January 13, 2010 By Citizen M

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – Jan 13, 2010

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TODAY: Tribute march for Markelov and Baburova denied; Russia continues to be ‘repressive’ according to civil rights watchdog; how Berdnikov gets his way.  US Undersecretary of State in town for talks; Baluva tests to continue; submarine loan to India.  Turkey-Russia relationship in spotlight; analyses of Ukraine’s position in Europe; Yukos official jailed, Human Rights Court hearing postponed

Moscow city authorities have refused to approve a peaceful march for the one-year anniversary of the murder of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova.  Freedom House, in its new report on civil liberties, the 2010 ‘Freedom in the World’ survey, has pinpointed Russia as one of the countries that has become more oppressive in the past four years.  The report also finds a ‘deepening of authoritarian rule throughout much of the non-Baltic former Soviet Union’.  Aleksandr Berdnikov has been approved for a second term as governor of Russia’s southern Altai Republic.  Yulia Latynina believes she knows why allegations that Berdnikov engages in illegal hunting have not hindered his political career.  The Power Vertical reports on how Russia Today’s new ad campaign based around the ‘question more’ slogan has been rejected by certain airports in the US.