By John Helmer in Moscow

The Chelyabinsk prosecutor has opened a criminal investigation into a lethal explosion this week at a coke battery of the Mechel group in Chelyabinsk. One worker at the battery was killed immediately, and three others are in serious condition in hospital after the blast, which occurred, according to a company statement, on Thursday morning, at coke shop number 2 of Mechel-Coke. A search by Emergency Ministry specialists continues today for others who may have been killed in the explosion, and remain unrecognizable in the rubble.
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by John Helmer - Friday, March 12th, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow

The state diamond stockpile agency, Gokhran, will not be purchasing as many Alrosa rough diamonds this year as had been expected and budgeted for, according to a brief statement by the Gokhran head, Vladimir Rybkin. But before Gokhran sells any of its new stocks, Rybkin said the state agency will have to re-value the Alrosa rough.
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by John Helmer - Friday, March 12th, 2010
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On February 24, 2010, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was critical of Mikhail Prokhorov for failing to meet his investment obligations in the electricity generating sector.
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by John Helmer - Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow

Two chickens were lying side by side in the refrigerator case of a Moscow shop in the Soviet year of 1988. One, American, was plump and cheerful; the other, Russian, was scrawny and sarcastic. “I’m so much fitter than you,” said the American to the Russian. “Well, at least I died of natural causes,” replied the Russian.

Not funny any more, and no more jokes like that. Today, if the American chicken is to be allowed into the Moscow shop, he will be obliged to pass a medical test which the local poultry has already passed with flying colours. Pigs, too.
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by John Helmer - Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
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Si, si, pur troppo e vero: nel temerario volo
Molti gl’Ícari son, Dedalo un solo

Voli per l’aria chi puo volare
Scorra veloce la terra, il mare,
Parta, ritorni, ne fermi il pie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnFMm1-_9ew

by John Helmer - Friday, March 5th, 2010
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The Koukidis Option

On April 27, 1941, Konstantinos Koukidis was the Greek Evzone on flag-guard duty at the Acropolis, when the German invaders arrived. When a German officer ordered Koukidis to surrender, give up the Greek flag, and raise the German flag in its place, Koukidis took the Greek flag down, wrapped it around his body, and jumped from the Acropolis rock to his death.

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by John Helmer - Thursday, March 4th, 2010
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на постановление об отказе в возбуждении уголовного дела

Translation from Russian
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by John Helmer - Thursday, March 4th, 2010
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Picture-1 – see how the price of aluminium metal is rising on the US exchanges
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by John Helmer - Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow

In the junior goldmining business, hope springs eternal. So naturally it did, when GV Gold, the Irkutsk-based junior goldminer controlled by Sergei Dokuchayev, went before a recent Moscow miners’ beauty contest to announce a new share issue bid. Maxim Gorlachev, head of corporate development, told the Adam Smith Institute metals conference in Moscow that “an IPO is one of the options we are considering in order to fund growth.” The target for fund raising is $300 million, he said, in order to lift the volume of current gold produced from 111,000 troy ounces to four times that amount, 438,000 oz., in another four years. The shares might be listed and sold in Hong Kong, London, Moscow or Toronto, Gorlachev is also reported to have said.
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by John Helmer - Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow

Negotiations under way between Russian gas exporter Gazprom and Romania may result in a dramatic shift in the routing of the South Stream gas pipeline under the Black Sea, and in current relations between the Russian and Bulgarian governments, Bulgarian officials have told Fairplay.
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by John Helmer - Monday, March 1st, 2010
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