PUTIN

Russia plans to change a key law regulating foreign investment in so-called strategic sectors in 2011 in a bid to bring smart money into the country, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

In a blow to Microsoft, Russia has taken another step towards transition into complete usage of free software. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday signed an order for the transition of federal bodies and agencies to use free software.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin attacked the United States on Thursday over secret U.S. diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks, saying the West had no right to preach to Russia about democracy.

Russia won the bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2018 and the tourism industry in United Kingdom has expressed disappointment as it had expected to tap its potential as a tourist destination had it won the bid to host the international tournament

US diplomatic cables leaked by whistle-blower site Wikileaks suggest that even as Russians are eagerly awaiting the dates of elections in 2012, the outcome is almost decided. American officials believe that Vladimir Putin, the current Prime minister would continue to influence the course of the country's politics no matter what role he plays in it.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is not alone when it comes to avoiding flying. He's got a friend in Moammar Qadafi of Libya, whose staff avoid long distance travel by air over water.

China and Russia announced on Tuesday to renounce US dollar and use their domestic currencies in bilateral trade.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is planning an official visit to Israel in January next year, the Haaretz reported on Wednesday. This will be the first Russian presidential visit to Israel in almost five years. It was in 2005 that Vladimir Putin met Ariel Sharon, which improved the bilateral ties between the countries.

Russia's paramount leader, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, hinted on Monday he would return to the presidency in 2012 for six more years and said democracy protesters marching without permission deserved to be beaten.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin hinted that he would return to the Kremlin in 2012 for another six years, saying in an interview published Monday he was more interested than everyone else in the election.

Austria signed up to build part of Russia's South Stream gas pipeline on Saturday, and visiting Prime Minister Vladimir Putin scorned the EU's rival Nabucco project as futile.

Russia expressed its willingness to extend help to Venezuela for the development of more oil fields, said Russian Prime Minister. Speaking here after talks with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, Russia on P M Vladimir Putin said Our partners have said they are ready to expand our partnership in the energy sector. If an agreement is reached, Russia will pay Venezuela an additional $1 billion bonus for oil field development.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told his ruling party on Friday it must pay more attention to ordinary voters, just days after one of the biggest opposition protests in a decade.

Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned Thursday Moscow will find alternative poultry import sources if the United States, Russia's top supplier, does not observe new safety rules.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he hoped for improved relations with the United States in 2010, days after his attack on U.S. missile defense plans displayed the fragility of efforts to draw closer.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday U.S. plans for a missile defense system were the main obstacle to reaching a new deal on reducing Cold War arsenals of nuclear weapons.

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 created the $700 billion bailout (plus $100 billion in add-ons) Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), a wealth transfer scheme so brazen as to leave one breathless. Another Fed bubble had popped; losses in the real estate mortgage meltdown were real; they had already taken place. The only real question was who would be made to eat those losses: the investment banking community that earned millions in fees each year in the debacle and their offspr...

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he would not leave Russian politics any time soon, telling a questioner asking about his departure: Do not hold your breath.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin suggested on Wednesday that China, Central Asian nations and Russia should hold a song competition to boost cultural ties.

Russian opposition parties walked out of parliament on Wednesday in a rare act of protest against disputed regional elections, with the Communist Party blaming Vladimir Putin for an unworkable system of governance.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Friday that General Motors made the right decision to sell a 55 percent stake in Opel to a group led by Canada's Magna.