Politics

Politics

A fire at a Moscow university dormitory...

A fire at a Moscow university dormitory has been put out, a police source told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.

A Moscow court has extended the custody...

A Moscow court has extended the custody for a police officer suspected of killing his colleague, a Moscow City Court spokeswoman said.

An informal Commonwealth of Independent...

An informal Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Summit will take place in Moscow on May 8 on the eve of the grandiose 65th Victory Day Parade, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

A Rammstein concert in Minsk, the capital...

A Rammstein concert in Minsk, the capital of ex-Soviet Belarus, will feature no displays of pornography, violence or Nazi symbols, the show"s organizer said on Tuesday.

A reset in Russia-U.S. relations has materialized...

A reset in Russia-U.S. relations has materialized and there should be no stopping now, the Russian foreign minister said on Friday.

Arsenal"s Andrei Arshavin will miss at least...

Arsenal"s Andrei Arshavin will miss at least the next "two or three weeks" with a calf strain, the Russian international said on his website on Thursday.

A ship with 30 crew on board sent a distress...

A ship with 30 crew on board sent a distress signal on Friday, warning that it could sink after becoming stuck in ice in the Sea of Okhotsk, off Russia"s Pacific coast, local emergencies officials said.

A ski marathon and the ice hockey finals...

A ski marathon and the ice hockey finals, which are among the most spectacular winter sports, were held on the last day of the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

A small plane crashed into a building in...

A small plane crashed into a building in the U.S. state of Virginia on Tuesday; the pilot later died and the passenger was injured, the Roanoke Times reported citing airport officials and eyewitnesses.

A South Korean naval ship sank in the Yellow...

A South Korean naval ship sank in the Yellow Sea near the border with North Korea late on Friday, and more than 40 sailors are missing while 58 were rescued, local media reported.

A syndicate of four large Russian banks...

A syndicate of four large Russian banks has provided a loan worth 6 billion rubles ($198 mln) to the Finance Ministry of Belarus, the banks said in a joint statement.

At least 10 people died and 20 are missing...

At least 10 people died and 20 are missing after an overcrowded boat capsized in the Godavari River in southern India on Saturday, the Hindustan Times and other media reported.

At least three people were killed on Thursday...

At least three people were killed on Thursday when a gunman opened fire in a shopping mall in Finland"s southern city of Espoo, local media reported.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko...

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is to visit Brazil as part of his Latin American tour, national media said on Tuesday.

Four anti-tank mines were discovered on...

Four anti-tank mines were discovered on Thursday next to a railway line in the Russian republic of North Ossetia, an emergency services spokeswoman told RIA Novosti.

French Greenpeace activists blocked a train...

French Greenpeace activists blocked a train carrying some 650 metric tons of radioactive waste in protest against the export of nuclear waste to Russia, the Greenpeace Russia website said.

Frequent "treats" by visitors of a Russian...

Frequent "treats" by visitors of a Russian zoo made one of its resident, Zhora the chimpanzee, an alcoholic and nicotine addict, a Russian daily has said.

Governments should work together for secure...

Governments should work together for secure energy supplies, the head of the anti-terrorism center for post-Soviet states said on Wednesday.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said...

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said on Monday the construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline project could start in six months, dropping his doubts about the project.

In 1958, Van Cliburn conquered millions...

In 1958, Van Cliburn conquered millions of Russian hearts and shot to instant international fame when he won the first international Tchaikovsky Competition at the height of the Cold War. Legend has it that Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev had to give his personal permission for first prize to go to an American.

International investigators will arrive...

International investigators will arrive in Georgia in early February to investigate the start of the August 2008 war between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia, a Russian daily said on Friday.

In the upcoming months, Russian President...

In the upcoming months, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is likely to hold talks with Abkhaz President Sergei Bagapsh, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, and visit France, Canada and Slovakia.

KIEV, October 30 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow...

KIEV, October 30 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow has offered Kiev assistance in curbing the spread of swine flu, the Russian foreign minister told his Ukrainian counterpart by telephone on Friday.

Legendary Formula One driver, seven-time...

