The Moscow Times

Market Matters : Oil Tax Pledge Buoys Markets
Markets surged after the swearing-in of Dmitry Medvedev as president in a pomp-filled ceremony Wednesday and a tax-cutting speech by Vladimir Putin the day after, when he was approved as prime minister.

News

News in Brief
Tri Kita Case Goes to CourtChechen Battle Kills OneSpace Glitch FoundKosovo Plan Irks Moscow17 Demands for SaakashviliAzeri Fighter Jet CrashesTajik Power CutsBelarussian Elections in FallFor the Record

Rogozin Gives NATO Leader a Tomahawk
The Moscow Times In a sign that Russia is keen to draw a line under recent squabbles with NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, the country's new envoy to the alliance presented Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer with a souvenir tomahawk Monday.

Hate Crimes Grew by 13% Last Year
The Associated Press Hate crimes are on the rise in Russia, with a growing number of attacks resulting in fatalities, while authorities often exploit xenophobic sentiments for political purposes, the Sova rights group said Tuesday.

Medvedev Appeals to Fellow Lawyers
By Anna Smolchenko / Staff Writer Dmitry Medvedev, the prohibitive favorite to replace incumbent Vladimir Putin after the presidential election in March, called on fellow lawyers on Tuesday to take a more prominent role in society and to battle the ""legal nihilism"" he says grips the country.

Explosion Kills One at Bus Stop
The Moscow Times An explosive device detonated at a bus stop in Oryol early Tuesday, killing one man. The device exploded at around 4:30 a.m. at the city's Magazin bus stop, which was deserted apart from the man, who was believed to be in his 30s, Interfax reported.

England's Eton May School a Kremlin Leader
By Max Delany / Staff Writer Forget the diplomatic spat. Russia's elite are sending their offspring to study at top British schools in ever-increasing numbers.

Arrest in Deripaska Blackmail Case
By David Nowak / Staff Writer Police have detained a once-affluent journalist whose gambling addiction cost him his fortune for attempting to blackmail Basic Element owner Oleg Deripaska for $42,000, officials said Tuesday.

OSCE Criticizes Observer Restrictions
The Associated Press The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said Tuesday that Russia has placed severe limits on the work it can carry out during its March presidential election.

TV Debates Decided Without Medvedev
By Natalya Krainova and Francesca Mereu / Staff Writers The Central Elections Commission on Tuesday finalized the schedule for televised debates between candidates in the March 2 presidential election. But viewers won't be seeing front-runner Dmitry Medvedev squaring off against his three opponents.

Student Spends Holiday in Hole
By Carl Schreck / Staff Writer University students traditionally celebrate Jan. 25, or St. Tatyana's Day, by getting drunk while police turn a blind eye to their excesses on the last day of the winter session.

Israel Backs Abbas Plan to Control Egyptian Border
Reuters Israel will not stand in the way of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas taking control of Gaza's breached border with Egypt as part of a deal to sideline Hamas Islamists who rule the enclave, officials said Tuesday.

McCain and Romney Hammer Away
The Associated Press John McCain and Mitt Romney hammered each other on the economy and national security as voting began Tuesday in a pivotal Florida primary that could anoint a Republican presidential front-runner and end Rudy Giuliani's bid for the White House.

Deadly Storms Cause Chaos in China
The Associated Press Deadly winter storms -- the worst in five decades -- showed no signs of letting up Tuesday in China, where cities were blacked out, transport systems were paralyzed and a bus crash on an icy road killed at least 25 people during the nation's busiest travel season.

Turkey's Headscarf Ban Could Be Eased
By Hidir Goktas and Gareth Jones / Reuters The ruling party and opposition nationalists have submitted plans to allow a traditional Turkish style.

Annan Attempts Mediation in Kenya
By Nick Tattersall / Reuters Former UN chief Kofi Annan launched formal mediation efforts on Tuesday to end the post-election crisis in Kenya, where the killing of an opposition legislator stoked bloody protests.

Business

Deripaska Back-Taxes Case Raises Eyebrows
By Catrina Stewart / Staff Writer The country's tax authorities are seeking 100 million rubles ($4 million) in back taxes from Oleg Deripaska's Basic Element holding, a claim some analysts fear may carry political overtones.

PwC Appeal Denied in Yukos Case
Bloomberg A Moscow court terminated an appeal by PricewaterhouseCoopers' Russian unit, affirming an earlier ruling that the company had prepared two diverging sets of audits for Yukos, a court spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Government to Begin Taking Carbon-Trading Applications
Reuters The government on Tuesday opened the door to applications from entrepreneurs and big polluters to profit from greenhouse gas emissions cuts by selling them to Western countries.

Ferrero Sees Big Market in Russia's Sweet Tooth
By Tai Adelaja / Staff Writer Some sweet news for the country's chocolate lovers. Ferrero, an Italian-based producer of premium confectionery, wants to swell the market with 25,000 tons of its Raffaello and Kinder Chocolate in the coming year.

Tymoshenko Enlists EU Help on Gas
Bloomberg, MT, AP The European Union supports Ukraine's attempt to revise its natural gas agreement with Russia, which would allow the country to sign a long-term accord, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said Tuesday.

Business in Brief
Steelmakers Drive Stocks UpHigher Gas Tax ProposedTNK-BP's Pipeline LinkTelenor Scores Board WinPeugeot Plans $440M PlantMichelin Tires for ToyotaMetalloinvest Gets ContractsLenta Hires RenCapFor the Record

Opinion

Successful Start to Ukraine's New Government
By Anders Aslund After Ukraine's extraordinary parliamentary elections on Sept. 30, it took no less than 2 1/2 months to form a government, and it was confirmed by the slightest of parliamentary margins. The new coalition government headed by Yulia Tymoshenko, however, has started ambitiously and auspiciously.

Putin's Balkan Mischief
By Morton Abramowitz Russia is again on a tear. This time, the Kremlin has stuck its finger in the West's eye over the long and painful effort to bring Kosovo to formal independence. Unlike the fracas over a planned U.S. missile defense shield in Europe, this conflict shows no signs of blowing over, and threatens to damage further the rocky relationship between Russia and the West.

: Mogilevich the Spoiler
Semyon Mogilevich was arrested in Moscow on Jan. 23. He is a reported crime boss who enjoys a spot on the most-wanted list in many countries -- much like Osama bin Laden.

Sports

China Flips on Builders' Deaths
By Stephen Wade / The Associated Press A Chinese official grudgingly acknowledged Monday that six workers have died working on venues for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

City Wise

Drinking Vodka the Russian Way
Drinking is the joy of the Rus,"" said Grand Prince Vladimir of Kiev at the end of the 10th century. Any foreign visitor to Russia would undoubtedly concur that modern-day Russians share this passion for alcohol with their ancestors, in particular for a glass or two of vodka.

A Remedy for Hangovers?
By Nataliya Vasilyeva / Special to The Moscow Times A variety of people weigh in on the best ways to weather the storm that follows a night of heavy drinking.

At Izyum, You Can BYO
By Nathan Toohey / Staff Writer BYO is unheard of around these parts, so it is a surprise to see that the recently opened Izyum restaurant offers this opportunity, albeit with a caveat. This Eastern restaurant lets you bring your own alcoholic beverages with the proviso that you spend a minimum of 1,000 rubles per head. This would not be a problem if the restaurant were not so cheap -- it would truly be hard to spend such a sum there.

Ask the Chef
By John Wendle Jay Close is the Australian-American chef de cuisine at Dzhusto Banya Dush.

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