Russia's cash already fled. Here's where it went - CNBC
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Russia's cash already fled. Here's where it went
CNBC The collapse of the ruble has prompted a flight of capital as investors and savers in Russia seek shelter outside the country's borders. A CNBC.com analysis of money flows monitored by theRussian Central Bank shows that large cash hoards have already ... and more » |
In the course of his annual press conference on December 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin made clear his disapproval of the reprisals undertaken against the families of the fighters who attacked Grozny on December 4.
A classic example of the Russian leader’s annual conference: just don’t mention the rouble or military involvement in Ukraine
With flirtatious questions about his love life, noir wisecracks, earthy animal metaphors and forceful anti-western rhetoric, on the surface this was a classic Vladimir Putin press conference. The Russian president puts on the marathon performance annually, assembling more than 1,000 journalists to hold forth on everything from geopolitics to parking tickets.
But this year was nevertheless somewhat different. If Russia’s annexation of Crimea and intervention in east Ukraine earlier in the year only served to boost Putin’s ratings among the populace, thedramatic slide of the rouble in recent weeks has raised the spectre of previous Russian crises and undermined the main tenet of his 15-year rule over the world’s largest country: stabilnost (stability).
Continue reading...Кремль в изоляции? by Радио Свобода
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Внешнюю политику Владимира Путина, приведшую Россию к мощнейшему внутреннему кризису, анализируют политол...
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From: Радио Свобода
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Ходорковский отказался считать Путина врагом
BFM.Ru «Дал попрощаться с мамой. Это правда. Семью не дал трогать — правда. Поэтому политический оппонент, а не враг. Пусть радикалы меня и ругают», — пояснил свою позицию в Twitter Ходорковский. Путин 18 декабря отметил, что бывший руководитель ЮКОСа вправе заниматься ... и другие » |
Study Paints Complex Picture of Americans’ Ethnicityby webdesk@voanews.com (Art Chimes)
If you think America is all about black and white, think again. A new study of more than 160,000 Americans shows how complex our racial and ethnic mix really is. The United States is often described as a nation of immigrants. Most of us do not have to trace our family history back more than a few generations to find an immigrant ancestor. We, or our ancestors, may come from West Africa or Vietnam or Germany or Mexico. And we usually think of ourselves as white or African-American or Latino or Asian. But the details are a lot messier than those neat categories. A California genetics company called 23andMe analyzes customers’ DNA to provide them with information about their ancestry. The company's senior research director, Joanna L. Mountain, and her colleagues aggregated that data to tease out the complicated ancestry Americans have written in their DNA. “We have, now, hundreds of thousands of people who’ve contributed their genetic information as well as answered survey questions about how they self-identify and where they were born, and so on," Mountain said. “And so we put all that information together to create a genetic portrait of the United States.” She said the major ethnic groups do not have the clear-cut ancestry their names imply. “If you look at African-Americans, European-Americans and Latinos, people in all of those groups can have ancestry from any of those three continental regions. Even all three.” About one in 30 Americans who identify as white has 1 percent or more African ancestry. European ancestry is much more common among African-Americans, the study found, reflecting in part a history of white men having sex with enslaved women in the 1700s and 1800s. “The genetic data that we are looking at really kind of fit with those stories about interactions between these groups hundreds of years ago,” Mountain said. People in this study who call themselves African-American had on average almost one-quarter European ancestry. The DNA of Latinos reflected almost two-thirds European ancestry. The study by Mountain, lead author Katarzyna Bryc and colleagues is published online by the American Journal of Human Genetics. One caution about this study: The 23andMe customers whose genetic information was used are not necessarily representative of all Americans.
