The Easy Answer Is That Russia Is On Russia’s Side and China is on China’s Side Diplomacy sanctions or force? That is the question. Whether it is nobler to continue down the path of a diplomatic solution, impose harsh sanctions or take out the Iranian nuclear installations by force is the question being bandied about by the nations negotiating with this rogue regime. When we speak of the Iranian nuclear capability, it is Russia that is enabling them to build it.

It’s always encouraging to see a Russian courageous enough to speak the truth to power. Alexander Lukin, director of the Center for East Asian and SCO Studies at Moscow State University for International Relations, does so in regard to Russian relations with China in the pages of the Moscow Times. Simply brutal stuff, sure to get him called “traitor” far and wide throughout his own land. Those who say so, of course, are the real enemies of the Russian people.Prime Minister Vladimir Putin held talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wen Jiabao, in Beijing on Tuesday.

TODAY : Medvedev offers little support to opposition on Duma walkout; speculations mounts - was the protest rigged as well as the elections?; Russia faces UN human rights council; international criticism of crack-down on Arkhangelsk historian grows. Russia ‘upset’ by US talks on missile defense with Ukraine.  Putin to make Family Guy appearance.

TODAY : Medvedev offers little support to opposition on Duma walkout; speculations mounts - was the protest rigged as well as the elections?; Russia faces UN human rights council; international criticism of crack-down on Arkhangelsk historian grows. Russia ‘upset’ by US talks on missile defense with Ukraine.  Putin to make Family Guy appearance.

Since “Balloon Boy” Falcon Heene is safe, it’s only natural that he’s now an internet meme . It happened in record time, and will probably burn out as fast. * The Chicago Flood of 1992 was caused by an illegal underground railroad system that everyone forgot about. When the collapse finally came, it took a live radio report from the “drain” before authorities could figure out what happened. (via Metafilter ) * The Hottest Heads of State .

yteppei : vichy : yaruo : theemitter : ak47 : suyhnc : jacony : Vladimir_putin_kgb[1] (via You know the deal )

TIME.com: Top World Stories >>  Top Stories about International affairs on TIME.com Source: | TIME.com: Top World Stories | The images of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin toasting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during his visit to China this week conjured up memories of the Sino-Soviet alliance, but what links their nations closest today is the almighty deal … (Read whole news on source site)

Here’s an interesting bit of analysis from Reuters, suggesting that Dima Medvedev may be the new Gorbachev — something Russians will ever so delighted to hear.Something quite extraordinary is happening in Russia. Slowly but surely, the monolithic political system that has held together in Russia for most of the past decade is coming apartToday, in an unprecedented step, deputies from all three of the opposition parties in the Russian parliament staged a walk-out, demanding a meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Reports: Blatter praises Russian World Cup bid in Putin meeting (EARTHtimes.org) Moscow – World football supremo Joseph Blatter met with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday, with news reports quoting him as saying that he has a lot of sympathy for Russia’s 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid. Russia unveiled the bid last we… Russia to sell China as much gas as it exports to Europe (Itar-Tass) Russia is turning into a global provider of energy. Moscow and Bejing have agreed on joint oil and gas nuclear plant construction projects.

Dear CIGAs, Relax! Gold is going to $1224. Gold is going to $1650. Gold is going to Alf’s numbers. Forget the naysayers that have nayed all the way from $248.   Jim Sinclair’s And you think the crisis is over? Cash machines were monitored every hour during banking crisis Special report: Extent of FSA fears and reason for taxpayers’ bank bailout revealed guardian.co.uk , Sunday 11 October 2009 20.07 BST City watchdogs were monitoring cash withdrawals from Royal Bank of Scotland every hour during the height of the banking crisis, the Guardian can reveal.

Marina Galperina at RUSSIA! has dug up quite a few examples of the worst kind of art a cult of personality can produce.  Very entertaining stuff. “Shepard Fairey’s own Putin”

Marina Galperina at RUSSIA! has dug up quite a few examples of the worst kind of art a cult of personality can produce.  Very entertaining stuff. “Shepard Fairey’s own Putin” Tags for this Post: Investing Lessons , Putin Art , Russia , Shepard Fairey

so i love it when i sign up for these “everyone blog about such-and-such topic” deals and i have no idea what to write about.  ha.  this post is for  blog action day , a thing i didn’t know anything about until i saw someone’s badge.  i’m all for these “get together and blog on a particular subject” things, and this project seems pretty cool, so check them out.  this year’s topic is: climate change. actually, the problem with talking about climate change isn’t that i don’t know what to talk about, it’s how to choose my topic.

This latest dispatch from CNN’s Matthew Chance on Russia’s human rights problem is very well done in that there is no specific news hook beyond the Politkvoskaya murder anniversary of last week, no fresh bodies slain in Moscow or Chechnya, and no court victories or setbacks, and no self-referential tomes of reports from the international NGOs being published.  It is precisely this lack of typical triggers which makes this a remarkable and rare piece - a presentation of the long laundry list of

This latest dispatch from CNN’s Matthew Chance on Russia’s human rights problem is very well done in that there is no specific news hook beyond the Politkvoskaya murder anniversary of last week, no fresh bodies slain in Moscow or Chechnya, and no court victories or setbacks, and no self-referential tomes of reports from the international NGOs being published.  It is precisely this lack of typical triggers which makes this a remarkable and rare piece - a presentation of the long laundry list of

Astronomers clash with US air force over laser rules — space — 13 October 2009 — New Scientist “Could astronomers accidentally blind Earth-observing satellites? That seems to be the worry of the US air force, which restricts the use of lasers pointed at the sky to help focus telescopes. But some astronomers warn they will miss key observations under the rules, which have tightened in recent years. About half to two-thirds of the objects astronomers seek to observe have off-limits periods, or closures, in a given night, the report adds.

Blatter praises Russia’s World Cup bid MOSCOW ? FIFA president Sepp Blatter has reportedly told Vladimir Putin that Russia has a “good chance” of winning the hosting rights to the 2018 or 2022 World Cup. Russian news agencies say Blatter met with the prime minister in Moscow Thursday, and praised Russia’s bid. Russia last week unveiled its bid [...]

The other day the Financial Times had a good editorial on Vladimir Putin’s visit to China to sign a plethora of business and energy deals, and naturally, the holy grail of all such diplomacy:  becoming a bigger supplier of natural gas to China’s thirsty industrial capacity from the Kovykta field.  The FT made the point that we’ve argued around here for a long time, that the Sino-Russian friendship is meant to look bigger than it is:  ” Certainly, the new Great Game in central Asia does not appear to be going Washington’s way.

The other day the Financial Times had a good editorial on Vladimir Putin’s visit to China to sign a plethora of business and energy deals, and naturally, the holy grail of all such diplomacy:  becoming a bigger supplier of natural gas to China’s thirsty industrial capacity from the Kovykta field.  The FT made the point that we’ve argued around here for a long time, that the Sino-Russian friendship is meant to look bigger than it is:  ” Certainly, the new Great Game in central Asia does not appear to be going Washington’s way.

What we’re reading on Thursday morning.‘This Is It,’ and Then Some:Reuters reports that the Michael Jackson documentary “This Is It,” which opens on Oct. 28, has already sold out more than 1,600 screenings for its limited two-week run and has the best advance online ticket sales of any movie this year — except, of course, for the “Twilight” sequel “New Moon.” Sony says it will ship more than 8,500 prints of the film to 75 countries, and that it will play on 3,500 screens in the U.S.