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Post by smartarse on Aug 22, 2006 12:42:03 GMT 10
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Post by smartarse on Sept 7, 2006 14:11:16 GMT 10
There is some crazy shit going down in Russia. Here is the first part of a recent story on the issue from Janes Information Group
Racial violence escalates in Russia
A bomb attack on Moscow's Cherkizovsky market on 21 August, which Moscow police attributed to extreme nationalists, killed 11 people and injured more than 30 others. Three students were subsequently charged with ethnically motivated murder, one of whom stated their motivation for targeting the market was because "there were too many people of Asian origin working there".
Growing extreme nationalism mirrors a wider xenophobia that exists in certain sections of Russian society. This has been driven particularly by large-scale immigration, both legal and illegal, from various Asian and ex-Soviet Central Asian and Caucasian states.
Combined with the serious demographic crisis Russia is experiencing with its decreasing population, this has led certain members of Russian society to believe that the country is being overrun by foreigners, who are in turn blamed for problems facing ethnic Russians. These fears can also be linked into Moscow's bid to revive national pride and the nationalistic tone of its own policies, such as its bid to maintain sovereign integrity in places such as Chechnya.
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Post by Julian on Sept 20, 2006 10:52:51 GMT 10
I figured I'd beat Tim in posting the latest Russia article from IHT. The government has cited environmental concerns to stop a massive, Shell-backed liquified natural gas project, seemingly in order for Gazprom to get in on the act. "This is a negotiating technique, like a kick in the shin is a negotiating technique". "The Russian Trading System stock market shrugged off the announcement because investors in Russia now expect such actions by the government. The market closed up 1.1 percent on Monday." www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/18/business/shell.php
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Post by smartarse on Sept 20, 2006 15:03:09 GMT 10
well done Julian, beat me to it mate.
For people who are interested in understanding this event in its broader context, check out the debate over Russia's acceptance of the Energy Charter, which US seems to be suggesting is a pre-requisite for Russia joinging the WTO
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Post by rudro2000 on Jan 3, 2007 23:58:51 GMT 10
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Post by smartarse on Jun 14, 2007 14:53:41 GMT 10
Fascinating interview with the lawyer of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, talking about what influence nations can have on Russia and some good background on the Khodorkovsky case and general state of affairs in Russia. Watch the video if you can, the lawyer is a pretty engaging interviewee www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2007/s1950676.htm
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