16.05.2008 23:26 The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has rebuffed Ukraine’s efforts to have the famine of the 1930s recognised solely as tragedy of the Ukrainian people. The body says the event was an international tragedy.
16.05.2008 22:02 The foreign ministers of Brazil, Russia, India and China have been holding their last day of talks in the Russian city of Ekaterinburg on Friday. The talks between the BRIC nations focused on financial issues, energy security and climate change.
16.05.2008 21:35 A court in Paris has ordered the Swiss company NOGA to pay €15,000 in damages to Russia's Ria Novosti News Agency. In the 1990s, NOGA pressed charges against the Russian government, claiming the country owed it money for food and credits, delivered under contracts with the USSR.
16.05.2008 21:14 Three separate blasts have gone off near the unofficial border between Georgia and its breakaway republic of South Ossetia. A Georgian policeman is reported to have been injured in one incident.
16.05.2008 19:59 Ukraine has joined the World Trade Organisation, committing the country to economic reforms and opening up new trade channels. President Victor Yushchenko’s office has issued a statement saying a WTO membership protocol ratified by the country's parliament last month has officially come into effect.
16.05.2008 19:06 Several kilometres of Russia's border with Mongolia will be without fencing for a while to let some 100,000 gazelles move north. Years of drought have forced them to migrate to the Russian side of the border and many gazelles have got tangled up in barbed wire and died.
16.05.2008 17:28 Russia is looking to boost its movie-making capacity by opening its first-ever Russian pavilion at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. A newly-built 50-square-metre hall with a terrace facing the sea is aimed at showcasing Russian cinema, which celebrates its 100-year anniversary this year, across the globe.
16.05.2008 17:22 Russian doctors and emergency workers have arrived in China's Sichuan province, which has been hit by the country’s deadliest earthquake in more than two decades. Russia's Emergency Ministry has also sent specialist rescue teams with heavy equipment and dogs, and a mobile hospital is due to follow.
16.05.2008 17:17 Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia has brushed off a UN resolution backing refugees who want to return to the region following a bloody conflict in the 1990s. More than a quarter of a million people, mostly Georgians, left the region during the bloody conflict over Abkhazia's claim for independence.
16.05.2008 17:15 All the Doomsday cult members - seven women and two men - who were holed up in an underground bunker in Russia’s Penza region have now surfaced. Doctors say they do not have any health problems. Earlier Emergencies Ministry workers confirmed the deaths of two women in the vault.
16.05.2008 17:12 President Medvedev has met St Petersburg's Zenit Football Club in Moscow’s Kremlin on Friday to congratulate them on winning the UEFA Cup. They beat Glasgow Rangers 2-0 in the final to claim the first major European trophy in the club's history, and only the second for Russia after CSKA Moscow won it in 2005. Medvedev is known to be a supporter of his hometown team.
16.05.2008 16:16 Watching the films of Russian Oscar-winning animation director Aleksandr Petrov, you don’t think about the techniques he uses. But after leaving the cinema you can’t help asking yourself how he manages to create such fresh and beautiful images. An exhibition at Moscow’s Nashchokin House Gallery reveals the secrets of his methods.
16.05.2008 15:45 Russia was the most successful country in nailing PC software piracy in 2007. According to a study by research firm IDC, conducted for the Business Software Alliance, an organisation promoting legal software distribution around the world, the country's piracy rate was reduced by 7%.
16.05.2008 15:33 Russia’s security forces have reportedly arrested a Russian citizen who is accused of spying for Georgia. Georgia denies the allegation and calls the information a “provocation”.
16.05.2008 15:29 The first Beatles invasion of the U.S. took place in the 1960s. On that occasion the invaders were welcomed with open arms. The latest invaders, however, are not nearly so welcome.
16.05.2008 13:02 Russia's helicopter makers are signing major deals with foreign engine and avionics manufacturers in an effort to claw back their falling market share. Heli-Russia, the first ever dedicated helicopter show to take place in the country, has been the venue for a major deal.
16.05.2008 11:53 A bill that would provide over $US 160 billion of funding for fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan has been rejected by the U.S. House of Representatives.
16.05.2008 9:14 Vladimir Putin is changing the way the government does business in an effort to make it more efficient. In a scathing attack on the current system, the new Prime Minister said Russia’s executive body was “clumsy and over-bureaucratic”.
16.05.2008 8:20 On his first visit as commander-in-chief of Russia's armed forces, President Dmitry Medvedev has visited the Ivanovo region to examine the base of a regiment equipped with the Topol-M mobile missile system.
16.05.2008 4:41 Supporters of St Petersburg's Zenit Football Club turned out in force to welcome the team on their return from Manchester with the precious UEFA Cup. They beat Scottish side Glasgow Rangers 2-0 in the final to claim the first major European trophy in the club's history. Thousands of football fans across Russia are still celebrating the victory.
16.05.2008 4:00 Slovak investor J&T group has bought a 75 per cent stake in one of Moscow’s best situated hotels, the Balchug Kempinsky, outbidding several Russian companies. However, experts say a five-star hotel in Moscow is more a sign of prestige for investors, as the fastest growing margins are in the budget end of the market.
