RIA Novosti

Madonna: I Came to Filmmaking with Great Humility

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:04:00 GMT

Singing songs, writing fairytales and directing movies is almost the same: in each case, you have to tell a story, says Madonna, who has tried it all. In an interview with RIA Novosti’s Olga Grinkrug she talks about W.E., her movie about the abdication of King Edward VIII, which premiered in Russia on February 2. Actors James D'Arcy (King Edward VIII) and Andrea Riseborough (Wallis Simpson) also shared impressions about their work with the pop icon.

The Russian Navy Grows from Bottom up

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:57:22 GMT

While the nation’s leaders work at overhauling the Navy organization, the Navy itself continues to order new ships.

Transmissions from a Lone Star: A Young Person's Guide to Russian Politics

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:39:00 GMT

Following recent street protests in Russia, international attention has been focused on the country’s political scene.

Russian Press - Behind the Headlines, February 3

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:14:56 GMT

NATO Transit Hub May Be Established in Central Russia \ Putin Promises 100 Steps to Meet Businesses Halfway \ If Not Putin, Who?

Trendswatcher: When Looking ‘Normal’ is a Matter of Life and Death

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:52:00 GMT

The bitter cold that has gripped the European part of Russia these last few weeks is certainly a case for concern as people come out for political rallies but there is another group of people who don’t get as much press, yet their lives literally hang in the balance when the weather gets extreme.

Russian Press at a Glance, Friday, February 3, 2012

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:16:00 GMT

A brief look at what is in the Russian papers today

Balancing on the Verge of Iran War

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:19:07 GMT

Those who hoped that the IAEA visit to Iran would open the door to resuming talks on Tehran’s nuclear programs must be disappointed. Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency spent three days in Iran, whose news agency published only a few short notices about their visit.

Uncertain World: Will Russia Lose Georgia for Good?

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:14:31 GMT

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili finally got what he couldn’t get for several years: an official visit to the White House.

Russian Press - Behind the Headlines, February 2

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:03:00 GMT

Marginally Honest Elections: Russians Hope for the Best / Ukraine Unofficially Links Russian Navy Base with New Gas Deals / Former Moscow Mayor Takes up Farming

Russian Press at a Glance, Thursday, February 2, 2012

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:56:00 GMT

A brief look at what is in the Russian papers today

Moscow and the West once again cross swords over Syria

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:56:00 GMT

Next Thursday (February 2), the UN Security Council will vote on a new West- and LAS-sponsored draft resolution on Syria urging President Bashar al-Assad to resign and delegate his powers to Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa.

The Phobos Crash Was Preprogrammed

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:05:00 GMT

The Russian space agency Roscosmos announced the cause of the Phobos-Grunt space probe failure on Tuesday: it was a software malfunction in its onboard computer.

Russian Press - Behind the Headlines, February 1

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:23:24 GMT

Falling Demand Could Bring Oil Prices Down / Severe cold sets in for another ten days, from Baikal to Europe / Moderates invited to alternative rally

Due West: Putin Plays for Provincial Vote

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:01:00 GMT

Whether there were eight or fourteen thousand of them (figures differ even in official reports), the massive rally held in Yekaterinburg, the capital of the Urals region, in support of “stability” (read – PM Vladimir Putin) was an impressive affair, especially by Russia's provincial standards.

Deconstructing Putinomics

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:50:30 GMT

In his recent article, “We Need a New Economy,” prime minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin combines elements of different and sometimes contradictory economic theories – from neo-liberalism to the basic tenets of Marxism.

Sam's Exchange: Who is bluffing who?

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:30:12 GMT

The European Union (EU) has decided to ban the import of Iranian oil, but not for another six months. Iran however, looks like they are about to call the EU’s bluff and ban exports to Europe with immediate effect.

Russian Press - Behind the Headlines, January 30

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:56:23 GMT

Difficult Choice: Which Taxes to Raise? \ Moscow Authorities Seek Early Spring Break to Preempt Student Protests \ Viktor Bout receives another refusal

Deeper Than Oil: The Twitching of the Zhir

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:48:00 GMT

Watching Russian presidential candidate Vladimir Zhirinovsky do nothing is an edifying experience and infinitely more interesting, I’d wager, than watching any of his rivals do pretty much anything at all.

The Pentagon Tightens its Belt

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:25:00 GMT

The plan that the U.S. Defense Department has published will allow the Pentagon to save about half a trillion dollars and will reduce the country's armed forces by 100,000 people. The Pentagon claims the plan will not diminish the U.S. army's capabilities but this seems to be an effort to put a good face on the matter.

High oil prices open “window of opportunity” for Russian economy

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:42:19 GMT

IMF experts believe that high oil prices will allow the Russian government to take measures to strengthen, protect and reform the economy. Russia is benefiting from the rising tensions in the Middle East, which are driving up the price of a barrel of oil, but experts believe this geopolitical factor will soon subside. Moreover, expensive oil is slowing down Russia’s economic growth, and without economic reforms even expensive oil cannot guarantee economic stability.

Trendswatcher: An education. The foreign kind

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:02:00 GMT

An amusing macro recently made its way around the Russian blogosphere - it showed a group of students lying down on the quad of some stereotypical Western university, and saying the following: “We are the children of Russian bureaucrats. And you all are agents of the [U.S.] State Department, traitors to that faraway [Russian] land.”

Russian Press - Behind the Headlines, January 27

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:55:48 GMT

Government Considers Leasing Far Eastern Croplands to Foreign Investors \ United Russia Seeks Ways to Legitimize Elections \ Davos Forum: Khodorkovsky and Capital Inflow into Russia

Transmissions from a Lone Star: Learn Japanese the World War II Way!

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:36:48 GMT

Recently I was browsing in a used book store when I stumbled upon a soldier’s Japanese phrasebook from World War II. Between faded orange covers I found a treasure trove of fascinating words and phrases- certainly it’s the most useful text published by the U.S

Will Iran Block the Strait of Hormuz?

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:20:00 GMT

The European Union agreed this week to introduce a ban on Iranian oil imports to the EU. Iran’s response was unequivocal.

Russian Press at a Glance, Friday, January 27, 2012

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:34:00 GMT

A brief look at what is in the Russian papers today