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

Brand-New Missile and Tank Being Built for Army
Reuters The armed forces will receive a new submarine-based intercontinental ballistic missile next year and a new type of tank in 2009, Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Makarov said Saturday.

Army Drills Put Flights at Risk
The Associated Press Air operations carried out by a Russian naval task force sailing from the North Atlantic to the Mediterranean represent a potential threat to the safety of civilian flights in the area, an international pilots' group warned.

Lawmaker Disputes Need for Fair Vote
By Jim Heintz / The Associated Press The philosophical gap between Russia and the West over what democracy really means widened Friday when a senior State Duma deputy challenged the Council of Europe for even suggesting that the Duma elections should have been fair.

Trucks in Record Line Along Finnish Border
Reuters Russian trucks have lined up for 100 kilometers at the Finnish border ahead of the holiday season, prompting Helsinki to ask the European Union for help eliminating the record blockage.

Putin Produces DVD on Judo
AP, Reuters He is better known for political maneuvers, but soon anyone with a DVD player will be able to check out President Vladimir Putin's moves in another area of expertise: judo.

British Council Closure Called Political in Diplomatic Letters
The Associated Press The Foreign Ministry's decision to close the British Council's regional offices was politically motivated, Britain's ambassador to Moscow said in one of several letters released Friday by the Foreign Office.

Russia Will Allow Artwork to Go to London Exhibit
The Associated Press Paintings from Russian museums will be permitted to go to London for a major exhibition after British legislation protecting art from seizure comes into force, the Federal Culture and Cinematography Agency said.

Medvedev Will Tour the Regions
By David Nowak / Staff Writer First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will hit the campaign trail next month to court voters ahead of the presidential election, his spokeswoman said.

6 Candidates Will Run for President
By Nabi Abdullaev / Staff Writer Six candidates will run in the presidential election, including three independents, the Central Elections Commission said Sunday, the deadline for submitting the last applications.

Norilsk Stake Goes to RusAl
By Catrina Stewart / Staff Writer Oleg Deripaska's United Company RusAl on Friday won its battle to grab a 25 percent blocking stake in Norilsk Nickel, the first step toward acquiring control of the company.

Scorpions Give Spies a Perestroika Ballad
By Nikolaus von Twickel, Francesca Mereu and Kevin O'Flynn / Staff Writers It is a rock ballad inseparable in the popular consciousness from the collapse of the Communist bloc. But when Klaus Meine, lead singer of the Scorpions, sang ""Wind of Change"" at the Kremlin Palace on Thursday night, listening front and center was the man who has called the Soviet breakup the ""greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century.""

It's Not Just Gift-Giving for Ded Moroz
By Natalya Krainova / Staff Writer Ded Moroz doesn't seem to get any respect. Children -- and adults -- are demanding a lot more than gifts these days from the old bearded man and his constant companion, Snegurochka, or the Snow Maiden.

Business

Exxon Pipeline to China Is Blocked
Bloomberg ExxonMobil has been denied permission to start work on a gas pipeline to China from Sakhalin-1 this year, the Industry and Energy Ministry said in a statement on its web site Friday.

Gazprom Seen in Talks on ExxonMobil's Sakhalin-1
Combined Reports Gazprom this year held talks to join ExxonMobil's Sakhalin-1 oil-and-gas project, an unidentified person close to the gas giant said.

Putin Blesses Opening of Toyota Plant Near St. Pete
Bloomberg, AP Japanese auto giant Toyota on Friday opened an assembly factory near St. Petersburg to meet accelerating demand. The 5 billion ruble ($202 million) plant will put together 20,000 Camry cars next year and raise capacity to 50,000 vehicles in 18 months, Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe said at an opening ceremony attended by Economic Development and Trade Minister Elvira Nabiullina, which was followed by a plant tour with President Vladimir Putin.

AXA Buys RESO Stake for $1.2Bln
Reuters Europe's second-biggest insurer, AXA, has made a major entry into Russia with a deal to buy a 36.7 percent stake in insurer RESO-Garantia for about 810 million euros ($1.16 billion).

VimpelCom, Golden in $4.3Bln Deal
By Tai Adelaja / Staff Writer VimpelCom, the country's second-largest mobile phone operator, announced Friday that it would acquire fixed-line and Internet firm Golden Telecom for $4.3 billion, a deal that could give it a head start over its rivals in providing one-stop services.

City Wise

Tree for a Life More Joyous
By Maria Antonova / Staff Writer Where to take your children for festive season fun at a yolka party.

Business in Brief

Business in Brief
Baltic Pipeline DelayKashagan Deal CloseRosneft Shares DumpedInflation Hits 2-Year HighFor the Record

At Least 16 Dead in Tajik Avalanche
Reuters An avalanche killed at least 16 people in the mountains of Tajikistan over the weekend. The avalanche struck around midnight Friday about 67 kilometers north of Dushanbe, covering the road connecting the capital with Khudjand, the principal northern city.

Turkmens Commemorate Late Leader
The Associated Press Tens of thousands of people on Friday commemorated the anniversary of Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov's death, laying flowers at monuments to him and streaming to the mausoleum where he was buried.

Kyrgyz Police Break Up Rally as Parliament Meets
The Associated Press Kyrgyzstan's parliament held its first session Friday as police arrested several people demonstrating against a vote that strengthened President Kurmanbek Bakiyev but opened the door for further turmoil.

$1Bln Offer in Georgia's Campaign
Reuters Badri Patarkatsishvili, the Georgian magnate challenging President Mikheil Saakashvili in next month's snap election, has promised to spend $1 billion of his own money to turn Georgia into a ""shining country.""

Voter Turnout Tops 80% in Uzbekistan
By Maria Golovnina / Reuters Uzbek President Islam Karimov looked relaxed as he voted Sunday in an election that is expected to extend his 18-year rule and has been condemned by the opposition as a one-man contest.

The Power Paralysis
By Lilia Shevtsova Those watching President Vladimir Putin on television could not fail to see a change in his mood. After he decided on his partnership with First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, he started to look like a different person.

Full-House Beer Gallery
By Nathan Toohey / Staff Writer Pivnaya Galereya must be doing something right, judging by its popularity. And it certainly is popular: A table is not to be had on Thursday, Friday or Saturday nights without booking in advance -- and not just a couple of hours in advance, but the day before.

Bacon-Wrapped Plums Stuffed With French Goat Cheese
A recipe from Jay Close, chef de cuisine at Dzhusto Banya Dush.

News in Brief
Lukin Frets Over MorarProsecutors Postpone ProbeDobryninskaya Metro DelayFor the Record

Dutch Pair Find Favor in Russia
By Gennady Fyodorov / Reuters Russians like their heroes homegrown, but this New Year's Eve, football fans will be toasting two middle-aged Dutchmen. Guus Hiddink led Russia to the Euro 2008 finals while fellow Dutchman Dick Advocaat steered Zenit St. Petersburg to its first national title for nearly a quarter of a century.

Fathers and Sons
By Richard Lourie Two questions hung over Russia: Whom would President Vladimir Putin appoint as his successor? What role would Putin play in that successor's government? We now know the answer to the first, and, to some extent, to the second. But these answers generate as many new questions as they put old ones to rest.

Market Matters

Gazprom, State Top Picks for '08
By Catrina Stewart / Staff Writer Every new year starts with a few good resolutions, most of which are soon lying by the wayside.

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