Almost 30 Hospitalized After Russia Chlorine Leak

PERM, March 1 (RIA Novosti) – Twenty-seven people were hospitalized on Friday after a chlorine leak at a factory in central Russia’s Perm region, emergencies workers said.

Medical officials said only four of the 27 were currently receiving medical treatment, while the rest were under observation in hospital.

The leak occurred early on Friday at a liquid chlorine production factory in the city of Berezniki.

An Emergencies Ministry official told RIA Novosti later on Friday the situation was now under control.

Three people died in Berezniki in November 2012 after a chemical leak at a local factory. Investigators said ventilators were not functioning at the factory.

Almost 30 people were also hospitalized after a leak at a non-ferrous metals delivery point in the Perm region’s Kirov district in July 2011.

Читать далее ...

Ex-Bank of Moscow Chief Gets Asylum in Britain

The page you requested is not available.

The page you are looking for may have been removed or you may have entered the incorrect address.

If you are sure the page exists, please contact us. Do not forget to let us know the originating address.

Please contact the site administrator.

Читать далее ...

Russia, Georgia to Hold ‘Relations Improvement’ Talks

MOSCOW, March 1 (RIA Novosti) – Russian and Georgian special envoys will hold a scheduled meeting in Prague on Friday aimed at normalizing bilateral ties in areas of trade, transport and culture, but avoiding the issue of Georgia’s breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

It will be a second meeting between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin and Georgian Prime Minister’s special envoy on Russian issues, Zurab Abashidze, since Tbilisi announced plans last November to restart its ties with Moscow “from a clean slate.”

The first meeting was held on December 14 in Geneva, where the parties agreed to meet every two months.

Karasin said on Monday that the sides had made progress in some areas and would continue efforts to maintain the positive trend “in a very delicate manner.”

For instance, Russia's consumer watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said earlier this week it was ready to start talks with Georgian business on resolving the question of allowing Georgian wine and mineral water to be sold in Russia again, following a visit to Georgia by Russian specialists.

Russia also said it was ready in principle to consider discussing the restoration of regular direct air flights between Moscow and Tbilisi.

However, Tbilisi insists that the restoration of diplomatic relations with Moscow would be linked to the issue of Georgia’s territorial integrity as Georgia had lost one-fifth of its territory after South Ossetia and Abkhazia broke away in the early 1990s.

Georgia broke off diplomatic ties with Russia after the two nations fought a brief war over Abkhazia and South Ossetia in August 2008.

Moscow has signed economic and military agreements with both republics since recognizing them as independent shortly after the war, and keeps ruling out any negotiations on their current status.

Читать далее ...

Russian Billionaire Rotenberg Buys 10.7% Stake in Rostelecom

MOSCOW, March 1 (RIA Novosti) - Marshall Capital has sold its 10.7-percent stake in Russia’s state-run telecoms operator Rostelecom to billionaire Arkady Rotenberg for an “undisclosed amount,” the company said in .

“We are satisfied with the terms of the deal. It is important for us to have as a buyer a domestic strategic investor who is seriously interested in the long-term development of Rostelecom as a leading national telecoms operator,” Marshall Capital said in a statement late on Thursday.

The price of Rostelecom’s common share grew 4.56 percent on the Moscow bourse on Thursday to 122.72 rubles ($4) bringing the estimated market value of Marshall Capital’s stake to 38.7 billion rubles ($1.3 billion).

However, a source close to Marshall Capital said that the stake was sold with a premium to the market price at about 150 rubles ($4.8) per share.

Rosenberg, whose fortune in road and pipeline construction is estimated by Forbes at $1 billion, is a newcomer to the telecoms market.

“The acquisition of Rostelecom stake is our long-term investment in the Russian telecoms market,” he said on Thursday. “The company has a great potential, both in terms of business development and capitalization growth.”

Rostelecom is Russia’s largest national telecommunications operator with 13 million mobile voice services subscribers and 28 million fixed-line voice subscribers in all Russian regions.

The company reported 238.7 billion rubles ($7.8 bln) of consolidated revenues and 30.6 billion rubles (about $1 bln) of net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2012.

Читать далее ...

Russia Takes Over UN Security Council Presidency

MOSCOW, March 1 (RIA Novosti) – Russia will assume on Friday rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of March, giving priority during its term to the development of the situation in Afghanistan, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The role of president of the Security Council involves setting the agenda, presiding at its meetings and overseeing any crisis. The presidency rotates monthly in alphabetical order of the Security Council member nations' names in English.

"The situation in Afghanistan will be a priority of Russia’s presidency as that country is entering a very responsible stage of its development, which requires new efforts from the people of Afghanistan and consolidated support from the entire international community,” the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will chair on March 19 a UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan. A resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) will be adopted at the meeting.

