http://english.ruvr.ru Голос России © 2005-2012, Voice of Russia http://rus.ruvr.ru/images/ruvr_logo.gif http://english.ruvr.ru 100 51 Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:25:45 +0300 Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:25:45 +0300 ru http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/12/65880745.html Nearly 60 organizers of a strike by police officers and firefighters were arrested in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after a hefty one-third of the local military and city police staff and firefighters did not report to work at the start of a walkout demanding a pay raise. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:19:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/12/65880682.html Mitt Romney added to his lead in the race for delegates Saturday with a narrow victory in the Maine Republican presidential caucuses, the AP reports from Washington. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, won 35 percent of votes. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:12:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/12/65880497.html The son of the deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has been arrested in Niger, but will not be extradited to Libya unless he is guaranteed an independent and fair trial there, Al Arabiya TV channel reports, citing Nigerian government spokesman Marou Amadou. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:02:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/12/65878840.html Fierce battles are now taking place in Syria between supporters and opponents of President Bashar al-Assad. But the verbal battles in the world’s media sources, when it comes to the Syrian theme, are probably no less fierce. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:36:00 +0400 Ilya Kharlamov http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/12/65877349.html An estimated 200,000 people across Europe rallied on Saturday against a European anti-piracy agreement, which toughens copyright rules on the Internet and the IT market. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 03:05:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/12/65877210.html Three South Korean tourists and their Egyptian guide, held by local Bedouins in Egypt’s South Sinai, were released unharmed on Saturday night, local security officials said. On Friday a group of armed men stopped a tour bus. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:58:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/12/65875267.html Two men were killed in Mexico on Saturday in a failed human abduction attempt. Locals in Chalco - a small town not far from the capital Mexico City beat up the two, forced them into a car and set it ablaze. Police managed to save the third man who was also mobbed by the angry locals. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:57:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/12/65875262.html More than 100,000 people rallied in the Portuguese capital Lisbon on Saturday to protest against the tough austerity measures being implemented by the government and aimed at reducing the mounting state debt. The demonstrators condemned the country’s social disparity and abject poverty of millions, unemployment, wage, health and education cuts and rising transport tax. (TASS) Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:56:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/12/65874604.html Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, says "great" nuclear achievements will be announced in the next few days. He did not give any details, but insisted that Iran would never halt its programme to enrich uranium, which can be used to make a nuclear warhead. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:28:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/12/65874410.html Haiti has become the latest country to recognize Kosovo's independence, Foreign Minister Laurent Lamothe said on Saturday. Haiti is the 87th country that has recognized the independence of Serbia’s breakaway region. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:19:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65872747.html On Sunday, Russian film director Sergey Kolosov died. He was 90. In 1964, Kolosov shot the first Soviet TV series called ";Draw the Enemy’s Fire upon Oneself."; The series was about WWII, and Kolosov’s wife Lyudmila Kasatkina played the main part. In total, Sergey Kolosov shot 19 films. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:03:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65872729.html In Bulgaria, several thousand Web users set a rally on Saturday in protest against the government’s plans to introduce tougher copyright control in the Internet. In late January, Bulgaria joined the international Copyright Treaty, which is aimed at toughening control over the circulation of copyrighted content on the Web. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:01:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65872552.html The majority of Egyptians did not support the call to start a continuous strike on Saturday. This act of disobedience was timed to correspond with one year since the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak. Despite the fact that Saturday was a day off, workers of practically all branches of Egypt’s economy reported to work. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:57:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65871118.html At a conference of European politicians in Venice, which was devoted to the coming presidential elections in Russia, the participants came to an agreement that the EU, despite some amount of criticism against Vladimir Putin, would welcome him as Russia’s next president. They said that Mr. Putin’s advent as president would mean more democratization for Russia. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:01:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65871057.html Iraq’s Deputy Home Minister Adnan al-Asadi has acknowledged that some forces in Iraq are supplying the Syrian opposition with weapons, and that Iraqi radical groups are fighting on the Syrian opposition’s side. He said this in an interview with France Press news agency on Saturday. