June 21, 2011 By Citizen M

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – June 21, 2011

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TODAY: 44 killed in Karelia plane crash; Khodorkovsky’s whereabouts revealed; Justice Minister calls for eased registration rules; Russia opposes U.N.’s Syria resolutions; Medvedev says election fuss won’t hurt the economy; Vanuatu withdraws support for Abkhazia; forest fires, krokodil.
At least 44 people have died after a Russian-made Tu-134 jet crashed into the runway in Petrozavodsk, in the Karelia province last night.  The eight remaining passengers are in critical condition, including a 10-year-old boy.  The BBCITN and Associated Press have video footage of the wreckage.  The vague whereabouts of Mikhail Khodorkovsky have finally been revealed – he has been moved to a prison colony in northwest Russia, where it is thought he will stay until his scheduled released in 2016.  It has not been confirmed which prison he has been assigned to, however.  The Justice Minister is calling for a relaxation of registration rules for political parties and nonprofit organizations, saying that simple notification of their existence would be a simpler process.