iraq, Sify News information agency said.

Gen. Nikolai Makarov, chief of the General...

Gen. Nikolai Makarov, chief of the General Staff of Russia"s Armed Forces, said on Tuesday he will visit the United States to discuss international and regional issues, including arms cuts.

German auto giant Daimler AG is accused...

German auto giant Daimler AG is accused of paying some 5.02 million euros ($6.7 million) to Russian officials to accelerate the orders of more cars for government purposes, a respected Russian business daily said on Thursday.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said...

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said on Tuesday Greece is ready to sign a contract with Russia for the construction of the Greek section of the South Stream pipeline project.

Heads of the largest transnational corporations...

Heads of the largest transnational corporations operating in Russia will sign on Wednesday an obligation not to bribe Russian officials, Russian business daily Vedomosti said on Tuesday.

Iran began on Tuesday production of 20%-enriched...

Iran began on Tuesday production of 20%-enriched uranium at the Natanz nuclear facility, the Iranian Fars news agency reported.

Iran has compiled a list of some 60 foreign...

Iran has compiled a list of some 60 foreign organizations and media which it said were agents in the "soft war" against the country, the Press TV reported on Tuesday.

Iran is planning to spend some $9 billion...

Iran is planning to spend some $9 billion on the development of its gas infrastructure, the Islamic republic"s SHANA news agency said on Wednesday, quoting the head of the National Iranian Gas Company.

Iran"s Revolutionary Guards on Friday started...

Iran"s Revolutionary Guards on Friday started the second stage of a three-day military exercise in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, the Fars news agency reported.

Iran started on Monday production of two...

Iran started on Monday production of two domestically-developed unmanned aerial vehicles capable of delivering high-precision bombing strikes and performing reconnaissance missions, the Fars news agency said.

Iran will start production of 20%-enriched...

Iran will start production of 20%-enriched nuclear fuel at the Natanz nuclear plant on Tuesday afternoon, the Fars news agency said, citing an Iranian nuclear official.

Japan"s giant carmaker, Toyota Motor Corp...

Japan"s giant carmaker, Toyota Motor Corp., said that it is recalling about 2.3 million of its cars sold in the United States due to accelerating pedal problems.

Kyrgyzstan"s former interior minister was...

Kyrgyzstan"s former interior minister was flown to Manas airport near Bishkek on Monday after being detained in Moscow in a joint Kyrgyz-Russian operation, Kyrgyzstan"s AKIpress agency reported.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain...

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are doing our damnedest to get them under control. I trust you are not in too much distress."

LUKoil will invest $4.5 billion in Iraq"s...

LUKoil will invest $4.5 billion in Iraq"s West Qurna-2 within the next three to five years, the head of Russia"s largest independent crude producer said on Thursday.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former head of...

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former head of the Yukos oil giant who is facing new charges of oil and oil revenue embezzlement, said on Thursday the prosecution"s accusations were paradoxical and devoid of logic.

Mirax Group will continue the construction...

Mirax Group will continue the construction of a Moscow skyscraper set to be one of the tallest buildings in Europe, an executive said on Wednesday.

More than 50% of the world"s computer hacking...

More than 50% of the world"s computer hacking crimes were carried out from China in 2009, a leading Russian computer security company said in a report on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, April 9 (RIA Novosti) - A U.S. warship...

MOSCOW, April 9 (RIA Novosti) - A U.S. warship arrived in Somali waters on Thursday to assist in freeing a captain seized by Somali pirates after a hijack attempt failed when the ship's unarmed crew fought back.

MOSCOW, August 27 (RIA Novosti) - Eight...

MOSCOW, August 27 (RIA Novosti) - Eight men detained last week on suspicion of hijacking the Arctic Sea cargo ship have been arraigned on piracy and kidnapping charges, Russia"s special investigations committee said on Thursday.

MOSCOW, August 2 (RIA Novosti) - Russian...

MOSCOW, August 2 (RIA Novosti) - Russian researchers are preparing to dive beneath the ice at the North Pole to gather scientific data and back the country's claim to a vast energy-rich Arctic territory, the Vesti 24 satellite channel said Thursday.