The agenda of the Russian presidency will also address the Middle East issues, the settlement of the situation in Kosovo, and the Libyan sanctions regime, among other issues.

The Council has 15 members, including five permanent members - China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States - and 10 non-permanent members elected by the UN General Assembly for two-year terms.

Читать далее ...

Russia, France to Set New Turnover Record Soon - Putin

MOSCOW, February 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russian-French trade turnover may exceed the 2011 level of $28.1 billion in the foreseeable future, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

“I am confident that there is every chance not only to achieve the 2011 indicators, but also to surpass them,” Putin said at a meeting with Russian and French business representatives.

He called for invigorated bilateral business contacts, adding that the volume of capital investment by Russian businesses in the French economy is significantly smaller than French investment in the Russian economy.

Putin said the EU visa requirement for Russian citizens interfered with “normal communication,” as well as investment.

“European investment in Russia is many times bigger than Russian investment in EU countries,” he said, stressing that “Russia’s investment potential is very high and constantly growing.”

Putin cited the Rosatom nuclear corporation as a good example of large-scale bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, specifically in developing fourth-generation fast-neutron reactors.

“I believe this pooling of efforts gives Russian and French nuclear companies a tangible competitive edge on the world market, where competition is very tough and constantly growing,” Putin said.

French President Francois Hollande, who is currently visiting Moscow, said some banking procedures and visa regulations were an impediment to investment, but could easily be removed.

He also called for Russian and French companies to join forces in “moving into other markets, investing in third countries.”

Читать далее ...

Love-Making Mannequins in Moscow Mall Insult Muscovites

MOSCOW, February 28 (RIA Novosti) – Prosecutors issued a warning to the director of a luxurious shopping center in downtown Moscow for decorating mall windows with mannequins that imitate having sex.

The Moscow Prosecutor’s Office received various complaints from Muscovites that back in December, display windows of the Central Universal Department Store (TsUM), located right across from the Bolshoi Theater, were adorned with dolls and mannequins engaged in various love-making activities.

Some Muscovites complained that such decorations insulted their morals and were particularly detrimental to the upbringing of their children.

After several inspections, prosecutors warned the director of TsUM against any similarly unorthodox arrangements. The shopping center's administration has already changed all display window decorations.

Читать далее ...

Venezuelan Embassy Denies Reports of Chavez’ Death

MOSCOW, February 28 (RIA Novosti) – The Venezuelan Embassy in Russia denied on Thursday media reports that President Hugo Chavez had been brain-dead since December and was recently disconnected from life-supporting equipment.

On Wednesday, Colombian TV channel NTN24 reported, citing Panama's former Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) Guillermo Cochez, that Chavez's brain died on December 30. Chavez had been fighting a prolonged battle with cancer.

Cochez added that Chavez was brought to Venezuela from Cuba last week, because Cuban authorities refused to disconnect him from a lung ventilator.

“The Embassy of Venezuela rejects media reports that President Hugo Chavez, allegedly in a vegetative state, was disconnected from a lung ventilator,” the embassy said in a statement.

The statement added that “the official authorities of Venezuela are timely and truthfully informed about Hugo Chavez’s health and recovery.”

CNN Chile reported on Thursday that the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs also rejected reports about the death of the 58-year-old president, but did not specify any details.

Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday that although Chavez's health is failing, he continues to rule the country from a military hospital, where he was put upon arrival from Cuba.

Chavez, who has ruled Venezuela for 13 years, underwent four surgeries and four courses of chemotherapy in Cuba and Venezuela within the past two years. His fourth operation, to remove cancerous tissue, took place in Cuba on December 11.

Chavez's new term inauguration had been slated for January 11, but he was unable to attend it for health reasons. On January 9, Venezuela’s Supreme Court ruled to postpone Chavez’s inauguration until he completed his latest round of treatment.

Читать далее ...

Court Frees Russian Nationalist

MOSCOW, February 28 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian nationalist activist walked free from a St. Petersburg court on Thursday after he was given a two and a half year suspended sentence after spending over a year behind bars awaiting trial.

Maxim Kalinichenko was arrested on December 10, 2011 during a protest in St. Petersburg against alleged vote fraud in favor of the ruling United Russia party at that month’s parliamentary polls.

Police alleged he had urged fellow protesters to attack police. Kalinichenko denied the charges.

Thursday’s ruling was attended by a number of nationalist activists, who cheered when the sentence was read.

Russia’s nationalist movement has turned increasingly against President Vladimir Putin in recent years, with speakers at a march in central Moscow late last year slamming the country’s leader over the Kremlin’s ethnic minorities policies.

Читать далее ...

