Russia 111117 Basic Political Developments

Russia 111117

Basic Political Developments

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  U.S. ready to pay $5 million reward for information about Doku Umarov (Part 2)
  
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  Russian Air Force to be armed with new non-strategic missile defense radar in 2012
  
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  Russian General Staff: Nuclear war could break out due to conflict on Russia’s borders
  
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  Moscow: Growing risk of Russia being pushed into conflict with nuclear arms use - “There are attempts to include Ukraine and Georgia into the North-Atlantic Treaty Organization. Given the situation on our borders, it is clear there is a growing risk of Russia being pushed into various local conflicts,” said the general.
  
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  MOSCOW CONTENTED WITH RUSSIAN-U.S. NEW START TREATY, AND THE DOCUMENT ENABLES RUSSIA TO WITHDRAW FROM IT IF NEED BE - CHIEF OF STAFF MAKAROV
  
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  Russian Army has no one left to draft - General Staff - The current conscript service crisis in the Russian Army is mainly due to demographic decline, bullying and brutal treatment of conscripts.
  
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  India to become member of Shanghai Cooperation Organization soon – Lavrov
  
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  Krishna arrives in Moscow to co-chair IRIGC meeting - External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has arrived in Moscow for his three-day visit from November 17-19 to co-chair the 17th session of the Indo-Russian Inter-Governmental  Commission (IRIGC) on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, to  be held here tomorrow.
  
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  Russia understands motives behind Kosovo Serbs' request – Lavrov: "They have found themselves in a desperate situation and they have the feeling of hopelessness in conditions when they are being forced to obey the Pristina dictate in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and when they can even lose the right to local self-government. Too bad that all this is happening with connivance and direct support from the Kosovo Force, led by NATO, and the European Union's so-called Rule of Law Mission," Lavrov said.
  
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  RUSSIA WORRIED BY U.S. PLANS TO SET UP LARGE BASES IN AFGHANISTAN, EXPAND MILITARY PRESENCE IN CENTRAL ASIA - LAVROV 
  
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  Russia likens Syria attack to 'real civil war' - - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that an attack by Syrian army defectors on an intelligence complex resembled civil war and reiterated Moscow's call for talks between Syria's government and its opponents.
  

  Russia supports the idea that working in Syria from the Arab League observers and foreign media ‘Russia maintains dialogue both with Assad and Syrian opposition’ - Russian lawmaker and foreign policy architect Konstantin Kosachev thinks that Russia is “probably one of the very few, or maybe the only country, which maintains dialogue both with Assad and with the opposition.” EU not ready for lifting visa regimens even if Moscow fulfils its all requirements - Kommersant’s source in a European country close to the negotiations, says that the document is agreed “not fully, but by 95 percent.” The source says that the remaining five percent will be agreed at the meeting in Moscow. CIS to strengthen its collective air defense - Summing up the results of a meeting of CIS defense chiefs in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov announced that the combat structure of the combined air defense had been adjusted and would now comprise 100 air defense units. CIS defence ministers to discuss how to improve joint air defence system Customs Union not on track for single currency - The introduction of a single currency for Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus, which form the Customs Union, will not be on its agenda for the next several years, Sergey Shvetsov, deputy chairman at the Central Bank of Russia, said. Half of Russians support integration on post-Soviet space – poll Russia needs defense research body - NATO envoy - In an article in the Izvestia newspaper, Rogozin said Russia’s defense industry had “serious problems” even though the government has earmarked 3 trillion rubles ($97 billion) for its modernization over the next 10 years. French PM goes to Russia to co-chair intergovernmental commission meeting - French Prime Minister Francois Fillon will travel to Russia on Thursday, November 17, to co-chair a meeting of the bilateral inter-governmental commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation. Russian, German FMs discuss situation in Syria, Iran’s nuclear programme Russian FM voices concern over Israel’s settlement plans North Korea to get $100 million annually for Russian gas transit - "It [$100 million] would be a huge sum for a country with annual gross product of $10 billion. Moreover, the country would have to make no big effort to get it," Presidential plenipotentiary envoy to the Russian Far East Victor Ishayev said. Azarov expects Ukraine will pay for Russian gas at new price for Nov - "Let's say for November, I think, we will pay at a new price and under new terms," he said after a meeting of the economic press club on November 14, according to a video posted on Azarov's Facebook page. Russian bank to finance the Ukrainian-Brazilian rocket construction project - Sberbank of Russia will issue a $260 million loan to Pivdenne design bureau, the bank has reported. The bureau plans to use the funds to finance the Ukrainian-Brazilian project to create the Cyclone-4 space and rocket complex. Azerbaijan, Russia hold consultations on Caspian Sea - The meeting was attended by Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov and the Special Representative of Russian President on delimitation and demarcation of state border between Russia and neighboring CIS countries, Alexander Golovin with their delegations, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's press-service told Trend Wednesday. Poland grants parole to Russian jailed for espionage Poland paroles convicted Russian spy Putin election bid makes mockery of democracy: Rice - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is making a mockery of democracy by running for a third term as president, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday. South Korean ship ablaze off Russia's Chukotka, one missing 1 dead in S.Korean ship fire off Russian coast: Reports Attorney General of Tajikistan hopes that the revision "of the case of pilots," the court may determine the minimum sentence Duma to pass statement against conviction of pilots in Tajikistan - In the statement the MPs are going to recognise the verdict to pilots, who were sentenced to 8.5 years in prison, “unduly harsh and politicized.” “This decision was contrary to the spirit of strategic partnership between Russia and Tajikistan, which suffered damage for the sake of not well thought-out opportunistic reasons,” the document says. Russian party suggests suspending visa-free regime with Tajikistan - The center-left A Just Russia party has proposed to freeze visa-free regime with Tajikistan a week after a court in the Central Asian state sentenced a Russian pilot to a lengthy prison term. Russian Prosecutor General's Office declares growth of terror, extremist crime rate - "The number of terror crimes grew by over 14% in Russia this year. Despite the solutions to such crimes and the preventive measures, terrorists manage to succeed; there were explosions in the Moscow metro in 2010 and in the Domodedovo Airport in 2011," he said. Three Hizb ut-Tahrir extremists detained in Bashkortostan Russia`s Fed Council to become Senate - The Federation Council of Russia, the upper chamber of the Russian parliament, is going to change its name and become the Senate. Decision in principle on parliamnt centre in RF made-Matviyenko OSCE interim report on Russian election campaign expected Friday -media Youth loyal to power and opposition to meet in face-off in Moscow on elections day

