The Moscow Times

Market Matters: Struggling Stocks Spur New Record Oil Prices
Oil hit another record of just under $143 as global stocks tumbled last week, with the Dow briefly dipping into bear market territory as investors sought safety in gold, government debt and the Swiss franc.

News

British-Educated Russians Petition President
By Anna Smolchenko / Staff Writer More than 150 bankers, lawyers and journalists ask Putin to overturn the ""erroneous"" decision to close British Council offices.

Clinton, Obama Battle for Omsk
By Alexander Osipovich / Staff Writer In an unusually suspenseful race that has gripped the United States, Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are locked in a showdown for the Democratic nomination in the U.S. presidential election -- and it could all be decided this week when voters go to the polls in battlegrounds like California, Missouri and Minnesota.

Campaign Starts Without Medvedev
By Francesca Mereu / Staff Writer Presidential campaigning began in earnest Monday, with candidates sparring over Russia's place in the world in televised debates and the broadcast of a series of patriotic television commercials.

'Uzbek Princess' Gets State Post
Reuters Uzbek President Islam Karimov's daughter, Gulnara, tipped by analysts as his possible successor, has been appointed deputy foreign minister for cultural affairs, a government source said Monday.

Monitors Seek Better Terms for Observing Vote
The Associated Press Two senior officials from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe held talks Monday with Central Elections Commission chief Vladimir Churov in a bid to secure improved conditions for a mission to observe the March 2 presidential vote.

Zyuganov Says Vote Won't Be Fair
Reuters Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov said Monday that the presidential election next month could not be fair because the country was run by ""thieves.""

Ukraine Grants Kemerovo Reporter Asylum
By Natalya Krainova / Staff Writer A Kemerovo journalist and opposition activist said Monday that he had received political asylum in Ukraine after he complained of persecution by police for his critical coverage of regional authorities.

Opposition Activist Put in Mental Ward
By David Nowak / Staff Writer An opposition activist has been locked up in a psychiatric hospital in the Tver region, two colleagues and a hospital official said Monday.

Putin Makes Surprise Visit to Dagestan
The Associated Press President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit Monday to a military unit in Dagestan, where fighting in 1999 led to the Chechen war that first propelled him to popularity.

Suicide Bomb Rattles Israel
The Associated Press A suicide bomber on Monday blew himself up in the southern town that houses Israel's secretive nuclear reactor, killing at least one Israeli and wounding six, one critically, Israeli authorities said. Police said they killed a second attacker before he had a chance to detonate his explosives belt.

Pro-West Candidate Beats Rival in Serbia
By Dusan Stojanovic / The Associated Press Boris Tadic celebrated his re-election as Serbia's president by pledging Monday to stay on a pro-Western course despite nationalist anger over a looming declaration of independence by Kosovo province.

Scores Flee as Fighting Rages in Chad
The Associated Press Government forces and rebels clashed for a third day in Chad's capital Monday with gunfire and shelling heard throughout the city, a UN official said.

Queens and Geishas Samba at Rio Carnival
Reuters Brazil's carnival parades got off to a majestic start on Sunday night as dancers dressed as monarchs, courtiers and even roast pheasants at a royal feast shimmied their way through Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome.

Millions Stranded as China Suffers Its Coldest Winter
Reuters Millions remained stranded in China on Monday ahead of the biggest holiday of the year as parts of the country suffered their coldest winter in a century.

U.S. Race Costliest in History
Reuters Corporate America is pouring money into the U.S. presidential campaign at an unprecedented rate, with a torrent of donations coming from the businesses behind the subprime mortgage crisis.

Rivals in Dead Heat Before U.S. Vote
By Ellen Wulfhorst / Reuters U.S. Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were in a dead heat a day before the biggest round of presidential voting so far. With 24 states holding nominating contests Tuesday, the candidates crisscrossed the country, leading rallies and urging supporters to get out and vote.

Business

Markets Tick Up on Repo Rate Increases
Reuters, Bloomberg Markets reacted calmly Monday to the Central Bank's decision to raise interest rates and reserve requirements, and analysts said the bank was bound to use the ruble exchange rate to defeat inflation.