16.05.2008 3:49 Eight members of an extremist nationalist group found guilty of causing a deadly explosion at Moscow’s multi-ethnic Cherkizovsky market in 2006 have been jailed. Four of the ringleaders were sentenced to life while the other four were given terms of between two and 20 years. Fourteen people were killed in the blast.
16.05.2008 1:38 The Belarusian President has warned Europe against joining the U.S. in imposing punitive measures against its companies. In an interview with Reuters, Aleksandr Lukashenko told the EU to remember that Belarus is a transit country for oil and gas to Europe. Meanwhile, the United States has added three more companies to its sanctions list for Belarus.
16.05.2008 0:39 About 200 Glasgow Rangers supporters clashed with police in Manchester on Wednesday after their team lost 2-0 to Zenit in the UEFA Cup Final. Fifteen officers were injured in the riot, said to be the worst football violence in the UK in recent years.
15.05.2008 23:56 The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution on internally displaced persons and refugees from Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia. It spells out the necessity for a schedule of voluntary return of people to Abkhazia who fled hostilities in the early 90s.
15.05.2008 23:50 At the first session of Russia’s new cabinet, economic matters took centre stage. The meeting focused on the Economic Development Ministry's three-year forecast, which will form the basis for calculating the budget this summer.
15.05.2008 22:13 Russian business daily Kommersant reports that the day before the new president's inauguration energy giant Gazprom was granted one third of Russia's undeveloped federal gas reserves. It says the Kremlin handed over nine gas deposits to Gazprom without going to tender.
15.05.2008 21:27 The foreign ministers of Russia, India and China have been holding talks in Ekaterinburg in the Urals. The discussions are focusing on economic and military co-operation, but the ministers also touched on international affairs.
15.05.2008 21:11 The Russian government has proposed cutting the Natural Resources Extraction Tax on crude oil, a measure intended to prevent stagnation in the oil sector.
15.05.2008 18:40 The only bible you might associate the American socialite Paris Hilton with is the fashion bible. But that hasn’t stopped the A-list celebrity from appearing as a character from the Holy Book in a modern art exhibition in Moscow.
15.05.2008 15:38 War veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder could one day be eligible for the Purple Heart, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the idea "is clearly something that needs to be looked at." Gates cautious support spurred a heated debate on blogs and internet forums.
15.05.2008 15:14 In Japan, an environmentally friendly solar-powered bra is hitting the
stores. The bra is equipped with a panel which can generate energy
and be plugged into electrical devices.
15.05.2008 14:32 FC Zenit St Petersburg have won the UEFA Cup. They beat Scottish side Glasgow Rangers 2-0 in the final in Manchester to claim the first major European trophy in the club's history.
15.05.2008 12:47 The second of four Russian planes packed with humanitarian supplies has arrived in China with emergency aid for victims of Monday’s devastating earthquake. The IL-76 aircraft took 30 tonnes of supplies, including tents, blankets and mattresses.
15.05.2008 12:42 From top-of-the-range helicopters and laptops that work underwater to the latest fire-fighting equipment – gadgets for aspiring James Bonds were on display at an international exhibition in Moscow.
15.05.2008 11:59 Nearly a third of Russians under 40 are still living with their parents. For many it is out of necessity, but for others gathering several generations under one roof is a matter of traditional values.
15.05.2008 6:15 The owner of MTS, Sistema, wants to continue its aggressive expansion outside Russia this year and has found new partners in a bid to break into African and Middle Eastern telecom markets. The Russian mobile phone giant almost doubled its net profits last year to more than US$ 1.5 billion.
15.05.2008 4:55 Many of Russia’s best racing cyclists head abroad to join prestigious cycling clubs. But things could be about to change. A new continental road team called Katyusha has been set up. It boasts 15 promising cyclists, and hopes to make an impact on the sport in the future.
15.05.2008 4:21 Vladimir Putin has opened a new terminal for the shipment of light-oil products in the Baltic port of Primorsk. The new terminal has a capacity of over 7 million tonnes of oil products a year and will provide Russia with more much-needed export capacity.
15.05.2008 4:11 Vladimir Putin may have just stepped down as President to become Prime Minister. But a new photo display at the Manezh Exhibition Hall in Moscow is giving people the chance to relive the highlights of his eight years as Russian leader.
15.05.2008 3:39 Zenit St Petersburg have won the UEFA Cup. They beat Scottish side Glasgow Rangers 2-0 in a thrilling final in Manchester. Striker Igor Denisov scored the first in the 72nd minute. Konstantin Zyryanov added a second in injury time. It is Zenit’s first major European trophy and the second time a Russian club has won the tournament.
15.05.2008 3:04 The new President says he has plans to increase the number of small enterprises in Russia. Figures show just 17 per cent of the work force are employed by small businesses, compared to 60 per cent in Europe. Dmitry Medvedev says that isn't good enough. Experts say the first challenge is to cut corruption and red tape.