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65870345.html Russia’s Maxim Vylegzhanin has won bronze in the 30-kilometre common start ski race at the World Cup tournament in Nove Mesto na Morave in the Czech Republic. He clocked one hour 13 minutes and 58 seconds - 16 seconds more than gold-winning Johan Olsson of Sweden and 14.5 seconds more than silver-winning Dario Cologna of Switzerland. (RIAN) Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:42:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65870046.html After being beaten down by engineers to a little over 64 degrees, the temperature of the cooling water inside Reactor Two of Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant is on the rise again, having already climbed to 71 degrees Celsius. The operators are blaming faults created by unsuccessful repair work. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:32:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65869694.html Ceasefire between tribal elders and the military has taken effect in Tripoli, Libya. The move comes after days of clashes between Sunnis and Alawites, a Shiite sect. Rebels on both sides were disarmed, their weapons seized. (TASS) Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:21:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65867040.html Interview with Francis Gary Powers Junior, the son of the American pilot whose CIA U-2 plane was shot down while flying over the Soviet Union. He’s also the founder of the Cold War Museum. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:18:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65869037.html A mass grave containing the remains of at least 20 bodies was discovered west of Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Afghan northern Balkh province, the Pajhwok news agency says. The burial site was discovered by road constructors. The remains of the bodies and their clothes indicated that all the dead were civilians. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:02:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65868898.html Action on Russia’s plans to privatize $30 billon worth of state assets and attract foreign capital is likely to make Moscow’s MMVB-RTS stock exchange the fifth biggest in the world in terms of trade turnover. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:00:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65868297.html An exhibition devoted to the history of Buddhism in Russia has opened in India’s capital New Delhi. The exhibition mainly displays photos, both old and present-day, of Buddhist monasteries located in those regions of Russia which are populated mainly by Buddhists – Kalmykia, Buryaia, Tuva, Altai and others. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:48:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65867885.html Russia`s junior hockey team beat Czechs 8:1 in the second match of Four Nations international World Cup in Sweden. In the opening match Russia defeated Finland, 4:3. Now the Russian team prepares to face Sweden in the finals scheduled for February 12th. (RIAN) Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:41:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65867876.html Thousands of Greeks are protesting against austerity measures which the government is planning to undertake in exchange for a bailout tranche from the EU. Athens residents held a two-day general strike on Friday and Saturday to protest against the cuts. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:40:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65867672.html On Saturday, Libya’s Transitional National Council demanded that Niger’s authorities must extradite Muammar Gaddafi’s son Saadi, who is currently in Niger. Saadi, 38, who once played as a forward for Libya’s national football team, fled to Niger after his father was ousted in August 2011. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:38:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65867424.html In a statement issued on its web site on Saturday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry suggests suspending adoption of Russian children by US citizens amid increasing number of child cruelty cases there. The statement reads that adoption should be suspended until the Russia-US international adoption agreement signed on July 13, 2011, comes into force. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:33:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65867052.html Mass demonstrations against the use of nuclear power have taken place in Tokyo and other Japanese cities. By some estimates, in total, over 12 thousand people took part in the protests. In Tokyo, prominent people like actor Taro Yamamoto and Nobel Prize winner writer Kenzaburo Oe took part in the demonstration. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:25:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65867008.html Niger has turned down another Libyan extradition request for the third son of Muammar Gaddafi, Saadi, who has been sheltering in Niger since fleeing Libya in September. The Niger government said on Saturday that Libya must create an independent and fair judicial system before anyone can be extradited to Tripoli. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:24:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65866998.html Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin says that Russia will develop its system of air and space defense regardless of the outcome of the talks on US’s plans of an air defense network in Europe. He said this in Tula, a Russian city with centuries-old traditions of weapon manufacturing, on Saturday. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:23:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65866550.html Taliban guerillas operating in eastern Afghanistan have released a reporter for Afghan national television, a day after capturing him as he was driving from Jalalabad to join a rural funeral ceremony. Mr Kuchai Naseri, 25, has told the media that he was intensively questioned by his captors. