Russian Railways President Vladimir Yakunin is on a working visit to the United States of America. On 11 May 2011, he had a meeting with Robert VanderClute, Senior Vice President for Safety and Operations of the Association of American Railroads, and Robert Reum, President of Amsted Industries. 

I joined in a formidable display of British-Russian solidarity yesterday on the quarterdeck of HMS Belfast, the retired Royal Navy light cruiser permanently achored on the Thames between the London and Tower bridges.

The occasion was Victory Day and the commemoration of the Arctic convoys through which British merchant navy ships with Royal Navy escorts, of which the Belfast is the last survivor, sailed through the icy Arctic waters to deliver to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk much needed arms, clothing and food to sustain the Soviet armed forces in their Second Front against the Nazi war machine.

US direct marketing company Herbalife has launched local manufacturing in Russia in partnership with  CM Michel company. Since April 2011 Herbalife Ltd.  has provided consumers with the first products manufactured in Russia — the line of body care creams "White tea". Herbalife’s new products were developed according the specifics of Russian market and consumers demands.

Russia's president, speaking to the annual Victory Day display of military might on Red Square, says the country is committed to peace and global stability.

The Monday parade, marking the surrender of Nazi Germany in World War II, saw some 20,000 servicemen march in precision formation through the vast square outside the Kremlin, followed by 100 pieces of mobile military hardware from armored personnel carriers to lumbering Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile launchers.

In a speech to the troops and guests, President Dmitry Medvedev said "today Russia firmly upholds the principles of peaceful cooperation, consistently advocates for a security system and contributes to the overall effort to maintain global stability in the world."

Yesterday evening President Dmitry Medvedev met veterans at a ceremony in Moscow’s Armed forces Museum.

Several of the former soldiers invited him to join them in the mobile kitchen trailer in the Museum’s courtyard. They were all wearing medals denoting personal courage and distinguished service.

The president thanked them for their part in the victory over the Nazis and led them in a toast to the public holiday which has become known as ‘Victory Day’.

In London today wreaths will be laid at the Russian war memorial in the grounds of the Imperial War Museum and this afternoon HRH the Duke of Kent and the Russian Ambassador to the UK, Alexander Yakovenko will be present at a celebrations aboard HMS Belfast on the Thames.

David Cameron, British prime minister will not attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2011 on June 16-18, sending foreign scretary William Hague in his stead, BSR has learned from British and Russian sources. Chinese President Hu Jintao, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodrigues Zapatero, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Finnish President Tarja Halonen, President of the Dominican Republic Leonel Antonio Fernandez Reyna, and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa have all confirmed they will take part  in the Forum,  Russian Economic Development Ministry has confirmed.

By John Bonar

Lord Wallace of Saltaire, government whip in the British upper house of parliament, the Lords, with departmental responsibilities covering the FCO, the Ministry of Defence, and the Department for Education revealed in a House of Lords debate on Chechnya and the North Caucasus on Friday that the British government have invited Alexander Khloponin, a Russian deputy Prime Minister and the federally appointed administrator for the north Caucasus, to visit the United Kingdom.

Targetting British manufacturing, research and technology development firms representatives from Russian Special Economic Zones are hosting a presentation in London on 26th May.

The event, which is free of charge, is being sponsored by the Russian JSC 'SEZ' and is supported by The Russia House Ltd and the Trade Delegation of the Russian Federation in the UK.

BP today welcomed Rosneft as its new partner in its German refining joint venture, Ruhr Oel GmbH (ROG).

This follows the completion of the deal announced last October in which BP’s existing partner, PdVSA of Venezuela, agreed to sell its 50 per cent interest in the joint venture to Rosneft. The deal became effective from 1 May 2011.

Tickets for the Olympic Summer Games of 2012 in the city of London have gone on sale in Russia. General rules of the tickets distribution were announced today by the official ticket sub-distributor, KASSIR.RU. In accordance with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the London 2012 organizers, the handling fees are fixed for every country around the world and will not exceed 20% of the ticket price (maximum 40 pounds sterling; the fees are included in the ticket price).