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Obama Signs Into Law Bill Authorizing More Russia Sanctionsby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
U.S. President Barack Obama has signed into law legislation passed by the U.S. Congress authorizing more sanctions on Russia for its role in the Ukraine crisis. The president said in a statement Thursday that while he signed the Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014, it "does not signal a change" in the administration's sanctions policy. He said at this time, the administration does not intend to impose sanctions under this law, but the Act gives the administration "additional authorities that could be utilized, if circumstances warranted." The measure gives the administration the authority to impose further sanctions on Russia over its annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine. It also authorizes $350 million in lethal and non-lethal military aid to the Ukrainian government, including anti-tank weapons, munitions and surveillance drones. Obama said in his statement Thursday that his administration's sanctions policy regarding Russia's actions in Ukraine has been "carefully calibrated in accordance with developments on the ground and coordinated with our allies and partners." On Thursday, the European Union imposed new sanctions against Crimea, which Moscow said were "absolutely unacceptable."
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Putin Says Russian Economy Will Emerge Strongerby webdesk@voanews.com (Daniel Schearf)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his country's sinking economy will not only recover but also become stronger, despite falling oil prices and Western sanctions over Ukraine. VOA's Daniel Schearf reports.
Cyberattacks Are Here to Stay, Experts Sayby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Cyber attacks similar to the recent major breach of Sony Pictures' computer networks, with which North Korea was allegedly involved, may be expected in future, computer security experts say. Sony’s comedy “The Interview” makes fun of a fictional CIA plot to assassinate North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, using two bumbling American reporters who were granted a rare interview with the reclusive dictator. North Korean officials complained about the film to the United Nations in July, but the hacking didn't start until late November. Films were stolen and released, and private company emails were made public. The hack has cost Sony millions and forced the entertainment giant to cancel release of the film. But what could be more damaging, said George Smith, senior fellow for Globalsecurity.org, are the vulnerabilities in the Internet itself. “How many stories have we had in the last couple of weeks on things of this nature? The Sony one has dominated the news, but a month prior to that there was the news of the banks [JPMorgan Chase and other institutions], and earlier in the week there was a story how the Sands Casino network ... was heavily compromised, allegedly by hackers sympathetic to Iran,” he said. Smith said it is very difficult to secure a global business like Sony. He said networks are now so complex, even the people responsible for their security aren't quite sure how to move forward. “It’s going to continue the way it has," he said. "There’s no visible trend on the horizon that sees this improving, OK? But people become used to it.” Other experts, such as John Morley of the technology company JMORE Connection, think the only solution is to stay ahead of potential hackers. “The technology keeps changing," Morley said. "If you’re not updating your firmware and making sure that your firewall stays current, and the company you are using is not updating its technology, you'd better find another firewall company.” Morley said there is some evidence the Sony hackers had inside help, and the government officials agree.
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US Expects January Talks With Cubaby webdesk@voanews.com (Pamela Dockins)
A U.S. State Department official said a January meeting that had been previously scheduled with Cuban officials in Havana is being expanded and moved to a higher level of diplomacy. Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobson announced the change in a Thursday briefing as she shed more light on the process for restoring relations with Cuba. Jacobson said she will travel to Havana for the talks, which she expects will take place in late January. She said a meeting that was originally a periodic review of Cuba-U.S. migration will now include talks on restoring diplomatic relations. “That process is relatively straightforward, frankly, from a legal perspective,” Jacobson added. She said the first step in the process has already occurred - the U.S. and Cuba have agreed to begin the work of restoring ties. “We can do that via an exchange of letters or of notes. It doesn’t require a formal sort of legal treaty or agreement,” Jacobson said. She said U.S. diplomats in Cuba would transition from being under Swiss protection. “It requires us also terminating the 53-year-old agreement that we have had with the Swiss government as our protecting power and the same for the Cubans,” she said. Also, the U.S. will begin a review of Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. “We have to review the record of Cuba...and ensure they have not been participants or supported acts of terrorism over the last six months," Jacobson said. "We have to look at whether they have renounced the use of terrorism.” Jacobson also addressed the objections to restoring ties with Cuba that have been raised by some members of Congress, who have threatened to block funding for an embassy. “The status of our diplomatic relationship in terms from going from not having diplomatic relations to having full diplomatic relations, we believe, is entirely constitutionally the president’s right and responsibility, “ she said. Jacobson, however, added that the issue of funding belongs to Congress and what she described as the “power of the purse.”
