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 Thu, 17 May 2012 05:58:13 +0300 Thu, 17 May 2012 05:58:13 +0300 ru http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_17/74978614/ Google has received three patents for a ";wearable display device"; which appear to be the foundation for its most talked about latest technology gadget - Project Glass augmented reality glasses. The new glasses could be used much the way a smart phone is by corresponding with friends, listening to music, and searching information. Thu, 17 May 2012 05:57:40 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_17/74976616/ Panagiotis Pikrammenos has been sworn in as Greece's caretaker prime minister with the sole task of holding new elections on June 17, according to al Jazeera, citing agency reports. Wednesday's development followed an inconclusive general election on May 6, which delivered a strong anti-austerity message and raised fears of a Greek eurozone exit. Thu, 17 May 2012 05:45:08 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_17/74976321/ The 65th Cannes Film Festival opened on Wednesday with US director Wes Anderson's film Moonrise Kingdom, the BBC reports. Thu, 17 May 2012 01:12:46 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_17/74975896/ Russia’s tennis queen Maria Sharapova has been ranked 71st on Forbes Celebrity 100 list earning $26 million in the past year. Topping the list is US singer Jennifer Lopez with $52 million. The list also features megastars like Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg and Britney Spears. RIA, TASS Thu, 17 May 2012 01:01:36 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_17/74974548/ US FBI chief Robert Mueller confirmed Wednesday that his agency had opened a "preliminary" probe into JPMorgan Chase's multibillion-dollar trading loss. "All I can say is that we have opened a preliminary investigation" of JPMorgan, Mueller said at a congressional hearing. Thu, 17 May 2012 00:22:38 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74973700/ Russia may buy a large new consignment of unmanned aerial vehicles from Israel and 24 command and control systems worth around $50 million in the foreseeable future, a high ranking source in the Russian defense industry said on Wednesday. Wed, 16 May 2012 23:52:07 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74963343/ In an interview aired by Russian TV Wednesday, Syrian President thanked Russia and China for their efforts to avert a conflagration in the Middle East. He said they are peace guarantors, not supporters of any particular regime in this volatile area. Wed, 16 May 2012 23:15:11 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74967005/ German Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen has resigned after accepting responsibility for the debacle of his governing Christian Democratic Union in North Rhine - Westphalia, where he led the party to the latest regional elections. The likeliest successor to Mr Roettgen is Bundestag deputy Peter Altmaier. Interfax Wed, 16 May 2012 22:52:58 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74968169/ More than 30 people are known to have been slightly injured in a low-speed collision of two underground rail trains in Brazil’s commercial capital Sao Paulo. Investigators say they have discovered faults in one of the brakes. TASS Wed, 16 May 2012 22:37:40 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74969048/ Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic, seeded 13th, has made it to the last 16 of the Rome tennis tournament by beating Spain’s Silvia Soler Espinosa 6-2, 6-1. Her next opponent is Russia’s Maria Sharapova, seeded 2nd. The prize fund in Rome is $2.2mn. RIA Wed, 16 May 2012 22:24:36 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74968172/ An international exhibition of latest achievements in means of communication is currently under way in Moscow. Similar exhibitions have already been held for several years. However, this time, the exhibition gathered a record number of participants - more than 600 companies from 28 countries. Wed, 16 May 2012 22:19:28 +0400 Oleg Nekhai http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/25950828/74936794.html Hello and welcome to the Daily Press Review with me, Peter Lekarev. Today and every day we're looking at some of the highlights from the world of the Russian press. *** Novye Izvestia writes that the Russian State Duma has decided against introducing fines for homosexuality propaganda. Wed, 16 May 2012 22:17:08 +0400 Peter Lekarev http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/46086744/74953255.html A leading human rights group calls on NATO to investigate the deaths of 72 civilians in air strikes in Libya last year. And commenting on this today will be our guest Gennady Evstafiev - Lieutenant-General at the Russian Center for Policy Studies Wed, 16 May 2012 22:14:14 +0400 Yana Alexeyenko http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74967897/ Major European stock indices have closed mixed, but mostly down on worries over Greece. Frankfurt’s DAX 30 lost 0.26%, and London’s FTSE 100, 0.6%. Paris’s CAC 40 gained 0.3%. RIA Wed, 16 May 2012 21:56:09 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74967304/ France unveiled President Francois Hollande's new government on Wednesday, with former prime minister Laurent Fabius, 65, named foreign minister and Pierre Moscovici, 54, finance minister. Jean-Yves Le Drian will lead the defense ministry. Hollande's campaign communications director Manuel Valls was named interior minister. Wed, 16 May 2012 21:45:19 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74961487/ It has been announced today that emergency parliamentary elections will take place in Greece on June 17th. The current forecasts say that the far left extremists who do not want to save the money and threaten to drive Greece deeper into a debt pit. Wed, 16 May 2012 21:35:23 +0400 Mamonov Roman http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74961172/ The preliminary results of the parliamentary elections that took place in Syria on May 7th have been announced in the country. After a long and careful vote counting it became clear that the National Unity Bloc of Syria that supports President Bashar al-Assad had scored