Prominent Russian politicians have commented on the announcement yesterday by an ex-premier, Mikhail Kasyanov, that he would run in the 2008 presidential election.

Sergei Mironov, Speaker of the Federation Council, Russia's upper house of parliament, told a Moscow press conference Thursday that he was vehemently opposed to amending the constitution in order to extend the presidential tenure, currently limited to two four-year terms. Mironov said President Vladimir Putin. . .

The police seized about five metric tons of drugs in the first six months of 2005, a spokesman for the Russian Interior Ministry said Friday. "More than 4.8 tons of drugs, psychotropic and dangerous substances were seized [in efforts to counter] the illicit drug trade during the . . .

President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to allocate grants to 11 of Russia's oldest theaters and drama schools. At a meeting with the directors of the country's leading theaters and drama schools, Putin said: "The money is in the 2006 budget. The first tranche will be more than . . .

Incomes of the upper 10 percent of Russia’s rich made up 29.6 percent of the country’s total personal earnings in the first half of this year, against 30 percent in the same period of last year.

Russian parliament member Yekaterina Lakhova is proposing a moratorium on the adoption of Russian children by citizens of those countries where violence against Russian children was reported, including the United States.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s popularity has dropped to an all-time low of 25 percent, Echo of Moscow radio reported citing an opinion poll by the Public Opinion Foundation, which encompassed 3,000 respondents in 63 regions of Russia.

Foreigners adopt more children in Russia than Russians, although law envisages priority of Russian adoptions. In 2004, foreigners adopted 9,600 children, while Russians only 7,400.

The Russian Education Ministry is preparing changes in the rules for the adoption of Russian children, ministry official Sergei Apatenko told a news conference Tuesday.

Only 33 % of Russians view political opposition as a symbol of true democracy, compared to 48 % of those who said it was not necessary, given the normal political and economic situation in the country, according to the All-Russia Public Opinion Research Center's (VTsIOM) July poll.

Indiscriminate use of sirens, special road passes and car numberplates is perhaps one of the most insulting and enduring Soviet-era legacies and privileges in today’s post-communist Russia.

Around 41 percent of Russians believe that during the last 5 to 6 years Russia has developed better leisure and recreation facilities, while 26 percent believe that the facilities deteriorated.

The All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) has held polls to discover Russians' opinions about tax evasion practices. 59 percent of those polled said they opposed these practices even if they are stipulated by laws.

As polls held by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) have shown, 39 percent of Russians are ashamed on Russia's being the second-largest billionaire-rich country in the world, according to Forbes magazine.

The Pension Fund of Russia believes that Russians should not be worried about an increase in the retirement age, a source in the Pension Fund has said. Currently, the ratio of pensioners to working people is 1 to 1.7, which is rather an optimistic rate compared with other countries.

The government is not planning to cancel or revise any provisions of the law on replacing social privileges with cash benefits, Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Zhukov has declared at a meeting of the Russian industrialists and entrepreneurs union's board.

The European Union (EU) intends to implement a project aimed at assisting the pension reform in Russia.

MOSCOW - The All-Russia Center for Public Opinion Studies (VTsIOM) has submitted data on ratings of major Russian politicians for February 2005. Russian President Vladimir Putin has remained the leader with the approval rating of 64 percent...

MOSCOW - Mortgage lending threatens to stay “a beautiful fairytale” for Russia unless key financial instruments unlock doors to house-purchase loans. That’s the verdict of SU-155 building firm chairman...

MOSCOW - Prime minister Mikhail Fradkov considers it necessary to “put a stop to the criminal redistribution of property”, including aggressive acquisitions. He made this comment at an interior ministry meeting on Wednesday. He stressed that interior department agencies “should not allow themselves to be embroiled...

MOSCOW - Opening a Russian cabinet session to discuss social issues on Monday, premier Mikhail Fradkov scolded health and social development minister Mikhail Zurabov for failure to monitor effectively reforms which have led to unrest and protests across the nation...

MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin’s popularity has slumped from 84 percent last May to 65 percent in January this year, Andrei Milekhin, general director of ROMIR research group, told a news conference. Asked “to what extent do you trust or distrust...

MOSCOW - In the near future, the State Duma will limit some of the existing privileges of the deputies. The respective amendments to the law on the status of MPs have been suggested. Oleg Kovalyov, chairman of the committee for parliamentary procedures...

MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin's rating has decreased from 84 to 65 percent since May, Andrey Milyokhin, general director of the ROMIR Monitoring research holding, said at yesterday's press conference. Answering the question 'To what extent...

MOSCOW - Russian prime minister Mikhail Fradkov and his government are losing favor with the people, a nationwide poll confirms. Fradkov’s lost the support of 44 percent of those questioned, slipping further from the 37 percent that gave the thumbs down in December. Those actually backing him are on the slide...

MOSCOW - Real disposable income (income after the deduction of compulsory payments and adjusted against the consumer price index) rose in 2004 and in December 2004 by 7.8 and 5.3 percent respectively, compared with the corresponding rates...

MOSCOW - The Rodina (Motherland) parliamentary group will insist that the State Duma debate an alternative resolution relating to the situation with replacing social privileges with financial aid...

MOSCOW - The United Russia party and the government have agreed upon a number of measures for a more efficient implementation of the law on cash payments in substitution for social privileges...

BANDA ACEH - The Russian government has decided to provide over $30m for coping with the aftermath of the tsunami in Asia, First Deputy Foreign Minister Valeriy Loshchinin said at a UN conference on aid to tsunami victims in Geneva. Of that amount, $12m...

MOSCOW - The Russian embassy in Thailand has failed to contact 43 Russians in areas hit by the tsunami, said Alexander Yakovenko, an official spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry. He was commenting on the situation on Phuket Island...