Moscow expects talks on the simultaneous...

Moscow expects talks on the simultaneous accession of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to be concluded in the near future, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, February 20 (RIA Novosti) - Viktor...

MOSCOW, February 20 (RIA Novosti) - Viktor Yanukovych, due to be sworn in as Ukraine"s president on February 25, will visit Moscow in the first ten days of March, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

MOSCOW. (Ilya Kramnik, RIA Novosti military...

MOSCOW. (Ilya Kramnik, RIA Novosti military commentator) - The development of the fifth-generation jet fighter is one of the most widely discussed issues in Russia's military.

MOSCOW, November 10 (RIA Novosti) - South...

MOSCOW, November 10 (RIA Novosti) - South Korean President Lee Myung-bak convened an emergency meeting on Tuesday after a brief exchange of gunfire between North and South Korean ships in the Yellow Sea.

MOSCOW, November 1 (RIA Novosti) - Russia...

MOSCOW, November 1 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is lowering the oil export duty on its benchmark Urals blend 4% to $231.2 per metric ton from $240.7 from November 1, following trends on global oil markets.

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator...

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Dmitry Kosyrev) - During a parade on the embankment of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) on the anniversary of last year"s hideous terrorist attack, the police showed new weapons and armored vehicles.

MOSCOW, September 18 (RIA Novosti) - Russia"s...

MOSCOW, September 18 (RIA Novosti) - Russia"s next national census, originally scheduled for October 2010, has been postponed to 2013 due to the economic crisis, a spokesman for Russian statistics service Rosstat said on Friday.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen...

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Thursday the Western military bloc was not prepared to compromise with Russia on Georgia.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il has constructed...

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il has constructed a secret bunker in preparation for foreign invasion or even a civil unrest in the country, a British newspaper has reported.

North Korea"s authorities have released...

North Korea"s authorities have released a U.S. human rights activist who was detained on December 24 while crossing the country"s border, Yonhap said on Saturday.

North Korea"s top nuclear negotiator plans...

North Korea"s top nuclear negotiator plans to discuss the resumption of six-party talks on his country"s nuclear program during his visit to the U.S. in March, South Korea"s Yonhap said on Friday.

Norway won the women"s cross country skiing...

Norway won the women"s cross country skiing relay at the Vancouver Winter Olympics on Thursday, ahead of Germany and Finland.

Qatar has invited Russia"s Gazprom to take...

Qatar has invited Russia"s Gazprom to take part in projects to extract and produce liquefied natural gas (LNG) after a moratorium is lifted on developing its North Field deposits, the Russian energy giant said on Thursday.

Residents of the self-proclaimed Turkish...

Residents of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus vote in a presidential election on Sunday, which could further complicate the island"s reunification process and Turkey"s accession to the EU.

RUSSIA

Russia believes current gas contracts with...

Russia believes current gas contracts with Ukraine are fair, but will start talks on the issue that could touch upon a gas price reduction for Kiev, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

Russia has not yet decided on the date for...

Russia has not yet decided on the date for the delivery of advanced S-300 air defense systems to Iran, a Russian defense industry official said on Wednesday.

Russia has sent its proposals on a Russian-Venezuelan...

Russia has sent its proposals on a Russian-Venezuelan bank being set up by the two countries to Caracas, a deputy Russian finance minister has said.

Russia is ready to render various assistance...

Russia is ready to render various assistance in overcoming the current political turmoil in Kyrgyzstan, a Russian deputy foreign minister told the head of the Kyrgyz interim government on Monday.

Russia may set up a free economic zone worth...

Russia may set up a free economic zone worth $3 billion in India intended to involve investors from third countries, the deputy chief of Russia"s federal property agency said in an interview with the Russian government daily.

Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said...

Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said on Friday that he expected the global economic crisis to continue, and that further surprises should be expected.

Russian oil output increased 1.2% year-on-year...