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:11:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65865711.html According to France Presse, the Paris campaign headquarters of presidential candidate Dominique de Villepin has been burgled and badly vandalized. Between 2005 and 2007, de Villepin held the post of Prime Minister. A fall-out with President Sarkozy forced him to step down, leave Sarkozy’s centre-right party and launch a political movement of his own. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:57:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65865624.html Russia’s Albert Demchenko has won silver in luge at the world championship in Altenberg, Germany. His total time in two rides was 1 minute and 47.660 seconds, just 0.328 seconds more than the result of the competition’s German gold-winner Felix Loch. The bronze went to Italy’s Armin Zogeller. (RIAN) Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:55:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65865435.html The Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility for abducting a German and an Italian employee of the Welthungerhilfe non-governmental food aid group in an attack in Multan in Punjab province in late January. The captors say both are safe and well and are being held in a hideout near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan. (TASS) Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:50:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65863396.html The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has no complaints about the way the presidential election campaign is going on in Russia, the head of the Council’s observer mission, Tiny Kox, told journalists in Moscow. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:42:00 +0400 Lada Korotun http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65861717.html Saudi Arabia has tried to find a way to get round Russia’s and China’s vetoes on the Moroccan-tabled Security Council resolution on Syria by circulating a similar draft, which it is hoping will win the support of the United Nations General Assembly. Russia is opposing the Saudi move. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:42:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65861509.html Periodicals owned by the American McClatchy Newspapers holding have published reports quoting unnamed US officials as saying that the latest terror attacks in Damascus and Aleppo were the work of Al Qaeda, and that the orders to carry them out had come from bin Laden’s successor Ayman al-Zawahiri. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:39:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65861377.html British police have arrested eight employees of tabloid The Sun as part of investigation into the phone hacking scandal which led to the closure of the News of the World tabloid last July. The journalists will now be interrogated in connection to a probe into corruption and inappropriate payments to police during. (RIAN) Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:35:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65859757.html Thousands of pro-Putin supporters took part in rallies held in major Russian cities. Organized by regional labor units and groups uniting veterans, the rallies called for choosing Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin as the country`s next leader at the March 4 elections. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:04:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65859178.html Russian biathlete Timofey Lapshin came second in a 10 km sprinter race in the 8th stage of the World Cup currently taking place in the Finnish city of Kontiolahti. Lapshin didn’t miss a target and covered the required distance in 24 minutes 59 seconds, lagging only 0.8 seconds behind French Martin Fourcade, who missed one shot. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:50:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65858321.html Gunmen assassinated an army general in Damascus on Saturday in the first killing of a high ranking military officer in the Syrian capital since the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began in March, the Associated Press reports, citing a state-run news agency in Syria. Gen. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:38:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65858144.html Russians Alexander Zubkov and Dmirtry Trunenkov won a bronze in the pair competition based on overall ranking of the last stage of the bobsleigh World Cup taking place in Calgary, Canada. Their result was 1,416 points. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:35:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65858055.html On March 4, Russia will hold presidential elections. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is happy with its cooperation with the Russian Electoral Commission. At a press conference in Moscow, head of PACE mission in Russia Tiny Kox said that PACE had no complaints about the work of the Electoral Commission. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:33:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65857849.html Russia’s Maria Kirilenko has made it to the final of the tennis tournament in Pattaya in Thailand by defeating Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 in a hard-fought semifinal which lasted almost two and a half hours. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:32:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65856864.html President Medvedev has watched a World Cup downhill skiing competition taking place at the Rosa Khutor alpine resort near the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi. At the end, he handed medals to a Swiss, a Canadian and a French skier who took the podium. Prior to the competition, Mr Medvedev himself enjoyed a downhill ski ride. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:14:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65856371.html Iran says threats to use military force against it will not deter it from exercising its right to develop nuclear energy for a variety of peaceful needs. Teheran insists that the West must conduct a dialogue with it, rather than try to isolate it politically or economically. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:04:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65856305.html Terrorists operating in Nangarhar Province in eastern Afghanistan have abducted a reporter for national television as he attended a family gathering after a funeral. Mr Kuchai Nasiri is 25. A week ago, security control in the area where he was kidnapped was transferred from NATO to Afghan forces. (RIAN) Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:01:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65853696.html The Arab League could consider recognising the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC), Egyptian news agencies report quoting a source in the League`s headquarters. The League's foreign ministers are gathering in Cairo on Sunday amid growing tensions between government and opposition in Syria. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:17:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65852878.html A cargo flight from Russia loaded with 30 tons of food, tents and blankets, has landed in the Philippines. A 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit the center of the Philippine Archipelago on February 6, claiming the lives of at least 40 people, with dozens more reported missing. (RIAN) Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:05:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65851071.html A new-generation radar of the Voronezh class has been put on combat duty outside St. Petersburg as part of this country’s early warning system. Two other Voronezh class radars are already operating in a test mode in Krasnodar region and in Russia's westernmost exclave of Kaliningrad. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:51:00 +0400 Alexander Vatutin http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65850617.html Russia’s presidential campaign is gathering pace. Even though its launch coincided with rallies held in support and against the incumbent authorities on February 4th, protest moods seemed to have vanished into thin air as the week progressed and as all five presidential candidates unveiled election manifestos and lashed out at opponents. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:47:00 +0400 Andreeva Svetlana http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65851360.html Greece`s parliament is now due to debate the draft bill on austerity measures demanded by the EU and IMF on Sunday, in another attempt to secure a 130 billion-euro bailout package to avoid a default. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:40:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65850621.html Russian citizen earlier detained in Zimbabwe on violating visa regime has been released and is now on his way to Moscow, a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry said. The detainee had arrived in Zimbabwe on a tourist visa but worked for a mining company without a work permit, which is a serious offense subject to long prison term. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:27:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65849889.html Australian researchers have found the oldest known living being in the world. The Posidonia oceanica seaweeds are planted in the Mediterranean waters off the eastern coast of Spain all the way to Cyprus, or a whole 3,500 kilometres, and are some 200,000 years old. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:07:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65848621.html According to the Internet portal of Egypt’s Al-Ahram newspaper, the Egyptian security service has refuted reports that the three South Korean women tourists, seized by Bedouins near St. Catherine’s Monastery, in the south of the Sinai Peninsula, have been released. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:47:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65847956.html The world will shortly bear witness to more of Iran’s important nuclear achievements, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran has said. As he addressed the many thousand strong rally that was held in Tehran earlier today, he said that the world forces of oppression tried to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear power production facilities. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:31:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65847426.html Russia will not discuss with Washington the issue of non-strategic nuclear weapons on the principle of a proposed ";swap";. This is how the head of the Foreign Ministry’s security and disarmament desk, Mikhail Ulyanov, responded to a pertinent hint by Rose Gottemoeller, US Assistant Secretary of State for arms control, verification and compliance. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:25:00 +0400 Garibov Konstantin http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65846425.html Last week was marked by the start of an 'information war' surrounding the events taking place in Syria. According to some media reports, British special forces have been sent to Syria to fight on the rebel side, while others say that Iranian volunteer corps are on their way to assist Assad's regime. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:13:00 +0400 Andrei Smirnov http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65844669.html HAMAS will never recognize Israel, says one of the leaders of the Palestinian radical movement, Prime Minister of the Gaza Strip Ismail Haniyeh. When addressing today’s celebrations in Tehran, he declared that Palestinians would keep on fighting until all of their land is liberated and all the refugees return to their homes. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:46:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65843977.html A top official at the pro-Kremlin United Russia party, Andrei Vorobyov, resigned following a vote by the party on Saturday. "Today is my last day as chairman of United Russia's central executive committee. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:37:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65843854.html Massive manifestations in support of the Islamic regime are under way in Iran, which is celebrating the 33rd anniversary of the anti-monarchic revolution. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:35:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/10/65778909.html For people who hate shoveling snow and chilly weather this winter has been a blessing. The mild temperatures in the U.S. have also been a boon for municipalities who have been saving millions of dollars on not having to sow roads or plough streets. