Skinheads killed Azerbaijani citizen Tofig Huseynov in Moscow

Skinheads killed Azerbaijani citizen Tofig Huseynov in Moscow. A group of skinheads attacked Huseynov, who was working as night watchman in one of the kiosks of Khlebnikovo market, and beat him and then set the kiosk a fire. They escaped from the scene. Huseynov was burned alive.

VLADIMIR PUTIN Soviet-style cult lionizing him as the "father of the nation"

Since he stepped down in May, a Soviet-style cult lionizing him as the "father of the nation" has steadily gathered steam, to the point where many ordinary Russians still regard him as president. Indeed, if an election were to held tomorrow, opinion polls show that Putin would win easily and that his popularity - the result of eight straight years of economic and geopolitical resurgence - has more than weathered his technical demotion.VLADIMIR PUTIN relinquished the Russian presidency six months ago but to watch state TV you could be forgiven for thinking that the former KGB officer remains the master of the Kremlin.Before he gave up the highest office in the land, cloying songs had been penned in his honour, Russian women had professed their undying love for him, and vodka and tinned fish manufacturers had rushed to name their products after him.But his spin-doctors used to try - at least publicly - to keep a lid on excessive tributes in a bid to reinforce his image as a modest "one of us" figure. Now though, Putin, who has since become prime minister, is well placed to stage a stunning political comeback and serve another two presidential terms if he desires. If and when his less experienced successor Dmitry Medvedev steps down, that is.Medvedev, a long-time Putin subordinate, has struggled to emerge from his mentor's shadow and is not, polls show, taken seriously by many ordinary Russians. His decision to send Russian tanks into Georgia in August boosted his image as a strong leader, a quality Russians respect, but was not game changing. Analysts say he has come to power at a difficult time when Russia's booming petro-economy is beginning to be buffeted by the global financial crisis. That, they say, allows Putin to maintain the fiction that previous economic growth was down to his financial genius rather than oil-fuelled serendipity.As the crisis starts to bite, Putin is visibly keeping his distance. The thin-faced former president celebrated his 56th birthday last week, providing an excuse, if one was needed, for more hero-worship. Kremlin-controlled state TV obliged.In a photo opportunity that must have been dreamt up by Russia's equivalent of Alistair Campbell, the former Kremlin strongman invited journalists to his official residence outside Moscow to show off his favourite birthday gift: a female tiger cub.Putin refused to say who had given him the cub, though local media speculated it was probably Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov, who has his own personal zoo.Earlier in the week, Kadyrov, accused by human rights groups of orchestrating a brutal campaign of disappearances and torture, had paid Putin a very public compliment.

The Chechen capital's main thoroughfare, Victory Avenue, devastated in two fierce wars of independence that pitted Chechens against Russians, was renamed in Putin's honour."As a Chechen and as a Muslim, I'm ready if needed to die for Vladimir Putin," Kadyrov said. "Thanks to this man, we have reached this day when Chechnya is ruled by peace and tranquillity." Giant billboards of Kadyrov and Putin dot Chechnya.If freedom of speech existed in Chechnya, which it doesn't, some Chechens might beg to differ. It was Putin, in 1999, who stepped up Russian hostilities against the independence-minded region, initiating the second Chechen war.Kadyrov, derided by his critics as a Kremlin puppet, owes his position almost entirely to Putin, however, and was one of a number of top officials who tried, unsuccessfully, to persuade Putin to serve a third consecutive presidential term, something that is banned by the Russian constitution.Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, indicated his boss was not thrilled with the tribute, stressing Putin's everyman nature."(Putin) has said that he does not have the right or the opportunity to put pressure on anyone," he said. "But he himself would prefer if this would not happen."If the tigress and the street renaming wasn't enough for his many fans, the cult of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin got an extra boost last week.Dozens of young people, members of the Putin fan club, thronged at a central Moscow bridge to pledge their allegiance. "We have just one leader and we do not need any other," said Igor Boiko, head of the Putin Fan Club. Meanwhile, Putin gave his followers a special treat: a martial arts video in which he is the main character. A black belt in judo in real life, the video/DVD, entitled Let's Learn Judo With Vladimir Putin, showed the diminutive politician throwing much bigger rivals around the room and musing on the philosophical benefits of the sport.It follows obviously staged photo shoots earlier in the year portraying Putin as a macho man, fishing bare-chested, or shooting a tranquilizer dart into a tiger in Russia's far east. Medvedev, by contrast, is rarely pictured in an informal setting and professes to like yoga and surfing the internet - and of course the man who gifted him the job, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

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Sergei Ivanov said Russia would seek to renew its lease on the Crimean port, but will move the Fleet if it cannot.

