Nightlife

Nightlife

(Adds details, background in paras 3-9)...

(Adds details, background in paras 3-9) MOSCOW, September 24 (RIA Novosti) - The Moscow District Military Court has upheld an arrest warrant for an Audit Chamber employee who was earlier detained on suspicion of receiving a 1 million euro ($1.4 million) bribe. The court rejected an appeal from Yury Gaidukov"s lawyers, who claimed his arrest was unlawful. Lawyer Vladimir Samokhin told journalists he plans to appeal to a higher court. Earlier reports said that Gaidukov was an officer of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) assigned to the Audit Chamber. However, the FSB denied that Gaidukov was its employee. Gaidukov is charged with receiving a bribe during an audit of the power and engineering company, Energomash. However, another lawyer, Igor Pastukhov, said the criminal case was "instigated to avoid accusations of violations uncovered during the audit." The head of Russia"s Space Agency, Anatoly Perminov, denied that Energomash management was involved in bribing an Audit Chamber representative. Lyudmila Aivar, the lawyer of another defendant in the case, said the Audit Chamber had discovered violations in Energomash"s business activities that could have led to the company"s management facing criminal proceedings. "After that, the management turned to a large legal company, headed by my client, for consultations on settling the situation, that is, how to eradicate the violations," she said, adding that her client, now in a pre-trial detention center, was paid for the legal assistance he rendered Energomash.

An earthquake measuring 8.8 points on the...

An earthquake measuring 8.8 points on the Richter scale struck central Chile in the early hours of Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey 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 total of 67 people have been killed in...

A total of 67 people have been killed in about 600 fires that broke out in Russia in the past 24 hours, a spokesman for Russia"s emergencies ministry said on Friday.

A total of 96 people died when a plane carrying...

A total of 96 people died when a plane carrying Polish President Lech Kaczynski and a delegation of senior officials crashed in west Russia on Saturday, Russia"s Emergencies Ministry said.

A U.S. military commander was quoted as...

A U.S. military commander was quoted as saying by the regional media on Thursday that North Korea"s nuclear weapons have been the principal "operational target" for U.S. marines, stationed in Japan"s Okinawa.

By Hüseyin Bagci, Professor of International...

By Hüseyin Bagci, Professor of International Relations at Middle East Technical University, Ankara; TV and Radio Commentator in Turkey and а columnist for The New Anatolian, guest prof at Humboldt University in Berlin

By Piotr Dutkiewicz, Professor, Director...

By Piotr Dutkiewicz, Professor, Director, Center for Governance and Public Policy, Carleton U. Ottawa , Canada

Drivers in Russia are being asked to protest...

Drivers in Russia are being asked to protest officials" flouting of traffic laws by honking when they see cars with flashing lights using opposing lanes to avoid jams or run red lights, a Russian newspaper said on Thursday.

Guus Hiddink"s agent Cees Van Nieuwenhuizen...

Guus Hiddink"s agent Cees Van Nieuwenhuizen said he will discuss with the Dutch trainer terms of his contract with the Russian Football Union (RFU) in January next year.

Iran will not consider proposals by the...

Iran will not consider proposals by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), developed by Russia, France and the United States, which call on Tehran to suspend its research reactor, the ISNA news agency reported.

It was the middle of the night in Moscow...

It was the middle of the night in Moscow when Russia"s ice-hockey players were swept off the ice by a rampant Canada at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Large Russian companies have started monitoring...

Large Russian companies have started monitoring blogs for criticism of their operation. Last week, Alfa Bank dismissed a call center operator for being rude with a client who owed the bank 26 cents under a loan.

LVOV, July 1 (RIA Novosti) - A statue of...

LVOV, July 1 (RIA Novosti) - A statue of Ukraine"s wartime nationalist leader Stepan Bandera will be erected in Lutsk in western Ukraine, the city council said Tuesday. The city"s mayor, Bohdan Shyba, has instructed the local land department to allocate a plot for the monument by July 10. Bandera was one of the leaders of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) which fought with the Soviet Army during the World War II. Following the invasion of German troops in the summer of 1941, Bandera called on Ukrainians "to help the German army in the fight against Moscow and Bolshevism." Russia and Ukraine have been involved in a series of disputes concerning their common history. Ukraine has decided to celebrate next year the 350th anniversary of the 1659 Battle of Konotop, in which the Ukrainian army of Ivan Vyhovsky and his Polish allies defeated Russian forces. Russia"s Foreign Ministry said certain political forces in Ukraine were trying to "find in the ... Russian-Ukrainian common history events and characters memorable only for the fact that they were acting against Moscow, Russia and Russians." The historical sparring has developed into an unofficial war of monuments. In October 2007, the western Ukrainian city of Lvov inaugurated a statue of Stepan Bandera and adopted a resolution establishing the "Award of Stepan Bandera," while a sculpture of Catherine the Great was erected in the Crimean port of Sevastopol as part of its 225th anniversary celebrations this June.

