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Russia ETF Sees Heavy Inflows as Oil Prices Rebound

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:43:31 -0400

Market Vectors Russia (NYSE: RSX) is one of the best-selling ETFs the past week with investors adding more than $300 million to the fund as crude oil prices recover to around $95 a barrel. The Russia ETF has been volatile in recent weeks after bouncing from its mid-April low. “Investors are...

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – May 15, 2013

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:59:19 -0400

TODAY: Moscow refuses to sanction gay parade; presenter comes out on television, loses job; Putin meets with Israeli PM on Syria; nickel mine activists beaten in Voronezh Oblast; security services arrest ‘C.I.A. agent’; Medvedev calls for luxury tax; Kremlin seeks higher state dividends, may raise crude tax. Moscow authorities will not authorise a gay pride [...]

Spy Finances: What's the Going Rate for Espionage in Russia?

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:20:00 -0400

DailyFinance.com: Getty Images News broke Tuesday that Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) had arrested a U.S. diplomat, Ryan Christopher Fogle, on charges of being a CIA agent. In a photograph published by Russia Today, Fogle is shown being pinned to the ground ... Read more

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – May 14, 2013

Tue, 14 May 2013 06:03:13 -0400

TODAY: St. Petersburg gay rights activists plan to rally; three men questioned over ‘homophobic’ murder; case opened against Golos; nationalists detained over high-profile murders; Storchak says trust must be restored; Medvedev organises audits for state-funded projects; Netanyahu to visit Russia. Gay rights activists in St. Petersburg have announced that the city will take part in [...]

Why We Will Miss Surkov

Mon, 13 May 2013 14:58:10 -0400

Charles Clover of the Financial Times has a very good piece on the resignation of Vladislav Surkov from the Kremlin. Despite being the creator of “sovereign democracy,” there are a number of reasons why we will miss his lighter touch. Things are going to get much, much rougher in Russia from here going forward. Mr [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – May 13, 2013

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:59:06 -0400

TODAY: Homophobia-driven murder leads to accusations against Kremlin; 59 detained in connection with Occupy; Surkov dismissal shows isolated Putin; U.K.’s Cameron leaves Russia with assurances of shared goal on Syria; plans to sell arms to Syria show Russia-U.S. discord, Kasparov says the sides have no common ground; Cyprus loan extension not final; Voina intercepted in [...]

National Strategy for the Arctic Region Announced

Fri, 10 May 2013 17:41:49 -0400

The Arctic is rapidly changing. While the Arctic region has experienced warming and cooling cycles over millennia, the current warming trend is unlike anything previously recorded. As sea ice diminishes, ocean resources are more readily accessible. This accessibility, along with recent scientific estimates indicating the presence of significant energy and other resources, have inspired strong interest for new commercial initiatives in the region, including energy production, increased shipping, scientific research, tourism, and related infrastructure development. As an Arctic nation, the United States must be proactive and disciplined in addressing changing regional conditions and in developing adaptive strategies to protect its interests. An undisciplined approach to exploring new opportunities in this frontier could result in significant harm to the region, to our national security interests, and to the global good.

Today, we are releasing the National Strategy for the Artic Region. Through this strategy, we are setting the United States Government’s strategic priorities for the Arctic region. These priorities are intended to position the United States to respond effectively to emerging opportunities – while simultaneously pursuing efforts to protect and conserve this unique environment.

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – May 10, 2013

Fri, 10 May 2013 06:33:23 -0400

TODAY: Temporary Surkov successor appointed; 8.5 million Russians celebrate Victory Day; Kerry urges Russia not to arm Syria; U.K. Prime Minister in Sochi to discuss Syria conflict; Russia to extend terms of Cyprus bailout; St. Petersburg media outlets hacked. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has appointed Sergei Prikhodo as a replacement First Deputy Chief of Staff [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – May 9, 2013

Thu, 09 May 2013 05:13:43 -0400

TODAY: Kremlin’s ‘gray cardinal’ ousted; U.S. fears Russia’s weapons sales to Syria; Putin makes Victory Day Parade speech; human rights groups say Russia wants NGOs out; Titov calls for release of white-collar criminals; businessman arrested in journalist beating; Berezovsky buried. Deputy Prime Minister Vladislav Surkov has been ousted from his post by President Vladimir Putin, [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – May 8, 2012

Wed, 08 May 2013 05:45:19 -0400

TODAY: Russia and U.S. put differences aside to discuss Syria; agree on calling international conference on the problem state; Kerry meets rights activists; three more added to foreign agent list. Putin attacks cabinet performance; corruption looms over Russia’s economy; Alexander Lebedev granted London visit; prison break. Following talks during which U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry [...]