a victory. It will get 183 out of 250 seats in Parliament. Wed, 16 May 2012 21:30:28 +0400 Svetlana Andreyeva http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74962201/ One of Egypt’s presidential candidates Mohammad Fawzi Issa of the Al Geel (Generation) democratic party has quit the race giving his support to ex-Arab League Amr Moussa. Now 11 candidates are running for the helm. According to polls, Amr Moussa, moderate Islamist Abdel Moneim abu al Futuh and ex-Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik are in the lead. TASS Wed, 16 May 2012 21:22:42 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74963223/ Head of Greece’s Supreme Administrative Court Panayotis Pikrammenos has received a presidential mandate to put together a caretaker government charged with organizing early parliamentary elections on June 17th. The development came after attempts to form a coalition government of parties that won parliamentary seats in the elections on May 6th ended in failure. Wed, 16 May 2012 21:20:39 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/48765558/74950910.html Hello and welcome to another edition of Spotlight, brought to you by the voice of Russia. My name is Maria Ushakova.And I am Ian Sumter. Wed, 16 May 2012 21:07:56 +0400 Maria Ushakova, Ian Sumter http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74955924/ On Tuesday, the UK Prosecutor General’s Office indicted Rebekah Brooks, the former head of the News International publishing house, which released the News of the World tabloid (also known under the abbreviation NoW), and her husband Charlie. Wed, 16 May 2012 21:05:18 +0400 Sergei Sayenko http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/42480247/74963187.html Mladic trial opens in The Hague Iran and IAEA to meet on Monday again Latest updates on SSJ crash investigation Wed, 16 May 2012 21:00:20 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/36172287/74934209.html Welcome to.Ru! As usual we'll be looking at all things online, blogs, websites and social networks and everything that takes the minds of the online public in Russia and worldwide. As I've said, according to official recommendations, it is likely the Russian government will do its best to connect 95% of households to the internet through broadband channels. Wed, 16 May 2012 20:53:07 +0400 Peter Lekarev http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/25298789/74961928.html Today we’re taking a closer look at a detective story involving the Dalai Lama. In his recent interview the Tibetan spiritual leader revealed he had been warned he could be poisoned. Wed, 16 May 2012 20:47:57 +0400 Yekaterina Kudashkina, Tavrovsky Yuri http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74950617/ After visiting Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, St Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg and Yaroslavl, delegates from football’s world governing body FIFA are now in Moscow as part of their third mission to assess possible venues of the 2018 World Cup, which is to be played out in Russia. They say Moscow’s stadiums are OK, but traffic jams are hair-raising. Wed, 16 May 2012 20:47:32 +0400 Svetlana Kalmykova http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74958864/ Fitch ratings has confirmed long term BB- rating with stable outlook for Russia’s Severstal steel giant. The company’s short-term rating is B. Severstal is Russia’s largest steel and mining company based in the northern city of Cherepovets. RIA Wed, 16 May 2012 20:23:44 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74958476/ The US may consider an application to transfer Viktor Bout, sentenced to 25 years in jail for arms smuggling, to serve his prison term in Russia if the latter sends one, the US Attorney General Eric Holder told Russian reporters. Earlier, Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated that the country will try to get Bout back by all means. Wed, 16 May 2012 20:23:28 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74957473/ A black box of Russia’s Sukhoi Superjet 100 contains a two-hour conversation from the cockpit, Russia’s Deputy Trade Minister Yuri Slyusar stated on May 16. Russia plans to carry deciphering equipment to Indonesia on May 17 to begin deciphering as soon as possible. Wed, 16 May 2012 20:22:58 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74957308/ In an interview aired by Russian television Wednesday, Syrian President Bashar Assad said the victory by his National Unity party in Syria’s latest parliamentary elections is convincing proof that the majority of the Syrian people support his year-old reform programme. Wed, 16 May 2012 20:22:40 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/36560725/74924193.html Let’s start with ice-hockey where 8 top-ranked teams have made it into the quarterfinal stage of 2012 world championship. So, preliminary round concluded on Tuesday and now all of the play-off participants are known. Wed, 16 May 2012 20:13:56 +0400 Malakhova Elena, Roman Kosarev http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/34718245/74914731.html Crude oil prices fall below $95 a barrel, striking five-month low Capital flight from Russia exceeded $8 billion in April far exceeding the official forecasts Deputy Prime Minister Sechin proposes merging MRSK with FSK to create a united national power network Renault sold the most vehicles among its foreign peers on the Russian market last month Wed, 16 May 2012 20:09:15 +0400 Oksana Teplinskaya, Kate Ryzhkova http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74950393/ The US-based think tank Atlantic Council has published a report which offers a tough overview of the British foreign and defense policy. Wed, 16 May 2012 20:07:57 +0400 Sergei Sayenko http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74957113/ The cancellation of the ";unifying"; meeting of various Syrian opposition groups, which had been scheduled to start on Wednesday in Cairo, under the auspices of the Arab League, is one more failure of Syrian ";revolutionaries. Wed, 16 May 2012 20:04:02 +0400 Babich Dmitry http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74951889/ Russia’s Viktor Bout sentenced to 25 years in prison for arms smuggling will not be sent to a high-security