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Summit communiqué signals pressure to be maintained on Russia to back down from Ukraine aggression
Seeking to justify his foreign policy as essentially defensive, Russia’s president cited apocryphal remarks wrongly attributed to Madeleine Albright.
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US: Response to Sony Hack Will Be Proportionalby webdesk@voanews.com (Aru Pande)
The White House says President Barack Obama considers the cyberattack on Sony Corp. a serious national security matter and that the U.S. will counter with an "appropriate response." VOA correspondent Aru Pande reports.
Panel to Advise Obama on Police-Community Relationshipsby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
President Barack Obama is appointing a task force to examine how best to build trust and foster strong relationships between local law enforcement officers and the communities they protect. The 11-member Task Force on 21st Century Policing will be made up of law enforcement representatives, community leaders, academics and youth leaders. The panel is expected to submit recommendations to the president by March. White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett said the task force would consider, among other things, best practices for the use of body cameras by police. Obama has asked Congress for $263 million to pay for body cameras for police officers and to expand training for law enforcement. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey and Laurie Robinson, a former assistant attorney general in the Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs, will lead the task force. Obama has said that he will use his last two years in office to address the "simmering distrust" between police and minority communities. The president's pledge came in early December after days of protests followed a Missouri grand jury decision not to indict a white police officer, Darren Wilson, in the August street shooting death of an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown. Days after the Missouri decision, a New York grand jury decided not to bring criminal charges against a white police officer whose chokehold contributed to the death of Eric Garner, a 43-year-old African-American, in New York City in July.
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 BBC News |
EU leaders ready long confrontation with Russia
Yahoo News BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders warned Moscow they were ready exercise their combined muscle over the long haul in a confrontation with an economically wounded Russia if President Vladimir Putin refused to pull back from Ukraine. EU needs 'long-term' Russia strategy, says Donald TuskBBC News Russia sanctions to stay, Merkel says ahead of EU summitDeutsche Welle Tusk: Russia Biggest EU 'Challenge'RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty Business Insider -Salt Lake Tribune all 347 news articles » |
 Bloomberg View |
Putin predicts economic recovery but warns West against pressuring Russian ...
Washington Post MOSCOW — Vowing that the West would never hold Russia down, RussianPresident Vladimir Putin on Thursday promised that his nation's troubled economy would recover in two years despite a looming recession, a severely weakened ruble and growing ... Sanctions: Tragedy in Cuba, Farce in RussiaBloomberg View Putin: If Russian bear sits still, his teeth, claws will be pulled outCNN Putin: West wants to put Russian bear 'on a chain'USA TODAY ABC News- New York Times- Al Jazeera America all 2,395 news articles » |
 New York Times |
Russia and the rouble
The Economist Meanwhile, he has failed to reform Russia's economy, leaving it dependent on the energy industry that he has carved up among his friends. Had he chosen to build an economy based on the rule of law and competition rather than patronage and corruption, ... Ruble Crisis Is Testing Russia's ResourcesNew York Times More bad news for Putin: Russia's banks need to be bailed out nowWashington Post (blog) Russian crisis could be like 1998-but worseCNBC Fortune -Slate Magazine (blog) -The Globe and Mail (subscription) all 5,062 news articles » |
Obama Faces Opposition on Cubaby webdesk@voanews.com (Carolyn Presutti)
