Russia's anti-corruption drive a flop says poll
A poll by the independent Levada Centre of 1,600 Russians shows 37% consider Putin has failed to curb corruption in the country. The poll was conducted at the end of July this year and the results published today on the polling company's wen site. The battle against corruption was cited as the biggest failure of Putin, who was president for two terms from 2000 to 2008, and then became Prime Minister.
Russians snap up Bulgarian seaside properties
Russian are flocking to Bulgaria seeking property deals away from Russia's heat and forest fires, report Bulgarian media. Middle class Russian businessmen are hurrying to buy homes in Bulgarian Black Sea resorts and to send their families there to escape the heat and fires raging in Russia.
Medvedev puts agriculture at top of agenda
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev held a meeting in Taganrog yesterday on the stabilisation of the domestic grain market. Measures to address the consequences of the drought, support for agricultural producers and food prices were also discussed.The meeting was attended by Presidential Aide Arkady Dvorkovich, Agriculture Minister Yelena Skrynnik, Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Southern Federal District Vladimir Ustinov, Rostov Region Governor Vasily Golubev, Deputy Finance Minister Alexander Novak and heads of agricultural enterprises and cooperatives.
The President stressed the importance of interaction between the regions in addressing these issues and rigorous control over the funds allocated to support agricultural producers who have suffered losses. To date, financial support totals about 35 billion rubles, and further allocations are expected from the regions.
The meeting participants discussed in detail grain market pricing, the development of logistics capabilities in Russia to satisfy the needs of the regions affected by wildfires and the drought, the exports moratorium, as well as the possibility of extending the loans for agribusinesses and the forecast start of fodder grain trading from the intervention fund.
The President instructed the Government to monitor food prices in connection with a poor harvest caused by natural disasters.
Commenting on the decision to impose a temporary moratorium on the export of grain, the President stressed the need to provide legal support to exporters on a state level, to make sure that foreign buyers unequivocally see the temporary ban as a force majeure and inability to make deliveries.
Earlier Dmitry Medvedev held a working meeting with Governor of the Rostov Region Vasily Golubev, who briefed the President about the socio-economic situation in the region.
Is there a future for low cost carriers in Russia?
Is there a future for low cost carriers in Russia?
Russia’s first low-cost airline Sky Express has been threatened with licence withdrawel because of consistently delayed flights. Aspirations to be a Russian Ryan Air have collapsed under the pressures of 40% import duty on planes, monopolized high-cost services at airports and a lack of second airports at most regional cities which, in other countries, offer low-cost alternatives for budget carriers.
Raven to launch Nizhny Novgorod logistics complex
British fund Raven Russian, in cooperation with Avalon group, has announced plans to invest between $50m and $100m building a logistics complex in Nizhny Novgorod region.
Sakhalin's Odoptu field to launch production
Exxon Mobil Corp. will begin oil production from Sakhalin-1’s Odoptu field off Russia’s Pacific coast, at the end of September, spokeswoman Dilyara Sydykova said. The field will add 30,000 barrels a day of oil to Russia’s balance during the month, according to a report released today by the International Energy Agency.
Danone to sell WBD stake after Unimilk deal
Groupe Danone SA, the world’s largest yogurt maker, agreed to sell its 18.4 percent stake in OAO Wimm-Bill-Dann back to the Russian company for $470 million as it shifts to an alliance with competitor OAO Unimilk.
Severstal attempts to sell US steel mills
Severstal , Russia's largest steelmaker, has put some of its loss-making U.S. mills for sale, several sources told American Metal Market in an article posted on its website. The report stated that Severstal is looking to sell operations in Warren, Ohio, in Sparrows Point, Maryland and in Wheeling, West Virginia and that it has sent information packets about the operations to a range of steel majors.
S-300 missiles have been in Abkhazia over a year, official says
Russia says it has deployed S-300 anti-aircraft missiles in the breakaway region of Abkhazia in Georgia. The Georgian government - which refuses to acknowledge Abkhazia's independence - says it is "concerned" by the move. The announcement comes just days after an unscheduled visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to the region.
Firefighters winning in Russia
The number and extent of forest fires in Russia's central European provinces appeared to be abating for the first time in days, a senior government official said Thursday. Vladimir Stepanov, head of the national crisis centre, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that the number of fires and the area of land burning had fallen in the past 24 hours.