Digital Gitmo

Tue, 07 May 2013 17:15:42 -0400

There is a prevailing attitude in Washington today that the rights of certain people and businesses can be suspended at their choosing. This weakens rule of law and creates huge risks for our future. Megaupload may be a well known victim, but it will not be the last.

Megaupload: A Case Based on a Law That Doesn’t Exist

Tue, 07 May 2013 09:02:48 -0400

And here goes an excerpt of the coverage on The Next Web. The legal team supporting Kim Dotcom argue that Megaupload was used to share a “spectrum of content” including family photographs, academic coursework and files, including videos and music, that was purchased through legal means. It admits that some of these files including potentially [...]

Prime Minister of New Zealand Misled by U.S. Government

Tue, 07 May 2013 09:00:20 -0400

Here goes some of the initial coverage of the Kim Dotcom white paper in the New Zealand Herald: Kim Dotcom has called for an investigation into the FBI case against Megaupload in a legal review which accuses Prime Minister John Key of being misled by the United States. The “White Paper” released by Mr Dotcom [...]

The Kim Dotcom / Megaupload White Paper

Tue, 07 May 2013 08:57:18 -0400

Today we are proud to announce the launch of the White Paper "Megaupload, the Copyright Lobby, and the Future of Digital Rights: The United States vs. You (and Kim Dotcom).

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – May 7, 2013

Tue, 07 May 2013 05:08:13 -0400

TODAY: Tens of thousands gather for opposition rally, few detained; opposition volunteer killed; Levada Centre told to register as ‘foreign agent’; Kerry visits Moscow to discuss Syria; Lebedev trial begins; Beltyukov suspended. An estimated 20,000 people gathered in Moscow’s Bolotnaya Square yesterday, calling for the release of political prisoners being held for participating in opposition [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – May 6, 2013

Mon, 06 May 2013 04:29:43 -0400

TODAY: Protesters gear up for May 6 anniversary march; poll says Russians believe Navalny trial is corrupt; Putin praises Kirill as 4 million gather for Easter mass; bird group branded ‘foreign agent’; Moscow official shot dead; missing plane found. As some protesters await trial and others remain under house arrest for taking part in protests on [...]

ABC Report on the UN’s Cholera Cover Up in Zimbabwe

Sat, 04 May 2013 07:24:21 -0400

This week I had the pleasure of being interviewed for ABC Australia for a segment exploring the 2009 cholera crisis in Zimbabwe and the plight of my client, Georges Tadonki, who tried to blow the whistle but was severely punished by his superiors. We recently won a landmark case in the UN Dispute Tribunal, but [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – May 3, 2013

Fri, 03 May 2013 04:56:47 -0400

TODAY: China slams Russia-Japan cooperation; E.U. considers Magnitsky sanctions, Ireland abandons similar plans after adoptions ban threat; psychologists push for completion of U.S. adoptions; unsolved journalist murders put Russia on CPJ list; Surkov defends Skolkovo; self-taught diplomacy. A spokesperson for China’s Communist Party has slammed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s recent visit to Russia as [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – May 2, 2013

Thu, 02 May 2013 04:32:01 -0400

TODAY: Tens of thousands join pro-Kremlin May Day celebrations, Putin hands out Soviet-style awards; media freedom at a ten-year low; U.S. pushing for support on Syria; former Duma deputy charged with attacking a police officer; Olympic champion loses medal over doping. In what was supposed to be ‘a demonstration of Putin’s power’, yesterday’s May Day celebrations [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – May 1, 2013

Wed, 01 May 2013 05:36:20 -0400

TODAY: May Day demonstrations planned; Agora claims 267 rights organisations subjected to raids; Surgutneftegas and transparency; Skolkovo sues Ilya Ponomaryov; Ukraine and Putin; Gazprom and Europe; U.S. praises cooperation; flights suspended over Syria; Perm blaze owner sentenced. Roughly 1.7 million people are planning to take part in May Day demonstrations today in over 1,000 Russian [...]