President Barack Obama has announced efforts to normalize relations with Cuba after an embargo of more than 50 years. But some opponents say Obama is overreaching his authority and that Congress can overrule him. Several legislative obstacles may stand in the way of normal relations with Cuba. Hope fills the streets of Cuba’s capital as residents hear about President Obama’s plan to restore relations with Cuba. Abiel San Miguel, a restaurant owner in Havana, is excited. "I am happy. I hope this will be the beginning of the end of illogical things, which have no reason to exist, and which have been shown to be obsolete," said San Miguel. But there are differing opinions at a Cuban neighborhood in Florida. "Obama is making all the concessions and what are we getting from the Castro?" asked one local. Change could come to Cuba, but not quickly. It will take time for the State Department to review Cuba's designation as a terrorist sponsor. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta Jacobson said an evaluation is upcoming. “We have to look at whether they have renounced the use of terrorism. We have to look at their ratification of international instruments against terrorism,” said Jacobson. Next, the president can ease some financial restrictions, but constitutionally he cannot lift the trade embargo that dates back to the 1960s. Mike Gonzalez from the Heritage Foundation spoke to VOA via Skype and pointed out the Congressional prerogative. "The embargo can only be changed and amended by Congress. Mr. Obama, the executive, has no legislative powers," said Gonzalez. All six Cuban American members of Congress -- regardless of political affiliation -- oppose the president’s proposals. Carl Meacham from the Center for Strategic and International Studies said that disapproval also could extend to diplomatic measures, such as the president's plan to open a U.S. embassy in Cuba. Senators could also refuse to confirm the ambassador. “The Congress funds these embassies, funds the government, so will these senators be ok with funding an embassy or will they oppose it?” asked Meacham. Restoring a diplomatic relationship with Cuba is constitutionally the president’s right. But Congress carries the "power of the purse" and could refuse to fund anything that he proposes.
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Pentagon: Top IS Leaders Killed In Iraqby noreply@rferl.org (RFE/RL)
The Pentagon says air strikes by the United States and its allies have killed "multiple" senior and mid-level Islamic State leaders.
President Barack Obama said Thursday that he had signed into law a new Russian sanctions bill passed by Congress but did not intend to impose further sanctions against Moscow for now.
Russia's president is here to stay and his weakened country is looking to do a deal, says Sir Tony Brenton
Defending the ruble has cost Russia about $80 billion this year, and depending on who's doing the calculations, its usable hard currency reserves are now either starting to run low, or at a healthy $400 billion-plus.
Retiring U.S. Congressman Negotiating Job With Pro-Azerbaijan Group by noreply@rferl.org (RFE/RL)
A retiring U.S. congressman is in talks for a job with a group funded by the Azerbaijani government, which has beefed up its lobbying efforts in Washington in recent years.
 Комсомольская правда |
Россия предупредила США о последствиях «Акта о поддержке Украины»
РБК Американский «Акт о поддержке свободы Украины» может надолго подорвать возможности нормального взаимодействия Москвы и Вашингтона. Об этом заявил министр иностранных дел России Сергей Лавров госсекретарю США Джону Керри. Они поговорили по телефону вскоре ... Лавров заявил Керри, что закон США о санкциях против России может подорвать диалог странГазета.Ru Лавров: Подписанный Обамой закон может надолго подорвать отношения между Москвой и ВашингтономКомсомольская правда Лавров: "украинский" закон надолго подорвет отношения между Россией и СШАВести.Ru BBC Russian -Интерфакс -РИА Новости Все похожие статьи: 91 » |
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EU leaders warned Moscow they were ready exercise their combined muscle over the long haul in a confrontation with an economically wounded Russia if President Putin refused to pull back from Ukraine.
Russia's ruble strengthened on Friday after Finance Minister Anton Siluanov confirmed his ministry had sold foreign currency, and on expectations that exporters will increase dollar sales.