15.05.2008 1:25 More than 9,000 Zenit St Petersburg fans are arriving in Manchester for the big match with Glasgow Rangers. Zenit are just one step away from winning the UEFA Cup and becoming only the second Russian football club to clinch the prestigious silverware. Back in May 2005, CSKA Moscow defeated Sporting Lisbon 3-1.
15.05.2008 1:22 Russia's football coach Guus Hiddink has named a provisional squad of 25 players for the Euro 2008 Championships in Austria and Switzerland. Dynamo Moscow striker Aleksandr Kerzhakov has been left out, a move that has surprised some fans.
14.05.2008 22:51 Germany’s building materials manufacturer Xella is launching its first production unit in Russia. The company is investing €24 million in the production of its aero concrete on the premises of a concrete plant in the city of Mozhaisk near Moscow
14.05.2008 22:23 Three policemen have been killed in an attack in Russia’s North Caucasus Republic of Ingushetia. Their bodies were found in a car in the Pliyevo district.
14.05.2008 21:22 Chelsea and Manchester United meet in Moscow on May 21 in the Champions League final and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a decree allowing supporters visa-free travel to Russia.
14.05.2008 20:41 Iran's security forces claim they've foiled a bomb plot aimed at the Russian Consulate building in the city of Rasht. They say they’ve arrested a group who were allegedly planning to blow up the building.
14.05.2008 19:21 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met his counterpart from Germany in Ekaterinburg on Wednesday. The meeting aimed to lay the foundations for the upcoming top-level talks in Germany, as well as the G8 summit in Japan.
14.05.2008 18:20 Patriarch Aleksy II and the Synod of Bishops have approved the nomination of the newly elected head of the Russian Orthodox Church abroad. Canadian-born and of Ukranian descent, Hilarion will assume his official duties as Metropolitan on May 18.
14.05.2008 18:18 A new Russian short-distance regional plane, the Superjet 100, has made its first test run on the tarmac in the town of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, in Russia’s Far East. The crew said the jet performed smoothly and can compete well with the Airbus and Boeing versions.
14.05.2008 17:48 What do British Pre-Raphaelites and Russian avant-gardists of the early 20th century have in common? Strange as it may seem, quite a lot – from composition to the palette. Christie’s auction house has brought selected works by Pre-Raphaelite brothers to Moscow, which are now on display for the first time at the Tretyakov gallery.
14.05.2008 16:38 The two American military attaches expelled from Russia last week were asked to do so by the Russian Foreign Ministry for making an unauthorised visit to a military factory.
14.05.2008 16:24 Some dolls are not toys. They are works of art, as eccentric as their creators themselves. An exhibition of unique dolls has opened to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Moscow association of doll-makers.
14.05.2008 15:45 Two Russian TU-95 ‘Bear’ strategic bombers have successfully completed a twenty-hour Arctic training exercise. The flight route passed over Alaska where they were escorted by NATO fighter jets.
14.05.2008 15:04 Ukraine has not paid off its gas debt to Russia, according to reports in the Russian media. Daily Gazeta says this is according to an unnamed source at Gazprom. The source, though, refused to be more specific about the exact position of the balance of payments.
14.05.2008 14:37 Scientists from Cornell University in New York have produced what is believed to be the first genetically modified (GM) human embryo, the British Times Online edition reports. It was destroyed after five days. The announcement of the experiment’s results have already sparked controversy in the scientific community, with some saying this is a way to a new eugenics.
14.05.2008 14:12 There is no contradiction between faith in God and believing that aliens may live somewhere in the universe, according to the Vatican’s chief astronomer, the Associated Press reports.
14.05.2008 13:23 Nearly four decades after his death, Latvian-born American artist Marc Rothko is now one of the world's most expensive painters. His 1952 piece, entitled ‘Number 15’, has just been sold at Christie’s Auction House for nearly $US 52 million, making it the most expensive work of art to be sold in New York this year.
14.05.2008 12:26 Serbia’s political parties are locked in coalition talks as they attempt to form a government. Two political blocs have emerged; the pro-Europeans, who won the most votes in Sunday’s elections, and the Nationalists.
14.05.2008 12:21 Democratic hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton has claimed victory in the West Virginia Primary. With some votes still to be counted, she is said to have won 65 per cent to rival Barack Obama’s 28 per cent.
14.05.2008 11:43 After Russia issued an international arrest warrant for the key suspect in the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian Prosecutor's Office has placed the 34-year-old Chechen, Rustam Makhmudov, on Interpol's wanted list.
14.05.2008 11:40 Former heavyweight boxing champion Vitaly "Doctor Iron Fist" Klitschko has ditched his punchbag for politics. Now he’s aiming to capture Ukraine's capital mayor’s office – with a little help from an American friend.
14.05.2008 6:13 George W. Bush has nominated John Beyrle to be the new U.S. Ambassador to Russia. The Senate in Washington must approve the choice before any appointment is made.