Legendary Formula One driver, seven-time World Champion, Michael Schumacher, will return next year to "Royal Racing" at the age of 41 after signing a contract with the Mercedes Benz team on Wednesday.

Manuel Zelaya, the former president of Honduras...

Manuel Zelaya, the former president of Honduras, will be allowed to freely return to his homeland, current President Porfirio Lobo said on Friday.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky"s daughter Anastasia...

Mikhail Khodorkovsky"s daughter Anastasia and lawyer Yelena Lukyanova have received a literary prize, awarded to the jailed Yukos founder for his correspondence with a Russian Booker Prize winning author.

MOSCOW, April 7 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's...

MOSCOW, April 7 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Science and Education Ministry is in talks with the United States on a bilateral treaty to specify the responsibilities of U.S. parents who adopt Russian children, the minister said on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, August 11 (RIA Novosti) - At least...

MOSCOW, August 11 (RIA Novosti) - At least 87 people were injured when a powerful earthquake, measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale, struck the Shizuoka Prefecture in central Japan, Japanese media reported on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, August 3 (RIA Novosti) - Russia"s...

MOSCOW, August 3 (RIA Novosti) - Russia"s largest mobile communications operator Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) has offered $1.27 billion for a 51% stake in Moscow"s biggest multiservice communications operator, Comstar-UTS, a report said on Monday.

MOSCOW, August 5 (RIA Novosti) - The planned...

MOSCOW, August 5 (RIA Novosti) - The planned deployment of a new Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan is a defensive measure that will not pose a threat to any countries, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, December 4 (RIA Novosti) - Russia...

MOSCOW, December 4 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and India must finally agree on the revised terms of a contract to deliver a modernized aircraft carrier to the Indian navy and ensure the implementation of the project, the Russian president said on Thursday.

Moscow expressed deep concern Wednesday...

Moscow expressed deep concern Wednesday over Israel"s plan to build a large number of new housing complexes on the West Bank.

MOSCOW, February 11 (RIA Novosti) - Russian...

MOSCOW, February 11 (RIA Novosti) - Russian couturier Valentin Yudashkin said on Thursday he was shocked by the death of his British colleague, prominent fashion designer Alexander McQueen.

MOSCOW, January 15 (RIA Novosti) - The leader...

MOSCOW, January 15 (RIA Novosti) - The leader of the banned National Bolshevik Party called on Thursday on two other opposition leaders to unite their efforts.

MOSCOW, January 21 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow's...

MOSCOW, January 21 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow's top investigators will be involved in a probe into the murder of a lawyer, who represented the family of a Chechen woman killed by a Russian officer, the Moscow police chief said on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, January 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's...

MOSCOW, January 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's president arrived Thursday in India hoping to strengthen Moscow's economic and military ties with its traditional partner in Asia.

MOSCOW, March 10 (RIA Novosti) - The development...

MOSCOW, March 10 (RIA Novosti) - The development of offshore software programming has become a state priority task in Russia. Participants in the Russian IT market believe that the implementation of measures written into the Conception of the IT Market"s Development in the Russian Federation, that was adopted recently, can make Russia the world"s second country on the IT outsourcing market after India and allow it to outpace China. This information was presented in the Supplement to the Kommersant newspaper. At present, India is the indisputable leader on the IT outsourcing market. It accounts for nearly 40% of this market and accumulates over $11 bln in foreign investments. China is slightly ahead of Russia in terms of turnover on the offshore programming market: last year, this segment of the Chinese market amounted to about $1 bln, whereas the turnover of the Russian offshore programming market should reach $994 mln by the end of this year (by the data of the RUSSOFT Association). In the opinion of Nil Vereshchagin, commercial director of the Russian LUXOFT company, "at present, Russia is trying to take a worthy place in the world industry of ordered programming. High skills of Russian specialists and a developed infrastructure in big Russian cities are the main reasons why Western clients choose our companies." According to RUSSOFT"s forecasts, if the Conception"s provisions are fully implemented, in five to six years the Russian export market of IT services will increase to $10 bln, of which offshore software programming will account for more than a third.

