TODAY: Putin orders infrastructure overhaul; blogger charged; Rogozin praises cooperation with NATO; Abkhazia warns Georgia over blockade; criminal charges for 'negligent' Ingushetia police; fire at rights organization HQ; Medvedev warns United Russia against complacency.  Flag owners beware.Prime Minister Putin has ordered a review of all of Russia's Soviet-era structures in light of the Sayano-Shushenskaya power station disaster.  Russia's roads, airplanes, and pipelines have all shown signs of being dangerously outdated in recent times. Putin also promised payouts of $31,300 to each of the dead worker's families, to be paid by Rushydro.  The New York Times reports that blogger Mikhail Afanasyev, who questioned the government's handling of the disaster, has been charged with libel.  Envoy Dmitry Rogozin ...

Trading in shares of China Eastern Airlines Corporation Limited (CEA) and Shanghai Airlines Co., Ltd. (or SAL) have been suspended beginning on June 8, reportedly concerning a merger between the two.Details are slim. Speculation includes three possible alternatives: (1) SAL will become a wholly owned subsidiary of CEA that is operated independently; (2) SAL's operations will be completely merged with CEA with the SAL brand ended; or (3) CEA will take a controlling interest in SAL.The first two would be accomplished via a share exchange in which the shares of SAL would be delisted, while under the third option SAL would continue as a listed stock. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of 2009 to assure China Eastern's service to the Shanghai World Expo to be held in 2010. Any hook-up between the two would be positive for ...