14.05.2008 4:41 President Bush has notified the U.S. Congress of a civilian atomic energy deal between Russia and the United States. But Congress says it could block the agreement because of Moscow's nuclear links with Iran.
14.05.2008 4:11 The private pension market in Russia is growing rapidly. Market analysts forecast that in the next seven years almost half of the country’s working population will transfer their pension savings from state-run companies to private fund managers.
14.05.2008 2:52 The European Football Championships are less than a month away. But one of the tournament’s co-hosts, Austria, says the economic benefits are already being felt.
14.05.2008 2:47 Vladimir Putin is on his first working visit to St Petersburg since becoming Prime Minister last week. Putin set off for his home town following the appointment of his new cabinet on Monday. Speaking at a forum, he told officials and business leaders that shipbuilding was central to Russia's growth as a hi-tech producer.
14.05.2008 2:03 Following Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's formation of a new cabinet, President Dmitry Medvedev has announced new appointments to Russia’s security service, the FSB.
14.05.2008 0:57 Abkhazia’s trust in the United Nations will only be restored when it objectively examines alleged flights by unmanned Georgian spy planes over the breakaway republic, according to Abkhazia's Foreign Minister, Sergey Shamba, who is quoted by Russia’s RIA news agency.
13.05.2008 23:29 Two weeks of cycling in the Russian capital finished exactly where it had started - in front of the Moscow State University. The Mayor’s Cup was the last stage in the Five Rings of Moscow competition.
13.05.2008 23:13 During his first working visit to St. Petersburg as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has visited the city’s federal shipyard. While there, he called on the country to improve its competitiveness in ahipbuilding , as well as providing maritime services.
13.05.2008 21:00 The Russian Emergency Ministry has offered humanitarian aid for earthquake victims in China after another aftershock hit the south-western province of Sichuan. The latest tremor raises the number of casualties to more than 12,000.
13.05.2008 20:34 Two Czech activists are on hunger strike in protest against the proposed U.S. missile defence system in eastern Europe. One of the strikers, Jan Tamas, says the radar base is not only a matter of security, but an issue of democracy in his country.
13.05.2008 19:05 Russia’s national welfare fund, which currently tops $US 32 billion, could soon take advantage of the new more liberal investment mechanisms created by the Ministry of Finance. The new conditions will allow Russia to put money into direct overseas investments.
13.05.2008 18:20 The Ultimate Frisbee, the Dog Frisbee and the Freestyle Frisbee – you could try any of them at the Fifth Festival of Flying Objects in Moscow. And Frisbee's philosophy that competition should never spoil the fun from the game has been reigning at the fun-filled event.
13.05.2008 18:05 The art collection of the celebrated Russian musicians cellist Mstislav Rostropovich and his wife opera singer Galina Vishnevskaya, which made headlines last autumn when it was announced it was to be sold individually at Sotheby's, has found a new residence.
13.05.2008 17:03 Bloggers are enraged by billboard advertisements for a bank in the Russian city of Ekaterinburg. They claim the ad has an encrypted message that glorifies Nazi ideology. Bank officials have called the scandal a plot by ‘some outcasts’ reports the Gazeta.ru news site.
13.05.2008 15:23 Fourteen years after Steven Spielberg’s famous “Schindler’s list”, Russian director Aleksandr Sokurov has received The Time for Peace Film and Music Award for his internationally acclaimed film “Alexandra”. The ceremony took place in London.
13.05.2008 15:06 Russia’s third largest mobile telecom operator MegaFon has announced it is ready to invest $US 4.65 billion in the construction of a network in Iran if it gets the licence. Both GSM and 3G rights are to be auctioned later.
13.05.2008 11:54 On May 21 England's two top teams are set to cross swords at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, when the Russian capital hosts the final of Europe's biggest football club tournament, the Champions League.
13.05.2008 11:49 Should Chelsea beat Manchester United in Champions League final in Moscow, the owner of the west London club, Roman Abramovich, will be able to celebrate the victory with his very own tipple.
13.05.2008 11:43 The new leader of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad has been appointed, almost two months after the death of the previous head, Metropolitan Laurus. For the first time, the metropolitan sent a letter to Russian Patriarch Aleksy II asking him to confirm his appointment.
13.05.2008 10:13 Two more unmanned drones have been hit over Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia, according to the republic's Defence Minister. Georgia denies the claims, saying none of its drones have flown over the territory during the last few days.
13.05.2008 9:41 In the U.S., ahead of the West Virginia primaries, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were talking more about "clean coal" and less about global warming. They were wooing voters in the state which is the core of America's coal industry. The state is predominately white, which means an easy is expected for Hillary Clinton. Obama's supporters say many white voters are simply not ready to go for a black candidate.
13.05.2008 5:07 Bishops from the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad have elected their new leader. Metropolitan Hillarion of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand will replace Metropolitan Laurus who reunited the Church with the Moscow Patriarchate.
13.05.2008 4:55 Several senior ministers have been reappointed to Russia’s cabinet, in another sign of stability by Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev. Prime Minister Putin presented his proposals during a meeting with President Medvedev.
