By John Helmer, Moscow
Sergei Generalov has once again proved to be the federal Transport Ministry’s Ninja, leaping out of his staid business-suit and spectacle disguise to toss his grappling-hook, and rescue the privatization of state-owned rail transport company, Transcontainer.
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By John Helmer, Moscow
The Kremlin is thinking of bidding against Australia’s BHP Billiton (BHP) for control of Canada’s leading potash producer, Potash Corporation. But those promoting the bid in Moscow won’t say why they believe the Canadian government should agree to a takeover which the Russians admit they would ask Russia’s Control Commission for Foreign Investment to refuse, if the positions were reversed.
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By John Helmer, Moscow
If you’re wandering in the desert, and there isn’t enough water to go around, you need to be able to tell your friends at the well from your foes. The ancient Hebrew tribes found that circumcising their members was a particularly reliable device. They didn’t have to punch the Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) toggle used in modern aircraft cockpits – they just pulled down their pants.
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By John Helmer, Moscow
US statutes require the registration of American agents who are acting for foreign companies or foreign individuals in an attempt to influence US legislation, political debate, or government decision-making in favour of their clients’ interests. Camouflage and concealment are unlawful, and can verge on espionage in the minds of some US prosecutors.
Lobbying is generally legal, so long as the lobbying activities themselves – letter-writing, meeting officials, donations to political campaigns, etc. — are registered and regularly reported to the Foreign Agents Registration unit (FARA) at the US Department of Justice in Washington.
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By John Helmer, Moscow
Does he or doesn’t he? Is S&M best practice in his management thinking — cutting-edge in the literal sense?
Mikhail Prokhorov has a funny way of answering questions about his tastes, and ingratiating himself with reporters at the same time. When interviewed recently by a special reporter for the New York Times – the Times editors were reluctant to commit one of their regular byliners to the job – Prokhorov showed how he is able to break a man’s leg in just three furtive moves.
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“One oligarch, One divorce, Two abysses”, Pierre-Alexandre Sallier, Le Temps, Geneva,
October 30, 2010 — translated from the French
In Geneva, the wife of Dmitri Rybolovlev demands half of his wealth of 12 thousand million Swiss francs ($12.1 billion)
Their separation plunges Swiss justice into the heart of the battle between the Kremlin and the king of the potash
This affair leaves two big holes, one in Cologny, the most upper-crust hill of Geneva, the other one in the Urals
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By John Helmer, Moscow
Now children, this is a story of the boy who was so keen to go on holiday, he packed his bag too soon.
The three insiders familiar with the matter, on whom Bloomberg relies, seem to have got the story wrong, at least so far as the timing of Alexei Mordashov’s (right image) initial public offering (IPO) of Nord Gold shares. They were reported as saying last week that the company had lodged its application to the Listing Authority of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), the London regulator headed by Hector Sants (left image): “OAO Severstal’s gold-mining unit is seeking regulatory approval for a $1 billion initial public offering in London, according to three people with knowledge of the plan. The IPO, managed by Credit Suisse Group AG, Morgan Stanley and Troika Dialog, may start as early as this month, pending approval from regulators in London, two of the people said, declining to be identified because the information is private.”
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By John Helmer, Moscow
Evraz, Russia’s largest steelmaking group, has announced this week the creation of a special internal committee on health, safety and environment, and will appoint a new vice president to supervise these issues. A company statement says it “is focused on increasing the level of industrial safety, labour protection and care of the environment across its international operations.”
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