RIA Novosti

Deeper Than Oil: Russia’s Euro Joy

Mon, 21 May 2012 12:07:00 GMT

It’s a little over two weeks until Euro 2012 kicks off in Ukraine and Poland. Although Russia are involved, this year’s competition is unlikely to see football fever sweep the country in the way it did at the last tournament, four years ago.

Russian Press - Behind the Headlines, May 21

Mon, 21 May 2012 11:32:01 GMT

Kasyanov Announces Parnas Party Reforms \ Legislature Rejects Tax Service Access to Personal Accounts \ Markets Could Follow Oil on a Rebound

Belarus-Style Repressions Unlikely in Russia – Experts

Fri, 18 May 2012 15:48:00 GMT

The Kremlin is unlikely to mount a full-scale violent crackdown on the resilient opposition like in Belarus despite mounting tensions in Moscow between protesters and police, Russian political analysts said.

Trendwatching: Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty

Fri, 18 May 2012 15:37:31 GMT

The good weather has had Russian protesters camping out in Moscow. The authorities treated this as yet another fad - it’s just kids being kids, having fun, hanging out on the grass, blah blah.

Transmissions from a Lone Star: How I Got Back To Nature

Fri, 18 May 2012 11:45:34 GMT

Like many British people, I grew up disconnected from nature. Though my small town was close to forests and woods and water, we pretty much left the animals and plants alone. Specialists, known as “farmers”, were our mediators. Every now and then you might go for a ramble between fields, but that was about it, even though (in Scotland at least) you are never very far away from a herd of sheep.

Russian Press - Behind the Headlines, May 18

Fri, 18 May 2012 11:31:56 GMT

St. Petersburg activist shares outrageous election fraud video \ ASI Director: Our Businesses Environment Is the Best in Russia

Russian Press - Behind the Headlines, May 17

Thu, 17 May 2012 13:05:00 GMT

Opposition Camp Could Turn into Festival \ Opposition in Nizhny Novgorod Walks Unsanctioned \ Russian Parliament Toughens Assembly Law

Police Move in on Occupy Campers at New Site

Thu, 17 May 2012 08:59:00 GMT

In just under two hours after being evicted by riot police in the early morning hours of Wednesday from an Occupy-type tent protest in Moscow, anti-Putin protesters moved their camp to another central park to continue their stand against President Vladimir Putin’s return to the Kremlin.

Uncertain World: Russia Lays Siege to Ukraine

Thu, 17 May 2012 08:45:36 GMT

The presidents of Russia and Ukraine have met for the first time since Vladimir Putin’s re-election. This is a strange period in bilateral relations: nothing seems to be happening and there are no public conflicts between the two countries, yet occasional statements coming from both sides clearly point to mutual dissatisfaction and strain in the relationship.

Occupy Yourself

Thu, 17 May 2012 07:50:00 GMT

So, Occupy Abai, Moscow’s latest social/political novelty, is no more. In the wee hours of May 16, six hours before the deadline set by Basmanny court, the last remaining members of the camp were removed by the police, forced to leave their paltry possessions behind.

Occupy Yourself

Thu, 17 May 2012 07:50:00 GMT

Avatar, Russian Style: Pines & Beatings But No Catgirls

Thu, 17 May 2012 07:21:00 GMT

James Cameron invested more than $350 million in a tale of unscrupulous capitalists developing a primeval ecosystem to the chagrin of locals, and grossed $2.7 billion out of it, thrilling half the globe with 2009's Avatar.

Due West: Putin Signals Foreign Policy Shift

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:16:00 GMT

Ever since his inauguration on May 7, President Vladimir Putin has been engaged in frenzied activities designed to convince the world that he is in full control of Russian politics, economics and foreign policy.

Moscow’s Mentally Handicapped Kids Face Prejudice, Ignorance

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:08:58 GMT

At Moscow’s St. George’s school for mentally handicapped children, students are rehearsing a play for their end-of-term celebrations.

Putin-Obama Mutual Snubs Spell ‘Reset’ Crisis – Analysts

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:36:00 GMT

The current diplomatic contretemps between Russia and the United States is a crisis for the reset policy in bilateral relations, which are still based on Cold War-era distrust, Russian analysts said.

Russian Press - Behind the Headlines, May 16

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:20:38 GMT

Medvedev and Putin Reshuffle Teams \ ‘Insecurity’ Agents: Recipients of Foreign Grants Face Greater Scrutiny \ Public Chamber Supports March of Millions Crackdown

20 Years on, CSTO Focuses on Threats to Central Asia

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:04:00 GMT

With its membership now stable, the Collective Security Treaty Organization has shifted its focus to resolving conflicts and dealing with terrorist threats in the post-Soviet space, predominantly in Central Asia.

Women Talk: Eat, Pray, Love - and Eat Again!

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:06:00 GMT

On one of my recent trips to Italy, I was to take a bus from the quaint Tuscan town of Siena to Rome, and then catch a plane back to Moscow.

Russian Press - Behind the Headlines, May 15

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:03:23 GMT

Russians’ Property Not Secure \ Russia Cracks Down on Capital Export to Offshore Zones \ Duma Deputy Wants to Prosecute Social Network Users for Stirring Unrest

Russia Can Buy Weapons in the West, but not Industry

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:51:56 GMT

Once again, the Russian military are about to lay out huge chunks of money to buy military equipment in the West, thus causing bouts of righteous indignation among supporters of the domestic defence industry.

How Many Libyan Civilians Were Killed in NATO’s Air Campaign?

Tue, 15 May 2012 08:30:00 GMT

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has finally decided to contribute its weighty word in the dramatic disputes over how many civilians were killed in NATO’s air campaign in Libya.

Deeper Than Oil: Under The Gaze of a Kazakh Poet

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:52:05 GMT

I’ve been spending a lot of time recently at Moscow’s week-old opposition camp, the gathering of anti-Putin activists that sprang up overnight in the center of the capital, under the gaze of a 19th century Kazakh poet philosopher named Abai Kunanbayev (born Qunanbaiuli).

Russian Press - Behind the Headlines, May 14

Mon, 14 May 2012 10:52:00 GMT

Russia Will Attend NATO Summit in Chicago \ Writers Lead Thousands Across Moscow Without Police Action \ Prime Minister Bracing up to Announce New Cabinet

Interview: Afghanistan 'Collective Issue' for International Community – Karzai

Mon, 14 May 2012 03:34:00 GMT

Lack of security in Afghanistan is a problem for the entire international community rather than of the country alone, and therefore has to be addressed collectively, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in an interview with Russian media.

Plane Crash Doesn’t Spell Disaster for Superjet Project

Fri, 11 May 2012 16:21:00 GMT

The crash site of the Sukhoi Superjet-100 (SSJ-100) that disappeared in Indonesia on May 9 has been found. It had crashed into a mountain. However, the tragic end of the demo flight does not spell the end of this Russian civil aviation project.