Members of Russia's official Olympic delegation to London will find their summer a bit drier than usual. Members of Russia's official Olympic delegation to London will find their summer a bit drier than usual. Alcoholic drinks will be banned at any event organized by the Russian...

Lawyers for imprisoned tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky denied a report circulating Sunday in the British media that their client sent a letter to the British prime minister urging a visa ban on 308 Russian officials at the London Summer Olympics. Lawyers for imprisoned tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky denied a report circulating Sunday in the British media that their client sent a letter to the British prime minister urging a visa ban on 308 Russian officials at the London Summer Olympics...

President Vladimir Putin warned construction companies in the 2014 Olympic city of Sochi against inflating prices and lagging behind schedule. Less than a week after he was sworn in as president, Putin on Friday went to the Black Sea resort to inspect sites for the Winter Games and chide construction companies. The firms...

Vladimir Putin chose the head of the International Olympics Committee for his first official meeting on the day he was sworn in as president. Less than an hour after Monday's ceremony, he went to his Kremlin office to meet with Jacques Rogge, an indication of the importance Putin places on Russia's preparations...

FSB agents have foiled a terrorist plot on Sochi, host of the 2014 Winter Olympics, authorities said Thursday, accusing Chechen separatists and Georgia of jointly masterminding the plans. FSB agents have foiled a terrorist plot on Sochi, host of the 2014 Winter Olympics, authorities said Thursday, accusing Chechen separatists...

... claimed that it had found a huge arms cache in the breakaway territory of Abkhazia. It said Chechen warlord Doku Umarov brought the weapons to Abkhazia with the help of Georgian special services to attack Winter Olympic Games facilities in Sochi. There are a few problems with this allegation. On Thursday, the Federal Security Service claimed that it had found a huge arms cache in the breakaway territory of Abkhazia. It said Chechen warlord Doku Umarov...

... country has sent its application to UEFA. Sports Minister Lado Vardzelashvili said Georgia had considered submitting a bid to co-host the championships with Azerbaijan, but that the neighboring country decided to concentrate its efforts on the 2020 Olympics. The minister said stadiums suitable for the Euros already exist in the capital Tbilisi and in the cities of Gori, Kutaisi and Rustavi. In addition, he said, stadiums are under way in Zugdidi, Batumi and Lanchkhuti. (AP)

... BB- and its Russia national scale rating on the city at ruAA- with a positive outlook. (MT) A Sochi court has decided not to fine the Basic Element investment group, responsible for the renovation of Sochi International Airport before the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, 14.7 million rubles ($471,500) for "failing to meet conditions of the renovation agreement," Izvestia reported Tuesday. (Reuters)

... Federal District September 2007-October 2008: Appointed regional development minister October 2008-present: Deputy prime minister; reappointed to serve in Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's Cabinet in May 2012. In charge of sports and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, construction and utilities, and regional policy. Kozak is married and has two sons.

... that the menu had yet to be approved. Drinks for the reception will include 5,000 bottles of a collector’s edition 2008 vintage sparkling wine by Krasnodar-based Abrau-Dyurso that was originally meant to be aged until the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. “It is truly the best that has been made at the winery in all the years of history of the new Russia.” Abrau-Dyurso head Boris Titov told Interfax. 179742

... of the pier to the press center — it's that far away — but the organizers cunningly mollify them with free chicken drumsticks and pakhlava. Rights, what human rights? Plus there are free books about carpets. Compared with Moscow's bleak Olympic stadium, the Crystal Hall is an extremely plush venue and the most- favored contestants, including those from Britain, France and Azerbaijan, are luxuriating in suites at the Hilton. With high ticket prices and an army of beige- blazered security...

... whom had been to Russia before — said the trip was the thrill of a lifetime, even if the win was not quite as earth-shattering as the famed "Miracle on Ice" upset victory by the United States over the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics. "Everyone has just been great, absolutely great," said 30-year-old firefighter Brian White. "The food has been interesting — a lot of fish, maybe a bit too much vodka." "Guys keep joking about how tough our job...

... as far as ministerial attendance is concerned, that will be kept under review.” Critics say shunning the matches could lead to boycotts of other nations with questionable democratic credentials, including Russia when it hosts the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014 and the World Cup in 2018. Some ministers also played down the political significance of a possible boycott of the tournament. “I fail to see attendance or nonattendance of football games as an instrument of European policy,”...

... the artist's time in America through a series of black and whites, taken from a collection of more than 10,000 photographs. In recent years, Ai has become famous, not only for his art, which includes work on the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Olympic Games, but also for his political activism. He is currently forbidden from leaving China because of his social and political ­activism, and in 2011, he was one of four runners-up for Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People list in 2011. ...

... after the election victory, Putin tried to do rapper hand gestures with Timati, who wore a T-shirt to show off his extensive tattoos. Many other usual suspects were there: Zurab Tsereteli, so expect more giant statues; Eurovision winner Dima Bilan and Olympic medal-winning figure skater Yevgeny Plushenko, although I think the danger of them doing Eurovision again has passed. And the biker Khirurg, or surgeon, who leads the Russian Orthodox Night Wolves outfit. Kommersant reported that he insists his...

... and industry — excluding defense, which will remain the area of Dmitry Rogozin’s expertise. Dmitry Kozak and Alexander Khloponin will also keep their previous responsibilities: the former will remain in charge of sports and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, construction and utilities, as well as regional policy, while the latter will continue to oversee the development of the North Caucasus. First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov will continue to oversee financial and economic issues...

... is listed by Interpol as wanted by the United States for fraud. Last year, Forbes magazine featured him in its top 10 most-wanted fugitive list. His nickname is said to be Taivanets, or Taiwanese. In 2002, the U.S. government accused him of bribing Olympic figure-skating judges to fix the Salt Lake City event, a somewhat ludicrous crime that he denies. He is something of a socialite and told Ksenia Sobchak in GQ last year that his friends include — naturally — one Iosif Kobzon. 173042

... portfolio amounted to 319.8 billion rubles at the end of 2011. In 2010 Mostotrest accounted for 8.4 percent of Russia's infrastructure construction, according to the PMR consulting company. The company is building transportation facilities for the Sochi Olympics, the M4 Don and M7 Volga federal highways, and other sites. "The fact that Mostotrest will deal with all the road projects in the Skolkovo area is justified," Rozhkov said. "The closer the projects are, the higher operating efficiency...

... photo album was discovered by his father in the liberated concentration camp in Dachau, which his military unit helped guard. Together with the album, he brought home three hardcover books published by a cigarette company in 1936: two about the 1936 Olympics and the third about the life of Adolf Hitler. All were forgotten in the attic for decades. With the help of German writing on the back of some photos in the album, Bruce Sadler has identified about 20 of them and gained an insight into previously...