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Articles by Christopher Walker
A Mideast Model in Russia's Cards?
30 March 11
Corruption, something never far from thought in Russia, recently has been attracting even more attention than usual. Senior Russian officials, including President Dmitry Medvedev, foreign politicians such as U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, and Russian opposition figures have made the issue a point of special focus.
Razing Russia's 4th Estate
07 May 09
In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly designated May 3 as World Press Freedom Day in order ""to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom."" But in Russia, there is little to celebrate.
Democracy's Facade
05 October 07
By Robert Orttung and Christopher Walker
One could have hoped that Anna Politkovskaya's brutal murder and the international condemnation that followed would have set Russia's besieged press environment on a different course.
Most Read
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Sweden Wins Eurovision; Grannies Take Second
Sweden’s Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan on Sunday before an international TV audience of 100 million, days after angering Azeri authorities by meeting rights activists critical of the host country’s human rights record.
2.
150 Detained at Anti-Kremlin Rallies
About 150 people were detained Sunday as scores of people gathered for a series of anti-government demonstrations in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
3.
Ukraine in Uproar Over Status of Russian Language
Ukraine's ruling party has triggered violent protests with a move to upgrade the official role of Russian, a sensitive issue opponents say will split the country.
4.
Report: Russian Arms Sent to Syria
A Russian cargo ship loaded with weapons is en route to Syria and was due to arrive at a Syrian port over the weekend, Al Arabiya television said in a report that Western diplomats in New York described as credible.
5.
Aeroexpress Manager Caught Taking $125,000 Bribe
A manager for the Aeroexpress train service faces fraud charges after being caught taking a bribe in exchange for extending a shop's lease at Sheremetyevo Airport, police said.
6.
210 Foreign Universities' Diplomas Recognized
Diplomas from 210 foreign universities will now be acknowledged in Russia without an additional state evaluation, according to a government order published Friday by Rossiiskaya Gazeta.
7.
Putin to Take First Foreign Trip to Belarus May 31
President Vladimir Putin will travel to Belarus on May 31 for his first foreign visit since taking office earlier this month, followed by a trip to Germany and France.
8.
Cigarettes and Alcohol Occupy Pushkin Square
The movement that gave us rallying cries like "for fair elections" and "Putin thief!" may have found a new slogan to add to their repertoire: "cigarettes and alcohol."
9.
Why Russia's Mafia State Is So Inefficient
In "The Godfather," author Mario Puzo describes criminal boss Don Corleone's organization as a highly centralized money-making machine. The Godfather is the CEO of an underground business empire, a kind of shadowy Henry Ford who collects all the money and makes all the decisions.
10.
Medvedev Appointed Chairman of United Russia
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called for United Russia to be “rebuilt from scratch” at a convention that elected him party leader over the weekend.
1.
Tabloid: Superjet Downed by U.S. Industrial Sabotage
A tabloid claims that Russian intelligence agencies are investigating the possibility that the U.S. military may have brought down the Sukhoi Superjet that crashed in Indonesia.
2.
Furniture Magnate Shot Dead in Mercedes in Moscow Region
A 46-year-old furniture magnate was killed with six gunshot wounds to the head and chest early Sunday as he arrived in his Mercedes at his home in the Moscow region.
3.
New Cabinet Has Familiar Cast of Characters
President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced the makeup of the new Cabinet answering to Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, with three-fourths of the members having been replaced.
4.
Will Smith Slaps Man for Trying to Kiss Him
Love can take over, overwhelm the senses and cause a person to act unceremoniously.
5.
Red Square Flyboy Regrets Air Stunt
When Mathias Rust landed his white Cessna on Red Square on May 28, 1987, he had placed all his hopes for world peace in Mikhail Gorbachev.
6.
Village Grannies Make It to Eurovision Finals
Russia's group Buranovskiye Babushki has made it into the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan, bringing the elderly folk singers from a far-off Russian village to the attention of more than 100 million viewers around the world.
7.
Medvedev Meets With Obama at G8 Summit
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev insisted that the “reset” was still on during a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama on the sidelines of a weekend G8 summit at Camp David.
8.
Protest and Chaos Seen in Kudrin-Ordered Study
Continued protests in Russia will likely lead to violence or chaotic change, according to a new study ordered by the former finance minister.
9.
Sweden Wins Eurovision; Grannies Take Second
Sweden’s Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan on Sunday before an international TV audience of 100 million, days after angering Azeri authorities by meeting rights activists critical of the host country’s human rights record.
10.
Cabinet Appointments Complicated by Unwillingness
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is not having an easy time forming a Cabinet, as many of those he invited did not want to work in the government.
1.
Hundreds of Arrests Set Grim Backdrop for Victory Day Celebrations
As Moscow gears up to celebrate its victory in World War II, 67 years ago Wednesday, the shadow of political conflict shrouds the capital as hundreds of arrests cloud Victory Day festivities.
2.
Russian Satellite Takes Highest-Ever Resolution Picture of Earth
A stunning 121-megapixel snapshot of the Earth was taken by a Russian weather satellite in what is thought to be the highest resolution picture of the planet ever taken from space.
3.
Bodies, No Survivors Spotted at Superjet Crash
Search and rescue helicopters and volunteers struggling through thick forest and mountainous terrain spotted bodies but no survivors on the Indonesian mountainside where a Sukhoi Superjet 100 crashed by the time darkness forced an end to the search Thursday night.
4.
Mysterious Photos Reveal an Unseen WWII
After the end of World War II, Paul Sadler returned home to Chicago with three German books and a photo album from the Dachau concentration camp.
5.
Green Fog Blanketing Moscow Recedes
Moscow’s sky was back to normal Friday after a mysterious green cloud that descended on part of the city and prompted emergency calls from residents fearing a chemical spill had dissipated.
6.
Tabloid: Superjet Downed by U.S. Industrial Sabotage
A tabloid claims that Russian intelligence agencies are investigating the possibility that the U.S. military may have brought down the Sukhoi Superjet that crashed in Indonesia.
7.
Furniture Magnate Shot Dead in Mercedes in Moscow Region
A 46-year-old furniture magnate was killed with six gunshot wounds to the head and chest early Sunday as he arrived in his Mercedes at his home in the Moscow region.
8.
Vladivostok Bridge Climbers Fined 300 Rubles Each
Three thrill-seekers who climbed two Vladivostok bridges earlier this week and took photos from the top were fined 300 rubles ($10) each for trespassing.
9.
New Cabinet Has Familiar Cast of Characters
President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced the makeup of the new Cabinet answering to Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, with three-fourths of the members having been replaced.
10.
Superjet Missing in Indonesia With 50 on Board
A dark cloud was cast Wednesday on the revival of Russia’s aviation industry when a Sukhoi-built Superjet 100 with 50 people on board disappeared from the radar screens of Indonesian flight controllers.
