Medvedev gives top priority to judicial reform in Russia
President Dmitri Medvedev (1965- )
President Dmitri Medvedev said that ensuring the full independence of the court system is the top priority of judicial reform in Russia. When addressing a conference in the Moscow Kremlin on the subject, he pointed out the need to stop the practise of court verdicts prompted by the influence of high-ranking officials or bribery. Mr Medvedev came out for doing away with red tape in examining court cases, but, not degrading the quality of the examination in question. The President attached great importance to the financing and re-equipment of the courts. Specifically, he wished to provide the courts with up-to-date computers. When elaborating on the Russian judicial system in general, Mr Medvedev said it is in line with the usual principles of law found internationally.
20 May 2008
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=27254&cid=48&p=20.05.2008 (in English)
Russian rescue teams in China are finished with their effort and have returned to Russia
Russian rescue team in front of a Ministry of Emergency Situations aircraft
According to a spokesman for the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Russian rescue teams in China are finished with their efforts in the aftermath of the earthquake and have returned to Russia. Now, an airborne hospital from the Ministry of Emergency Situations has taken over from the rescue teams and has been deployed in the city of Changju. 47 highly-experienced Russian doctors from the Tsentrospas group and the Zashchita All-Russia disaster medicine centre now are in China to treat those injured in the earthquake. Russia also provided China with humanitarian aid. The Ministry of Emergency Situations has flown in some 150 tonnes of humanitarian cargoes to China since the 14th of this month. The cargoes were basically tents and blankets, and also included canned food and rice.
21 May 2008
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=27286&cid=48&p=21.05.2008 (in English)
Yushchenko tries to ban the leasing of bases to Russia
Crimeans rally in support of Russian presence (majority are Russians). The Black Sea Fleet IS here to stay.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko instructed his government to draft legislation to ban leasing bases to Russia after 2017 when Russia is required to wind up its naval presence in Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula. Yushchenko’s drive to join NATO appears to have received a painful rebuff from recent celebrations to mark the 225th anniversary the foundation of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Crimean campaigners launched a petition asking for the Russian Navy to stay for good.
21 May 2008
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=27342&cid=45&p=21.05.2008 (in English)
Russian economic growth in 2007 was 8.1%
Economics Minister Elvira Nabiullina (1963- )
In the opening quarter of 2008, the economy continued to boom, with no sign of a slowdown in sight. According to Economics Minister Elvira Nabiullina, this is the result of government policies to modernise the infrastructure and invest in human development.
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=27341&cid=46&p=21.05.2008 (in English)