jail in Colorado. His wife Alla told the VoR, that the court didn’t comment on where Bout will be sent. Investigators changed their plans after consultations with Bout’s lawyers, prosecutors and Judge Shira Scheindlin. Wed, 16 May 2012 20:00:25 +0400 Chernitsa Polina, Alexandra Dibizheva http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/25547106/74690287.html Stereotypes - what exactly are they? How hard is it to get rid of them? What are they for and what does Russian investment climate have to do with all of that? We’ll discuss today on In Between. Wed, 16 May 2012 20:00:02 +0400 Donna West and Julia Reysner http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74954978/ Russia’s folk band Buranovskiye Babushki leads in the first semifinals of the Eurovision song contest together with Romania and Greece, according to interactive polls. Ukraine, Sweden and Turkey are leading the second semis. Wed, 16 May 2012 19:47:21 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74955080/ 2018 World Cup organizing committee refuted the information that FIFA has decided on four Russian cities for 2018 World Cup. Russian media said May 16 that 2018 World Cup will take place in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, and Sochi. 2018 World Cup press service said that information was given incorrectly. Wed, 16 May 2012 19:46:46 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74953224/ Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli is seeing clashes between Sunnis and Alawites. The unrest began when Lebanese troops tried to dismantle barricades in the Sunni-populated district of Bab Tebbaneh which is located near the Alawi residential district Jabal Mohsen. Alawites provide help to anti-Assad rebels in the neighboring Syria. Wed, 16 May 2012 19:44:33 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74945550/ Russian Anastasia Savchenko and Dmitry Tarabarin have taken gold at a stage of the IAAF World Challenge in Korea’s Daegu. Savchenko was the best in pole vault while Tarabarin made it in the javelin. Russia’s hammer thrower Tatyana Lysenko took silver. The next stage is scheduled for May 20 in Brazil. RIA Wed, 16 May 2012 19:43:45 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74943170/ Russia has delivered all 21 of the Mi-17B5 helicopters ordered by Afghanistan, under a $375mn contract signed in 2011. The craft came complete with dismountable weapons, spare parts and servicing equipment. The deal was financed by the Pentagon, which now says it is prepared to pay for another18 Russian-made helicopters. TASS Wed, 16 May 2012 19:35:07 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74934006/ Authorities in Italy have seized another 20mn euros worth of assets once owned by the clan of the deposed Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed by rebels last October after 42 years in power. The seized assets include a luxury hotel and other properties on an island near Sicily. Wed, 16 May 2012 19:32:42 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74942697/ Russian and Swiss investigators have agreed to conduct a joint probe into the cases of ex-Bank of Moscow heads Andrei Borodin and Dmitry Akulinin. Wed, 16 May 2012 19:25:16 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74938516/ Trade turnover between the EuroAsEs countries (Belarus, Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) will exceed 1 trln collars by the end of the year, the head of the Euro Asian Economic Commission Viktor Khristenko stated in St.Petersburg on May 17. He praised the organization which helps its members to speed up and improve the quality of economic integration. Wed, 16 May 2012 19:23:48 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74937418/ Germany will be giving Afghanistan 148 mln euros annually to train its military personnel after German troops will be withdrawn from the country in late 2014. This was announced by a source in the German government ahead of Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s visit to Germany. Wed, 16 May 2012 19:22:49 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/48765558/74850700.html Hello and welcome to another edition of Spotlight, brought to you by the voice of Russia. My name is Maria Ushakova.And I am Ian Sumter. Wed, 16 May 2012 19:12:48 +0400 Maria Ushakova, Ian Sumter http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74939102/ A trial of a sniper who allegedly shot immigrants has begun in Sweden. The 40-year-old Peter Mangs who is known as ";Laser Man"; killed people of non-Swedish appearance and migrants. He is accused of three counts of murder and 12 counts of attempted murder. Wed, 16 May 2012 18:37:14 +0400 Margarita Bogatova http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74937208/ The Afghan authorities have expressed hope to be provided with additional financing by the US in connection with the withdrawal of NATO troops from the country. According to the coalition’s plans, all foreign troops are due to leave Afghanistan before the end of 2014. Wed, 16 May 2012 18:32:44 +0400 Gladkov Vladimir http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74939489/ Iran plans to launch three satellites in the far future. The first satellite, the Faj, will be sent into orbit on May 24 while the Tolu and the Mesbah will blast off later. According to Iranian diplomats, the country also plans to launch manned space missions. Iran already conducted satellite launches in 2008, 2011 and 2012. Interfax Wed, 16 May 2012 18:29:28 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74934496/ Indonesia’s Sky Aviation air carriers have announced that last Wednesday’s air crash has not changed their plans to procure Russian-made Superjet airliners. The plane was on a demonstration flight south of Jakarta when it crashed into a mountainside, killing all 45 people on board. Wed, 16 May 2012 18:24:31 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74936156/ The expansion of Netanyahu’s coalition government to include Kadima with 28 Knesset members provides him with a majority of 94 out of 120 parliamentarians and represents nothing short of an ingenious political coup, or an insidious political scheme, depending on what he does with his historic mandate. Wed, 16 May 2012 18:19:38 +0400 Alon