TODAY: United Russia blocks logging enquiry, party leader resigns over car tariffs?  Putin’s image suffering, no apparent plans to reverse tariff decision; confusion over supply of weapons to Iran, US calls for clarification; OSCE mission in Georgia to end over Russia dispute; navy’s missile fails another test launch, military to receive spending boost.

The United Russia party allegedly blocked a State Duma deputy enquiry into the logging going on at the Bolshoi Utrish reserve, which many environmentalists, activists and locals say is illegal.  A senior United Russia leader in the Far East has resigned, supposedly following the protests against the government’s plan to increase tariffs on imported cars, although he has not explained his decision.  Vladimir Putin’s spokesman has been unavailable for comment since Friday, amid plummeting public faith in the prime minister’s ‘Teflon image‘ and the Vladivostok protests exhibiting some of the first ever public criticisms of Putin.  Putin has given no indication that the government will reverse its decisions on auto tariffs, and a recent poll by the Public Opinion Foundation found that 39% of Russians are dissatisfied with their government, compared with 24% in September.  ‘The anger over increased import duties is particularly strong among residents of the Far East, the majority of which — perhaps as high as 80 percent — make a living either directly or indirectly connected with the sale or servicing of imported automobiles.‘  Journalists in Russia’s Far East are calling for an investigation into the way reporters at the car tariff protests were treated.