MOSCOW, November 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russian...

MOSCOW, November 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday described the level of corruption in the country"s North Caucasus as "unprecedented" and promised to takes steps to tackle the problem.

MOSCOW, October 1 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's...

MOSCOW, October 1 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's top court ruled on Wednesday "to exonerate" the country's last tsar and his family, executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918, as victims of political repression.

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti commentator Dmitry...

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti commentator Dmitry Babich) - On Monday the presidents of three influential Muslim states, Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan, gathered for a summit in Istanbul. This top-level meeting is another testimony to Turkey"s ambition to take a lead in the Islamic world. Given that Russia is Turkey"s second largest partner after the European Union with a $25 billion annual trade turnover, Ankara"s success may boost Moscow"s weight on the international stage.

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti economic commentator...

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti economic commentator Vlad Grinkevich) - Russia and the United States ended their two-day talks on poultry supplies, held behind closed doors, on Thursday. They have coordinated their stands but have not reached an agreement.

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti military commentator...

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti military commentator Ilya Kramnik) - Russia and the United States have agreed to resume talks on a new strategic arms reduction treaty. A U.S. delegation led by National Security Advisor General James Jones and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, is expected in Moscow soon.

MOSCOW, September 18 (RIA Novosti) - North...

MOSCOW, September 18 (RIA Novosti) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il met on Friday with a special envoy of the Chinese president, the countries" state media reported.

MOSCOW, September 7 (RIA Novosti) - Over...

MOSCOW, September 7 (RIA Novosti) - Over 50 famous musicians and bands participated in the Mamakabo-2009 international festival in the Kaluga Region southwest of Moscow over the weekend, a regional official said on Monday.

NATO has announced it will hold military...

NATO has announced it will hold military exercises involving fighter planes over the Baltic Sea this month, the first in a series of military drills to be held this year near the Russian border.

NEW DELHI, January 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russia...

NEW DELHI, January 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and India are concerned about the deteriorating situation in Iraq, a joint statement said Thursday during the Russian president's visit to India.

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, September 11 (RIA Novosti)...

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, September 11 (RIA Novosti) - The Church should be modern but must not be reformed to fall in line with the "transient tastes of the time," the head of the Russian Orthodox Church said Friday.

One of the detained after the shooting at...

One of the detained after the shooting at a police post in Moscow on Monday was a fifth-year student at the Interior Ministry Academy of Economic Security, the investigative committee has revealed.

Ordinary citizens have the right to defend...

Ordinary citizens have the right to defend themselves against police officers who launch illegal attacks on them, Russia"s interior minister said Thursday.

Police has grabbed hold of a video footage...

Police has grabbed hold of a video footage showing a notorious gang leader in Russia"s North Caucasus known as Alexander Tikhomirov or Said Buryatsky just minutes before he was killed in a FSB sweep, a law enforcement source said on Saturday.

Portraits of the controversial Soviet dictator...

Portraits of the controversial Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin will be set up in Russia"s Far East city of Vladivostok during victory celebrations over Nazi Germany in WWII, a city council representative said.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin fielded a...

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin fielded a wide range of questions from the Russian public during his live TV and radio phone-in on Thursday afternoon.

Russia and Abkhazia have not discussed the...

Russia and Abkhazia have not discussed the redeployment of Russia"s Black Sea fleet warships from Ukraine"s Crimea to the former Georgian republic, the Abkhazian leader said on Thursday.

Russia and South Ossetia are expected to...

Russia and South Ossetia are expected to sign an agreement on a Russian military base in the former Georgian republic on Wednesday, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said.

Russia has called for a rapid resumption...

Russia has called for a rapid resumption of six-party negotiations on the North Korean nuclear weapons program, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.

Russia has called on the Israeli and Palestinian...

Russia has called on the Israeli and Palestinian sides in the Middle East conflict to exercise self-restraint and not to let the political situation escalate, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

Russia has proposed clearing Turkey"s Black...

