By John Helmer in Moscow It will take more than a pair of silken toe-shoes for Russian Aluminium (Rusal), sponsor of the Bolshoi Theatre’s programme at Covent Garden this month, to dance its way out of serious drama in the English courts.

by John Helmer - Sunday, July 30th, 2006
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By John Helmer in Moscow Russian strategy for extending its alliance for energy production and energy transportation into the backyard of the United States — a region Washington views as off-limits for foreign powers, since the 19th century Monroe Doctrine — marched several paces forward this week in Moscow, during the state visit of Venezuela’s [...]

by John Helmer - Friday, July 28th, 2006
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By John Helmer in Moscow Yury Trutnev, the Russian minister in charge of Russia’s economic relations with South Africa, is visiting South Africa, Angola and Namibia this week, in anticipation of President Vladimir Putin’s visit currently scheduled for the first week of September. Among the meetings Trutnev has arranged, the ministry told Business Day, was [...]

by John Helmer - Thursday, July 27th, 2006
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By John Helmer in Moscow A lion, who copies a lion, is an ape. That is Victor Hugo, France’s 19th century poet hero, talking of the difference between writers and hacks. If Hugo had lowered (or raised) himself to think of steelmakers, his remark might inspire sceptical reflection on what is really happening in the [...]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, July 18th, 2006
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By John Helmer In the Russian folk tradition, Dyed Moroz (Father Christmas) doesn’t give children their presents because they have been well-behaved all year. Instead, he responds to those who shout the loudest to catch his attention.

by John Helmer - Friday, July 14th, 2006
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By John Helmer EBRD says bauxite and aluminium loans innocent until proven guilty MOSCOW (Mineweb.com) — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a London-based lender for resource development in Russia and Central Asia, is covering up allegations of corruption in a Russian-directed takeover of an aluminium smelter in Tajikistan, the largest in Central [...]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, July 11th, 2006
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