ArcelorMittal Faces $1Bln in Taxes
Bloomberg ArcelorMittal, the world's biggest steelmaker, is planning to appeal a court ruling in Kazakhstan that would force its local division to pay 132.4 billion tenge ($1.1 billion) in back taxes and fines.

Ford Workers Vote to Accept Pay Deal
Reuters Workers at Ford's car plant near St. Petersburg have approved a pay deal offered by management and agreed not to repeat strike action in the immediate future, union leader Alexei Etmanov said Monday.

Nabucco Pipeline Supplies in Doubt
Bloomberg The viability of a planned 3,200-kilometer natural gas pipeline from eastern Turkey to Austria is in doubt because of a halt to gas exports from Central Asia, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

Unilever Buys Ice Cream Manufacturer
By Tai Adelaja / Staff Writer Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch food and household products group, said Monday it would acquire leading Russian ice cream firm Inmarko for an undisclosed sum.

Norilsk Considers Buyback
Bloomberg Norilsk Nickel will consider buying back shares and will sell its energy assets that the company failed to spin off into a $7 billion company in December.

Terzyan Sells Stake in Trust
Bloomberg, MT Artashes Terzyan, co-owner of Trust Banking Holding, has agreed to sell his shares in the holding company for units once controlled by jailed billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Terzyan held about 16 percent of closely held Trust Banking, a spokesman said.

Kazakhstan Hikes Gas Transit Prices
Bloomberg Kazakhstan said Monday it had raised the price for shipping gas to Gazprom by 27 percent.

Court Upholds Berezovsky's Conviction
Reuters A Moscow court on Monday upheld a six-year jail term against self-exiled businessman and fierce Kremlin critic Boris Berezovsky for embezzling millions of dollars from the Aeroflot airline.

RusAl Plans Projects in China and Guinea
Reuters, AP The Russian firm will expand in Guinea in partnership with China Power Investment.

Zubkov to Run for Gazprom
Reuters Gazprom confirmed on Monday that Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov was the top-ranked official running for its board after sources said he was set to become chairman of the world's largest gas firm.

North Korea Tries to Sell Its Best on New Web Site
By Kelly Olsen / The Associated Press Fancy a sleek made-in-North Korea SUV? How about a pair of boxing gloves from the famously pugnacious communist country? They're potentially just a click away.

French Seek Strict Bank Rules
Reuters France's finance minister on Monday proposed tighter risk controls on banks after a rogue-trading scandal cost Societe Generale 4.9 billion euros ($7.3 billion), saying the bank was warned last year its security systems were not up to scratch.

Bush Sees a Deficit as U.S. Economy Slows
By Caren Bohan / Reuters U.S. President George W. Bush acknowledged Monday that a slowing U.S. economy would lead to a higher budget deficit this year and next, as he unveiled a $3.1 trillion fiscal 2009 spending plan that would boost military funding but nearly freeze many domestic programs.

Opinion

The Master of Bluff
By Gregory Feifer Long before President Vladimir Putin publicly anointed Dmitry Medvedev to take over the Kremlin in December, the heir's words were being parsed for signs of what kind of leader he would make. But if there is one lesson to be learned from observing Putin's own presidency, it's precisely to avoid that mistake.

Kozak's New Macroregions
By Nikolai Petrov With one month remaining before the presidential election and the subsequent reshuffling of the government, Regional Development Minister Dmitry Kozak, who is one of the people closest to President Vladimir Putin, has announced a host of initiatives that have been called a ""new concept for regional politics.""

City Wise

Watch Snowboarding Over Moscow
By Maria Antonova One of the international snowboarding events, the Snowboard FIS World Cup, will take place in Moscow this year. Fifty snowboarders from 14 countries will show their skills in an event called Big Air, one of the more high-risk freestyle disciplines, which consists of one ""big jump."" To accommodate for this in the generally flat Russian capital, a huge trampoline has been constructed on Vorobyovy Gory, right across from the main building of Moscow State University. For nearly a month, students watched as the 46-meter structure was taking shape and being covered with artificial snow.

