Arts & Entertainment

Arts & Entertainment

A former Iranian consul to Norway, who had...

A former Iranian consul to Norway, who had resigned in late 2009 over the crackdown on opposition protests by Iran"s government, asked Norwegian authorities for political asylum, the Norway Post newspaper said on Thursday.

All the bodies of the people who died when...

All the bodies of the people who died when a plane carrying Polish President Lech Kaczynski crashed on Saturday in west Russia have been found, Russia"s emergencies minister said.

Although the heavy nuclear-powered cruiser...

Although the heavy nuclear-powered cruiser Pyotr Veliky (Peter the Great) has been at sea for the past six months, her voyage is just beginning.

A militant leader was killed in Russia"s...

A militant leader was killed in Russia"s North Caucasus republic of Ingushetia on Wednesday, a law enforcement source said.

An unnamed Russian company is close to buying...

An unnamed Russian company is close to buying control of one of Ukraine"s largest steel groups, Industrial Union of Donbass, The Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

A pet leopard from a disputed rural settlement...

A pet leopard from a disputed rural settlement in Moscow will move to a wildlife sanctuary near Sochi, a south Russian resort on the Black Sea, a local environmental official said on Friday.

A Russian carrier rocket due to take a crew...

A Russian carrier rocket due to take a crew of three to the International Space Station (ISS) has been moved to a launch pad at Kazakhstan"s Baikonur space center.

A Russian emergencies ministry"s Il-76 plane...

A Russian emergencies ministry"s Il-76 plane took off on Wednesday for quake-hit Chile carrying some 28 tons of humanitarian cargo.

A Russian government commission has approved...

A Russian government commission has approved the basic and back-up crews for a new expedition to the International Space Station (ISS).

A Russian journalist who spent almost two...

A Russian journalist who spent almost two weeks in a coma after he was beaten and sexually assaulted at a sobering-up facility died on Wednesday, a doctor in the West Siberian city of Tomsk said.

A Soyuz-TMA-16 space capsule carrying two...

A Soyuz-TMA-16 space capsule carrying two astronauts returning from the International Space Station (ISS) successfully landed in Kazakhstan on Thursday, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.

At least 32 people were killed and 42 were...

At least 32 people were killed and 42 were wounded in three coordinated suicide attacks, which occurred in the central Iraqi city of Baquba just days before parliamentary elections seen as a crucial precursor to a complete US military withdrawal from the country, Al Jazeera has said.

At least one person has been killed and...

At least one person has been killed and thousands have been evacuated as a cyclone has hit French Polynesia, according to Euronews television channel.

A total of 110 reporters were killed in...

A total of 110 reporters were killed in the course of their work in 2009 making the year the most lethal for journalists in the past decade, the International Press Institute said on Thursday.

Authorities in the northern Philippine city...

Authorities in the northern Philippine city of San Fernando have banned tourists from observing the voluntary crucifixion of believers, a rite that takes place in the island country annually on Good Friday, the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN) has said.

France has agreed to sell Russia a Mistral-class...

France has agreed to sell Russia a Mistral-class amphibious assault ship and received an order to build another three, Radio France Internationale reported Monday.

If the international community showed the...

If the international community showed the necessary political will the dispute with Iran over the proposed nuclear fuel exchange could be resolved, Tehran"s foreign minister said on Tuesday.

Internet usage in Russia increased 20% in...

Internet usage in Russia increased 20% in 2009, mostly due to higher user activity in the country"s regions, a study by Yandex web portal said on Tuesday.

Iran"s armed forces launched a series of...

Iran"s armed forces launched a series of large-scale exercises in the country"s territorial waters on Wednesday, the Fars news agency reported.

Iran"s nuclear achievements will force its...

Iran"s nuclear achievements will force its enemies to capitulate, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Friday.

Iran"s nuclear issue should be solved through...

Iran"s nuclear issue should be solved through dialogue and negotiations, and there is still room for diplomatic efforts, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Tuesday.

KIEV, November 10 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine...