Ben-Meir http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74920749/ The second largest investor in the Nabucco gas pipeline, German energy giant RWE, could withdraw from the project. The aim of the Nabucco project was to deliver Caspian gas to Europe. Now the German company says that it is going to reassess whether it makes business sense for it to remain involved in the project. Wed, 16 May 2012 17:57:55 +0400 Chernitsa Polina, Alexandra Dibizheva http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74937441/ The Hague Tribunal has rejected Branko Lukic’s request for an adjournment of his client Ratko Mladic’s trial. Wed, 16 May 2012 17:51:23 +0400 Jovana Vukotić http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74936435/ Interview with Rachael Perrotta, an Activist with Occupy Chicago and a Member of the Occupy Chicago Press Team. Wed, 16 May 2012 17:45:07 +0400 John Robles http://english.ruvr.ru/photoalbum/74928985/ Russia has many cathedrals, monasteries and churches. A masterpiece of world architecture, Church of the Intercession on the Nerl is located not far from the city of Vladimir. Wed, 16 May 2012 17:31:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74927968/ Meeting in Moscow Wednesday, Prime Minister Medvedev and Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atanbayev discussed building exchanges and ties in all fields. Both described the relations between their countries as ‘productive and friendly’. The meeting was followed by talks involving Russian and Kyrgyz Ministers. TASS Wed, 16 May 2012 17:09:32 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74927377/ The Airbus has announced that it has found a 160-mn-euro fix for the microcracking problem discovered in the wings of some of its A380 airliners. Unfortunately, the technology cannot be adopted by Airbus assembly plants before 2013. For the time being, each new A380 is to be supplied to its customers with a microcracks repair kit. Wed, 16 May 2012 17:07:33 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74929806/ The voice recorder of a Russian Sukhoi Superjet plane recently found in Indonesia is damaged, but the memory module appears to be readable, experts say. The search for a second black box as well as for the remains of the crash victims continues. Wed, 16 May 2012 17:05:25 +0400 Chernitsa Polina http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74925950/ Former US State Secretary Henry Kissinger was patted down today by security agents at New York's LaGuardia Airport, Associated Press reports. The 88-year-old statesman was on his way to Toronto when he was stopped during airport security screening. Security agents patted Kissinger down even after they were told the passenger’s name. Wed, 16 May 2012 17:00:10 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74925315/ Moscow urges not to disrupt UN mission in Syria, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov twitted on May 16. On Tuesday, UN observers got under fire by the government troops during a funeral procession in Idlib’s city of Khan Sheikhoun. No peacekeepers suffered. Over 20 civilians were killed. Wed, 16 May 2012 16:59:11 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/photoalbum/74923571/ A search team working at the crash site of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 has found the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder. Wed, 16 May 2012 16:57:04 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74920738/ As reported by the Associated Press, NATO General Secretary on Tuesday invited Pakistan’s president Asif Ali Zardari to the upcoming Chicago summit on Afghanistan to be held on May 20-12. The invitation is regarded as the strongest sign yet that Islamabad is ready to reopen its western border to U.S. Wed, 16 May 2012 16:53:44 +0400 Volkhonsky Boris http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74928539/ Former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic went on trial Wednesday accused of carrying out a brutal campaign of Wed, 16 May 2012 16:51:35 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74913973/ A new Human Rights Watch report says NATO must be held accountable for the civilian casualties caused by the 2011 Libyan air raid that led to the death of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. We are joined now by David Mepham from the Human Rights Watch in London to discuss this report. Wed, 16 May 2012 16:33:28 +0400 Crystal Park http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74918465/ Russia increased its share in the global development aid by 8,8% up to 514 mln dollars compared with Wed, 16 May 2012 16:25:32 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74919229/ Russia’s boxer Irina Sinetskaya has made it to the semifinals at the over 81 kg class in women’s Worlds held in China’s Qinhuangdao. The event was a qualifier for the London 2012 Olympics where female boxing will be part of the competition for the first time. Sinetskaya overpowered a boxer from Hungary. Wed, 16 May 2012 16:22:22 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74915420/ Russia might easily reach the semi-final of the Ice Hockey World Championship which has held in Finland and Sweden. Russia will play against Norway which is a weak team. Russians have already met Norwegians in group matches and won 4-2. Despite the fact that Norway is gaining momentum, the Russian team has excellent chances. Wed, 16 May 2012 16:17:40 +0400 Alexandra Zakharova http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74918862/ The world film elite has arrived at the Cote d’Azure again. The 65th Cannes International Film Festival opens there on the 16th of May. Russia will participate in two creative programmes and two commercial stalls of the film market. Wed, 16 May 2012 16:12:40 +0400 Rita Bolotskaya http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74891266/ Interview with Valentina Colombo - senior fellow and expert in the geopolitics of the Islamic world at the European University in Rome, Italy. Wed, 16 May 2012 15:59:11 +0400 Yekaterina Kudashkina http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74914680/ New allegations of inmate abuse have been directed at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office and it’s not