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

President Medvedev Stresses the Law
By Alexander Osipovich / Staff Writer In his first speech as head of state, newly inaugurated President Dmitry Medvedev vowed Wednesday to strengthen the rule of law and to bring as many Russians as possible into the middle class.

Barren Streets, Baffled Tourists
By Matt Siegel / Staff Writer At precisely 20 minutes past noon, a 30-gun salute echoed down narrow Nikitskaya Ulitsa in central Moscow. Few seemed to notice. A teenager with bright blond hair used the booms as a sly pretext to wrap his girlfriend in a bear hug.

New London Mayor Told to Lose Russia Barbs
By Max Delany / Staff Writer Moscow officials invite Boris Johnson to come and see the city for himself.

Miller Takes Up Medvedev's Post
Reuters Newly inaugurated President Dmitry Medvedev, who was sworn in Wednesday, is stepping down as chairman of Gazprom with the current chief executive Alexei Miller stepping in as acting chairman.

West Told Not to Antagonize Russia
By Gareth Jones and Gabriela Baczynska / Reuters The West should avoid antagonizing Moscow by rushing to let former Soviet republics such as Ukraine join NATO or by installing an anti-missile shield in Central Europe, Poland's last communist leader said Wednesday.

U.S. Shrugs Off Military Parade
Reuters The U.S. Defense Department said it was unconcerned by Russia's plans to parade military hardware on Red Square in a show of strength reminiscent of Soviet times.

U.S., EU Fret Over Abkhazia
The Associated Press The United States and European Union have sharply criticized Russia for its actions in recent weeks in the dispute between Georgia and its breakaway region of Abkhazia.

Kommersant Loses Defamation Suit
By Nabi Abdullaev / Staff Writer The Moscow City Arbitration Court on Monday ordered the country's biggest business daily to print a retraction of comments made about state monopoly arms exporter Rosoboronexport in an interview with businessman Oleg Shvartsman.

Embassy Targeted by Bolsheviks
By Francesca Mereu / Staff Writer In a protest timed with Dmitry Medvedev's inauguration as president, National Bolshevik activists staged a sit-in inside the Russian Embassy in Kiev on Tuesday to demand that the Kremlin open a dialog with the opposition.

Business

New Claims In Rosneft Power Case
By Nadia Popova / Staff Writer A Rosneft subsidiary filed new claims against TGK-11 in a Moscow court on Wednesday, saying the vote to create the utility was invalid because the shareholders' ballots were miscounted.

United Plans Direct Moscow Flights
By Tai Adelaja / Staff Writer United Airlines plans to start nonstop passenger and cargo flights from Washington on Oct. 26, becoming the third U.S. airline to offer direct flights to Moscow.

Caspian Pipe to Be Expanded by 2012
Bloomberg Russia and Kazakhstan agreed to expand the Chevron-led Caspian Pipeline Consortium to carry as much as 67 million tons of oil by 2012, from 32 million tons currently, the Industry and Energy Ministry said in an e-mailed statement Thursday.

Raspadskaya Eyes London Share Sale
Bloomberg Raspadskaya, the country's second-largest producer of coal for steelmakers, may sell shares in London to expand mines and increase exports after prices tripled in a year.

Octane-Based Excise Taxes on Gasoline Slammed
Reuters A government plan to differentiate gasoline excise taxes based on fuel quality will raise the tax burden for the country's oil companies, benefiting only a few firms owning sophisticated refineries, analysts said.

Business in Brief
Central Bank ConfusionMordashov Refuses TUI BidTatneft's 124% ReplacementWarning Issued on ReservesRuble Strengthens in TradeBaltika Q1 Growth SlowsFor the Record

Opinion

Remembering Victory Day in a Different Way
By David Marples May 9 marks the 63rd anniversary of Victory Day, the day that Stalin set aside to commemorate the end of the World War II in Europe. The fighting had ended by May 5, and the Western allies accepted Germany's surrender three days later. But the Soviet Union opted to recognize the following day. Victory Day, as its name suggests, was intended originally to celebrate the Soviet victory over fascism. Today, it is used to remember those who took part in the greatest conflict in history and those who sacrificed their lives in the Red Army. Very few of them remain alive today.

The Day of the Bear
By Yevgeny Kiselyov President Dmitry Medvedev has a very Russian surname, one derived from one of the more prominent symbols of Russia -- the medved, or bear. Bears have served as the heroes of fairy tales, fables, proverbs and anecdotes, and they are depicted on the coat of arms of many Russian cities. A bear named Misha was the official mascot of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, and a bear is now the symbol of United Russia, which controls an absolute majority of seats in the State Duma.

Sports

Canada Gets the Win It Cherishes Most
Reuters, AP Dany Heatley scored twice, including the winner with 47 seconds left, to lift Canada to a riveting 5-4 victory over the United States at the world championships on Tuesday.

Editorial

Empower Medvedev
With Vladimir Putin's expected confirmation as prime minister on Thursday, both he and President Dmitry Medvedev, inaugurated Wednesday, will have new jobs.

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