KIEV, November 10 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine may face difficulties in paying for Russian natural gas in January if a "pause" in contacts with the IMF persists, the country"s deputy prime minister said on Tuesday.

Legendary rockers Metallica will play their...

Legendary rockers Metallica will play their two concerts in Moscow this weekend despite the ongoing chaos with air travel across Europe, the concert organizers said.

More than 2,000 servicemen from Russia"s...

More than 2,000 servicemen from Russia"s Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) are taking part in large-scale command-and-staff exercises that started on Wednesday, a military spokesman said.

Moscow and Paris have yet to clinch a deal...

Moscow and Paris have yet to clinch a deal on the purchase of a French warship and it will not be signed during the Russian president"s visit to France on March 1-3, a source in the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.

MOSCOW, April 12 (RIA Novosti) - President...

MOSCOW, April 12 (RIA Novosti) - President Vladimir Putin Wednesday offered his congratulations to a recently returned crew from the International Space Station as Russia celebrated the 45th anniversary of the first-ever manned space flight.

MOSCOW, December 10 (RIA Novosti) - Russian...

MOSCOW, December 10 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday that Russia Today, the country"s first 24-hour English-language news channel, that hit the airwaves at 1 p.m. GMT, would be a success overseas. "I do believe that giving the huge interest to everything related to Russia, be it culture, history, modern days developments, the information demand for Russian news, for Russian views of the world affairs, and of coverage of what is going on in Russia is going to be huge," Lavrov said in an interview with the channel. "And I think that the initiative to create this channel is a welcome one and will certainly get a lot of viewers around the globe," the minister said. Margarita Simonyan, the 26-year-old chief editor of Russia Today, said Friday: "We have several satellites, and we will broadcast to the United States and Canada via IA-5 and to Europe via Hotbird-6." She added that the Taicom-3 satellite would transmit the channel"s programs to Asia, Africa and Australia. Simonyan said people in Russia would be able to watch the channel as part of the NTV-plus basic package. The launch of Russia Today was announced in June, and technical broadcasting began September 15. "We want to show the way Russia sees itself and the world," Simonyan said when the channel was launched. She also said the channel would seek to strike a balance between domestic and international news reports.

MOSCOW, January 19 (RIA Novosti) - Russian...

MOSCOW, January 19 (RIA Novosti) - Russian energy giant Gazprom and Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz signed on Monday a contract on Russian gas supplies to Ukraine for 2009-2019.

MOSCOW, July 20 (RIA Novosti) - A new task...

MOSCOW, July 20 (RIA Novosti) - A new task force from Russia"s Pacific Fleet will join international efforts to fight piracy off Somalia until the end of October, the first deputy chief of the Russian Navy General Staff said on Monday.

MOSCOW, July 21 (RIA Novosti) -Russia and...

MOSCOW, July 21 (RIA Novosti) -Russia and Europe have agreed to launch a joint space-based antenna project to explore outer space, a spokesman for the Russia's space agency said Friday.

MOSCOW, June 10 (RIA Novosti) - Libyan leader...

MOSCOW, June 10 (RIA Novosti) - Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, currently on an official visit to Italy, said on Wednesday he would present a proposal on the resolution of the Somali pirates issue, Italy"s APCom news agency reported.

MOSCOW, March 6 (RIA Novosti) - Russia"s...

MOSCOW, March 6 (RIA Novosti) - Russia"s Space Agency is ready to help Venezuela put its first astronaut into space, the agency"s head said Monday.

MOSCOW, November 12 (RIA Novosti) - President...

MOSCOW, November 12 (RIA Novosti) - President Dmitry Medvedev said he was firmly convinced that Russia could once more achieve superpower status by adopting new ideas.

MOSCOW, October 28 (RIA Novosti) - The UN...

MOSCOW, October 28 (RIA Novosti) - The UN secretary generalsays that disbanding militias in Lebanon, particularly Hezbollah, is "of vital importance."

Moscow"s most expensive apartment for rent...

Moscow"s most expensive apartment for rent hit $47,000 in February, Penny Lane Realty said on Thursday.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen"s...

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen"s visit to Moscow may improve ties between the alliance and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the post-Soviet security group"s head believes.