just convicts who are speaking out. Two recently retired jail supervisors say senior administrators blocked efforts to crack down on theguards. For more on this we are joined by our West Coast Correspondent Kevin Tripp Wed, 16 May 2012 15:54:27 +0400 Jessica Jordan, Rob Sachs http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74914354/ A three-man crew blasted off from a space center in Southern Kazakhstan this morning on board a Russian-made Soyuz craft for a four-and-half month stay at the International Space Station. The crew includes one NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts. They all begin preparing for the arrival next week of privately owned SpaceX’s Dragon Capsule. Wed, 16 May 2012 15:51:04 +0400 Rob Sachs http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74914065/ In Mexico 49 bodies with their heads, hands and feet hacked off were found dumped on a highway. Authorities there discovered the bodies before dawn just yesterday at the entrance to the town of San Juan on a highway leading from metropolis of Monterrey to the border city of Reynosa. Wed, 16 May 2012 15:49:13 +0400 Jessica Jordan http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74914044/ What is Russian take now on how Al-Qaeda is playing the role in the Syrian violence? Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov announced that Al-Qaeda and its associates are behind the recent bomb attacks in Syria. To find out more on this we are joined by Alexander Pronikov , a Political Analyst and Security Expert. Wed, 16 May 2012 15:47:34 +0400 Ricardo Young http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74916799/ Russia will harvest 94, 2 mln tons of grain this year, interim Deputy Premier Viktor Zubkov stated at a meeting conducted by Dmitry Medvedev. This is the same amount that was gathered last year. Wed, 16 May 2012 15:45:51 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74908892/ The promotion of Russian priorities is crucial to the country's success at the APEC summit, according to Russian APEC representative Gennady Ovchenko. The 24th annual meeting of the leaders of Asia-Pacific economies will take place at the beginning of September in Vladivostok. This is the first time that Russia will be hosting the summit. Wed, 16 May 2012 15:38:38 +0400 Garibov Konstantin http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74913711/ It’s been one week since president Obama granted ABC News an interview in which he revealed his personal policy shift on gay marriage. But whether or not Obama’s decision and the way it was handled politically will make a difference on election day is still anyone’s guess. Wed, 16 May 2012 15:36:39 +0400 Diana Ray, Rob Sachs http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74916208/ Greece will have early parliamentary election on June 17, local media cite the leaders of the parties who had talked a coalition government with the President, They failed to agree on a caretaker Prime Minister who in line with the Constitution should be one of the heads of the country’s three Supreme Courts. Wed, 16 May 2012 15:36:06 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74912015/ Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council are talking about transforming their six nations into a union similar to that of the European Union. The cooperation now includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Wed, 16 May 2012 15:33:52 +0400 Jessica Jordan http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74914069/ Syria’s pro-presidential National Unity alliance has won the May 7th parliamentary election taking 183 seats in the 250-seat parliament, local media report. 49 seats went to a group of independent candidates. The only opposition party Coalition for Peaceful Change took 5 seats. 30 new MPs are women which proves Syria’s progress towards democratic values. TASS Wed, 16 May 2012 15:31:31 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74911936/ More than 360 thousand acres burned in Arizona back in 2011. Right now the four fires currently burning in mostly forested areas have only consumed the total of around 6000 acres but the potential for more damage is on the rise. So far one of the smaller fires has also been the most destructive. Wed, 16 May 2012 15:29:34 +0400 Kevin Tripp http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74907423/ The trial of Ratko Mladic has begun in The Hague as the former commander of the Bosnian Serb army is charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly carried out in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1992-1995. Mladic pleads not guilty. Wed, 16 May 2012 15:29:10 +0400 Denisova Olga http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74911674/ Congressional leaders are asking for funding to improve seaports along the east coast to make them accessible to larger ships. The move comes in light of improvements to the Panama Canal that has said to be completed in the year 2014, which will allow ships twice as big to reach the east coast. Wed, 16 May 2012 15:28:24 +0400 Jessica Jordan http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74906284/ The ballet Swan Lake to the music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky in the choreography of the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre has triggered a storm of applause in Toronto. The dancers earned a standing ovation and took a lot of encores after the performance. Wed, 16 May 2012 15:19:00 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74908441/ NATO is strengthening its positions in Central Asia for the first time inviting Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to its Chicago summit on May 20 and 21 in hope to expand partnership with the countries. Now, NATO has only cargo transit deals in the region but is eyeing new military bases to compete with Russia and China. Wed, 16 May 2012 15:17:30 +0400 Mamonov Roman, Yulia Ashcheulova http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74907165/ In April, Russia’s automotive market emerged as Europe’s second largest in terms of sales. Russia was unable to beat the irreplaceable leader, Germany. According to the Autostat publication, Russia was the third in March. Now it is France that’s in the third