 РИА Новости |
Премьер-министр Болгарии заявил, что страна выдаст разрешение по South Stream
Коммерсантъ Премьер-министр Болгарии Борис Бойко заявил, что страна намерена выдать разрешения по South Stream и продолжит работу над подготовкой проекта. Предыдущий премьер-министр страны — Пламен Орешарски — в июне дал распоряжение приостановить работы в рамках ... "Согласны уже на все": Болгария готова дать разрешение на "Южный поток"Московский комсомолец Болгария готова разрешить прокладку "Южного потока"Утро.Ru Болгария продолжит работу над подготовкой «Южного потока»Газета.Ru Взгляд -НТВ.ru -Новостной проект INFOX.ru Все похожие статьи: 38 » |
You've heard the key quotes, but you may have missed the bits everyone on social media is talking about.
Donald Tusk warns that European Union must take a longer-term view of Vladimir Putin's Russia
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Дело братьев Навальных by Радио Свобода
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Близится к завершению процесс по делу братьев Алексея и Олега Навальных, обвиняемых в мошенничестве со...
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From: Радио Свобода
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Google has become the third big technology company to be worth more than the entire Russian stock market — and Google itself isn’t even having a very good time of it.
Window on Eurasia: Russians Don’t Feel Personally Responsible for Moscow’s Policies, Poll Showsby paul goble (noreply@blogger.com)
Paul Goble
Staunton, December 19 – Despite Krasnodar Governor Aleksandr Tkachev’s suggestion that Russians must share responsibility for the current crisis and President Vladimir Putin’s statement that all Russians are in it together, only one Russian in nine feels responsible for what the Kremlin has done, according to a new Levada Center poll.
Fifty-seven percent of the respondents told the sociologists that they “do not feel any responsibility for what is happening in Russia,” and another 27 percent say that they do not feel any “significant” responsibility for that. Only 11 percent say that they are significantly responsible for what is happening (newizv.ru/politics/2014-12-19/212175-u-nas-strana-poddannyh-a-ne-grazhdan.html#top).
What is most striking about that figure is that the share of Russians who feel responsible now is only half the figure it was when Putin first took office, the result of the dramatic demobilization of the population as the Russian president has put in place his ever more authoritarian “power vertical” which makes decisions independent of the people.
According to Boris Makarenko of the Moscow Center for Political Technologies, Russia today is “a country of subjects but not of citizens.” But as he points out, “this is an issue not only for Russians but also for the Russian authorities. Because responsibility means not only that you will support the steps of the government but also that you have the right to participate in the politics of this state, that your voice and your right means something.”
That requires democracy and only where it is present will there be a feeling of responsibility among citizens, he says. And he points out that the annexation of Crimea was not something society decided upon but rather only has supported since the Kremlin took the lead in carrying it out.
Now, he continues, Russia’s leaders are adopting the classical position of Russian noblemen toward their serfs: We’ve done something about which you must both be proud of and pay for.
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 Deutsche Welle |
West's sanctions on Russia bite, but backlash could hurt
Deutsche Welle Russia's economy is in tatters. The ruble is in free fall despite a massive intervention by theRussian central bank to prop up the currency. Russian officials have admitted that the combination of falling oil price and Western sanctions are taking a ... Putin predicts economic recovery but warns West against pressuring Russian ...Washington Post Putin: Russian Economy to Rebound in 2 YearsVoice of America Sanctions: Tragedy in Cuba, Farce in RussiaBloomberg View Sky Songs-CNN-USA TODAY all 2,382 news articles » |
Russian prosecutors have asked a court to sentence opposition leader Aleksei Navalny to 10 years in prison in a theft case the critic of President Vladimir Putin says is part of a Kremlin campaign to stifle dissent.
Russian prosecutors said Friday that Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny should be imprisoned for 10 years and his brother Oleg for eight years if found guilty of stealing more than 30 million rubles ($500,000).
A teacher who worked with disabled children is the latest educator fired for being in violation of Russia's so-called "gay propaganda" law.
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Aleksei A. Navalny, a prominent opposition figure, and his brother, Oleg, were accused of stealing almost $500,000 from two firms.
