Loosening Russia’s Currency Belt

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: December 22, 2008

In case you haven’t noticed, the Russian ruble appears to be in a lot of trouble, under tremendous pressure from sellers fleeing to other currencies like monetary refugees.  Although the Central Bank widened the band and allowed the ruble to slip for the third time in four days on Monday (and slip it did down […]

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Acts of Compassion

By Robert Amsterdam | Published:

Russia Profile is carrying the following opinion article by Alexander Arkhangelsky. December 22, 2008 Mercy for the Fallen Comment by Alexander Arkhangelsky Special to RIA Novosti Acts of compassion should be the rule, not the exception In the past month small, unconnected and apparently spontaneous steps forward have been made on several humanitarian issues. Alexander […]

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Grigory Pasko: Are Hangmen Sad at Night?

By Grigory Pasko | Published:

Are hangmen sad at night? Grigory Pasko, journalist Если Вы хотите прочитать оригинал данной статьи на русском языке, нажмите сюда. President of the RF Dmitry Medvedev, appearing at the beginning of December at the All-Russian Congress of Judges, made a series of important declarations. In part, he declared about the necessity of adopting a law […]

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The VEB Holiday Bump

By James Kimer | Published:

Traders should be happy to hear this holiday news from Reuters: Russian state bank VEB may launch a last-ditch attempt to improve the Russian stock market’s dismal 2008 performance with stepped-up cash interventions in thin holiday trade, analysts and traders said on Monday. “VEB is expected to take advantage of quieter international markets to push […]

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The Information Vacuum

By James Kimer | Published:

From an editorial in the Rocky Mountain News: “We are hurtling back into a Soviet abyss, into an information vacuum that spells death from our own ignorance,” Politkovskaya wrote in The Guardian two years before her death. “All we have left is the Internet, where information is still freely available. For the rest, if you […]

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Russia’s Depleting Foreign Reserves

By James Kimer | Published:

FT columnist Gideon Rachman blogs about the crisis protests over this weekend, and takes a look at the remarkable speed with which Russia’s once abundant foreign reserve fund is emptying: More broadly, the Russian government is facing a serious economic crisis on several fronts. Just six months ago, its huge pile of almost $600 billion […]

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ECHR Orders Russia to Release Yukos Prisoner

By James Kimer | Published:

UPDATE: Reuters is on the story now.  The following news release was arrived in our email box from the defense team of Vasily Alexanyan. European Court of Human Rights orders Russia to release AIDS prisoner The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) held in a judgment issued today, 22nd December 2008, that the continued detention […]

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Energy Blast – Dec 22nd, 2008

By Citizen M | Published:

Read a summary of Russia’s attempts in 2008 to secure a share in the Caspian’s oil and gas reserves.  A deal has just been ratified between Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to build a natural gas pipeline along the Caspian.  Russia’s exports of uranium products and uranium-enrichment services will grow by 30% year-on-year for 2008.  Gazprom […]

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Today in Russian Business – Dec 22nd, 2008

By Citizen M | Published:

Vladimir Putin issued a warning to employers over the weekend about job cuts. ‘Business should not… fire people without extreme need,‘ he said.  State-run banks are planning to inform the authorities of any breach of workers’ rights by employers, such as sending them on unpaid leave.  Russia’s oligarchs are in line for $78 billion of […]

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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – Dec 22nd, 2008

By Citizen M | Published:

TODAY: Car tariff demonstrations see protesters beaten and arrested – video; Russia delivers air-defense system to Iran; Belarus could get $3 billion loan if willing to pay the price; presidential term vote unanimous; the Merchant of Death on trial, UK prime minister’s anti-Putin aide.A demonstration against raising tariffs on imported cars in Vladivostok over the […]

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