Sergei Ivanov said Russia would seek to renew its lease on the Crimean port, but will move the Fleet if it cannot.The move will anger nationalists who consider Sevastopol a part of Russia.It is feared the port could become a flashpoint in already strained relations between Russia and the West.We are not aggressive. We have recognised the territorial integrity of all former Soviet republics.
Asked if he could envisage the Fleet not being based in the Crimea - its home for the last 225 years - Mr Ivanov, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s number two who oversees Russia’s military and industry, said:“Yes I can imagine that easily after 2017. Why not, if the Ukrainian government then in power decides not to prolong the lease?”It will also surprise the West where in the wake of the war in Georgia many fear Moscow could seek to reclaim parts of the Crimea by force to secure the Fleet’s future.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Monday that Russia was well prepared to ride out the financial crisis that has caused turmoil on its stock markets.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Monday that Russia was well prepared to ride out the financial crisis that has caused turmoil on its stock markets, but may dip into a "rainy-day" fund to offset falling oil prices.
"We will not allow (the crisis) to catch us off guard," he told a meeting of foreign investors and government officials. "We have taken into account potential threats when building our financial and economic policies."Putin's comments came as Russian stocks enjoyed some respite Monday, rising for the first time in three days on the back of global gains and speculation that the government will soon start buying domestic stocks to support local markets.MICEX, where most trading takes places, added 4.5 percent to 626.4 points, while the RTS closed up 4.9 percent to 700.4 points.Russia's stock markets _ which have shed two-thirds of their value since their May peaks _ have been among the hardest hit globally this year, thanks in part to falling oil prices, Russia's invasion of Georgia this August, and a slew of concerns over government interference in business. The biggest falls were triggered in September with the collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers and many investors in Russia were subsequently forced to dump stock to meet margin calls.
The country's leadership has been quick to blame the United States for the problems on the domestic market.The stock market problems and falling commodity prices are feeding into the real economy. Banks have slashed lending or upped their interest rates, leading to widespread job and production cuts as companies struggle to refinance or pay off their debts.Still, Russia is sitting on the world's third-largest foreign currency reserves, and has amassed a war chest from windfall oil profits of some US$190 billion, the majority of which is stashed away in a reserve fund. Money from the reserve fund is invested in low-risk government bonds, and is intended to safeguard against a substantial fiscal gap in the budget.Andrei Illarionov, a former Kremlin adviser and now a government critic, said Monday that Russia cannot blame its economic difficulties on either the U.S. or the falling oil price."The problems in Russia's economy have their origin within the borders of our country, at least to a great degree," he said. "These are most of all problems of our own making."Putin, who as president oversaw an eight-year economic boom, argued the country was relatively insulated from the economic shocks anticipated in the West, saying that Russia could buoy its economy through internal resources. The government has already outlined ambitious spending projects over the next few years, designed to build and overhaul existing infrastructure, and boost defense and social spending."Our economy is well prepared for a lengthy external shock," said Putin. "The setting aside of some oil profits in the budget means that the reserve fund will offset the decline in oil prices. The 2009 budget will be balanced even if oil averages at US$70 a barrel."Urals oil crude dropped last week below US$70 a barrel _ the level assumed by the budget. Any fall below that figure puts pressure on Russia's budget surplus, prompting speculation from analysts that the government would rein back spending on ambitious infrastructure and social programs.
But Putin ruled out any plans to reduce expenditure, and said the Kremlin could instead use its massive reserve fund to tap any shortfall.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin proposed on Tuesday that Russia and China gradually switch over to national currency payments in bilateral trade