Russia has proposed clearing Turkey"s Black Sea straits from oil tankers and transport oil via two pipelines, which are under construction to pump crude to Europe across the sea, Russian daily Izvestia reported.

Russia is preparing an answer to an interstate...

Russia is preparing an answer to an interstate claim brought by Georgia to the Strasbourg Court against Russia"s actions in South Ossetia last August, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev demanded...

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev demanded tightened security across the country after the early Monday morning blasts in the Moscow subway.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev highlighted...

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev highlighted Moscow"s determination to step up trade with India during a meeting with visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told top...

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told top judicial officials on Monday that the country"s laws concerning terrorism-related crimes should be reviewed.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and...

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk discussed in a phone conversation the investigation into the plane crash that killed President Lech Kaczynski, Russian government"s press service reported on Thursday.

Russia on Thursday threw its weight behind...

Russia on Thursday threw its weight behind the provisional Kyrgyz government, which took power in the capital and several regions of the ex-Soviet Central Asian state after two days of violent protests in which 74 people died and more than 500 were injured.

Russia"s Central Elections Commission has...

Russia"s Central Elections Commission has proposed that preliminary voting, where those who cannot vote on election day cast their ballots early, be abolished at all levels, a CEC official said Tuesday.

Russia"s presidential envoy arrived to the...

Russia"s presidential envoy arrived to the country"s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad shaken by a large-scale anti-government protest rally last week, a Kremlin spokesman said on Tuesday.

Surprise leaders Spartak Nalchik stayed...

Surprise leaders Spartak Nalchik stayed top of the Russian Premier League on goal difference after beating Dynamo Moscow 1-0 at home.

Terrorists from Russia"s volatile North...

Terrorists from Russia"s volatile North Caucasus may have been responsible for Monday morning"s blasts in the Moscow metro, the head of the country"s Federal Security Service (FSB) said.

The council of ministers of a post-Soviet...

The council of ministers of a post-Soviet security group, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), will gather in Moscow on Thursday to coordinate foreign policy.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church...

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has congratulated Pope Benedict XVI and all those who celebrate Christmas on December 25 in line with the Gregorian calendar.

The Moscow District Military Court sentenced...

The Moscow District Military Court sentenced on Tuesday an aide to Russia"s Ground Forces commander to nine years in prison for real estate fraud.

The Peoples" Friendship University in Russia...

The Peoples" Friendship University in Russia marks its 50th anniversary on Friday.

The Polish authorities have no plans to...

The Polish authorities have no plans to postpone the funeral of President Lech Kaczynski, who was killed in a plane crash last week, because of ash clouds from a volcanic eruption in Iceland, the Polish TVN24 channel said on Friday.

The Russian and Ukrainian governments approved...

The Russian and Ukrainian governments approved on Friday new gas agreements reached by gas monopoly Gazprom and its Ukrainian partners, the Russian government press service said.

The Russian Orthodox Church is commemorating...

The Russian Orthodox Church is commemorating on Saturday St. Theophan the Recluse, a well-known Russian saint who wrote many books on Christian faith.

The timeframe and venue for the signing...

The timeframe and venue for the signing of a new U.S.-Russian strategic arms reduction deal have yet to be determined, the Russian foreign minister said on Tuesday.

The United States on Tuesday praised the...

The United States on Tuesday praised the conduct of Ukraine"s presidential election as a step forward in the country"s democratic development.

Thirteen people have been killed in the...

Thirteen people have been killed in the Mexican resort city of Acapulco, where drug-related violence has surged of late, local media have said.

Three people were killed and six injured...

Three people were killed and six injured when a butane gas tank exploded in a cafe in west Siberia on Tuesday.

Trains on the Sokolnicheskaya line of the...

Trains on the Sokolnicheskaya line of the Moscow subway, the site of two deadly suicide bombings on Monday morning, are running as normal, the subway"s press service said.

Two days before signing a milestone arms...

Two days before signing a milestone arms cuts pact with Russia, U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled on Tuesday Washington"s new nuclear doctrine declaring potential terrorist attacks and proliferation of nuclear weapons, rather than an attack from a hostile state, the main security threat for the United States.