Russia

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June 2009
- Russia Bans Gambling as Mega-Casinos Crap Out
  
  Independent (UK) | Jun 17, 09 9:23 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Gambling has played a major role in Russian life since 1989, with high-rolling casinos—more than 30 in Moscow alone—echoing the cowboy capitalism of the post-Soviet years. But July 1, Russia is shutting down all gaming and slot machine halls, confining gambling to four Vegas-style zones across the country. Trouble is, as the Independent reports, the financial crisis has dried up investment, so none of the four is anywhere near completion. More »
- The US Needs Its Own Perestroika: Gorbachev
  
  Washington Post | Jun 7, 09 9:13 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Mikhail Gorbachev has been saying for years that the US needed change, and for the first time, he writes in the Washington Post, people have been meeting him with applause rather than skepticism. America needs a perestroika—a restructuring—because, like Russia in the 1980s, it can no longer revert to its past. The economic crisis reveals the free market dogma "force-fed to the rest of the world" to be an "illusion." More »
May 2009
- Missile Shield Useless Against Iran's Arsenal: Study
  
  Washington Post | May 19, 09 9:20 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The US missile shield planned for eastern Europe wouldn’t protect the continent from threats posed by Iranian missiles, a team of American and Russian scientists found. Further, the Washington Post notes, it will be more than 5 years before Iran can build nuclear warheads and missiles to launch them, says the report, presented to top US and Russian officials. More »
- Moscow Cops Smash Gay Protest
  
  BBC | May 16, 09 6:20 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Moscow police broke up a gay rights demonstration today and arrested at least 20 protesters, the BBC reports. The activists, marching to draw attention to what they describe as deep prejudice, timed the protest to coincide with a European song contest popular in the gay community. "This shows the Russian people are not free," said British gay rights advocate Peter Tatchell as police dragged him away. More »
- Russia Warns of Arctic War
  
  Times (UK) | May 14, 09 3:41 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A document released by the Russian government suggests that the country should prepare for war in the Arctic within the next decade, as rising temperatures intensify the scramble for the region's vast oil and gas fields. Russia claims sovereignty over a 465,000-square-mile ridge, which the US and other northern countries dispute. "It cannot be ruled out that military force could be used to resolve emerging problems," the report warned. More »
- West 'Wasted 20 Years' After Berlin Wall Fell: Gorbachev
  
  Reuters | May 13, 09 3:24 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Europe has squandered two decades of potential cooperation since the Berlin Wall fell, Mikhail Gorbachev says. At a Moscow event sponsored by his foundation, the former Soviet leader criticized Western leaders who viewed the 1989 event as their victory over Eastern Europe, rather than an opportunity for common good, Reuters reports. More »
- NATO Boots 2 Russians for Spying on HQ
  
  Guardian (UK) | May 1, 09 2:42 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - NATO has expelled two Russian diplomats from its Brussels headquarters for spying, officials announced. The expulsion of the diplomats, one of whom is the son of Russia's EU ambassador, provoked an angry response from Moscow, which accused NATO of deliberately sabotaging relations. The spy scandal is the most serious rift between NATO and Russia since the war in South Ossetia last summer, reports the Guardian . More »
April 2009
- Virus-Wary Egypt to Destroy All 300K Pigs
  
  Associated Press | Apr 29, 09 9:16 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Egyptian government says it will immediately slaughter the country’s entire population of 300,000 pigs to protect against the swine flu, the AP reports. Egypt has stressed that it has no reported cases of the virus, though two infections have been confirmed in neighboring Israel. The move comes as countries around the globe look to restrict the import of pork products from the US. More »
- Russian Ship Seizes 29 Suspected Pirates
  
  Associated Press | Apr 29, 09 7:58 AM CDT
  
  (AP) - A Russian warship has seized a vessel carrying 29 suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia, RIA Novosti and other agencies are reporting, citing the nation's Defense Ministry. A Russian anti-submarine vessel seized the ship yesterday along with automatic rifles, pistols, and ammunition found on board. More »
- Moscow Police Chief Kills 3 in Gun Rampage
  
  Times (UK) | Apr 27, 09 5:38 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A Moscow police chief went on a gun rampage in a supermarket last night, killing three people and wounding seven others. The chief, whose wife had recently left him, had finished a late shift and hitched a ride to the supermarket. He then shot the driver dead before entering the store and opening fire, reports the Times of London. More »
- Pentagon Game Simulates Global Economic Warfare
  
