The latest: Russian Firm Sues Motorola for Breach of Patent

22.05.2006
Russian Firm Sues Motorola for Breach of Patent
A Russian telecoms operator has accused Motorola of a breach of patent rights and said it would take the telecom giant to court. Market analysts have said the move by RussGPS amounted to what they described as “patent-related blackmail,” aimed at ousting Motorola from the Russian market.

22.05.2006
Black Box From Crashed Armenian Airliner Recovered
One of the two flight data recorders from the Armenian Airbus-320 passenger plane, which crashed into the Black Sea off Sochi on May 3, has been found, Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin said. The black box recorded the conversation between the pilot and crew and had been buried under 20-50 centimeters of silt.

22.05.2006
1995 Russian Hospital Siege Terrorist Gets 12 Years
A militant involved in a bloody 1995 hospital attack in south Russia that left almost 150 dead has been sentenced to 12 years in prison by a regional court. Nur-Magomed Khatuyev was sentenced under charges including terrorism, kidnapping, and illegally carrying weapons for his involvement in the attack on a hospital in the town of Budyonnovsk, led by Basayev, Russia’s most-wanted man.

22.05.2006
U.S. Should Press Russia on Democracy — Rice
Russia should be pressed on democratic reforms, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in an interview, adding that Moscow should not intimidate its neighbors. But, she said, the U.S. still has a good relationship with Moscow, for Russia “is not the Soviet Union.”

22.05.2006
Russia Not Considering Supplies to Afghan Army — Source
Moscow has denied Western media claims of the U.S.’ alleged intention to buy “an unthinkable amount” of ammunition from Russia for Afghanistan. “Moscow is not considering large deliveries of ammunition to Afghanistan, and the United States has not made any such offer,” a high-ranking Russian diplomat said.

22.05.2006
Volunteers Guard Bronze Soviet Soldier Against Estonians
Groups of young volunteers from the Estonian capital have organized night patrols at the monument to the Soviet Liberator in central Tallinn. From midnight to Monday morning, groups of youth patrolled the square near the monument, which was once again vandalized on Saturday night, when two drunk Estonians painted the bronze monument in the colours of Estonian national flag.

22.05.2006
Russia to Supply Ammunition to Afghanistan at U.S. Request — Report
U.S. defense officials have secretly requested a “prodigious quantity” of ammunition from Russia to supply the Afghan army in case a Democrat president takes over in Washington and pulls out American troops, British media reported. Pentagon chiefs have asked arms suppliers for a quote on a vast amount of ordnance, the paper said citing its sources.

22.05.2006
Russia, Saudi Arabia to Fight Terrorism Together — FM
At the Russian Foreign Minister’s talks with the Saudi leadership the sides reached an agreement on the creation of a joint working group for issues of fighting against international terrorism. “I hope that this structure will hold its first meeting soon,” Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said.

22.05.2006
New Members Hurt EU-Russia Relations — Envoy
The EU’s new member states are spoiling Moscow’s relationship with the bloc due to “phantom pains of the past,” a top Russian diplomat said in the run-up to the EU-Russia summit this week.

22.05.2006
8 Killed in Russian Military Dormitory Fire Near Moscow
Eight people, including two children, died when fire broke out in a military dormitory outside Moscow on Monday, the Emergencies Ministry said. The blaze completely destroyed the single-storied brick building in Shchyolkovo district north of the Russian capital.

22.05.2006
Kosovo Status Talks to Intensify after Montenegro Vote — Russian MP
Discussions over the status of Kosovo will become more intense after Sunday’s referendum on the independence of Montenegro, a senior member of the lower chamber of Russia’s parliament said Monday.

22.05.2006
Russian Seaman Killed in New Zealand Accident
Maritime New Zealand has launched an investigation into the death of a Russian seaman onboard a container ship in Lyttelton Port on Sunday night.

22.05.2006
Russian Governor Charged With Fraud After Refusal to Sack Senator
Prosecutors have launched a criminal case against the governor of the northern Nenets region, a former oil company head, on charges of fraud and embezzlement. The news came shortly after the local legislature defied an order from Moscow to sack their representative in the Russian upper house of parliament.

22.05.2006
Venezuela’s Chavez Prefers Russian Su30 Jets, Says May Offer U.S. F16 to Iran
President Hugo Chavez said Venezuela will offer to sell its fleet of 21 U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to any country it chooses, including Iran, while looking to buy new warplanes from Russia. “The Sukhoi 30 are 100 times better than the F16s,” said Chavez, whose military is also buying 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles from Russia.

22.05.2006
U.S. Envoy Pledges Support to Ukraine in Revising Russia Gas Deal
Ukraine can count on support from the United States if it wishes to reconsider its gas deal with Russia, U.S. Ambassador told a local daily.

22.05.2006
Two Rebels Killed in Security Raid Near Chechnya
Two rebels were killed and three Russian policemen wounded during a special raid in Dagestan near Chechnya, local security officials reported Sunday.

22.05.2006
Russia, Saudi Arabia Oppose Iran Sanctions, Call for More Diplomacy to End Standoff
Russia and Saudi Arabia said that they were in agreement in opposing sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program while favoring more diplomacy to resolve the standoff. “I do not think we have yet exhausted a diplomatic solution to this issue,” Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal told the press at a joint news conference with Russia’s Sergei Lavrov.

22.05.2006
Third Annual Moscow World Fine Art Fair Opens at Restored Manege
The Moscow World Fine Art Fair returns to the Russian capital for its third time on May 22-29, 2006 at the newly restored historic Manege, the city’s largest historic cultural complex.