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:17:00 +0400 Rob Sachs, Jessica Jordan http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65841335.html According to weather forecasts, temperatures in the European part of Russia will drop to -35C this weekend. While meteorologists predict record low temperatures for Russia, Europe’s freeze is showing no signs of letting go. The current cold snap has reached Catalonia and spread eastwards across the Bosphorus and beyond. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:12:00 +0400 Chernitsa Polina http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65841862.html Igor Moiseyev's folk dance ensemble will celebrate its 75th birthday with a series of concerts in Moscow and will then go on a tour of Russia and Europe. On the day of its 75th anniversary, the Igor Moiseyev Ballet, as the group is better known in Europe, was awarded the UNESCO Five Continents medal and an accompanying diploma. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:07:00 +0400 Natalya Victorova http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65841132.html The Russian two-man crew has won the bronze medal at the final stage of the World Bobsleigh Cup in Calgary, Canada. Alexander Zubkov and Dmitry Trunenkov lost to Maximilian Arndt and Martin Putze of Germany, who scored 1,573 points or 157 points more than the Russian crew. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:58:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65776598.html Russian lawmakers have recently passed a law requiring child molesters to undergo chemical castration as part of their rehabilitation. Could there be problems of implementation of such kind of castration and will that law lower the number of pedophiles’ crimes? Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:50:00 +0400 Crystal Park http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65839768.html Israel is reviving olive pit spitting contests. Those seeking to win the champion’s title have been building up their abdominals and back muscles for years. Hypertensive patients are banned from competition. The contests date back to the Medieval Spain. Today, too, it is a Spaniard who has set the world oil-pit spitting record of 21 metres 20 centimetres. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:43:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/10/65788052.html Interview with Aisling Byrne – project’s coordinator with Conflicts Forum coming to us all the way from Beirut. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:34:00 +0400 Kudashkina Ekaterina http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65838629.html According to the US Geological Service, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake has struck off the central part of Chile’s Pacific coast on Saturday. The epicenter was located 52 kilometres north of the city of Lebu in the Bio-Bio region, at the depth of 35 kilometres. No deaths, destruction or a threat of tsunami have been reported. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:26:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65836151.html Another ballistic missile early warning system, the fourth in Russia, is being deployed in the Leningrad region. Earlier, such radars were deployed in the Kaliningrad, Krasnodar and Irkutsk regions. These are radars of a new generation, the official spokesman for the Aerospace Defence Troops, Alexei Zolotukhin, said. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:52:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65835341.html Mountain skiers from more than 20 countries are taking part in the Russian leg of the World Cup that is kicking off today in Sochi. The opening day will see men competing in downhill and super combinations. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:46:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65835261.html Rapid progress in the ability to map brain activity and manipulate its responses with stimulants could change the face of warfare, says a report just out in London. The report by the UK's national academy of science, the Royal Society, was written by experts in neuroscience, international security, psychology and ethics. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:45:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65834980.html Ulugbek Kodirov of Uzbekistan, currently tried in Alabama on charges of conspiring to kill US President Barack Obama, has pleaded guilty. 22-year old Kodirov, who was detained last summer, is also charged with possession of automatic weapons and providing financial support to terrorists. According to investigators, the accused has made repeated threats against the US President. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:40:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65781106.html Piracy off the Somali coast has cost the world economy almost 7 billion dollars last year even though the number of successful pirate attacks on ships was lower than in 2010. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:39:00 +0400 Rob Sachs, Jessica Jordan http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65833814.html Police have wiped out four rebels fighters in the east of the Russian Caucasus republic Dagestan. According to the National Antiterrorist Committee, the militants were blocked in a private house in the Gurbuki village on Friday night. They refused to lay down arms and surrender, and put up stiff resistance instead. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:23:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/10/65774960.html Inspiration comes from many places. Sometimes it’s a falling apple, other times it’s necessity or desperation, and sometimes it’s immigration. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:21:00 +0400 Andrew Hiller http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65833120.html This Saturday, Egypt marks the first anniversary of the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak, who had ruled for almost 30 years. He resigned following 18 days of massive demonstrations and riots that claimed up to 800 lives. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:13:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65752805.html Earlier this week Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that he will have a new unity government reconciling with the Islamist movement Hamas. How will it affect the future of Palestine? To talk about this we will be joined on the line with the U.S. Representative for Palestine Mr. Maen Arikat. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:11:00 +0400 Crystal Park http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65832342.html A festival of Russian music, dance and national cuisine is opening today in San Francisco to mark 200 years of Fort Ross - the first Russian settlement and fortress on the US West Coast. Fort Ross, founded by Ivan Kuskov in 1812, is now a national landmark. (RIAN) Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:01:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65832172.html In Turkmenistan all campaigning has ground to a halt ahead of Sunday’s presidential election. President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov is among the eight candidates vying for the top job in this former Soviet Central Asian republic. The Turkmen President, who also doubles as a Prime Minister, is elected for five years. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:59:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65832048.html Saudi Arabia has drafted a new Syria resolution for the UN Security Council. The draft supports the Arab League settlement plan that demands that President Bashar al-Assad should step down to end the 11 month-long violence. The new resolution closely echoes the draft that the delegation of Morocco had earlier submitted to the Security Council. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:57:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65828105.html As many as 500 people have already died in Europe due to the current bitter cold spell. 135 people died in Ukraine, 82, in Poland; 34, in the Baltic countries, and 37, in the Balkans. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:39:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65828045.html The world-famous German metal heads Rammstein wowed Moscow’s headbangers on Friday with a fire-meets-water show and a wall of sound that almost brought down the ceiling of the sprawling Olympiisky arena. The program consisted mainly of songs the band recorded between 1995 and 2011. (RIAN) Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:36:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65828033.html 59 organizers of a strike by local police, emergency workers and firefighters planned ahead of the upcoming carnival have been detained in Rio de Janeiro. The strikers’ main demand is a pay raise. More than 100 police officers are facing disciplinary charges. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:35:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65827717.html Greece’s Coalition Government approved a draft law on new austerity measures on Friday night. The European Union and the International Monetary Fund insist on the measures in exchange for a new bailout package of 130 billion euros that’s indispensable if Greece wants to avoid default. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:27:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65826922.html Rumors that Kim Jong Un had died as a result of an assassination attempt made during his trip to Beijing, were spread on the Internet late on Saturday but were later denied. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:04:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65826811.html The Syrian government and opposition have blamed each other for two bombs targeting security compounds in the country's second city, Aleppo. State television said at least 28 people were killed, including civilians and members of the security forces. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:02:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65826534.html The UK has sent a nuclear-capable submarine to the Falkland Islands, the Argentine Foreign Minister, Hector Timerman, said on Saturday. According to him, Buenos Aires has got information to that end. Timerman accused London of militarizing the region, which is nuclear-free under the non-proliferation treaty. Argentine has asked the United Nations to interfere and lodged an official complaint. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:53:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65826267.html One of the sons of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has threatened to lead an uprising against the country's transitional government. Saadi Gaddafi made the comments in a television interview from Niger, where he fled after his father was toppled. He said he still had many followers in Libya, including within the ruling National Transitional Council. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:44:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65826297.html The Greek Parliament is due to take a vote on the new draft bailout agreement with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund on Sunday. This came in a statement by the official spokesman for the Greek Cabinet Pantelis Kapsis. The Cabinet approved the agreement unanimously on Friday. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:44:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65824143.html Sudan and the newly-formed last year state of South Sudan have signed a border security agreement, mediated by the African Union. The document is intended to reduce tension between the two countries, which flared up over oil production in the border region and its transit. Earlier, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir warned that the conflict could lead to war. (BBC) Sat, 11 Feb 2012 07:05:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/11/65823671.html Three tourists from South Korea and an Egyptian tour guide, kidnapped on Friday on the Sinai Peninsula, have been released. They are all feeling well. Negotiations with the kidnappers involved Egypt’s Tourism Minister Munir Fakhri Abdel Nur. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 06:44:00 +0400