October 19, 2010 By Citizen M

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – Oct 19, 2010

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TODAY3 killed in Chechen parliament; Duma has no power, says opposition; Gorbachev warns of unrest; EU talks continue with focus on security issues; Sobyanin speaks; Newsweek to close, Novaya Gazeta could follow; comments on the state of United Russia; Georgia praises withdrawal of troops from Perevi; spies given awards.
Talks in Deauville between Germany, France and Russia continue today, with European security issues at the top of the agenda.  ‘Confidence is key, the Cold War is over, the Warsaw Pact is over, Russia is our friend and we want to be theirs,‘ says French President Nicolas Sarkozy.  The former Polish Defense Minister comments in the Moscow Times: ‘Despite their commitment to speak to Russia with one voice, various EU countries negotiate with Russia bilaterally whenever possible (especially over lucrative business contracts), congregating under the EU umbrella only when necessary.‘  Militants attacked Chechnya’s parliament this morning, killing 3 people and wounding 13.  Sergei Sobyanin has spoken publicly for the first time since his nomination as Moscow’s new Mayor: ‘Corruption is Russia’s eternal problem.‘  RFE/RL writes that voting in the State Duma amounts to no more than button-pressing, with decisions and discussion about the passing of bills happening elsewhere, and notes the opposition view which says that the Duma doesn’t function as an independent branch of power.  Mikhail Gorbachev says that he doesn’t regard the current Russian government as ‘leaders‘, and warned that Russians are going to take to the streets if their demands are not heard. ‘The government on its own can’t deal with the problems we have,‘ he said.