Russia
Russia should be hiking alcohol tax more-Deputy PM
MOSCOW, Aug 2 - Russia should be raising excise taxes on alcohol at a faster rate than currently planned, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said on Thursday.
Norway police seize Games tickets from Russia, Belarus
OSLO - Norwegian police said on Thursday they had seized nearly a thousand Olympic tickets from Russia and Belarus and allegedly sold by an online ticket agency blacklisted by British authorities.
New cool for Russia's super-rich: slumming it
LONDON - Gone are the Beluga caviar parties and ostentation that marked the arrival of Russia's billionaire barons onto the world stage: the new cool for real oligarchs is a much more modest mingling among the common people.
Olympics-Black belt Putin to tackle Cameron on Syria
LONDON, Aug 2 - Black belt Russian President Vladimir Putin will lock horns with British leader David Cameron over Syria and human rights during a day of judo diplomacy at the Olympics on Thursday at a time when relations between their two nations are strained.
UPDATE 1-Russia's July oil output up to 10.34 mln bpd
* Daily oil output 10.34 mln bpd, up 0.6 percent from July 2011
Business coalition now eyes September vote on Russia trade
WASHINGTON - A business coalition on Wednesday signaled it has given up hope that Congress would pass critical legislation to upgrade trade ties with Russia before that country enters the World Trade Organization on August 22.
Capello calls up 10 uncapped players for first squad
MOSCOW - Russia's new coach Fabio Capello called up 10 uncapped players and left out stalwarts Igor Semshov and Konstantin Zyryanov as his named his first squad on Wednesday.
NATO should finish job in Afghanistan, Putin says
ULYANOVSK, Russia - NATO forces should stay in Afghanistan until they have finished their job to ensure stability, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday, criticising the planned withdrawal of most combat troops by 2014.
Soccer-Capello calls up 10 uncapped players for first squad
MOSCOW, Aug 1 - Russia's new coach Fabio Capello called up 10 uncapped players and left out stalwarts Igor Semshov and Konstantin Zyryanov as his named his first squad on Wednesday.
Putin critic Navalny says crackdown just starting
MOSCOW - Russian protest leader Alexei Navalny said on Wednesday he was sure he would go to prison after being charged with theft, and warned this was just the start of a crackdown on dissent by President Vladimir Putin.
Syrian rebels capture tank as Aleppo battle rages
ALEPPO, Syria - Syrian rebels turned the gun of a captured tank against government forces on Thursday, shelling a military airbase expected to be used as a staging post for army reinforcements in the battle for Aleppo. | Video
Are African governments suppressing art?
The dust is finally settling on the storm that was kicked off in South Africa by a controversial painting of President Jacob Zuma with his genitals exposed.