13.05.2008 4:31 Russia's synchronised swimming championships get underway on Tuesday. Although titles are at stake, most swimmers are already thinking about the Olympics in Beijing in three months’ time.
13.05.2008 4:11 The Russian stock market continued to rally on Monday, spurred on by the cabinet reshuffle. The markets boomed last week after President Dmitry Medvedev’s inauguration and Vladimir Putin’s appointment as Prime Minister. What really fired up the market, though, was Putin’s statement that the tax regime in the oil sector would be eased by the coming August.
13.05.2008 3:27 In Serbia coalition talks have started after no party managed to get enough votes in the parliamentary election to claim an outright majority. The pro-EU party of President Boris Tadic came out on top with 38 per cent of the vote, but opposition nationalist parties are trying to form an alliance. The presidential party also declared it would try to form its own coalition.
13.05.2008 2:26 With a third of the Russian football Premier League now over, Rubin still lead the way despite suffering their second loss of the campaign on Saturday to Spartak Nalchik. Five points behind are Amkar with Moscow's Lokomotiv, Spartak and CSKA not too far behind.
13.05.2008 1:23 The best of Russia's up and coming basketball players have shown off their skills at the first ever Student Basketball Association tournament. One hundred schools from around Russia took part.
12.05.2008 23:06 Russia's Prosecutor General's office has issued an international arrest warrant for the suspected murderer of Russian investigative journalist, Anna Politkovskaya. Rustam Makhmudov has been charged in abstentia with the murder.
12.05.2008 20:44 More than 30 Russians who fled worsening violence in Lebanon have finally arrived back in Moscow. They'd been stranded for several days before escaping through Syria. But diplomats say more Russians remain stuck in Lebanon.
12.05.2008 18:58 Ukraine’s Security Service (USS) has banned Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov from entering the country. Its officials are now checking his possible link to money laundering in the Crimean city of Sevastopol.
12.05.2008 18:50 British giant Virgin Group is to launch WiMAX services in Russia’s 30 biggest cities, according to the Kommersant business daily. An official announcement is expected later this week.
12.05.2008 17:04 Vets at a St. Petersburg zoo are trying to save a 6-week-old baby seal found in one of the city’s canals on Sunday. The animal spent about a week in the water and, being too weak, wasn’t able to get out on land.
12.05.2008 16:46 Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has released WWII archive documents about his father. The documents suggest that Andrey Yushchenko managed to escape from the Nazis seven times.
12.05.2008 16:16 Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says new blood will be unveiled for the country’s cabinet. The country is gripped with speculation about who will be included in the new government. Putin is meeting President Dmitry Medvedev to discuss the issue.
12.05.2008 15:15 Russian gas giant Gazprom has become the world's third most valuable company after its former chairman, Dmitry Medvedev, was inaugurated as president last week.
12.05.2008 15:08 Estonian farmers will now have to pay for their cattle’s contribution to climate change. A new 'digestive gases tax' is introduced to compensate for the greenhouse gas that cows produce during their life, reports MIGnews.com.
12.05.2008 14:37 Winning the Nobel prize is widely seen as one of the greatest honours a person can receive. But writer Doris Lessing, who won the award in literature last year, calls it 'a bloody disaster', Britain’s Times newspaper reports.
12.05.2008 13:59 Fertiliser prices will grow beyond the 60% jump seen so far this year, according to analysts. Producers, too, believe the trend will continue.
12.05.2008 13:32 Curbing red tape on small and medium business is among the top priorities for Vladimir Putin in his new role as Russian Prime Minister. The amount of paperwork could be stopping local and foreign firms entering the market.
12.05.2008 12:38 One day Kursk man Yury Tatarenkov woke up an internet celebrity. His face appeared on funny images with famous people, and Russians everywhere had a laugh at his expense. But the pranks' creators soon realised Tatarenkov had cerebral palsy, and sought to help him.
12.05.2008 11:58 Lithuania is dropping its objections to Russia-EU strategic partnership talks. The change of heart followed a meeting between the country's Foreign Minister and his counterparts from Slovenia, Sweden and Poland.
12.05.2008 11:54 A group of Russians have set up a village where they live on their home-grown food and practice pre-Christian Slavic traditions. Their lifestyle is just a short train ride away from Moscow.
12.05.2008 11:44 Moscow's city administration will provide designated road lanes for English football fans attending the European Champions League final. It's hoped the move will help Manchester United and Chelsea fans to easily get between airports and the Luzhniki stadium.
12.05.2008 10:11 The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia is preparing to elect a new spiritual leader, following the death of Metropolitan Laurus. The Church’s Synod of Bishops is meeting behind closed doors in New York, where the Church's new First Hierarch will be picked.
12.05.2008 6:19 One policeman has been shot dead and another one wounded after unknown gunmen attacked a police station in Russia's southern republic of Dagestan.
12.05.2008 2:42 Serbia has closed its polling stations in the country's snap parliamentary election. The vote was called after the coalition government collapsed in March, failing to reach a common stance on Kosovo's declaration of independence.
