The hysteria on the Russian political scene in line with US forces’ participation in war with terrorism on the territory of Georgia favored President Putin. He had a chance to show himself as the only smart person among the Russian political elite, and so he took it. Full Story...
Those who are not fools instantly grasped that the explosions in Moscow and Volgodonsk in September 1999 had not been committed by Chechen rebels. They immediately tracked them down to FSB (Federal Security Service). However, rumors and suspicions are the food for the idle, or at best, for in-depth analyses under the heading “Opinions.” Suspicions shaped into certainty when police in the town of Ryazan caught Cheka men planting hexogen into a basement of one of Ryazan’s high-storied residential buildings. FSB just could not hush it up, so the official version covered the blooper by tactical exercise. Obviously, Vladimir Putin, the then chairman of the government, poorly assessed his negligent pupils’ shameful preparation. Full Story...
When Communists won the elections to the Parliament of Moldova in 2001, it came clear that democratic changes in Moldova had been already charted. The new Parliament elected the leader of the Communist Party, Vladimir Voronin, the President of Moldova. Voronin enlisted the support of President Putin and announced an intimacy with Russia as a new course of policy. One of the first and most noticeable steps of the new President due to the course was introduction of compulsory Russian-language lessons in schools. The decision caused a wave of protests, which, however, didn’t stop even after the law had been revoked and several ministers have been resigned.
The new anti-Communist resistance in Moldova was launched by the Christian and Democratic People’s Party of Moldova (CDPP). The Party emanates from the People’s Front of perestroika times, which in 1989 and early 1990’s headed a movement for national revival and secession from the USSR in Moldova SSR. During the last decade, Christian democrats were repeatedly blamed for nationalism, lack of practical position and anti-Russian sentiments in the Republic as well as abroad. The CDPP rating was not high – only 11 MPs represent this Party in the Parliament of Moldova today. Now, the public attention has focused on this Party again in the Republic as well as abroad.
PRIMA News Agency offers the reader to witness the events in Chisinau with CDPP leader and MP Yurie Roshki’s eyes. Full Story...
US President George W. Bush’s Asian tour is accompanied by incidents of various kinds, emanating from the peculiarities of the accepting countries. In Japan an unhappy phrase of the Washington guest nearly brought yen to a brink of collapse. The Chinese leadership was listening to the US President’s wishes to respect the freedom of religion with dead-pan faces, a hint more than obvious referring to the recent expulsion of Falun Gong practitioners from Beijing. Full Story...
Russians are getting used to the fact that in their homeland the courts would under no circumstances contradict the authorities. Of that we do have plenty of examples. Contrary to law and common sense, the Nikulinsky intermunicipal court in Moscow upheld the right of local district authorities to have forbidden Russian citizens to stage protests in front of the North Korean Embassy during Kim Jong Il’s visit to Moscow. The Supreme arbitration court used the already invalid law to have shut down TV6 independent television channel. And while this list is not likely to stop there, it’s absolutely pointless to raise a rhetoric question why judges are acting in such a way. The answer is clear, they are afraid. Afraid of loosing their perks or lucrative jobs. Meantime, in other countries, where any act of opposition might cost one’s life, judges are ready to take this huge risk. Take, for example, the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe. Full Story...
The situation in Pankisi Gorge and possible US anti-terrorist operation in this part of Georgia are being lively thrashed out in the world’s media. According to The New York Times, to assist in a fight against terrorists hiding in Pankisi Gorge, the United States of America are going to dispatch there special forces’ subdivisions 100 to 200 strong. Referring to a high-profile official from Pentagon, this number may be increased in course of operation. Judging from US similar operations in Philippines, which now involve about 600 US military men, a scale of the US presence in Georgia planned can be given an approximate overview. Full Story...
Leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) officially defined its attitude to the upcoming TV bridge between Moscow and Vatican as “ironical”. If the Pope can not arrive to Russia in person, he’d rather rub shoulders with local Catholics virtually. Full Story...
"'The flowers were white and multitudinous. If you cut under them, as I did many times, a white juice would flow out… It was collected on pieces of glass.
'In Kimchaek, North Hamgyong Province, yaktanbei is delivered along with seed potatoes. The peasants are ordered to give up all other crops to plant yaktanbei on the best lands. I knew that that was bad, but it was a state order. We do not go against the state. I just grew what they told me to.'

'You really did it under government orders, not by your own will?'

'Exactly so.'" Full Story...