Russian oil output increased 1.2% year-on-year to a post-Soviet record of 494.228 million metric tons (3.63 billion barrels) in 2009, the Energy Ministry said on Monday.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will take...

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will take part in the nuclear security summit in Washington on April 12-13, a Kremlin spokesman said on Monday.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin proposed...

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin proposed on Friday that Russia"s energy giant Gazprom and Ukraine"s gas monopoly Naftogaz should create a joint holding.

Russian Tu-95MS Bear strategic bombers have...

Russian Tu-95MS Bear strategic bombers have completed a series of efficiency drills, an Air Force spokesman said on Friday.

Russia"s economic development is being held...

Russia"s economic development is being held back by the financial satisfaction of a large segment of the population, a state-owned insurer has said.

Russia"s environmental regulator said on...

Russia"s environmental regulator said on Wednesday that the Russian-British joint oil venture TNK-BP may lose its license to develop a huge gas field in Siberia over a failure to comply with the terms of the agreement.

Russia"s envoy to NATO has poured cold water...

Russia"s envoy to NATO has poured cold water on an offer by Moldova"s unrecognized republic of Transdnestr to deploy Russian missile defense elements.

Russia"s Federal Space Agency gave final...

Russia"s Federal Space Agency gave final approval on Thursday to the crew of the next expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), which will be launched on Friday.

Russia"s Gazprom and Ukrainian gas company...

Russia"s Gazprom and Ukrainian gas company Naftogaz are ready to consider an assets swap, the head of the Russian energy giant said on Friday.

Russia"s largest Internet company Yandex...

Russia"s largest Internet company Yandex may bid for the ICQ messenger, put up for sale by the U.S. company AOL, a respected business daily reported on Thursday.

Russia will back sanctions against Iran...

Russia will back sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear program if an international consensus is reached, a diplomatic source said on Tuesday.

Russia would welcome a Iranian decision...

Russia would welcome a Iranian decision to send uranium to third countries for further enrichment and processing into fuel for power plants, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.

Spartak Nalchik continued their fine start...

Spartak Nalchik continued their fine start to the Russian Premier League season with a 1-0 home win over struggling Krylya Sovetov on Sunday to retake top spot from Rubin.

The ailing Russian car giant AvtoVAZ said...

The ailing Russian car giant AvtoVAZ said on Wednesday it planned to increase output more than 50% in 2010 to 446,000 vehicles in an apparent bid to compensate for a slump in sales last year.

The Bank of Russia is ready to buy any gold...

The Bank of Russia is ready to buy any gold that may be sold by the State Depository for Precious Metals and Gems, the bank"s first deputy chief said on Monday.

The bombs that went off on a railway track...

The bombs that went off on a railway track in the Republic of Dagestan in Russia"s North Caucasus can be seen as the continuation of the recent terrorist attacks in Russia, a high-placed security officer said.

The Canadian team of Charles and Francois...

The Canadian team of Charles and Francois Hamelin, Olivier Jean and Francois-Louis Tremblay won men"s 5,000-meter short track relay with the result of 6 minutes 44.224 seconds.

The G20 is ready to send immediate aid to...

The G20 is ready to send immediate aid to Haiti, devastated by a powerful earthquake that may have left thousands dead.

The Kaluga regional authorities and Berlin-Chemie...

The Kaluga regional authorities and Berlin-Chemie, a member of the leading Italian pharmaceutical holding Menarini Group, agreed on Friday on the construction of a new pharmaceutical factory.

The new START bilateral nuclear arms reduction...

The new START bilateral nuclear arms reduction agreement between Russia and the United States was signed by Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama on April 8, 2010 in Prague, the Czech Republic.

The number of Russians who have savings...

The number of Russians who have savings accounts has decreased to 24% from 31% in the past four months with fewer people saving money in rubles, an opinion poll carried out by the Russia Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) showed.

The rapid downfall of Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek...

The rapid downfall of Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev came as a surprise for political analysts. Only four days previously he met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in Bishkek. Not a single analytical centre in Russia or the West predicted such a rapid turn of events.