Crimes of Market Economy

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 05:24:37 -0400

There’s an incisive piece by Leonid Bershinsky on Bloomberg today, which discusses the intricacies of the two fraud cases against anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny, who – by the state’s own admission – is the subject of persecution thanks to his political activities. Bershinsky puts the charges into the context of a wider business perspective, thereby [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 30, 2013

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 05:14:34 -0400

TODAY: Russia may suspend flights after alleged Syrian airspace hostilities; U.S.-Russia relations improve after bombing; Japan and Russia pledge to solve territorial dispute; Tajiks claim intolerance; cash-rich Surgutneftegas; suspects detained over Caspian Highway embezzlement; opposition trials. Aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia is urging Russia’s airlines to suspend its flights over countries caught in military conflicts, after reported [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 29, 2013

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:31:00 -0400

TODAY: Thirty protesters detained in support rally for Bolotnaya Square; Chaika defends NGO raids; Japanese PM in Russia for talks; Navalny witnesses deny pressure; Putin calls Magnitsky death ‘a tragedy’; new adoptions wrangles. Roughly thirty protesters were detained in Moscow’s Red Square on Saturday for taking part in an unsanctioned gathering held in support of [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 26, 2013

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 04:12:46 -0400

TODAY: Navaly questions key witness; Udaltsov ally sentenced; Golos fined $10,000; fire at Moscow hospital kills 38; Russia and others increasingly policing Internet; Pussy Riot early release considered today; pro-Kremlin anti-drugs vigilantes; candy, Sochi, mass media. Lawyers for Alexei Navalny questioned one of the key witnesses in the case against him yesterday, Vyacheslav Opalev, the [...]

Highlights of Putin’s Stage-Managed Q&A

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:56:03 -0400

President Vladimir Putin took to Russia’s television sets today to perform what is now a long-held tradition – his ‘highly stage-managed’ question-and-answer session, in which he answers questions from members of the public. Topics discussed during the four-hour grilling included Alexei Navalny, the Boston bombing, and Stalinism, and coincided with a rough day of anti-Kremlin propaganda [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 25, 2013

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:51:34 -0400

TODAY: Navalny calls trial ‘political revenge’; golden parachutes not restricted in state monopolies; rights groups issue scathing reports; Putin to hold Q&A today; corruption revealed in connection with Angolan debt; U.S. officials travel to Dagestan over Boston bombing. Alexei Navalny, the anticorruption blogger who once branded United Russia as ‘the party of crooks and thieves’, [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 24, 2013

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 05:46:28 -0400

TODAY: Navalny trial reopens, is adjourned; independent investigation blames police for Bolotnaya Square unrest; Syria chemical weapons reports offer chance for U.S.-Russia cooperation; Novosibirsk journalists attacked; Putin wants growth proposals; Rosneft unveils giant production plans; Navalny’s request for Rosneft disclosure is denied; Boston bombers; Abramovich is top philanthropist. The trial against anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny reopened today [...]

Russia ETFs Lag Behind Other BRIC Economies

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:47:09 -0400

Among the big four BRICs – Brazil, Russia, India and China – emerging market economies, Russian stocks and related exchange traded funds are lagging behind. Now, JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM) has cut its outlook on Russian equities. Market Vectors Russia ETF (NYSEArca: RSX) declined 13.8%...