 Forbes Ukraine |
В России завели уголовное дело против главы Службы безопасности Украины
РБК Следственный комитет возбудил уголовное дело в отношении главы Службы безопасности Украины Валентина Наливайченко сразу по нескольким статьям Уголовного кодекса РФ. Российские правоохранители заподозрили его, в том числе, в клевете, похищении человека и в ... В России возбудили дело на главу Службы безопасности Украины за задержание журналистов и пыткиNEWSru.com СКР завел дело о клевете и похищении людей на главу СБУ НаливайченкоНТВ.ru СК России возбудил уголовное дело против главы СБУ НаливайченкоРоссийская Газета Московский комсомолец -Комсомольская правда -BFM.Ru Все похожие статьи: 133 » |
Paul Goble
Staunton, December 19 – Many in Moscow and the West believe that Vladimir Putin bears complete responsibility for the breakdown in relations between Russia, on the one hand, and Europe and the United States, on the other, and thus they believe that if he changes course or is replaced, a more positive partnership can be restored.
But that is a mistake, Igor Bunin and Aleksey Makarkin of the Moscow Center for Political Technologies argue, because in fact the increasing alienation between Russia and the West reflects longstanding social patterns and more recent social pathologies that will define the Russian political landscape for a long time to come (politcom.ru/18362.html).
In a 5,000-word essay, they argue that “the conflict between Russia and the West (not only the US but also Europe) was predetermined by the development of events in Russian society over the last two decades,” trends that have deeper roots than the actions of the current powers that be.
The two analysts point to four. The first trend “consists not simply in the sense of Russians of the self-sufficiency of their own country but also in the sense that Russia is called to be ‘a center of the world’ and a leading power of the planet,” a status they overwhelmingly feel was violated by the events of 1991.
The second trend was a turn to the past. “For Russians,” Bunin and Makarkin say, “the greatness of the country is its history, one in which all its wars are just and the state plays the decisive role,” a sense heightened by the inevitable comparisons between this glorious past and the somewhat less glorious present.
That look backwards does not mean that most Russians want a return to the USSR “in a pure form” but rather that they want a combination of a powerful state with a strong system of social supports and various personal freedoms (although these are understood differently than in the West), the lack of communist ideology, and some opportunities for small business.
The third trend the two point two concerns control of territory. “The loss of even a small portion of it generates among Russians not simply regret but stronger negative feelings,” a pattern they suggest is connected with a history in which “Russia was distinguished by its own religious identity from ‘enemy neighbors’ in the East and West.”
In Europe, up to the Reformation, “the loss of part of the territory [of one or another state] represented a specific foreign policy defeat but not a spiritual catastrophe” because it did not call into question religious issues. But for Russia to give up territory to the Catholics or Muslims meant something more, they write, and it does once again.
Russian feelings about the sale of Alaska to the United States are the exception that proves the rule. On the one hand, because there were so few Russian Orthodox there, Russia wasn’t losing them. And on the other, some Russians still feel that the whole matter was a betrayal and want Alaska back.
And the fourth tendency is “the conspirological approach to various processes in politics and economics,” an approach which sees conspiracies behind everything and one that affects not only the population as a whole but the elite as well and has given rise to contempt for expertise even as it is promoted by the mass media.
What these factors mean, Bunin and Makarkin say is that “the anti-Western attitudes in contemporary Russian society” are likely to be long-lasting rather that something that will fade if the Ukrainian crisis is resolved or if oil prices and the ruble exchange rate return to where they were a year ago.
The idealization of the West which preceded the collapse of the USSR, they suggest, has been reversed and won’t return anytime soon if ever. The West’s actions against Serbia started that process, and it has only intensified, with Russians sharing Putin’s view that annexing Crimea was an act of historical justice in the post-Yugoslav world.
But this commonality of views between Putin and the Russian population is not as all-embracing as many think. Russians do support the Kremlin leader when he seeks to restore Russian power, but they do not support him or his regime when he or it moves against socially-popular programs, something Moscow may increasingly be forced to do.
