By John Helmer in Moscow Kosh-Agach is a steppe word meaning ‘so long, tree’. It’s the world’s end, the driest and direst place in fareastern Russia at a remote corner where the frontiers of Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China meet. It is also the location of a large reserve of rare metals, including cobalt. So rare […]

by John Helmer - Monday, July 5th, 2010
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AND FOR SKILL IN ARRANGING POLITICAL PAYOFFS, OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, TAX EVASION, MONEY LAUNDERING, EXTORTION, AND BRIBES, ACCORDING TO WHAT THE BUTLER OVERHEARD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkNdn42_wN4 Note: for further information on Madame Bettencourt, her confidante, her butler, the tapes, and the court proceedings at Nanterre, use this link.

by John Helmer - Sunday, July 4th, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow Business aviation, that elite division of the Mile High Club that is more luxurious and more private than first-class, has been a poor investment since the crash of 2008. A great many jets have been on the market, including the Boeing 737 Business Jet (BBJ) that is owned by Suleiman […]

by John Helmer - Friday, July 2nd, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow Gennady Onishchenko (picture) would flog a dead horse to protect domestic product market share against foreign imports, and that’s as good as protecting Russian consumer health, even better perhaps. Onishchenko saved Russians from the perils of Belarus milk last June and then in January he rescued the state from American […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, July 1st, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow Severstal has announced a transaction which returns the Italian steelmaker Lucchini to Alexei Mordashov, the controlling shareholder of the Severstal group, who originally bought the asset and then re- sold it to his company in 2005-2006.

by John Helmer - Thursday, July 1st, 2010
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