Internet Blacklist

On July 11, the Russian State Duma approved legislation to give the state powers to block blacklisted websites, a move criticized by internet freedom activists who say the law could be used to crack down on dissent.

Читать далее ...

Hollande Thanks Moscow for Mali, Afghanistan Support

MOSCOW, February 28 (RIA Novosti) - French President Francois Hollande thanked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday for Russia’s support for the military operation in Mali and assistance in the withdrawal of French troops from Afghanistan.

“From day one you supported our military action in Mali. You understood the importance of the international component in the fight against terrorism,” he said during a meeting with Putin in Moscow.

“I know that Russia will assist in the transformation of this mission into a peacekeeping mission in the coming weeks,” he added.

Moscow has urged the international community to step up its efforts in Mali to prevent the conflict there spreading throughout the region and bring an end to the crisis in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.

French troops went into Mali last month to help the African state’s army battle Islamist rebels.

On Afghanistan, Hollande welcomed Russia’s assistance in the withdrawal of military equipment from that country.

“I have assumed an obligation to pull our troops out by the end of 2012. It was fulfilled with your assistance, as well as assistance from other countries,” the French president said.

France, as well as other NATO member states, has praised Russia’s contribution to international security, specifically its support for ground and air transit into and out of Afghanistan. As of last July, over 2,200 flights, 379,000 military personnel, and 45,000 containers of cargo had been transported through Russia in support of operations in Afghanistan.

All NATO combat troops are scheduled to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Читать далее ...

Russia's Penitentiary Service Reveals $327 mln Fraud

MOSCOW, February 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service (FCIN) said on Thursday it had uncovered fraudulent financial operations inside the organization which have cost it over 10 billion rubles (some $327 mln).

“During the course of an inspection of documents, financial violations were discovered totaling over 10.1 billion rubles,” said the FCIN’s head, Gennady Korniyenko, but did not elaborate.

The announcement came just weeks after investigators probed a case in which FCIN had purchased electronic bracelets for people under house arrest, for vastly inflated sums. An investigation also revealed that the bracelets were not linked to GLONASS, Russia’s answer to the US Global Positioning System, or GPS, and were effectively useless.

Investigators said the scheme had cost the state some $32 mln and that the bracelets had been ordered by the FCIN’s former head, Alexander Reimer, and his deputy.

The probe into the case was opened after two FCIN employees were detained on suspicion of extorting $2.6 million from a businessman in connection with the purchase of the bracelets.

The revelations come to light during a much-vaunted Kremlin anti-corruption campaign, which has reached as high as ministerial level, with the resignation of the former Defense Minister last November.

Russia consistently hovers around 150th place in Berlin-based NGO Transparency International’s corruption index.

Читать далее ...

Watchdog Talks to EU Over Horsemeat Scandal

MOSCOW, February 28 (RIA Novosti) – The head of Russia's consumer watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, has held talks with the European Commission's director-general for health and consumers over the unfolding horse meat scandal in Europe, it said on Thursday.

Rospotrebnadzor head Gennady Onishchenko held talks on Wednesday with Paola Testori Coggi, EC director-general for health and consumers, as meat products from Europe containing horse meat turned up in Russia for the first time.

Russian agriculture watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said on Wednesday that sausages shipped to Russia from Austria contained both horse and poultry DNA. The shipment, containing more than 20 tons of sausages from the Landhof company, had been imported from the Austrian city of Linz.

More horsemeat traces had been discovered in products from a meat-processing company in Latvia and three others in Poland by Thursday.

According to Coggi, “the amount of frozen horsemeat used is estimated at 750 tons, most of which went to the Comigel-TAVOLA company, based in Luxembourg,” the Russian watchdog reported on Thursday.

The meat processors where traces of horsemeat have been detected ­- Spanghero and Comigel's Tavola facility – do not export products to Russia, the Russian watchdog said in a statement.

Rospotrebnadzor has not indicated whether it intends to impose an embargo or sanctions yet on EU meat, but said it will continue to closely monitor shipments to Russia.

Читать далее ...

Eight Year Old Doing 60 On a Highway

New stars in the Russian Internet segment appeared lately – the parents of the girl who was driving the new expensive Audi car sixty mph on a highway covered with snow and ice.

Advertisement:

---

---

link your site above! See more of English Russia:

Читать далее ...

Army Instagram

This is why you need Instagram – photos of food and clothes can’t stand in comparison with people who take their Instagram to army.

Advertisement:

---

---

“Army chocolate – “Discipline is the mother of victory.” A. Suvorov”.

A. Solzhenitsyn “The Gulag Archipelago”.

“Fog. Rain. Snow. Sleet”. “Driver, speed to 40km/h”.

“Reception”.

link your site above! See more of English Russia:

Читать далее ...