12.05.2008 2:40 A crucial parliamentary election has kicked off in Serbia. Reformists are seeking integration with the European Union, while the nationalists want closer ties with Russia. Serbia's coalition government collapsed in March.
12.05.2008 2:32 Russia's Black Sea fleet is celebrating its 225th anniversary on Sunday. The fleet is based in Ukraine until 2017, under a deal between Moscow and Kiev. A naval parade and a military display, held to mark the occasion, were followed by minor clashes between Ukrainian nationalists and pro-Russian supporters.
12.05.2008 0:53 Thirty four Russians stranded by the turmoil in Beirut have safely left Lebanon and arrived in the Syrian capital, Damascus, to board a plane home. The Russians have been caught up in violence in Lebanon between government supporting militia and the opposition group Hezbollah.
11.05.2008 17:36 A second Russian plane carrying humanitarian aid has arrived in cyclone-hit Myanmar. The emergency ministry cargo includes food, tents and medical supplies.
11.05.2008 15:54 Chinese companies will be encouraged to buy, or take on lease, farmlands abroad to help guarantee food security, under a plan being considered by Beijing. The move comes amid a food crisis in China.
11.05.2008 5:12 Some 40 Russians, including a team of tennis-players and tourists, are stranded in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, due to violent clashes between pro-government armed forces and Hezbollah loyalists. The Russian Embassy in Lebanon says they are going to help the stranded leave via Syria on Sunday.
11.05.2008 3:01 A U.S. delegation is in the Abkhazian capital Sukhumi following talks with Georgian ministers. The main aim of the visit, they say, is to help the two sides find a peaceful solution. The diplomats have also held talks with Abkhazia's president Sergey Bagapsh.
11.05.2008 1:22 Fame came easy to a Korean toddler. Ha Youngwoong was filmed by his parents singing the Beatles classic 'Hey Jude' at just three years old and posted in on YouTube. Now aged four, he has appeared on national television and wowed millions on the Internet.
10.05.2008 23:09 The funerals for two Georgian peacekeepers, killed in Iraq, have been held in Tbilisi. Lieutenant Giorgi Margiyev and Corporal Zurab Gvenetadze were the first Georgians killed since the country’s operation began in Iraq.
10.05.2008 19:41 A U.S. delegation is in Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia to discuss settling the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict. The visit comes amid claims by Abkhazia that it shot down another Georgian unmanned spy plane on Thursday. Tbilisi has denied the report, calling it a provocation.
10.05.2008 15:56 A youth theatre in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod has held auditions for an adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov's novel ‘Heart of a Dog’. But those trying out for the lead part were not of the two legged variety.
10.05.2008 15:47 A Russian couple in the country's central Tver region have sold their home in order to get wild animals through a rehab programme. Their centre's mission is not only to save the endangered animals from poachers, but also to nurture Russia's rare wild residents before releasing them.
10.05.2008 13:14 Political campaigning has drawn to a close in Serbia ahead of Sunday's parliamentary election. President Boris Tadich called the early vote following a political crisis. The government was split over whether Serbia should integrate with the European Union and Kosovo's independence declaration.
10.05.2008 12:08 Ahead of the all-English final of the football Champions League in Moscow on May 21, Britain’s Foreign Office has published a set of guidelines for the 40,000 fans flocking to Moscow.
10.05.2008 7:39 A spectacular fireworks display has ended a day of celebrations in Russia, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. Earlier, the Victory Day parade passed through Red Square, watched by millions around the country. While estimates vary, at least 30 million Russians died during World War Two.
10.05.2008 7:30 British veteran members of the Arctic convoys which delivered vital supplies to the northern ports of the Soviet Union during the World War Two, met with their Russian counterparts in London to celebrate Victory Day and receive honours from the Russian state.
10.05.2008 2:07 The Russian billionaire and owner of Chelsea football club, Roman Abramovich, is reported to have bought up yet another enormous estate, this time in Colorado.
09.05.2008 21:21 Over half a million Jews fought Nazi Germany in the Red Army. One in two was killed on the battlefield. Many veterans now live in Israel - but Israeli children are often ignorant of how exactly the Nazis were defeated. And teaching in schools is being blamed as the reason why.
09.05.2008 20:56 Russia's military might was on display in Red Square on Friday, as the country paid tribute to its armed forces. The Russian defence industry is an export success, though its outlook is uncertain.
09.05.2008 20:51 Victory day celebrations hold special meaning for Russia's former sports stars, with many athletes having been among the first volunteers to join the war. Dinamo sports club in particular supplied plenty of heroes.
09.05.2008 18:24 Russia and Kazakhstan have agreed to double the capacity of the Caspian pipeline, which will eventually open up Central Asian oil fields to western markets.
09.05.2008 16:15 The great Victory day parade was Dmitry Medvedev’s first in his new role as Russian President. Flanked by new Prime Minister Putin, the President congratulated his compatriots and also called for everyone to remember and learn from the lessons of WW2.
