Russia will not abide by its World Trade Organization commitments with the United States unless Washington scraps a trade law that dates back to the Cold War. Russia will not abide by its World Trade Organization commitments with the United States unless Washington scraps a trade law that dates back to the Cold War, the foreign minister said Wednesday. The Jackson-Vanik...

Weapons maker Izhmash has signed a contract to supply its latest shotgun to U.S. law enforcement agencies. Weapons maker Izhmash has signed a contract to supply its latest shotgun to U.S. law enforcement agencies. The manufacturer closed the deal earlier this month during a trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada, and announced it Monday...

Communications and Press Minister Igor Shchyogolev said Friday that the proposed U.S. Internet legislation known as SOPA could become a censorship tool and is therefore in opposition to democratic principles. Communications and Press Minister Igor Shchyogolev said in an op-ed published Friday that the proposed U.S. Internet legislation known as SOPA could become a censorship tool and is therefore in opposition to democratic principles. "It is impossible to block and censor the Internet—otherwise...

St. Petersburg lawmakers on Wednesday approved at the crucial second reading a bill introducing fines for advocating gay and lesbian relationships in front of children and promoting pedophilia. St. Petersburg lawmakers on Wednesday approved at the crucial second reading a bill introducing fines for advocating gay and lesbian relationships in front of children and promoting pedophilia. The bill effectively outlaws gay-pride parades and any other public display...

The State Duma has approved a draft law that mandates stiffer penalties for sexual offenses against minors, including increased prison time and voluntary chemical castration. The State Duma has approved a draft law that mandates stiffer penalties for sexual offenses against...

Marat Mouradov has joined Salans' Moscow office as a partner and head of the Russian Competition Law Practice Marat Mouradov appointed Head of Salans Russian Competition Law Practice Marat Mouradov has joined Salans' Moscow office as a partner and head of the Russian Competition Law Practice. He is recognized as one of the leading Russian competition...

Tabloid news website Life News did not break the law in publishing private telephone conversations of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, because the information contained in the recordings served the public interest, Life News lawyer Tatyana Khokhlova said Wednesday. Tabloid news website Life News...

... attractive to investors and competitive in comparison with the other countries of the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan customs union, even despite a risk of a shortfall in budget revenues. Egor Lysenko Project Coordinator for East Siberia Pepeliaev Group Law Firm The Russian government has recently been talking more about the need to optimize groups of taxes, with high-quality economic growth depending on this. In particular, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin recently stressed that Russia must make its tax...

... submit 2 million signatures, and noted that many United Russia candidates have distanced themselves from Putin's ruling party and are running as independents in hope of winning local elections also scheduled for March 4. Putin, therefore, broke electoral law by publishing his election platform in three articles this month, the first in Izvestia, the second in Nezavisimaya Gazeta and the third in Vedomosti, Golos official Arkady Lyubarev told Russian and foreign journalists at the Moscow Independent Press...

... and Prospekt Akademika Sakharova rallies comprise a coherent program with a clear strategic goal. If those demands are met by the Kremlin, Russia's political system will undergo a fundamental change and become a democratic state governed by rule of law. The first demand is that the authorities immediately release all political prisoners and those who were deliberately incarcerated on trumped-up charges. The web site Politzeky.ru lists 137 of Russia's most prominent political prisoners, including...

According to the law, it's not possible to buy alcoholic beverages at night, but there are ways around that. For example, alcohol can be received as a present, rented, or accepted as collateral. According to the law, it's not possible to buy alcoholic...

... employees of the outsourced company, but this measure is likely to present you with additional risks of turning outsourcing into employment, rather than protecting your commercial secrets. This option is thus not recommended. Formally under Russian law an employee is required not to disclose commercial secret information of the employer or its business partners or, without their permission, to use this information for personal ends and, on termination or cancellation of the employment contract,...

... status of "important" include: Transportation (plus 1.6 percent of GDP) Education (plus 1.3 percent of GDP) Health care (plus 1 percent of GDP) At the same time, it is proposed to cut expenses of the power ministries (defense, security and law enforcement) by 0.9 percent of GDP. The military program, which (not including credits and entitlements) costs more than 1 percent of GDP, exerts "colossal" pressure on the budget, experts said. There is fat that can be trimmed in the line...

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan — Turkmenistan has introduced a law on political parties that will formally bring an end to one-party rule Power, however, is likely to remain resolutely in the hands of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov. The law, which came into effect Friday, mandates that prospective party leaders...

A high-ranking United Russia party official said he believes liberal radio station Ekho Moskvy broke the law in publishing what he called an extremist letter by exiled tycoon and Kremlin critic Boris Berezovsky. A high-ranking United Russia party official said he believes liberal radio station Ekho Moskvy broke the law in publishing...

... some industry observers disagree. The National Anti-Corruption Committee, a non-governmental organization affiliated with leading human rights activists, said in a 36-page document that bank-related raiding — when businessmen use banking and law enforcement contacts to illegally seize assets or even whole companies — is continuing, though President Dmitry Medvedev and various federal agencies have tried to combat it. But the report doesn't give figures for the practice, and economic...

... Business and Business Administration. Representatives of Russia's largest business associations will be included in the consortium so as not to favor the interests of any certain market players, Myasoyedov said. Market's Future Murky Revisions to the law on education that came into effect with the new year canceled the issuance of government-certified diplomas to graduates of professional education programs. A new version of the law, which was developed by the Education and Science Ministry, goes...

... Moscow, Ufa, Tyumen’, Surgut, Noviy Urengoy, Sakhalin, Novorossiysk, Sochi, Vladivostok);  Designed, developed and updated company Organizational Chart, HR policy and procedures in on compliance with the corporate strategy, current employment law and ISO quality management system;  Created grading system, Com. & Ben. policy and procedures;  Created and managed Shares Services system for all company locations (Payroll, Com & Ben administration, HR documents & Data administration...

... for Feb. 4. Alexander Kynev, an analyst for regional politics with the Foundation for Information Policy Development, said the bill's language left it unclear how gubernatorial runoffs would be conducted and noted that no regions have an established law on how many signatures independent candidates must collect. "The only standard we have is 2 percent of [a region's] population," he said. Kynev said the new legislation was unlikely to free the regions from their current political impotence...

... demonstration application specified the likely participants as 100 Kinder Surprise toys, 100 Lego men, 20 toy soldiers, 15 stuffed animals and 10 toy cars. The opposition group planned to attach signs to the toys with slogans denouncing violations of elections law. Barnaul's administration denied approval for the rally on the grounds that only Russian citizens could be considered participants in a demonstration. "Approval could not be granted due to a confusion in the understanding of the law regulating...