Kavkaz Center:The Kremlin's War Against Freedom
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posted by FerrasB on August, 2006 as Freedom and Fear
The Kremlin's war against freedom Publication time: 15 July 2006, 14:56 Will any of the world leaders dare to confront the authoritarianism of President Putin? RUSSIA IS THE big story this weekend. The G8 meeting comes to town in a fortified St Petersburg and the world's media will be there. After the winter stand-off between Ukraine and Russia over gas supplies energy supply is likely to dominate debate . But lurking behind that issue are a host of others - including the "bugged rock" spying affair. If you believe the Russian authorities, their intelligence agencies caught spies in January supposedly scurrying from the British Embassy to a public park. These "spies" were indulging in the classic "dead letter drop" tactics of the Cold War era, using the embassy as a cover for espionage and funding front organisations to do the same. One intriguing aspect of this throwback to Ian Fleming was that the allegations emerged ... >> full
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Moscow News: By Saying "Dollar" You Are Breaking The Law
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posted by FerrasB on as Freedom and Fear
19.07.06 Wednesday By Saying "Dollar" You Are Breaking the Law By Sergei Dmitriyev The Moscow News Russia's lower house of parliament passed in the second reading a bill, according to which it is forbidden for governmental officials, State Duma deputies, Federation Council members, civil state officials and journalists to use the terms "dollar" and "euro", as well as the names of other foreign currencies during public speeches, in mass media publications, and on the Internet. The bill says that "when speaking in public, including to the media, members of the government must not use foreign currency terms ... to give information about the cost of goods, work, services, property, the sums of closed deals, budget indexes at any level of the Russian budget system, state and municipal borrowings, or state and municipal debts." However, the ban envisaged several exceptions, thus softening the legislation. The restriction does not cover the citing of public speeches, documents, and ... >> full
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Kavkaz Center: Free Speech "Marked For Death"
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posted by FerrasB on as Freedom and Fear
Free Speech "Marked for Death" Publication time: Today at 12:30 Djokhar time AFTER years of asymmetric attacks on the First Amendment- assassinating journalists, surveilling dissent, and censoring the free flow of information- the Democracy Mukhabarat rules. Using national security to stop scrutiny or prosecution, the Bush administration instead labels opposition media as the criminal, declaring the Fourth Estate to be the Fourth Front. "Full spectrum information dominance" equates 'unfriendly' media with enemy propaganda, declaring both "a weapon of war" and a legitimate military target. In 2004, the US government also declared it a Terrorist Organization. Under US Executive Order 12334, Lebanon's Al Manar TV was the first television station ever to be legally designated a 'terrorist entity' equivalent to Al Qaeda. The Bush administration, at Israel's urging, silenced Al Manar satellite transmissions into the US. In 2006 the order was expanded to include Al Noor Radio, Al Ahed & Al Intiqad Newspapers and their ... >> full
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posted by FerrasB on as Freedom and Fear
Saturday, August 19, 2006 Russia Marks 15 Years Since Soviet Coup Bid Soviet Union – August putsch – Gennady Yanayev announces the coup to the press, Moscow, 19Aug1991 Soviet Vice President Gennady Yanayev announcing the coup on August 19, 1991 (TASS) August 19, 2006 -- A protest by Communist supporters marked the start of commemorations today of the 15th anniversary of the failed coup attempt that lead to the break up of the Soviet Union. About 100 Communist Party supporters, most of them elderly and many waving red flags, gathered on Red Square to denounce the Soviet Union's collapse and to voice their regret at the failure of the three-day coup bid that began on August 19, 1991. The anniversary of the coup, whose failure led to independence for Russia and the 14 other Soviet republics, is a time of regret for many. President Vladimir Putin has called the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union the "biggest geopolitical ... >> full
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MosNews: Russian Diva Netrebko Becomes Austrian Citizen
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posted by FerrasB on as Freedom and Fear
Anna Netrebko / Photo: AP Russian Diva Netrebko Becomes Austrian Citizen 02.08.2006 MosNews Russian diva Anna Netrebko officially became an Austrian citizen in Salzburg, a few days after giving a glorious performance at the city’s famous Music Festival, Agence France-Presse reported Tuesday. The Austrian council of ministers decided last week to give the 34-year-old soprano Austrian citizenship without requiring her to pass a test like most people, because of her “particular merits.” The brunette opera singer will also be allowed to retain her Russian citizenship, unlike other foreigners who must renounce their former nationality when they become Austrian. Netrebko is a real pop star in Austria, a country where classical music is ever-present, even in the pages of tabloid newspapers. In Salzburg, she made her mark in a television version of Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro,” a year after performing with Mexican tenor Rolando Villazon in a glamorous production of Verdi’s “La Traviata.” Alongside Villazon and Spain’s tenor ... >> full
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