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  Medvedev tweets about web site on presidential initiatives
  
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  Medvedev calls for further social support to disabled people
  
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  FC speaker says regions need powers, resources for effective management
  
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  St. Pete legislature almost unanimously votes on fines for homosexuality propaganda
  
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  Suspect in murder of Russia's top female entrepreneur held - The 36-year-old man, whose name was not given, confessed to the murder, which he said was ordered by the association’s then vice-president, Lyudmila Kachalova.
  
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  PRESS DIGEST - Russia - Nov 17
  
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    www.vedomosti.ru
    
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    Russia's Tula region is advertising a new discount programme for pensioners that uses images similar to those in ruling United Russia party's campaign, the paper says.
    
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    Russian energy giant Gazprom and its subsidiaries had a record investment programme of 1.6 trillion roubles ($52,1 billion) this year, the paper says.
    
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    www.kommersant.ru
    
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    Russia's Central Election Commission has urged ultra-nationalist LDPR party to refrain from nationalist and xenophobic campaigning, the paper writes.
    
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    Russian users of Facebook will be able to legally listen to music using Yandex music application, the paper writes.
    
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    Mobile phone sales in Russia doubled to reach 10.5 million roubles ($340,000) from January to September this year compared to the same period of last year, the daily reports. ($1 = 30.691 Russian Roubles)
    
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  Russian Press at a Glance, Thursday, November 17, 2011
  
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  A killer does not change his style - “The killer shot the victim in the leg and the head. This method of murder, when, after wounding the victim, the killer fires another ‘confirmation shot’ into the head, is typical of a contract killing. A criminal case has been filed under two articles of the Criminal Code – murder and illegal arms trafficking,” said Markin.
  
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  The North Caucasus - by Cem Oguz, head of the Turkish Center for Strategic and International Studies.
  
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  Hopes a Russian passport will protect them from Kosovan Muslims and EU - Having lost trust in international missions and the KFOR, Kosovan Serbs have turned to Russia. Twenty-one thousand Serbs, whose homeland was basically stolen by the European Union, turned to the State Duma with a request to be granted Russian citizenship. By Sergey Semushkin
  
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  Russia: Student's Hidden Camera Reveals Illegal Electioneering in School
  
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  Russia’s environmental safeguards for the Arctic. Part II
  
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  Russia’s environmental safeguards for the Arctic. Part III