Under current conditions, Bunin and Makarkin say, “the authorities have no indulgence” from the population for decisions which have “a negative impact on the well-being of the population.” But Putin has one advantage arising from another long-standing traditions: When the tsar and the boyars fight, the population “usually prefers the former.”
That is all the more so now, they continue, because of the ways in which the elites have acted, and Putin thus faces less pressure from these elites than many think because they are unable to attract widespread popular support.
Obviously, Putin and his actions matter. Until 2008, Putin tried to adapt himself to the West in the hopes of a partnership. But then disappointment set in with the West’s opposition to his third term and to his invasion of Georgia, and since that time, he has promoted rather than restrained these underlying Russian tendencies, especially after the elite protests of 2011-2012.
But even then up until February 2014, Putin continued to view the West “as a non-optimal partner but a partner nonetheless with whom it would be possible to achieve informal ‘gentlemen’s’ agreements on the basis of compromise.” But Yanukovich’s exit from Kyiv under pressure from the Maidan ended that by casting doubt on Russia’s influence there.
“The value of the relations with the West that he had established fell practically to zero,” Bunin and Makarkin say, and the notion that Moscow should make any further concessions to the West became anathema. For Putin and for many other Russians as well, “political freedoms, a market economy and the openness of the country are not values which take precedence over the historical unity of a great country.”
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Staunton, December 18 – Russian children are now playing a video game called “The Liberation War in Novorossiya” in which to win, they are required to kill “Ukrainians, soldiers, militiamen, and the civilian population,” a disturbing message being implanted in the minds of the rising generation.
But more immediately, the game may disturb the Kremlin as well. That is because it calls for not two players but three: the Ukrainian army, the Novorossiya militants, and Russian forces — which aren’t even in Ukraine, according to Russia’s version of events.
Meanwhile, some Russian outlets are upset by what they call “the de-humanization” of Ukrainian children because their teachers are having them put up New Year’s trees decorated with Ukrainian flags, angels symbolizing those who have died fighting Russia, and notes condemning Moscow.
Some of the Ukrainian children in the Chernovitsi school wrote on the home-made ornaments that they want their soldiers to return home and the war to end, but others wrote that “Putler and the bandits must all burn in hell,” a reflection of what students and teachers alike said was a universal view there.
“We do not support our neighbors because we see and know the truth. In our gymnasium, people come and we want them to see that we will defend our state come what may,” one girl in the 11th class said. Her teacher added that “that which is being done against our state by the aggressor is wrong. We therefore declare that anyone who acts that way must go to hell.”
The development of such attitudes in both countries, the result of Vladimir Putin’s aggression, will make it far more difficult to overcome the current crisis than many now suppose. Some agreements may be reached by the governments, but the two peoples are likely to remain hostile not just for a few years but for a generation or more.
The European Union outlawed European investment, trade and tourism in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in March.
Obama Signs Ukraine Aid Bill, Won't Immediately Impose Russia Sanctions by noreply@rferl.org (RFE/RL)
U.S. President Barack Obama signed a bill authorizing new sanctions against Russia on December 18 but said that he would not impose them "at this time."
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Putin Addresses Russia Amid Economic Crisisby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
President Vladimir Putin struck an optimistic chord at his end-of-year news conference Thursday, telling Russians the country's economy will rebound and the ruble will stabilize. He said the current crisis could last two years at most, but the economy could recover faster if external factors change for the better. Putin said the nation's currency reserves are sufficient to keep the economy in stable condition. The ruble strengthened on Thursday morning ahead of Putin's speech. It hit an all-time low on Tuesday, prompting Russia's central bank to reassure banks and financial companies that it would provide additional capital if necessary. At one point the currency plunged to 80 rubles to the dollar. The ruble has lost nearly 60 percent of its value against key Western currencies this year.Putin addressed the Ukraine crisis Thursday, saying he wants Ukraine to remain one political entity. He voiced hope that the crisis could be solved through peace talks, suggesting that Kyiv and the Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine should conduct a prisoner swap before Christmas. Russia has been hit by Western sanctions, put in place after Putin annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March.