MAGAS, October 5 (RIA Novosti) - The leader...

MAGAS, October 5 (RIA Novosti) - The leader of Russia"s volatile southern republic of Ingushetia dismissed the government on Monday, citing its failure to tackle socio-economic problems and corruption.

More than 100,000 police and 3,500 interior...

More than 100,000 police and 3,500 interior troops will ensure public security in Russia during Easter festivities over the weekend, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday.

MOSCOW, April 14 (RIA Novosti) - The Sakhalin...

MOSCOW, April 14 (RIA Novosti) - The Sakhalin Region in Russia’s Far East, a regional leader in production volumes, accrued foreign investment and foreign trade, presented over 15 investment projects worth $2.1 bln in Korea, the region’s governor said on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, April 17 (RIA Novosti) - Copyright...

MOSCOW, April 17 (RIA Novosti) - Copyright piracy in Russia which has been a major obstacle to the country joining the WTO dropped by 15% in 2007, year-on-year, the Russian Interior Ministry said on Thursday. Russia, the second-largest market for pirated products after China, has been strongly criticized for its failure to protect intellectual property rights. Over 4,000 people were arrested in 2007, and more than 800 people in January-March this year for breaching copyright laws, said Vladimir Lukyanov, a deputy head of the ministry"s economic security department. Almost 4 million counterfeit items, mainly computer software, DVDs and CDs, worth an estimated 182 million rubles ($8 million) were seized last year, the official added. In 2007, Russia introduced a new law prohibiting the sale of pirated goods on Russian streets, kiosks and retail outlets. However, a spokesman for the economic security department, Vladimir Tsvetkov, said unlicensed CDs were now available for sale online over the Internet, especially in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In 2006, Russia was ranked in the top 10 of the world"s worst offending countries for piracy according to a report by the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA). The issue was a major stumbling block in Russia"s World Trade Organization accession talks with the United States. The sides eventually signed a final agreement in 2006 after Moscow promised to get tough on intellectual property violations. The problem of unlicensed software in Russia has been highlighted by the case of school principal Alexander Ponosov, charged with copyright violation after he bought a set of computers for his school containing unlicensed Microsoft software.

MOSCOW, April 8 (RIA Novosti) - A senior...

MOSCOW, April 8 (RIA Novosti) - A senior Kremlin official has said that there is no need no move Lenin from his resting place on Red Square, and that any attempt to do so could have serious consequences.

MOSCOW, August 10 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian...

MOSCOW, August 10 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian maritime expert said on Monday that "something extraordinary" must have happened to a cargo ship that went missing off Portugal"s Atlantic coast.

MOSCOW, August 14 (RIA Novosti) - Solchart...

MOSCOW, August 14 (RIA Novosti) - Solchart Arkhangelsk Ltd, the operator of the missing Arctic Sea cargo vessel, said on Friday it has no reliable information on the whereabouts of its ship.

MOSCOW, August 18 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian...

MOSCOW, August 18 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian frigate Ladny has freed the Arctic Sea cargo ship in the Atlantic without firing a single shot and eight suspected hijackers have been detained, Russia"s defense minister said on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, August 22 (RIA Novosti) - A Moscow...

MOSCOW, August 22 (RIA Novosti) - A Moscow court has approved the detention of the eight men suspected of hijacking the Arctic Sea cargo ship, which was found in the Atlantic more two weeks after going missing in mysterious circumstances.

MOSCOW, August 24 (RIA Novosti) - Begging...

MOSCOW, August 24 (RIA Novosti) - Begging in Moscow"s subway appears to be a well-run business with a hierarchy and average monthly incomes of around $1,300, similar to a Metro driver"s salary, according to a Russian TV report.

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

MOSCOW, August 4 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has put its troops and border guards in South Ossetia on heightened alert over recent border provocations carried out by Georgia, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, February 17 (RIA Novosti) - A total...

MOSCOW, February 17 (RIA Novosti) - A total of 50,670 people have been diagnosed with HIV in Russia in 2008, Russia's chief sanitary official, Gennady Onishchenko, said on Tuesday.

Moscow hailed the ratification of a deal...

Moscow hailed the ratification of a deal to extend the lease on a Russian naval base in Crimea, which took place on Tuesday amid clashes and brawls, both outside and inside the Ukrainian parliament.

MOSCOW, July 26 (RIA Novosti) - Police have...

MOSCOW, July 26 (RIA Novosti) - Police have found a large cache of weapons in the capital of Russia"s troubled North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, a local police source said on Sunday.

MOSCOW, July 4 (RIA Novosti) - North Korea...

MOSCOW, July 4 (RIA Novosti) - North Korea test launched seven ballistic missiles from its eastern coast Saturday, the Yonhap news agency reported citing South Korea"s military.

MOSCOW, July 7 (RIA Novosti) - The head...