NATO will continue to use Georgia for as...

NATO will continue to use Georgia for as long as it can by dangling the "carrot" of membership in the military alliance in front of it, Russia"s NATO envoy said on Tuesday.

None of the Russian pairs were able to grab...

None of the Russian pairs were able to grab a medal in figure skating at the Vancouver Olympics due to lack of control, Olympic champion Anton Sikharulidze said on Tuesday.

Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych has...

Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych has narrowly defeated Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in Ukraine"s presidential election with different exit polls giving him from 48.7% to 50.26%.

Possible new sanctions against Iran should...

Possible new sanctions against Iran should not affect the launch date for the country"s first nuclear power plant, a senior Russian member of parliament said on Wednesday.

President Barack Obama has ruled out that...

President Barack Obama has ruled out that the U.S. would again include North Korea on its list of states that sponsor terrorism

Reports of the recent case of a 7-year-old...

Reports of the recent case of a 7-year-old Russian boy stuck on a plane on his own and shipped back to his homeland by his U.S. adoptive parents over his “psychopathic” behavior have caused outrage in Russia.

Romania and Moldova began bilateral talks...

Romania and Moldova began bilateral talks on U.S. missile defense plans in Europe in the Moldavian capital on Thursday, Moldova"s Foreign Minister said.

Russia and Belarus have signed an array...

Russia and Belarus have signed an array of agreements on crude oil deliveries and transits to Europe, a Russian deputy prime minister said on Wednesday.

Russia and the United States have resumed...

Russia and the United States have resumed the talks on the adoption of Russian orphans by American families, which were suspended after a US woman sent an eight-year-old adopted orphan Artyom on a one-way flight back to Moscow.

Russia has defeated Canada and Saudi Arabia...

Russia has defeated Canada and Saudi Arabia in a tender for a plot of land in downtown Paris and will build a spiritual and cultural center on the banks of the Seine River near the Eiffel Tower.

Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov...

Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov presented his diplomatic credentials to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on Tuesday, the UNIAN news agency reported.

Russian designers have been trying to make...

Russian designers have been trying to make it big on foreign cat walks for many years but have never achieved world fame. Russian fashion designer Max Chernitsov says the key to global success is for the country"s fashion to go back to its Russian roots.

Russian oil supplies are continuing to and...

Russian oil supplies are continuing to and via Belarus to Europe despite the two countries" failure to sign an agreement for 2010, Belarus"s state energy firm Belneftekhim said on Monday.

Russian police have registered an increased...

Russian police have registered an increased number of calls from Russian beggars asking to deal with rivals from other ex-Soviet republics, who drive them out of profitable locations.

Russian politicians and activists used the...

Russian politicians and activists used the 86th anniversary of Vladimir Lenin"s death to renew calls to bury the architect of the 1917 Russian Revolution.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Spanish...

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said on Friday that Moscow and Madrid would continue mutually beneficial cooperation in 2010.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated...

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated the Russian Team Kamaz and Vladimir Chagin on winning the 2010 Dakar Rally, the Kremlin said Sunday.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has reiterated...

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has reiterated that fresh sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program are possible, but "not optimal," the Kremlin press service said on Saturday.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called...

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called on Friday for an improvement in Russian-Ukrainian economic relations.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is...

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is holding talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Mykola Azarov in Moscow.

Russian singer Eduard Khil, known as the...

Russian singer Eduard Khil, known as the Trololo Man for a lyric-free Soviet-era tune, said on Friday that he does not rule out a tour of the United States.

Russia"s government has approved a project...

Russia"s government has approved a project to produce hybrid cars running both on conventional gasoline- as well as liquified natural gas-engines, Russian billionaire and project author Mikhail Prokhorov said on Wednesday.

Russia"s top military warned the United...

Russia"s top military warned the United States on Wednesday against using force against Iran over its controversial nuclear ambitions saying the consequences would be "dreadful."

Russia"s Vladimir Chagin, piloting a legendary...

