The October 4 Russia-EU summit in London, as well as the talks Russian President Vladimir Putin held with Belgian leaders in Brussels on October 3 and with British Prime Minister Tony Blair on October 5, once again laid bare an important aspect of modern geopolitical... MORE

On September 25, the Union of Right Forces and Yabloko, Russia's two main democratic parties, announced the formation of coalition for the December 4 Moscow City Duma election. The two parties will field a single list of candidates. Evoking the old adage: "Our strength is... MORE

Russian leaders were delighted, even gleeful, when Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was fired in early September. Their unabashed gloating confirms that Moscow still does not realize why its interference in the 2004 Ukrainian presidential elections failed so miserably (see EDM, September 23). Instead, Russian... MORE

During his September 27 call-in television program, Russian President Vladimir Putin once again invoked one of his favorite themes. Specifically, he stressed that under his leadership Russia is developing new hypersonic, high-precision missiles that can change their course and altitude unlike any other missiles belonging... MORE

In a statement on September 29, Russia's Natural Resources Ministry rejected a feasibility study for a Siberia-to-Pacific crude oil pipeline. The pipeline would pass within just 800 meters of Lake Baikal, a violation of Russia's environmental legislation. According to the Ministry, "As the pipeline crosses... MORE

As widely predicted, the September 29 referendum on the proposed amnesty (the second since 1999) was a resounding ‘yes,' although the monolithic media campaign made any other result unlikely. The issue is a thorny question for human rights activists, since—unlike the Truth and Reconciliation committees... MORE

The first editions of the weekly al-Qaeda TV news broadcasts, under the heading Sawt al-Khilafa (Voice of the Caliphate) have now appeared via the Internet. Dedicated to Osama bin Laden and Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri, Mulla Omar and Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi, the Islamic armies in Chechnya,... MORE

Egyptian police have spent the weeks following the July 23 bombings of Sharm al-Sheikh searching for bomb suspects and others involved in attacks. On September 28, they appear to have made progress, given the announcement that police forces shot and killed Moussa Mohamed Salem Badran... MORE

Following the September 2004 tragedy in Beslan, the Russian State Duma adopted President Vladimir Putin's new law to eliminate the direct election of regional leaders. Now, all incoming governors in Russia are appointed by the president, subject to approval by local parliaments. Tatarstan, a republic... MORE

Last week 11 leading Russian economic experts sent a letter to Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov warning about the possible – and possibly grave – negative economic consequences from the planned massive increases in budget spending on various social programs (Vedomosti, September 30). The government is... MORE