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...

... motivated. “We didn't even try to bring 'The Dictator' to Tajikistan because of Tajiks' mentality,” a company official told journalists on Friday, RIA-Novosti reported. The film also will not be shown in Turkmenistan, which has a blanket ban on Western films. Freedom House rated Tajikistan as “not free” in its 2012 report, and Amnesty International last year complained of police misconduct, strict restrictions on the press and violence against women. Cohen, famous for his...

... stopped paying their monthly service fees in protest, according to residents. Kuzin said, however, that those families are renegotiating their fees following renovations. The Russian executive said he and his wife worry that their children could be banned from attending kindergarten at Rosinka. “We are scared that it could happen,” he said. Out of all of the residents who have had disagreements with management, “our situation was probably the most extreme,” said another resident...

... part of the city's ambitious plan for development through 2025. Visitors to Moscow's bars and restaurant will soon enjoy a smoke-free environment, thanks to new rules in the works as part of the city's ambitious plan for development through 2025. The ban will spread much further than just evenings out, as the development plans also spell out restrictions on smoking in educational and medical institutions, government offices, and on public transportation that will come into force in 2012, Gazeta.ru...

... Friday on the New York Stock Exchange as U.S. investors reacted after a Moscow court blocked payouts from its Russian unit in response to a disputed share purchase in the group by Norway's Telenor. According to a writ of execution, the court imposed a ban on 2011 dividend distribution by the Russian unit of VimpelCom, potentially limiting the company's ability to raise cash for dividend payments to shareholders. The injunction is the latest chapter in a legal case brought by the Federal Anti-Monopoly...

... Minister Vladimir Putin's order to oil companies to curb pump prices ahead of elections. However, it is unlikely to dent crude exports, as Russia uses pipelines as its main method of transporting oil abroad. Russia's transportation safety watchdog has banned the use of rail wagons designed to handle light oil products to ship crude and heavy fuel oil, following several rail accidents. That has cut the number of wagons in operation, several oil refineries said, curbing supplies and forcing them to cut...

Novosibirsk's regional legislature passed a new law banning "homosexual propaganda" among youth Thursday, making Russia's third-largest city a part of the emerging national debate about anti-gay legislature. Novosibirsk's regional legislature passed a new law banning "homosexual propaganda"...

... previous auctions have featured helicopters, armored vehicles and land. Meanwhile, advertising geared to weaker sorts — perhaps not yet ready to commit to buying an armored vehicle — may be on its way out. Two Duma deputies are proposing to ban ads for medical drugs. Liberal Democratic Party Deputies Igor Lebedev and Yaroslav Nilov submitted a bill in May that proposes amending the current law on advertising to ban TV ads about drugs and abortions, Rossiiskaya Gazeta reported. The deputies...

Russia's ambassador to the United States warned the U.S. on Wednesday that legislation to ban Russian officials implicated in the 2009 jail death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky could damage relations between the two countries. Russia's ambassador to the United States warned the U.S. on Wednesday that legislation to ban Russian officials implicated...

Like the EU sanctions against Belarus, which included visa bans and asset freezes on 220 senior Belarussian officials, the Magnitsky act hits Russian officials where it hurts the most - their pocket books. This targeted approach is much more effective than broader sanctions. U.S. Representative Jim McGovern...

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 delegation in which  athletes or delegation officials participate, Kommersant reported, citing information from the minutes of a meeting led by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, the official in charge of...

...." "Yes, we [Belarus and the West] have different views on certain social issues," he said during a speech in parliament Tuesday. "But these differences should be overcome through dialogue and negotiations rather than sanctions and bans. "In terms of economics, and politics as well, Belarus and the European Union are important partners to each other." In a jab at Russia, Lukashenko also spoke against large-scale privatizations — one of the conditions of a financial...

... "war" over the issue. "Russia prefers to take the role of a spectator," the source said. Moscow hosted an international conference of airlines opposed to the measures in February, and Russia was one of several countries that threatened to ban their airlines from paying. 179742

... by then-President Dmitry Medvedev on April 30. The policy document, which codifies the government's main environmental goals up to 2030, calls for mandatory environmental impact assessment of decisions on economic and other activities and a blanket ban on any project that could lead to a degradation of ecosystems. Matviyenko continued to push a green agenda on Friday, calling for a switch to a green economy and the careful application of both incentives and sanctions to push businesses to improve...

... elaborate. Khasavov did not confirm a report by the BBC's Russian Service that his father had left the country. The Investigative Committee said Friday that it is looking into whether Khasavov's comments violate Article 282 of the Criminal Code, which bans inciting national or religious hatred. Dagir Khasavov said in a television interview Tuesday that Muslim believers reject the country's court system and that attempts to prevent the creation of Sharia courts would end in bloodshed. "We will...

... expenses, the cost of replacement would only reach 2,100 rubles per square meter. With the figures given by authorities, the total cost per square meter would be 10,200 rubles. City Hall has also initiated an investigation of violations of city codes banning "illegal destruction of green spaces," which carry a maximum fine of 4,500 rubles and reimbursement for damages. 179742

... being, and he needs to be provided with a place where he can smoke freely." The Health and Social Development Ministry is considering a raft of bills aimed at convincing Russians to give up smoking, including raising excise taxes on cigarettes, banning smoking on all public transportation by 2014 and eliminating smoking in cafes, bars and restaurants by 2015. Displaying cigarettes at stores and other points of sale could also be outlawed. Smoke breaks in stairwells, between cars on commuter...

... making it similar to the average cigarette tax in European countries, which is 64 euros ($90) per 1,000 cigarettes. The Health and Social Development Ministry is considering a raft of other bills aimed at convincing Russians to give up smoking, including banning smoking on all public transportation by 2014 and eliminating smoking in cafes, bars and restaurants by 2015. Displaying cigarettes at stores and other points of sale could also be outlawed. Many of the new regulations are making it tougher for...

... developed countries" and making environmental education a key part of schools' curriculum. Businesses may face compulsory environmental impact assessments for new developments, phased introduction of a system of an environmental audit system and a ban on unsorted garbage. The document offers no estimate of the costs of the transition to higher standards, but says such projects will be financed from federal and regional budgets, as well as public-private partnerships. Environmentalists have applauded...

... whether the ship had docked. "The ship is trying to conceal its final destination in a suspicious way," Al Arabiya said. Western diplomats and officials said the report was credible. In a letter to the UN Security Council, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he had seen reports of countries supplying arms to the government and rebels. He urged states not to arm either side in the Syrian conflict. "Those who may contemplate supporting any side with weapons, military training or other...