The latest: Outsiders Should Stay Out of Israel-Lebanon Conflict

15.08.2006
Outsiders Should Stay Out of Israel-Lebanon Conflict — Russian Envoy
While Russia said it had played a crucial role in seeking the long-awaited ceasefire to the Israel-Lebanon conflict which killed more than 1,000 people, it cautioned outside parties not to meddle in the Middle East crisis.

15.08.2006
Israel Finds Evidence That Syria, Iran Arm Hezbollah With Russian Weapons
Abandoned Hezbollah positions in Lebanon yesterday revealed conclusive evidence that Syria — and almost certainly Iran — provided the Russian-made anti-tank missiles that have blunted the power of Israel’s once invincible armor.

15.08.2006
Russian Official Says Iranian Holocaust Cartoon Competition Unacceptable
Tehran’s decision to launch a Holocaust cartoon competition is as unacceptable as the Prophet Mohammed cartoons in the European press, a senior member of Russia’s lower chamber of parliament said Tuesday.

15.08.2006
Russian Army to Practice Repelling Invasion From the East — Paper
Russia’s military will practice repelling a foreign invasion during exercises this month in the country’s far east. The maneuvers will take place on the Kamchatka peninsula some time in the second half of August and will be presided over by President Vladimir Putin, sources on the military’s general staff said.

15.08.2006
Russian Girl Mocks Million Dollar Homepage Selling Own Naked Body
A Russian girl called Natasha has put up her body for sale on the Internet. Customers may request that she draws or writes anything on the millimeters they pay for.

15.08.2006
Russian Dementieva Wins Carson Tennis Title
Going deep into a tournament often means three-set matches and a lot of court time for Elena Dementieva. The extra effort was worth it Sunday, when Dementieva outlasted Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to win the JPMorgan Chase Open championship.

15.08.2006
Police Uncover Pirate Factory Producing Marijuana-Based Painkillers
Police have busted fraudsters who have been selling counterfeit painkillers made from marijuana in Kiev, Ukraine’s capital.

15.08.2006
Russian Athletes Face Probe After Doping Find in Gothenburg
Swedish media on Tuesday singled out Russian athletes competing in the European Championships in Gothenburg as potential culprits for alleged doping after syringes and banned substances were found near a hotel where they stayed during the competition.

15.08.2006
KGB Used Clairvoyants as Agents — Report
Allegations that Soviet rulers enlisted services of clairvoyants to spy on their enemies seem to have found confirmation, a popular Russian daily claims.

15.08.2006
Russian Diaspora in Latvia Doubts Putin’s Repatriation Scheme
Russian President Vladimir Putin in June gave the nod to a package of incentives aimed at bringing ethnic Russians living abroad back to Russia. Latvia, whose large Russian diaspora has long been complaining of bad treatment, is one country where this program seems likely to generate interest.

15.08.2006
Ukraine’s New PM Heads to Russia for Talks
Newly appointed Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych is heading to Russia where he is due to meet Russian leaders in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi.

15.08.2006
Russia’s Hermitage Director Apologizes for Art Theft
The director of Russia’s State Hermitage Museum apologized for the theft of $5 million worth of jewelry, icons and precious items, as police recovered more items from the famed museum. The country’s top culture official, meanwhile, warned that the reputation of all Russian museums would depend on the outcome of the ongoing nationwide museum inventory.

15.08.2006
U.S. Court Says Former U.S. Consul Immune in Russia Car Wreck Lawsuit
A former U.S. consul sued over a 1998 car wreck in Russia which caused a diplomatic dispute has immunity because he was driving his own car to help the U.S. government save money, a U.S. court has ruled. Back in 1998 Douglas Kent, former U.S. consul general to Russia’s Far East, was involved in a car accident in Vladivostok in which a Russian man was seriously injured.

15.08.2006
Russian Daily Says U.S. Interfering in Russia-Georgia Relations
A Russian newspaper has voiced indignation at a U.S. government statement on tensions in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, saying it amounted to “active interference” in the country, which has become a bone of contention between Moscow and Washington.

15.08.2006
No Clear Favorite in Putin Successor Race — Poll
There is no clear favorite in the race to replace Vladimir Putin in Russia, a poll by Bashkirova & Partners revealed. Only nine percent of Russians would vote for deputy prime minister Dmitry Medvedev in the next presidential election. And his potential rivals would receive even less votes.

15.08.2006
Russia to Probe Price Fixing by Real Estate Developers in Moscow, St. Petersburg
Russian prosecutors have ordered a probe of suspected price fixing by building companies in Moscow and St. Petersburg as property prices soar to records in the longest boom since the fall of the Soviet Union.