The Boston Bombers’ “Russia” Connection

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:31:02 -0400

In the wake of the Boston bombing, which killed three people last week, a number of Western news sources have been quick to make the Russia connection. The Huffington Post admitted and corrected its intial reporting of the brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev as having been born in Chechnya, when in fact, Tamerlan, who was killed [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 23, 2013

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:08:09 -0400

TODAY: Upcoming Putin Q&A pulls half a million questions; Putin calls for urgent economic stimulus; opposition trials this week; Peskov laments lack of opposition; Russia to support nuclear Egypt; Gazprom to split? Boston bombers Russia links. President Vladimir Putin will hold his annual live Q&A session later this week, and organisers have apparently already received [...]

Some notes on the Chechens and Chechen demography

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 23:58:00 -0400

Last Monday's Boston Marathon bombings gave some most unattractive publicity to the Russian autonomous republic of Chechnya and the Chechen people, on account of the ethnicity of the alleged perpetrators, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. One thing that ...

Low Valuations Don't Buffer Russia From JP Morgan Downgrade

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:16:03 -0400

Among global investors, one thing that Russian stocks are known are a tendency to trade at valuations that are low compared to the broader emerging markets universe. However, Russia's inexpensive equities were not enough to prevent JP Morgan from downgrading the "R" in the famous BRIC acronym from Neutral to

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 22, 2013

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 04:39:57 -0400

TODAY: Boston bombers raise spectre of Chechen terror as ministers disassociate Russia from the attack; Moscow protesters detained; Fedotov wants NGO law scrapped; Egypt wants $2 billion Russia loan; Usmanov tops rich list; Polish minister fired over Gazprom dealings. The naming of the Boston bombers as brothers of Chechen origin has sparked new fears of [...]

Alexei Navalny: Inevitable Martyrdom?

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 03:47:24 -0400

As the new fraud charge against Alexei Navalny brings the total charges against him to five, The Economist argues that Navalny might not have been persecuted in this way had he acted on his popularity sooner. It’s an interesting angle – it seems plausible that someone with an even wider following would have some degree [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 19, 2013

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 03:39:53 -0400

TODAY: Politkovskaya suspects probe ends; Medvedev’s Skolkovo raided; U.S. Senator meets Magnitsky family, pushes human rights factor; Vkontakte bought by Kremlin allies; Putin to choose next Dagestan governor; Sechin makes Time list; nurses sought in orphan beating. Investigators have ended their probe of the five suspects in the 2006 murder of Anna Politkovskaya, sending the [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 18, 2013

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:23:47 -0400

TODAY: Medvedev defends his cabinet against deputies and Putin comments; U.S. and Russia to have regular dialogue on adoptions; HRW calls for activist’s release; William Browder placed on international wanted list; Navalny rally in Moscow, new investigation opened; Sochi preparations anger locals. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev addressed the Duma yesterday for the first time in [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 17, 2013

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 05:51:50 -0400

TODAY: Navalny trial adjourned at request of defense; comparisons with Khodorkovsky trial abound; Pekhtin lands on feet despite foreign assets controversy. Raid on social network; another NGO under pressure; new amendments to electoral procedures to favour Kremlin. Putin expresses sympathy over Boston bombings; abuse of adoptees in both Russia and U.S. The head judge in [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 16, 2013

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:23:15 -0400

TODAY: Navalny expects a guilty verdict, Prokhorov slams comments by investigation spokesman; Peskov applauds competence of Magnitsky investigators; diplomatic tensions with U.S. to be addressed by Putin and Obama meetings, relationship with Germany seen to be suffering; millionaire United Russia deputies reveal earnings. Anti-corruption blogger and opposition head Alexei Navalny says he fully expects a [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 15, 2013

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 04:31:34 -0400

TODAY: 18 U.S. officials banned from entering Moscow after Magnitsky blacklist published; battle of the lists rages as U.S. negotiator arrives in Moscow; Alexei Navalny embezzlement trial kicks off. Nationalists rally, as do anti-Putin protestors; Putin’s sky high hopes for space programme; Peskov’s pay slip. Following Washington’s publication of the blacklist of Russian officials who [...]