New Tickets, Higher Prices
By James Marson / Staff Writer Passengers will no longer slide paper tickets into metro turnstiles -- from now on, only contactless Ultralait tickets will be accepted.

Business in Brief

Business in Brief
Kiriyenko Changes JobsEvraz Unit TargetedSistema Raises Bank StakeRostelecom's Latvian InterestPremiers Ask EU for StudyAvtoVAZ Drops Magna DealMild Winter Hurts NovatekGazprom Neft's 2020 GoalsFor the Record

Beijing Not Keeping Its Olympic Promises
The New York Times Six months away from the 2008 Olympics, China has jailed another inconvenient dissident. Hu Jia was dragged from his home by state police agents, and last week he was formally charged with inciting subversion. To earn the right to host the Olympics, China promised to improve its human rights record. Instead, it appears determined to silence anyone who dares to tell the truth about its abuses.

Fusion in Name Only
By Nathan Toohey / Staff Writer A name like Fusion Cafe evokes images of high-tech, club-like interiors, copious chrome fittings, acid-etched glass tables and tiny halogen lamps strung above on wires. Naturally, you would expect to find such dishes as lightly seared tuna served with foie gras, wasabi mashed potato and the like. So, it's a bit of a shock to find the recently opened Fusion Cafe could not be more different.

Pan-Fried Sea Bass With Beetroot
Andrei Nikitin is chef at the Conservatory Lounge & Bar at the Ararat Park Hyatt Hotel.

News in Brief
Deputy Warns PolandIKEA Employee KilledWorries Over Kyrgyz DeathsSouth Korean Man Robbed2 Activists Pardoned

Sochi to Get $3.3Bln Over Next 3 Years
The Moscow Times Around 81 billion rubles ($3.3 billion) will be invested for the construction of buildings and the development of infrastructure for the 2014 Sochi Olympics over the next three years, Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov said Monday.

Lukashenko Offers Building Help
The Moscow Times Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko told President Vladimir Putin on Sunday that his country was ready to help with construction for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Mirax Expects $1Bln in Local Projects for '08
Bloomberg Mirax Group, a Moscow-based developer building Ukraine's tallest building, plans to invest $1 billion in Russian property projects this year as demand for office and residential space grows.

Regions Checking Out of Soviet-Era Hotels
By John Wendle / Staff Writer The days of Russian hotels that featured surprise cold showers, burned-out light bulbs and mysterious-smelling blankets are slowly passing into the realm of funny memories.

Bubbly, Blini on the Bishops Avenue
By Kevin Sullivan / The Washington Post Mikhail Gorbachev makes an unlikely appearance at a swank real estate party after meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Real Estate In Brief
Real Estate In Brief

2 Different Sources of Pride
By Konstantin Sonin A colleague from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Professor Scott Gehlbach, said to me the other day, ""U.S. voters support Barack Obama for the same reason Russians supported President Vladimir Putin -- they want to feel proud of their country again.""

Community Bulletin Board

Community Bulletin Board
How to Submit Items Community Bulletin Board is published every Tuesday. Please submit notices of up to 40 words by noon Thursday. E-mail community@imedia.ru , call +7 (495) 234-3223 or fax +7 (495) 232-6529. The International Women's Club will hold it next General Meeting on the 14th of February at the embassy of Finland, Kropotkinskaya 15/17 from 10am till 12 noon. For more info, please see www.iwcmoscow.ru Moscow School 309 for Handicapped Children seeks donations for their psychological development program. Table-top games and sports equipment (for motor skills, hand-eye coordination and spatial orientation); child-sized sofas; Lego-Duplos; and computer equipment would be greatly appreciated. Please call Larisa Mikhailovna at 184-3703 (Russian) or e-mail Nina Alexandrovna at glades54@mail.ru (English). Music lovers of all levels, ages and nationalities are invited to join us in singing Faure's Requiem. Moscow International Choir's spring season is just starting.

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