place. Wed, 16 May 2012 15:16:34 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74906550/ German scientists have released the results of research under which hunger sends certain signals to the human body. According to their findings, a yearning for a hamburger or a steak indicates a lack of iron which can be compensated for by eating peas or spinach. Wed, 16 May 2012 15:01:11 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74904737/ The Basque separatist group ETA has formed a delegation to negotiate a settlement with the Spanish and French authorities. No reaction from Madrid or Paris has been so far reported. Both the former and the latter refused to have any talks with the separatists when ETA said its armed struggle was over, in October last year. Wed, 16 May 2012 14:53:03 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74902947/ The new French Prime Minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, has officially assumed office. He is France’s first socialist Prime Minister in the past decade. He was appointed by his fellow party member of long standing, the new French President Francois Hollande. Today the French leader and Prime Minister are holding talks on forming a new Cabinet. Wed, 16 May 2012 14:49:20 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74907924/ The regular summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is scheduled for June 6-7 in Beijing. According to the results of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs’ preparatory meeting, which took place the day before in the capital of China, serious changes are awaiting this organization. Wed, 16 May 2012 14:47:59 +0400 Ilyashenko Andrei http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74900250/ Russia and Norway have ended their joint naval drills Pomor-2012 by the two countries’ vessels calling at Norway’s Budo seaport. Yesterday, Russia’s Admiral Chabanenko large anti-sub ship and Norway’s Fritiof Nansen frigate were engaged in drilling interaction in bad weather conditions. Wed, 16 May 2012 14:46:03 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74898426/ In recent days, Greeks have withdrawn some 800 million euros from their bank deposits over the raging political crisis and fears for their country’s likely pullout from the Eurozone. This comes in a report that the Governor of the Bank of Greece, Georgios Provopoulos, has made in Athens. Wed, 16 May 2012 14:45:51 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74901297/ Wed, 16 May 2012 14:43:41 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74900602/ Two-day talks between Iran and the IAEA in Vienna completed on Tuesday with an agreement about a new meeting on the 21st of May. Both sides declared that the discussion took place in a friendly atmosphere and there was ";a fruitful exchange of opinions. Wed, 16 May 2012 14:38:56 +0400 Boris Pavlishchev http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74898482/ The United States has supplied Japan with highly sensitive equipment for gathering information on possible nuclear tests in North Korea. Deployed on Honshu Island, the equipment faces the north of the Korean Peninsula and will detect the presence of xenon in the atmosphere. Xenon emissions accompany nuclear tests, including underground ones. Wed, 16 May 2012 14:36:24 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74898675/ The Japanese company Fujitsu has rolled out a dog collar that tracks the dog’s health condition. The collar is provided with a sensor the size of a matchbox which measures the dog’s temperature and counts the number of its steps. Wed, 16 May 2012 14:14:44 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74900016/ Iran has called on its people to stage rallies after this week's Friday prayers to protest against what it described as a US plan to annex Bahrain to Saudi Arabia. Wed, 16 May 2012 14:02:01 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74895953/ In Pakistan, the Government Committee on Defence has approved a proposal for resuming the transshipment of cargo for NATO units in Afghanistan. This follows from a communiqué that the executive office of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani circulated earlier this Wednesday. Wed, 16 May 2012 13:51:13 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74889847/ A Finnish court is about to start examining another complaint by a Russian mother, Rimma Salonen, urging that her son again be placed under her guardianship. She insists for a start that she be allowed to see her son more often than just two times a month, and in the presence of social workers. Wed, 16 May 2012 13:33:28 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74889271/ The 27 millionth-car rolled off the production line of the AVTOVAZ car manufacturer, the biggest in Russia and Eastern Europe, earlier today. An official ceremony was held in Togliatti, on the Volga River, to mark the occasion. The 27 millionth-car has become a Lada Priora, the flagship model of the manufacturer. The car is a high line vehicle. Wed, 16 May 2012 13:30:11 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74881474/ Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has won the GOP Nebraska primaries in what proved to be a perfect confirmation of expert forecasts. Two of his main rivals, namely former House speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum have dropped out of the race in the past 30 days. Wed, 16 May 2012 13:21:43 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74881395/ In Kosovo, a group of local Albanians attacked an Orthodox monk on a monastery compound outside the city of Orahovac just three hours after the Commander of the Kosovo international military force, Bernd Holtusen, visited the city. The unidentified Albanians punched the monk several times and then started throwing rocks at him. Wed, 16 May 2012 13:18:52 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74881360/ A meeting in Rome of the Syrian National Council seeking to mend the current rift in the opposition movement has again failed to attain the objective. According to the Al-Arabiya TV Channel, a prominent Council member, Fawaz Tello, has said he is withdrawing from the Council because of disappointment with the organization’s performance. Wed, 16 May 2012 13:15:35 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74881336/ Literary experts from Russia, Italy and Japan have presented a joint work about the Russian literary classic Mikhail Lermontov. The edition, titled Lermonotov: Between the West and the East , was presented in the North Caucasus city of Pyatigorsk, where the poet lived for many years. The Lermontov Museum in Pyatigorsk was founded 100 years ago. Wed, 16 May 2012 13:12:47 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74881308/ Vietnam has successfully launched its second communication satellite VINASAT-2. It was put into orbit by the Arian 5 booster rocket from the Kourou space launch facility in French Guiana on Wednesday night. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has welcomed the launch as an event of political, economic and social importance. Wed, 16 May 2012 13:11:03 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74881328/ The White House has released the financial disclosure forms of President Barack Obama. President Obama estimates his family’s income at nearly $8.5 million. Obama’s annual income is $400,000. He received most of his last year’s income from the sale of books he wrote before taking office as president. Wed, 16 May 2012 13:09:14 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74892829/ French President Francois Hollande's new Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault arrived at the Matignon Palace in Paris on Wednesday and began drawing up a cabinet on his first day of work. Wed, 16 May 2012 13:05:48 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74889763/ Russian President Vladimir Putin is starting consultations with the candidates for Ministers in the new Russian Government. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev submitted a list of candidates, as well as a draft structure of the future Cabinet to the President. The details are not disclosed not to stir up unnecessary interest, according to the Prime Minister. Wed, 16 May 2012 12:59:51 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74890497/ One of the world’s oldest diamonds has come under the hammer at Sotheby’s for nearly $10 million. The 35 carat Beau Sancy diamond shaped like a ";double rose"; is at least 400 years old. Wed, 16 May 2012 12:59:28 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74890326/ The statue of Russian Emperor Alexander I will be unveiled in Finland. It will stand on the Aura River in Turku as a reminder of the historic meeting between the Russian emperor and Karl Johan, the future king of Sweden, in 1812. Endorsed by Turku’s city council, the project was sponsored by Finland and Russia. Wed, 16 May 2012 12:57:50 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74890591/ Russia’s Svetlana Gnevanova has made it to the semi finals of the world boxing championships in China having defeated India’s Pinky Jangra in the under 48kg category. Gnevanova will now take on Josie Gabuco of Philippines for a spot in the finals. RIA Wed, 16 May 2012 12:55:43 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74877560/ The White House has reconsidered the format of scheduled talks between US President Barack Obama and Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev, slated on the sidelines of the G8 summit at Camp David, the Russian Kommersant newspaper reports. Wed, 16 May 2012 12:51:08 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74887290/ Syria’s recent parliamentary elections have become an important move and a part of the reforms that Damascus launched about a year ago. This came in a Russia-24 television channel interview with the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The interview was broadcast earlier today. Wed, 16 May 2012 12:38:55 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/36560725/74812573.html Spartak steals Champions League spot from CSKA on the last match day of the Russian football Premier League. Let Wed, 16 May 2012 12:34:59 +0400 Malakhova Elena, Roman Kosarev http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/34718245/74780231.html Novatek’s Q1 profit jumps 13% Gazprom and Mitsui are in talks to build a new gas-chemicals facility Acron may be eyeing Polish chemical producers Cherkizovo Group to launch production JV with Spanish Grupo Fuertes Wed, 16 May 2012 12:34:43 +0400 Oksana Teplinskaya, Kate Ryzhkova http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74884347/ Over 3 tons of heroin have been seized during a joint US-Russian anti-narcotics operation in Afghanistan, Russia's drug control chief Viktor Ivanov told a Ria-Novosti press conference today. In April, Russian, Afghanistan and American special forces conducted a large-scale anti-narcotics operation to curb drug smuggling in Afghanistan. RIA Wed, 16 May 2012 12:32:46 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74860538/ The Sukhoi Superjet-100 that crashed in Indonesia on May 9 was a replacement plane for a similar airliner, which had been grounded in Pakistan on May 6 due to an engine problem, a Sukhoi Corp. spokesperson said today. Wed, 16 May 2012 12:31:53 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/25547106/74677449.html As the appeal of Moscow grows, so, too, does that of moving outside of the city, gradually at least. Today on In Between we’ll take a look at settlements popping up outside the city proper and see what sort of perspectives there are for suburban houses with the white picket fences in Russia. Wed, 16 May 2012 12:27:22 +0400 Donna West and Julia Reysner http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/25298789/74837280.html Today we are going to take another glimpse at the recent history of the Middle East since this day Wed, 16 May 2012 12:25:39 +0400 Yekaterina Kudashkina, Tavrovsky Yuri http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/36172287/74814547.html Welcome to.Ru! As usual we'll be looking at all things online, blogs, websites and social networks and everything that takes the minds of the online public in Russia and worldwide. Remember the slogan? ";To better living through chemistry? Wed, 16 May 2012 12:19:32 +0400 Peter Lekarev http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74880530/ Former Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic had as his goal the ethnic cleansing of Bosnia, a UN prosecutor announced at the opening of Mladic's war crimes trial on Wednesday. Wed, 16 May 2012 12:09:07 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74828078/ During the round table discussion regarding the current state and the process of re-equipment and the prospects of the Russian Air Force Konstantin Makienko, deputy director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, presented his report on the prospects of producing military aviation equipment for export and the use by the Russian Air Force. Wed, 16 May 2012 12:08:32 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74875492/ The International Competition of Opera Singers is opening in Moscow today to be held under the patronage of prominent opera singer Galina Vishnevskaya. The contest will take place at the Vishnevskaya Opera Center and will bring together 40 young singers from various countries who aspire to pursue a successful opera career. Wed, 16 May 2012 12:04:54 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74873733/ China has banned fishing in most parts of the South China Sea for 2.5 months, local media report. The ban is designed to secure the restoration of marine resources and applies to foreign vessels as well. Wed, 16 May 2012 12:04:02 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74881641/ Paying your bills with your skills and knowledge is now possible in the new format of cafe called Time/Food Wed, 16 May 2012 11:57:45 +0400 Kira Kalinina http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74870991/ Police have closed a protest camp at Chistiye Prudy in downtown Moscow in accordance with a court ruling on Tuesday. Wed, 16 May 2012 11:48:37 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74880036/ Misfortunes, they say, never come alone. Not for the EU anyway. As if the the rapidly deteriorating European financial crisis , Greek political convulsions and new President of France who promised to renegotiate the new European financial compact were not enough, something very nasty is also brewing on the European Anglo-Saxon and Celtic periphery. Wed, 16 May 2012 11:37:23 +0400 Fedyashin Andrey http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74875465/ -Syria. A civil war. Infighting in Homs and a strike on the capital. Our correspondent Anastasia Popova reports from Homs. -This is the Voice of Russia with its weekly news round-up. Wed, 16 May 2012 11:21:52 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74867302/ Russian and American airborne forces are holding joint military drills at a US base in Colorado. The war games which began on Tuesday are the first ever joint drills between Russian and American airborne forces. For two weeks 22 Russian and 22 American paratroopers will be practicing tactical landing and assault operations, reconnaissance tactics, and helicopter evacuation. TASS Wed, 16 May 2012 11:07:16 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74869391/ NASA has issued permission for the privately-run company SpaceX to send the SpaceX-designed Dragon spacecraft to the ISS . The Wed, 16 May 2012 10:57:17 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74869366/ The North Korean authorities are upgrading the Musudan-ri rocket launching site in the northeast of the country. According to South Korean media, Pyongyang is revamping the site for the launch of ballistic missiles and is believed to be getting ready to launch a heavy rocket. North Korea carried out rocket launches from the Musudan-ri facility in 2008 and 2009. Wed, 16 May 2012 10:48:19 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74860090/ The ringleader of the "makhachkala militant gang" Gussein Mamaev, who had been on the federal wanted list for organizing the May 3rd terrorist attack in the Dagestani capital, has been wiped out in Makhachkala. The information was made public today by a spokesman of Russia’s National Antiterrorist Committee. Wed, 16 May 2012 10:39:35 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74873336/ A deal between the United States and Pakistan on reopening ground supply lines into Afghanistan appears almost certain, a U.S. official told Reuters on Tuesday, cautioning however that an agreement had not been finalized yet. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. Wed, 16 May 2012 10:31:15 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74871962/ The 2012 IIHF officials have named all members of the quarter finals of the ice hockey championships which are currently under way in Finland and Sweden. Teams that took first and fourth positions in the division and second and third ones will play against one another in the first stage of playoffs. Wed, 16 May 2012 10:24:05 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_15/74850462/ The sad story of the murder of a black teenager called Trayvon Martin in Sanford, US, has developed in a way which many find shocking. Somebody has put an ad on the web that he sells shooting targets in the shape of Trayvon Martin’s silhouette. Wed, 16 May 2012 10:12:26 +0400 Gladkov Vladimir http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74791053/ SPEAKER: Welcome to our educational series of programs dedicated to Russia’s victory over Napoleon in the Patriotic war of 1812 and the people and events of that epoch. Today we continue our story about the early stages of the war of 1812. Wed, 16 May 2012 10:00:10 +0400 Gorokhova Ekaterina http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74864526/ The 65th Cannes Film Festival opens today amid expectations of striking creative breakthroughs, to run until May 27th. The main competition program offers 22 films, including Russian director Sergei Loznitsa’s film ";In The Fog"; - a joint project of Belarus, Russia, Latvia, Germany and the Netherlands. Wed, 16 May 2012 06:53:38 +0400 http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_16/74864022/ World oil prices on Tuesday closed amid mixed trading. At the London Stock Exchange the price per barrel increased by $ 0.67 and was at 112.24. In New York the price of "black gold" fell by $ 0.80, amounting to 93.98. Analysts attribute the cost dynamics to publication of positive economic data for countries in the eurozone. RIA Wed, 16 May 2012 06:27:56 +0400