Russia"s Vladimir Chagin, piloting a legendary Kamaz Team truck, has finished the seventh leg of the 2010 Dakar Rally in Chile in the first place, ahead of his countryman and teammate Firdaus Kabirov about half a minute.

Russia"s Vladimir Chagin, piloting his legendary...

Russia"s Vladimir Chagin, piloting his legendary Kamaz Team truck, has won the 10th leg of the 2010 Dakar Rally in Chile.

Russia"s Zenit-3SLB carrier rocket has successfully...

Russia"s Zenit-3SLB carrier rocket has successfully put into orbit a U.S. telecommunications satellite, the Intelsat-15, a spokesman for Russia"s space agency Roscosmos said,

Russia will complete the construction of...

Russia will complete the construction of chemical weapon destruction plants in 2011 and will destroy all chemical weapons stockpiles by 2012, a government official said on Wednesday.

Serhiy Tyhypko, the third-place candidate...

Serhiy Tyhypko, the third-place candidate in Ukraine"s first round of presidential elections, said on Wednesday he would not support either opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych or Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in the February runoff.

Six people, including one child, in a house...

Six people, including one child, in a house in the town of Ramenskoye near Moscow died of carbon monoxide poisoning on Sunday, a Moscow Region law enforcement source said.

Space shuttle Endeavour is to deliver on...

Space shuttle Endeavour is to deliver on February 9 a new technological module, Tranquility, to the International Space Station for its U.S. segment, a NASA expert said Friday.

The 10th day of the Olympics in Vancouver...

The 10th day of the Olympics in Vancouver was the most successful for the Russian team, adding 3 medals - one gold, one silver, and one bronze - to the country"s store and soaring Russia from the 12th to the 7th position in the overall medal standings.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church...

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has called on Kazakh nationals to keep Orthodox Christian faith and remember that previous generations managed to preserve it in the times of Soviet persecution.

The president of Iran said Friday the unity...

The president of Iran said Friday the unity and solidarity of the Muslim nations was key to their security and urged greater vigilance to foil enemy conspiracies, Press TV reported.

The presidents of Abkhazia and Russia signed...

The presidents of Abkhazia and Russia signed a deal on Wednesday allowing a Russian military base in the former Georgian republic for 50 years, despite fierce criticism from Tbilisi and Western nations.

The Russian and Ukrainian presidents did...

The Russian and Ukrainian presidents did not discuss in Moscow on Friday the issue of the Russian gas price that Kiev believes is too high, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said.

The Russian electricity sector requires...

The Russian electricity sector requires a colossal injection of funds in the next decade to repair and modernize dangerously outdated equipment, auditors said.

The Russian embassy in Kyrgyzstan is concerned...

The Russian embassy in Kyrgyzstan is concerned over increasing interethnic tensions threatening the safety of Russian citizens, an embassy diplomat said on Wednesday.

The United States is aiming to get the new...

The United States is aiming to get the new Russian-U.S. treaty on strategic weapons cuts ratified by the end of the year, a senior State Department official said.

The U.S. Treasury Department has further...

The U.S. Treasury Department has further extended sanctions against Iran"s Islamic Guards Corps (IRGC), the department said on its website on Wednesday.

The World Expo 2010 fair in Shanghai may...

The World Expo 2010 fair in Shanghai may expand bilateral cooperation between Russia and China, a counselor on trade and economic issues from the Chinese embassy in Russia said on Wednesday.

Transparency International, a leading independent...

Transparency International, a leading independent anti-corruption watchdog, denied striking a formal cooperation agreement with Russia at last week"s talks in Washington or plans to change its evaluation criteria.

Two tawny owls died in a vandal fire in...

Two tawny owls died in a vandal fire in an aviary in southwest Moscow last night, a spokeswoman for the Vorobyevy Gory nature reserve said on Friday.

Ukraine"s new president, Viktor Yanukovych...

Ukraine"s new president, Viktor Yanukovych, flies to Russia on Friday to improve ties between the two states damaged under his pro-Western predecessor and soured by a series of disagreements ranging from gas transit to Europe to the future of Russia"s Black Sea Fleet base in the Crimean peninsula.