09.05.2008 14:19 Thousands of Russians have turned out for the highlight of the Victory Day celebrations – the annual military parade through Moscow’s Red Square. It’s 63 years since the end of World War II, known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War.
09.05.2008 12:15 While many Americans recognise the huge cost paid by both the U.S. and the Soviet army in the fight against Nazi Germany, there are some who are unsure about which countries did what to defeat Hitler.
09.05.2008 6:57 Serbia is preparing for this weekend's parliamentary election. The vote will determine whether the country continues to enforce pro-Western reforms, or returns to a nationalist policy.
09.05.2008 2:12 Russia's lower house of parliament has passed a law to relax visa restrictions for foreign citizens attending special events. The new legislation was prompted by the all-English Champions League final to be held in Moscow on May 21.
09.05.2008 2:11 Dynamo’s clash with Krylya Sovetov was the most eye-catching in the Russian Premier League on week 9, ending a 2-2 tie. Elsewhere Rubin recorded another win, while CSKA was to a scoreless tie.
09.05.2008 1:11 The exact number of casualties sustained by Germany and its allies during World War II is still a mystery. Russian and German historians are now suggesting the number could be as high as the catastrophic losses of the Soviet Red Army.
09.05.2008 0:49 Russia Today is giving you the chance to witness the pride of the Russian military in action. The Victory Day Parade will be held in Moscow's Red Square on Friday, May 9.
08.05.2008 23:24 Vladimir Putin has used a forceful speech to lawmakers to map out his priorities as Russia’s new Prime Minister. State Duma Deputies overwhelmingly backed his candidacy and President Medvedev has already signed a decree, appointing Putin to the premiership.
08.05.2008 22:33 Victory Day celebrations have been marred by an incident in Vienna. A monument to Soviet soldiers in the centre of the Austrian capital has been vandalized by youths who splashed paint on the monument’s plinth.
08.05.2008 21:48 Zenit Saint Petersburg have been handed a timely boost ahead of their UEFA Cup final with the news that opponents Rangers are suffering from a fixture pile-up.
08.05.2008 17:47 Now that Vladimir Putin is Prime Minister, the spotlight is on how power will be distributed between him and President Medvedev. That’s despite Putin and Medvedev saying they are determined to stick to the Constitution.
08.05.2008 16:47 The members of a Russian doomsday cult are reportedly refusing to talk with the outside world and will only communicate by singing or using written notes.
08.05.2008 16:41 A controversial anti-litter initiative in Latvia has been delayed after criticism that it was an affront to Russians and their commemoration of Victory Day.
08.05.2008 15:29 DARPA, the Pentagon’s agency that develops new technology for military use, is tasked with producing world-class cyber war capabilities. It’s America’s largest project since the agency was catching up with the Soviet space programme following the launch of sputnik in 1957.
08.05.2008 15:05 Western Europe marks the victory over Nazi Germany on Thursday. On May 8, 1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender on the outskirts of Berlin – the historic event which marks the end of World War Two.
08.05.2008 14:05 A Russian chemicals giant is aiming for a 5% share of the world production market of a resin best known for its use in laminates and plastics. EvroChem will pioneer the manufacture of melamine in partnership with the German company Lurgi – and believes it can bring costs down in Russia.
08.05.2008 14:04 Israel has celebrated sixty years of independence with a stunning fireworks display and military parade. The nation was founded in 1948, sparking controversy and conflict that has lasted to this day.
08.05.2008 13:06 A new pact with the United States has been hailed by the head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation, who says it opens huge possibilities for trade. The nuclear pact will allow commercial deals on civilian projects without the express consent of either government.
08.05.2008 12:22 The appreciating rouble is an attractive asset for international investors. However to become a real reserve currency the rouble has to break free from Central Bank control. President Medvedev previously voiced his support for the move, but experts doubt the time for it has yet come.
08.05.2008 12:06 A database is being set up to help Russians discover the fate of their family members after WW2. Information on thousands of those who died during WW2 – their military ranks, dates and causes of death, and burial places – is now free on the Internet.
08.05.2008 6:10 Serbs in one of Kosovo's regions have started receiving Russian aid which was sent at the request of the Serbian government. Thousands of people in the area live on the brink of poverty, and it seems the situation hasn’t improved since Kosovo declared independence in February.
08.05.2008 4:08 Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has officially nominated Vladimir Putin as prime minister by submitting his name to the Parliament’s lower house, the State Duma. Putin has held consultations with the leaders of factions in the Duma.
08.05.2008 3:06 Hawaiian political scientist Kuhio Vogeler has come to Lithuania to find out how the Baltic states’ example can help his islands gain independence from U.S. ‘occupation’, as he calls it.
07.05.2008 22:37 UEFA Cup finalists Zenit St. Petersburg have asked the British Government to simplify its visa procedures ahead of next week’s crucial match in Manchester.
07.05.2008 22:19 RT's bureau in Georgia has acquired this mobile phone footage. The strange crucifix-shaped image was caught on the camera in the town of Mtskheta – one of the oldest cities in the country and the place where Georgia accepted Christianity.