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin proposed on Tuesday that Russia and China gradually switch over to national currency payments in bilateral trade, expected to total $50 billion in 2008. "We should consider improving the payment system for bilateral trade, including by gradually adopting a broader use of national currencies," Putin told a bilateral economic forum. He admitted the task would be tough, but said it was necessary amid the current problems with the dollar-based global economy. Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao described strengthening bilateral relations as "strategic." "Mutual investment by Russia and China has already exceeded $2 billion, this is a very good index," Jiabao said. He praised the success of numerous projects, including additional construction of China's Tianwan nuclear power plant and the opening of a joint pharmaceuticals center in Moscow. A number of large Russian companies, including state-run oil producer Rosneft and aluminum champion RusAl, are seeking to develop investment projects in China, Jiabao said. The Chinese premier said bilateral cooperation in the helicopter industry, mechanical engineering, the energy sector, timber production and innovation sector was also showing signs of progress. "China is a staunch supporter of Russia's accession to the WTO, but is categorically against politicizing the issue," Jiabao said. The Russian premier invited Chinese investors to join Russian timber projects.
"We welcome both domestic and foreign investment in Russia's timber sector," Putin said. "As one of the largest consumers of our products, China could be a source of such investment." He also offered Beijing Russia's assistance in developing a large passenger plane on the basis of Russia's experience with its wide-bodied Il-96 aircraft.

Russia and China on Tuesday signed a long-awaited deal to build an oil pipeline from Siberia to China after talks between Prime Minister Wen Jiabao

Russia and China on Tuesday signed a long-awaited deal to build an oil pipeline from Siberia to China after talks between Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.The leaders watched as Chinese state energy major CNPC and Russian state pipeline monopoly Transneft signed the deal to build the pipeline from the Siberian town of Skovorodino to the Chinese border.The pipeline agreed on Tuesday would have a capacity of 15 million tons of oil per year and would be a branch of the main East Siberia-Pacific Ocean trunk pipeline, which is still under construction, officials said.“We should deepen cooperation in the energy sphere. Long-term cooperation will help economic development and stability on world markets,” Wen said at the opening of a Russia-China business conference with Putin in Moscow.

Vladimir Putin said Russia views Kazakhstan as one of its closest allies

Russia views Kazakhstan as one of its closest allies, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at negotiations with Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov in Astana on Thursday. "The level of coordination of the steps between Russia and Kazakhstan is very high, and we view Kazakhstan as a very close ally," he said.
"This concerns all areas of our interaction, including, surely, the economic component," Putin said. "Against the background of the global economic and financial problems, it is natural that our enterprises that cooperate with each other may have some questions," Putin said. "This even more vividly demonstrates the need to further develop our interaction," Putin said. "Our economic relations are diversified very much. This includes the mineral, machine-building, energy, high technology, and other sectors," he said.

Andrei Kozlov,was shot dead in September 2006 as he left an amateur soccer match in Moscow.

Alexei Frenkel had acted out of revenge when he ordered the killing of Andrei Kozlov, the 41-year-old deputy head of Russia's central bank who had revoked Frenkel's banks' licences.Kozlov was shot dead in September 2006 as he left an amateur soccer match in Moscow.It was one of the highest-profile killings of then President Vladimir Putin's presidency, reviving memories of Russia's wild capitalism and contract killings of the 1990s.The jury found Frenkel guilty of ordering Kozlov's killing after deliberations of more than five hours at the Moscow City Court. Along with Frenkel, six others were convicted of charges related to the murder.Kozlov, in a crusade against money-laundering and corruption, revoked the licences of dozens of banks, the court was told."The motive for the crime was revenge," said state prosecutor Gulchekhra Ibragimova, adding that Frenkel had lost four of the banks he controlled due to Kozlov's tough actions."Kozlov was an enemy of shady dealers like Frenkel," she told journalists outside the court. "I believe the verdict is just."Ibragimova said sentences would be pronounced at the end of this week.The jurors decided to ask the court to mitigate the sentences of two of the seven found guilty, because they had cooperated with the investigation and admitted their guilt.Defence lawyers said one of the two had bought the pistol with which Kozlov was killed, while the other was the driver of the killers' getaway car.
Defence lawyers said they would appeal the jurors' decision.Frenkel, who strongly denied all accusations, had ordered a driver to pick him up at the court, apparently confident he would be acquitted, Russian media reported.