Window On Eurasia: Moscow Set To Legalize Government Funding Of Church-Held Property
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posted by eagle on March, 2009 as ANALYSIS / OPINION
Paul Goble
Vienna, March 21 – After pleading poverty and lobbying hard, the Russian Orthodox Church has won a major political victory, although it appears that it may have been knocking on a door that those inside were quite prepared to open. Specifically, Moscow has now agreed to push for a plan to pay for restoring church property even after it is returned to the Church.
The Russian Orthodox Church earlier won a major victory when the Russian government announced its support for draft legislation that would return almost all church property seized by the Soviets. Indeed, some commentators suggested that the Church would become the biggest landowner in the country, possibly owning even more than Gazprom.
But from the Church’s point of view that was not only untrue but also created some serious problems. On the one hand, the draft legislation calls for the return of such property for the use of the ...
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The Other Russia: Number Of Bureaucrats In Russia Doubled Over 10 years
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posted by eagle on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
March 20th, 2009 • Related • Filed Under The number of civil servants in Russia has nearly doubled over the last 10 years, according to recent figures from the Russian Federal State Statistics Service. The agency reports on March 18th that from January 1999 to October 2008, the number of state employees jumped from 485,566 to 846,307, growing by a rate of 1.74 times.
The number of officials in regional bodies more than doubled, growing by 2.25 times, while the number of federal employees rose by 1.6 times. The number of municipal officials grew by 2.07 times. The report reveals that as a whole, women outnumber men in the government service. In the highest managerial positions, the reverse is true, and men outnumber women two to one. The average Russian civil servant is 40 years old. Russia’s bureaucrats have a bad name in the country. With already rampant corruption increasing steadily in recent years, the government is now taking steps to boost their image. According to a March 12th ...
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North Caucasus Weekly: Exclusive Interview With Anzor Astemirov, March 2009
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posted by eagle on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
Exclusive Interview with Anzor Astemirov, March 2009Publication: North Caucasus Weekly March 20, 2009 05:10 PM Category: North Caucasus Weekly, The Caucasus, North Caucasus , Featured, Home Page Journalist Fatima Tlisova recently conducted an interview with Anzor Astemirov, who was the leader of Islamic militants in Kabardino-Balkaria and more recently became head of the Sharia courts for the Caucasus Emirate, the radical wing of the North Caucasian insurgency. The Jamestown Foundation believes the views of this controversial figure will be of interest to readers of the North Caucasus Weekly. However, publication of the interview does not in any way constitute an endorsement of the views expressed in it.
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Exclusive Interview with Anzor Astemirov, March 2009
Anzor Astemir (ov), aka Saifullah (The Sword of Allah), 32, is the Amir (leader) of Kabarda, Balkaria and Karachai, also appointed as the head of the Court of Caucasian Emirate by Chechen leader Dokku Umarov. He is known as the developer and promoter of the idea of the Caucasian Emirate, which is considered by ... >> full
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WESTENDER: MOVIE REVIEWS (Week Of Mar. 19)
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posted by eagle on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
MOVIE REVIEWS (Week of Mar. 19)DUPLICITY By Greg Ursic To build trust in a relationship, both parties must be ready to drag the skeletons out of their closets. For Ray (Clive Owen) and Claire (Julia Roberts), it’s like a trip through an elephant graveyard: Former government spooks tasked with pre-empting global chaos, they now sell their services to corporate interests and deliver the goods on shampoo and toothpaste. Ready for a taste of the good life, the pair plots the mother of all scams. To pull it off, all they have to do is overcome years of programming and cast aside their Cupid-proof vests. After lambasting corporate dirty deeds in Michael Clayton, writer-director Tony Gilroy opts for a softer touch in Duplicity — but don’t dismiss the tongue-in-cheek styling and dollops of romance as formulaic rom-com fare. Gilroy weaves a labyrinthine story, replete with twisting timelines, red herrings, snappy dialogue, a host of gorgeous locations, multi-layered characters, and a powerhouse cast. So how could ... >> full
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CNBC: Russian Markets -- Factors To Watch On March 19
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posted by eagle on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
Russian markets -- Factors to Watch on March 19 By: AFX | 19 Mar 2009 | 03:41 AM ET MOSCOW, March 19 (Reuters) - Here are events and news stories that could move Russian markets today. You can reach us on: +7 495 775 1242 STOCKS CALL (Contributions to moscow.newsroom@reuters.com): Uralsib: Today, we expect the Russian market to rally at the opening, as the Fed's actions boosted futures on WTI, which closed slightly below $50/bbl, which should have a positive effect on the Russian market. Troika Dialog: We are opening our prices up 1.5 percent following the trend on international markets. EVENTS (All times GMT): MOSCOW- Russia's government is expected to consider revised 2009 budget and new anti-crisis plan MOSCOW- X5 Retail Group, Russia's largest food retailer by revenue, to hold a press conference on the new strategy of its low-price Pyaterochka chain IN THE PAPERS: Vedomosti daily said French bank BNP Paribas froze $60 million on accounts of the Russian miner Mechel's sibsidiary. The newspaper quoted Mechel's ...
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