MOSCOW, July 7 (RIA Novosti) - The head of the Russian Federal Statistics Service said Thursday that the country was experiencing a demographic crisis.

MOSCOW, June 20 (RIA Novosti)-Russia is...

MOSCOW, June 20 (RIA Novosti)-Russia is neither preparing nor expecting any surprises when the leaders of the world's most industrialized nations meet in July, a presidential aide said Tuesday.

MOSCOW, June 4 (RIA Novosti) - Interpol...

MOSCOW, June 4 (RIA Novosti) - Interpol has issued warrants for the arrests of seven people in connection with the murder of Sulim Yamadayev, a Russian Interior Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

MOSCOW. (Maxim Krans, RIA Novosti political...

MOSCOW. (Maxim Krans, RIA Novosti political commentator) - On September 1, 2004, The North Caucasus town of Beslan became know to the world for a tragic reason. A terrorist group took hostage 1,128 people who gathered at a local school on that day; two days later, 319 hostages including 187 children were killed in the storming of the building. Hundreds of schoolchildren and their relatives were injured.

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

MOSCOW, November 10 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian interior minister used his annual Police Day address on Tuesday to remind police chiefs that officers should point their weapons at criminals, and not aim them at law-abiding citizens.

MOSCOW, November 18 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow...

MOSCOW, November 18 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov has said Russia should reinstate direct elections for governors in the regions as a more democratic method of selecting regional leaders.

MOSCOW, November 6 (RIA Novosti) - A South...

MOSCOW, November 6 (RIA Novosti) - A South Korean woman has passed a written driving test on her 950th attempt, national media reported on Friday.

MOSCOW, October 21 (RIA Novosti) - The lower...

MOSCOW, October 21 (RIA Novosti) - The lower house of Russia"s parliament adopted on Wednesday in the first reading a draft federal budget for 2010 and key budget parameters for the period until 2012.

MOSCOW, October 3 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's...

MOSCOW, October 3 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) will participate in the joint development of a new cruise missile with India only if a decision is made to adopt it for service with the Russian Air Force, the company said on Friday.

MOSCOW, October 5 (RIA Novosti) - Alrosa...

MOSCOW, October 5 (RIA Novosti) - Alrosa, Russia"s largest diamond miner, said on Monday it sold diamonds worth $1.34 billion in January-September 2009, including sales to Russia"s State Depository for Precious Metals.

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti economic commentator...

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti economic commentator Nina Kulikova.) – The early 1990s were a time when crime penetrated the Russian economy and money started flowing out of the country, whose legislation was lagging far behind the world’s anti-money laundering laws. As a result, the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) put Russia on the black list of “tax havens” in 2000, which led to various discriminatory measures against Russian financial institutions.

MOSCOW, September 15 (RIA Novosti) - Russia"s...

MOSCOW, September 15 (RIA Novosti) - Russia"s Reserve Fund will be completely exhausted in 2010 and will not begin to be replenished until 2013, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, September 21 (RIA Novosti) - The...

MOSCOW, September 21 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Navy"s Iman tanker will deliver material evidence from the Arctic Sea vessel to the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk in October, a high-ranking military official said on Monday.

MOSCOW, September 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russian...

MOSCOW, September 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russian and Belarusian presidents will meet during the final stage of military drills in the Belarusian city of Baranovichi on Tuesday to discuss trade and military ties.

MOSCOW, September 3 (RIA Novosti) - A new...

MOSCOW, September 3 (RIA Novosti) - A new deal on the funds Russia needs to finish a refit of the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier for India will be signed in mid-October, the head of the state technology corporation said on Thursday.

MOSCOW, September 9 (RIA Novosti) - Some...

MOSCOW, September 9 (RIA Novosti) - Some $1.5 billion was invested in central Russia’s Novgorod Region in 2004-2008, the region’s governor said on Wednesday.

Muscovites will form a human chain on Tuesday...

Muscovites will form a human chain on Tuesday in front of the city"s administration to hand a petition against putting stray animals to sleep, organizers of the event said on Monday.

On December 5, 2009, the Strategic Arms...

On December 5, 2009, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), one of the key arms control treaties ended. This carefully developed agreement, which included a wide range of mutual monitoring measures, was signed before the collapse of the Soviet Union, but came into force only in December 1994.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said...

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday the German mediator in the Gilad Shalit talks has given Israel two to three weeks to approve a prisoner swap deal to free the kidnapped soldier, according to Ynet.

Police have found an arms cache in the Republic...

Police have found an arms cache in the Republic of Ingushetia in Russia"s volatile North Caucasus region, a local police spokesman said on Sunday.

Relatives and friends of those who were...

Relatives and friends of those who were on board the Polish plane that crashed in Russia killing President Lech Kaczynski and many of the country"s top officials have said the tragedy has not driven a wedge between the two nations as Russia mourns on Monday for the victims of the crash.