By John Helmer, Moscow In its 20-year history, the London-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has been notoriously slow to process borrower applications and disburse funds. Insiders say this reflects the problems of adjusting the commercial imperatives of the bank’s €53 billion project financing book, to the political realities and demands of the […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, January 20th, 2011
No Comments »

by John Helmer - Monday, January 17th, 2011
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow In Oleg Deripaska’s short career history, his Russian partners don’t last for long. The record for sufferance is held by Mikhail Chernoy (Michael Cherney), whose agreement to lend Deripaska money and grant him trustee rights over Chernoy’s 13% shareholding in United Company Rusal lasted for more than five years – between […]

by John Helmer - Friday, December 17th, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow The Prime Minister has asked Russians to send him their choices of a name for a young Bulgarian shepherd dog, which was presented to him by the dog fancier, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, when the two met in Sofia on November 13.

by John Helmer - Thursday, December 16th, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow The Bible isn’t nice to giants. Goliath goes down to a single stone from a slingshot-tossing boy. And Samson, whom the ancient Hebrews thought was so strong he could lift two mountains and rub them together like lumps of earth, fell for the temptress Delilah; she got him to go to […]

by John Helmer - Monday, December 6th, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow According to the announcement from Wikileaks, and confirmed by the US State Department, next week there will be the public disclosure of approximately 2.8 million classified US cables and internal government reports identifying foreign government corruption and other criminality; and also what US-allied governments, such as the UK, Canada, Norway, and […]

by John Helmer - Friday, November 26th, 2010
No Comments »

by John Helmer - Thursday, November 25th, 2010
No Comments »

Sir Henry Vane, born November 15, 1613 – executed for treason in London, June 14, 1662

by John Helmer - Monday, November 15th, 2010
No Comments »

by John Helmer - Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer in Moscow Sovcomflot, the Russian state-owned tanker group, reports that, despite rising revenues of $678.6 million in the first six months of this year — up 11% over the same period of 2009 — earnings have fallen 4% to $292.6 million; and net income has dropped 5% to $111.2 million. Revenues rose […]

by John Helmer - Friday, September 24th, 2010
No Comments »