These Awesome Charts Highlight Just How Diversified (or Homogeneous) Some Nations' Exports Are

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:36:10 -0400

Ever wondered what the leading exports of Antarctica or North Korea or the Solomon Islands are? Well you've come to the right place. Courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons and the Observatory of Economic Complexity, Benzinga has compiled an array of export tree maps from countries and regions around the globe,

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast- April 12, 2013

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 05:08:47 -0400

TODAY: ‘Irreplaceable’ reporter Mikhail Beketov laid to rest; NGOs hit back at Putin over foreign funding claims; COE joins in criticism of the ‘foreign agents’ law; Kremlin considers legislation to protect religious sentiments. Moscow renews commitment to Baikonur cosmodrome; heavy losses in steel sector; Rosneft and Exxonmobil unveil LNG project; warming ties with Georgia Activist Yevgenia [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 11, 2013

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 04:44:06 -0400

TODAY: Graft business is booming, say government stats; former deputy agricultural minister held for embezzlement; beleaguered sports official Akhmed Bilalov faces charges; concerns about the state of Russia’s economy grow. Foreign Ministry asserts that U.S. and Russia agree on North Korea; move to ban advertisement of pregnancy termination gains ground; Putin’s popularity dwindling? The perils of [...]

Russia’s Archaic Grasp of Women’s Roles

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:56:06 -0400

Vladimir Putin managed to offend advocates of both women’s and gay rights with comments made in response to the Femen protest in Hanover earlier this week, at which he was accosted by four topless women, their bodies scrawled with curses of “F*** Putin” and ‘Dictator’. He responded by being patronising and sleazy in equal measures, [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 9, 2013

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 03:06:00 -0400

TODAY: Kirill says feminism is dangerous; Femen slams Putin protest response; Duma passes reading of blasphemy bill; Golos latest group to come under ‘foreign agent’ fire; criticism upped over North Korea; Poles protest on anniversary of Kaczynski crash; Nabiullina bank leadership confirmed; Sistema plans India investment. The head of Russia’s Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, said [...]

Mikhail Beketov: 1958-2013

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:26:41 -0400

Incredibly sad news this week comes with the death of Mikhail Beketov, who suffered heart failure yesterday at age 55. Beketov’s tragic end began in 2008 when he was left brain damaged after being brutally attacked outside his home in Khimki. The attack came after a string of death threats made in connection with his [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 9, 2013

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 03:07:14 -0400

TODAY: Journalist Beketov dies; media president beaten; Femen protesters accost Putin, Amsterdam gay rights protest marks his visit; Navalny says Putin has ordered the embezzlement case against him; Pussy Riot Tolokonnikova interview; Udaltsov ally admits guilt; new law vaguely bans media swear words; NGOs deny Putin’s funding accusations. Journalist Mikhail Beketov, who was badly beaten [...]

VelocityShares Adds Three Emerging Market ETFs

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:00:59 -0400

Moving into emerging market equities space, VelocityShares, an exchange traded note provider known for its inverse and leveraged futures-related products, launched three exchange traded funds that track developing economies. According to a press release, VelocityShares launched three emerging...

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 8, 2013

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 02:56:30 -0400

TODAY: NGO crackdown protesters welcome Putin to Germany, Merkel calls on Russia to give NGOs a chance; protesters rally against May 6 arrests; Kudrin report says authorities hamper development; Magnitsky lawyer asks to be removed from ‘illegal’ case; Russia wants Shatto’s brother returned. President Vladimir Putin was greeted by ‘several hundred protesters’ on his arrival [...]

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 5, 2013

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 02:57:10 -0400

TODAY: Navalny eyes presidency; Knopfler cancels Russia concerts over NGO raids, Kremlin threatens to fine organisations; Poland says no to Gazprom pipeline; Tele2 deal analysis; Russian Railways privatisation approved; energy tie-ups; Pozner interview. Opposition leader and anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny says he will run for president in 2018, and wants ‘to change the life of the country’ by [...]

George Tadonki’s Courage

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:50:26 -0400

Tadonki brought a wrongful termination claim against the UN after the organization effectively fired him in early 2009. The UN's bulletproof legal immunity necessitates an unusual system for adjudicating such cases. Because the UN cannot be sued, tribunals convened by the UN itself deal with employment claims, pseudo-courts that don't adhere to several important aspects of accepted U.S. and European legal procedure.