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У микрофона - товарищ Путин by Радио Свобода
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Говорит Москва! Работают все радиостанции Евразийского союза. У микрофона - товарищ В.В. Путин. Ежегодную...
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Beyond Tetris: a brief history of patriotic video gaming in Russiaby Cat Goodfellow for The Calvert Journal, part of the New East network
Retro favourite Tetris might be Russia’s best known games export, but a closer look at the industry finds a creative powerhouse that has mirrored the country’s politics for decades. The Calvert Journalreports
The Russian gaming industry is best known for Tetris, the classic game which turned 30 this year,but has until recently had little recognition outside of the Russian-speaking world.
In the west the perception of what it means to be Russian in a game (or in a film) is built on familiar tropes. They are the bad guys smoking cigarettes, swigging vodka, dressed as Soviet soldiers or gangsters.
In a climate where engineering, science and mathematics were highly prized, games promised mental training. They were socially palatable, devoid of political ideology and they offered a comforting view of the world.
Continue reading...Google Looks to Head off US Antitrust Lawsuit over Androidby webdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)
Google will try to persuade a U.S. judge on Thursday to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit over its Android smartphone operating system, as the Internet search company faces increased regulatory pressure from European authorities. The hearing in San Jose, California, federal court is over the lawsuit filed by two smartphone consumers who say Google Inc requires Android handset manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to restrict competing apps like Microsoft Corp's Bing search, partly by making Google's own apps the default. Google argues in its court filings that the proposed class action should be dismissed because consumers still are free to use the other apps. The plaintiffs counter that most consumers either do not know how to switch default settings, or will not go to the trouble. Last month, the European Parliament overwhelmingly passed a non-binding resolution urging antitrust authorities to break up Google. The lawmakers called on the European Commission to consider proposals to unbundle search engines from other commercial services. 4-year investigation Google is the subject of a four-year investigation by the Commission, over allegations that it improperly manipulated search results to rank its own services higher than competitors. European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who took over the post last month, said she would sample industry views and developments before taking any action. Separately, Google's competitors including Microsoft filed a complaint with the European Commission over some of the same issues at play in the U.S. consumer lawsuit. Google apps "are widely used on Android by requiring default placement and other mechanisms for disadvantaging competing apps," the companies said in a summary of their complaint. Should U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman allow the class action to proceed, plaintiffs' attorneys would be allowed to delve into internal Google emails and contracts with smartphone companies, and could interview Google executives under oath. "I'm confident we will get into juicy stuff, and I think that will up the pressure on Google as some of the material we discover becomes public," lawyer Steve Berman said in July. Google, however, said in filings that its deals with handset makers do not prevent rival search engines "from reaching consumers through the various distribution channels available to them." The case is Gary Feitelson and Daniel McKee, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated vs. Google Inc, in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California No. 14-2007.
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• Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich lost nearly £300m
• Usmanov is Arsenal’s second largest shareholder with 30%
• Usmanov is Arsenal’s second largest shareholder with 30%
An index of the world’s richest people has claimed that Arsenal’s second largest shareholder, Alisher Usmanov, has been among the hardest hit by this week’s collapse of the rouble, with the Uzbek-born businessman losing $809m (£517m) in the last 48 hours, while Chelsea’s Roman Abramovich lost nearly $450m.
The Russian currency has fallen to its lowest value in more than a decade as a result of falling oil prices. That has led to major losses among some of the country’s oligarchs, with a total of $10bnwiped off their collective fortunes since Monday night.
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Given the ruble's collapse, you'd think there's only one way to depict its journey downwards. But you would be wrong.
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