07.05.2008 20:36 Vladimir Putin gave a short speech before handing the presidency to Dmitry Medvedev. To applause from the audience, Putin said he’d kept his promise and responsibility to safeguard Russia’s interests.
07.05.2008 20:36 Looking back at eight years of Vladimir Putin in power Russian and Foreign political analysts agree that the country still faces a lot of challenges, but also admit that Putin has managed to restore national pride.
07.05.2008 20:25 Dmitry Medvedev has pledged to promote the success and prosperity of all Russians, during his first speech as Russian president. The 42-year-old has been sworn in during a ceremony in the Kremlin. Medvedev said he’d support innovative approaches to lift living standards.
07.05.2008 19:57 Dmitry Medvedev has been Putin’s right-hand man since becoming the Russian Government’s Deputy Chief of Staff in 1999. But now the world’s eyes are on Medvedev – so what is Russia’s new president really like?
07.05.2008 19:30 As the new President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev is now the country’s Commander-in-Chief. It means he’s now the one who has the final word on the use of the country's nuclear arsenal.
07.05.2008 18:54 As Dmitry Medvedev was being sworn in as Russia’s president, the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, delivered a scathing critique of recent United States policy. He accused the U.S. of trying to provoke a new Cold War by dismantling progress with Russia since the fall of communism.
07.05.2008 15:47 On May 7, 2008, the Grand Kremlin Palace hosts the inauguration ceremony for Russia’s newly elected president, Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev.
07.05.2008 15:44 Dmitry Medvedev has promised to work “to his fullest capacity as a President and as a man, for whom Russia is a native land and home”.
07.05.2008 13:47 The Russian Government is slowly narrowing down applications for the special economic zones, designed to drive growth through low taxes and government investment.
07.05.2008 12:58 Shares in Russian oil firms are in high demand, as crude oil has hit $US122 a barrel this week. But it’s not all good news for the industry. Inflation is starting to bite oil companies.
07.05.2008 12:10 In a matter of hours Russia will have a new President who apparently enjoys rock music and lifting weights. He's also good at yoga twists and loves his cat Dorofey. But will Russia’s new President have any spare time?
07.05.2008 8:42 Barack Obama has again firmed as the Democrats’ presidential nominee, after a thumping primary victory in a predominately white U.S. state. He took North Carolina, while Hillary Clinton had a narrow win in Indiana.
07.05.2008 5:13 The bodies of two Georgian peacekeepers who died in a car bombing in Iraq have been returned home. The two are the first Georgian victims since the country sent troops there in 2002.
07.05.2008 3:42 Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia says it's ready to give Russia military control over its territory in exchange for security guarantees. It comes in response to fears that Georgia is building troop numbers on its border and is planning an invasion.
07.05.2008 2:27 The United States has indicted alleged arms dealer Viktor Bout who is currently in prison in Thailand. He is accused of, among other things, selling weapons to Colombian FARC rebels.
06.05.2008 23:35 Russia’s nuclear industry has had a big win on Vladimir Putin’s last day as president, with the signing of a trade deal with the United States. The landmark civil nuclear pact allows companies in both countries to trade with each other, without government approval.
06.05.2008 22:59 On his last working day as president, Vladimir Putin has presented five Russian cities with honorary awards. The aim is to foster pride among Russians for the heroic deeds of those who fought the Nazi invasion during WW2.
06.05.2008 21:35 Elite anti-terrorist forces have staged a massive drill – filmed in an exclusive Federal Security Service video. The war-games saw masked gunmen seize a hydropower plant in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region. The FSB units destroyed mock terrorists and released hostages during the exercise, co-ordinated from Moscow for the first time. It was aimed at testing the readiness and co-operation of security forces and emergency services.
06.05.2008 20:36 Traces of chopped wounds have been discovered on alleged bones of Russia’s last Tsar’s children. Experts say that their executors might have chopped their bodies apart to burn on fires or in acid.
06.05.2008 20:15 More than $US 60 million will be spent repairing Moscow’s roads after Friday’s Victory Day parade, according to the RIA Novosti news agency. The city’s administration denies that heavy military hardware could damage the pavement but has allocated money for reconstruction.
06.05.2008 19:33 Religious writings by doomsday cult leader Pyotr Kuzntsov have been declared illegal by a court in Russia's Penza Region. The books were found to carry extremist ideas aimed at inciting hatred towards other religions and nationalities.
06.05.2008 18:57 A series of documents, used by a British historian to reveal WW2 'secrets', have been exposed as fakes. The Guardian says that Martin Allen used the documents in 3 books to make sensational claims, including that the Duke of Windsor leaked intelligence to the Nazis to help them conquer France.
06.05.2008 18:17 Vladimir Putin has less than a day before he officially hands over the presidency to Dmitry Medvedev. The inauguration ceremony will take place at the Kremlin on Wednesday.
06.05.2008 17:37 Swiss health workers fear the Euro 2008 football tournament may be affected by a measles epidemic, which has spread through the country. Russia’s Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper says it’s feared visitors may cause the illness to spread throughout Europe.