  Politico | Apr 9, 09 9:33 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Last month, the Pentagon hosted a new kind of war game, focused not on a “shooting war,” but on how hostile states might damage the US economy, Politico reports. Instead of decorated military brass calling the shots, shirt-sleeved hedge fund managers, academics, and executives played out scenarios shifting the global balance of power through financial moves. The outcome: China won while the US and Russia got beaten by trying to beat each other. More »
- Russia Sees Red Over Moldova's Twitter Revolution
  
  Independent (UK) | Apr 9, 09 4:15 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The escalating crisis in Moldova is threatening to sour Russia's relations with the West once again, reports the Independent . Russia is siding with the Moldovan government in its accusations that the anti-Communist protests—organized by pro-EU youth mobilizing with the help of Twitter updates—are part of a coup attempt backed by EU member and Moldova neighbor Romania. More »
- UN Split Over Response to N. Korea Rocket
  
  Guardian (UK) | Apr 6, 09 9:47 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The US and Japan have hit international resistance as they push for a firm response to yesterday’s North Korean rocket launch over Japan, the Guardian reports. As the second day of emergency UN talks begins today, China and Russia aren’t backing a proposed statement condemning the move from Pyongyang and boosting UN sanctions. China and Russia “appear reserved and cautious,” Japan’s foreign minister said this morning. More »
- Vandals Rip Lenin a New One
  
  BBC | Apr 1, 09 1:04 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A bomb exploded this morning at a St. Petersburg tribute to Vladimir Lenin, opening a gaping hole in the statue's backside, the BBC reports. “As a result of the explosion a crater of 31-39 inches appeared on the monument,” a Russian official said. The motive for the attack was unclear, and no one was hurt. The statue outside Finland Station commemorates Lenin’s return to Russia in 1917 after years of exile. More »
March 2009
- Obama, Medvedev to Open New Arms Talks
  
  New York Times | Mar 31, 09 9:31 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - President Obama will begin a busy week in Europe tomorrow by announcing that the US and Russia will begin talks to reduce their nuclear arsenals by about a third to 1,500 warheads apiece, the New York Times reports. Obama will meet with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev on the sidelines of the G20 summit, and the two will announce plans for a new nuclear arms pact to replace START, which expires in December. More »
- Mock Mars Mission Blasts Off
  
  BBC | Mar 31, 09 12:26 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Europe launched its first shot at a manned mission to the Red Planet today—by locking six scientists in a tiny capsule in Moscow for 105 days to simulate the voyage, the BBC reports. The volunteers, who can leave the experiment but score $20000 if they make it, will perform similar maintenance tasks and experience the same isolation and claustrophobia as real astronauts. “It is really like a real space flight without the weightlessness and the danger to our lives,” said Sergei Ryazansky, one of the would-be astronauts. More »
- Medvedev: Obama and I Must Work Together
  
  Washington Post | Mar 31, 09 7:57 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Relations between the US and Russia were testy, to say the least, by the end of 2008—a condition for which Dmitry Medvedev, not surprisingly, blames Washington. In a needling op-ed for the Washington Post , the Russian president writes that the proposed missile defense system and support for Georgia and Ukraine's NATO bids "undermined Russia's interests." But Medvedev, who will meet Barack Obama for the first time in London tomorrow, has hope that the "toxic assets" of American policy can be cleaned up. More »
- Russia to Build 6 New Nuclear Submarines
  
  CNN | Mar 28, 09 7:15 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Russia is building at least six new nuclear submarines equipped with long-distance cruise missiles, according to state-connected news agency Itar-Tass. One is expected to be on line by 2011, the rest by 2017. A Russian defense ministry source say the missiles, capable of carrying low-capacity nuclear warheads, "would be designed for strikes on aircraft carriers of the enemy" as well as land targets. More »
- Litvinenko Murder Suspect Halts Mayor Bid
  
  Reuters | Mar 24, 09 12:16 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The UK's top suspect in the killing of Alexander Litvinenko has quit the mayoral race in the Russian city set to hold the 2014 Winter Olympics, Reuters reports. “The leadership of the party took a final decision that my candidacy would not be put forward,” Andrei Lugovoy said, adding that he would stick to Russia's parliament. Lugovoy didn’t have enough support in the race, his party said. More »
- Medvedev: NATO Threat Means Russia Will Rearm
  
  Reuters | Mar 17, 09 1:00 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Russia will rearm its military and boost its nuclear capabilities in response to NATO's growth, President Dmitry Medvedev told Russian military heads today. “Attempts to expand the military infrastructure of NATO near the borders of our country are continuing,” Medvedev said. That, alongside international terrorism and local concerns, “requires a modernization of our armed forces,” he noted, saying “strategic nuclear forces” were a priority. More »