The major Russian mobile phone operator MTS has slammed Apple for its ‘too’ strict sales policy by not allowing a cut in the device’s $1,000-plus price tag in the country. ­The iPhone’s high cost makes them a hard sell in the Russian market where rival models can be purchased for as little as $120, according to MTS. Apple’s strict requirements on retail locations bring additional costs. “They’re... 

An MP who represents the United Russia majority party has prepared legislative amendments that would make the Russian ruble the only valid currency in the country, and put an end to dependency on the US dollar and the Euro. Yevgeniy Fyodorov described the initiative in an interview with the Izvestia daily newspaper. He promised that the proposed bill would be made public in autumn, and declined to... 

Admiral Chabanenko, Russian destroyer arriving at Havana’s harbor. Russia is planning to expand its military muscles in some of Moscow’s soviet-era ally countries including the Latin American country of Cuba, Asian country of Vietnam and the Indian Ocean island of Seychelles. According to the commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, Moscow is holding talks with the some countries outside of... 

S-300V and S-300VM anti-aircraft long distance missile systems President Putin has said Russia is not planning to enter a new arms race, but urged senior officials to develop the nuclear arsenal further, along with Russia’s own air and space defenses, so that no one in the world doubts their effectiveness. Putin was speaking at a special meeting on the state weapon program that took place in the... 

Following the shooting spree in a Colorado cinema, Russian legislators have drafted a bill which would allow public use of firearms. The law’s sponsors hope to curb crime rates, while opponents say legal air-guns already cause enough damage. ­The principle behind the drafted bill allowing the private use of handguns is “my home is my castle,” so any invasion of private space could be met with... 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a controversial status bill that brands externally-funded NGOs as “foreign agents”. The document is to come into force in 120 days following its publication. ­The bill, previously approved by both chambers of the Russian parliament, will now force non-profit organizations receiving funding from abroad and engaging in political activity to register... 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that the West has been trying to blackmail Moscow into accepting a military intervention in Syria. On Monday, Lavrov said the Western threats to discontinue the UN unarmed observer mission to Syria if Russia does not agree to allow the West to use force in the country amounts to blackmail. “We will not be able... 

The International Institute of Earthquake Prediction Theory and Mathematical Geophysics (MITPAN) department of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) is reporting to President Putin today that our world faces the “imminent threat” of a “major” to “catastrophic” earthquake to occur within the fortnight due to an “extreme” solar storm that has begun hitting Earth’s atmosphere. According... 

Russia and Cuba are strengthening ties again, after a break which followed the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union supplied Cuba with oil – up to 13 mn tons each year – and quantities of arms. In return, it received Cuban tobacco, coffee, fruit and sugar and enjoyed the right to build and operate military facilities on Cuban territory. After the Soviet collapse, however, these exchanges... 

A Russian Buk-M2 air defense system Russia says it has no plans to impose an arms embargo on Syria and intends to fulfill a contract for delivering air defense systems to the country. A senior Russian arms export official said on Wednesday that since the contract to deliver Syria the air defense systems were signed before the outbreak of unrest in the country, Moscow is obliged to fulfill its commitments. ”Russia... 

Tajikistan’s latest move to toughen its position in renewing the lease of the 201st Russian army base is connected with the activities, which the United States and China have been conducting in the former Soviet republic recently. As a result, Moscow may lose its influence in this country, Alexander Karavayev, deputy director of the Center for the Study of the former Soviet Union, Moscow State... 

Massive flooding in the Krasnodar region in Russia’s south has left 78 dead and over 1,000 displaced from their homes as the death toll continues to rise. Governor Aleksandr Tkachyov claims there hasn’t been anything like it for the past 70 years. Entire city streets have been completely submerged after torrential rain storms Friday, with the Krymsky district taking the worst of the floods, according... 

Russia offered Zimbabwe to conclude an intergovernmental agreement about the mutual protection of investments. Russian companies may thus obtain an opportunity to develop one of the world’s largest deposits of platinum. In return, Zimbabwe, which remains under the influence of sanctions from the USA and EU, will receive military hardware from Russia. Moreover, Russia intends to ship a large... 

Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia has officially announced that it was closing all of its flagship stores in Russia. The most effective sales channels for the company now are the Internet and a network of major retailers and service providers. According to Nokia’s representative in Russia, Lyudmila Semushina, the last single-brand shop will close in late July. The Finns will be developing... 

It is now widely known that the Obama administration, with the help of its allies, is planning to launch an offensive against the Assad regime in Syria. The attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, with the help Israel, also seems to be on the cards. In such a situation, where Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya have proven to be clear fiascos, the dwindling world economic scene can least afford another major...