President Medvedev has asserted that Russia will continue to battle the economic crisis in 2010; meanwhile the Prime Minister has stated that monocities will be the focus of regeneration projects.  Putin has affirmed that battling the crisis was one of his greatest achievements of the year.  He may have his work cut out for him in 2010; he apparently foresees an 8.7% decrease in GDP next year.  2009 has ended with low inflation, arguably more the result of the effects of the recession than the central bank’s policies.  Reuters reports on the Rusal Hong Kong IPO: the company has provided exhaustive information about its financial status, (revealing a disastrous first half of the year), before it attempts to cash in on its $2.6 billion market capitalization.  A factbox provides some highlights of the 1,100 page listing …

President Medvedev has asserted that Russia will continue to battle the economic crisis in 2010; meanwhile the Prime Minister has stated that monocities will be the focus of regeneration projects.  Putin has affirmed that battling the crisis was one of his greatest achievements of the year.  He may have his work cut out for him in 2010; he apparently foresees an 8.7% decrease in GDP next year.  2009 has ended with low inflation, arguably more the result of the effects of the recession than the central bank’s policies.  Reuters reports on the Rusal Hong Kong IPO: the company has provided exhaustive information about its financial status, (revealing a disastrous first half of the year), before it attempts to cash in on its $2.6 billion market capitalization.  A factbox provides some highlights of the 1,100 page listing …

President Medvedev has asserted that Russia will continue to battle the economic crisis in 2010; meanwhile the Prime Minister has stated that monocities will be the focus of regeneration projects.  Putin has affirmed that battling the crisis was one of his greatest achievements of the year.  He may have his work cut out for him in 2010; he apparently foresees an 8.7% decrease in GDP next year.  2009 has ended with low inflation, arguably more the result of the effects of the recession than the central bank’s policies.  Reuters reports on the Rusal Hong Kong IPO: the company has provided exhaustive information about its financial status, (revealing a disastrous first half of the year), before it attempts to cash in on its $2.6 billion market capitalization.  A factbox provides some highlights of the 1,100 page listing …

President Medvedev has asserted that Russia will continue to battle the economic crisis in 2010; meanwhile the Prime Minister has stated that monocities will be the focus of regeneration projects.  Putin has affirmed that battling the crisis was one of his greatest achievements of the year.  He may have his work cut out for him in 2010; he apparently foresees an 8.7% decrease in GDP next year.  2009 has ended with low inflation, arguably more the result of the effects of the recession than the central bank's policies.  Reuters reports on the Rusal Hong Kong IPO: the company has provided exhaustive information about its financial status, (revealing a disastrous first half of the year), before it attempts to cash in on its $2.6 billion market capitalization.  A factbox provides some highlights of the 1,100 page listing ...

Good news for Russia - the price of oil is at a four-week high.  Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has launched the Kozmino port, a $2 billion Pacific oil terminal aimed at 'conquering Asian markets', funded by Transneft.  Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko insists that her country would have no trouble paying for gas deliveries next month: 'we, Ukraine, are clearly and assuredly conducting our financial life in the crisis'.  Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller backed up Tymoshenko with a vote of confidence today, after news last week that January oil exports to Ukraine would have to be scrapped.  Gazprom has canceled a 2010 corporate party after paying low dividends for a second year running.  The company is eager to come to an agreement on gas supplies from Sakhalin-1 next year.  On Lithuania's increasing ...

How cool is Putin?  Not only has the guy been running Russia for more than a decade and probably into the foreseeable future, he also shoots tigers, goes topless horseback riding, is rumored to have a gorgeous gymnast girlfriend, is best friends with Italy's #1 playboy, goes submarine diving, flies fighter jets, hangs out at hip-hop shows, can paint million-dollar masterpiece art, and can discuss martial arts with friends like Jean Claude Van Damme any time he wants.  If the average Russian voter were a 13-year-old boy, this guy would never leave power.The latest move which should leave no doubts among Kremlin watchers that Putin intends to trump up his image for another run at the presidency, is this judo demonstration before dozens of TV cameras and an offer to join the Olympic ...

Writing at Time Magazine, Carl Schreck, a journalist we usually see writing at the National, has a piece on the proliferation of corporate raiding by government agencies and the private groups which control them - filling the jails with businessmen who blow the whistle on official abuses.

There are no reliable statistics on the number of corporate raider attacks carried out each year, although media reports have put the number as high as 70,000. But the impact of the criminal practice on the economy is quite clear -- business lobbyists and corruption experts say it is paralyzing small- and mid-sized businesses, as well as scaring off foreign investment. "If an Italian is doing business here and is targeted in a raider attack, he's going to tell his countrymen," says Alexander Brechalov, vice president of Opora, a Russian lobbying group for small businesses. ...

I am not sure what value I can add to the passing of the former PM and economic architect of the Russian Federation, Yegor Gaidar, to everything else that is being published today.  I just know that I shouldn't let it go by unmentioned.  He passed away today from a blood clot at the remarkably young age of 53.  I write "remarkably" because one forgets that he rose to the level of Prime Minister by the age of 36, and made many friends and enemies both earlier and later throughout his controversial career.Gaidar was a complex character with a mixed career during an incredibly challenging time.  For many his passing brings back memories of "shock therapy" economic policies, ...

The New York Post is running a sensationalist piece today about the gymnast Alina Kabaeva giving birth to a son, which may or may not have something to do with the unconfirmed speculation of involvement with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.We've hit up the story here and there in passing on the blog, but RUSSIA! magazine served up the most information.  I don't know why, but I am rather disinclined to believe the story - it just doesn't fit Putin's M.O.  I also think Alexander Lebedev would've been forced to shut down the newspaper which broke the story regardless of whether or not it was true or false, which is a needless reminder of the status of ...

Strong showing on the retail sales front and better-than-estimated consumer confidence data lifted hopes the economic recovery is strengthening, but gains were limited as the greenback strengthened against a basket of currencies and technology shares came under pressure.     

Consumer-related stocks like Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO), McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) and Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) led the gainers on the Dow Jones industrial average.  The big winners also included industrial companies like Alco (NYSE:AA) and United Technologies (NYSE:UTX). 

World stocks were mostly up Monday after oil-rich Abu Dhabi said it will inject a $10 billion lifeline to save Dubai World from defaulting on its debt commitments.  The news sent Dubai’s main stock market soaring more than 10% and helped ease worries about the emirate’s finances – for now. 

Also, Greece's Prime Minister Papandreou reportedly is expected to announce plans to trim the nation's bulging deficit later today.  Meanwhile, Moody's (NYSE:MCO) said its top credit ratings

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