Russia gives powers to FSB to prosecute 'thought crime'

clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk The Russian security service has been given extended powers to act against people for so-called "thought crime" under a new law which opponents say marks a return to Soviet-era policing. The bill, criticised by rights groups, would allow the Federal Security Service (FSB) to issue official warnings to individuals whose actions are deemed to be creating the conditions for crime. Rights groups say the bill would essentially put the special service above the law and harks back to Soviet times when the much-feared FSB predecessor KGB used warnings to persecute dissidents. The bill had already sailed through the lower and upper houses of parliament and was today signed into law by the Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev. In response to protests from human rights activists, lawmakers earlier removed an amendment allowing the FSB to summon people to their offices to hand out the warnings and also publish their warnings in the media.

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Russian President Shows "New World Currency" At G-8 Summit

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  read more on www.worthynews.com
  MOSCOW/AQUILA (Worthy News) — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has called for a new global currency to replace the dollar as the World's Reserve Currency.
  At the summit of leaders of the eight most influential nations, the G-8,  Medvedev showed a new coin to illustrate what he said was a "united future world currency", Worthy News learned on Monday, June 21st.
  The coin, which bears the words "unity in diversity", was minted in Belgium and presented to all the G-8 leaders attending the gathering in the Italian city of Aquila.
  "We are discussing both the use of other national currencies, including the ruble, as a reserve currency, as well as supranational currencies," Medvdev told reporters.
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  read more on www.bloomberg.com
  July 10 (Bloomberg) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev illustrated his call for a supranational currency to replace the dollar by pulling from his pocket a sample coin of a "united future world currency."
  "Here it is," Medvedev told reporters today in L'Aquila, Italy, after a summit of the Group of Eight nations. "You can see it and touch it."
  The coin, which bears the words "unity in diversity," was minted in Belgium and presented to the heads of G-8 delegations, Medvedev said.
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  read more on timesofindia.indiatimes.com
  Medvedev, who has repeatedly called for a supranational currency to match the dollar, said discussions with China are continuing on broadening the global options. The world may need as many as six reserve currencies, Medvedev said.
  "It's something that's obviously needed," he said at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. "Developing a financial center in Moscow will considerably help to strengthen the rouble's position as one of the reserve currencies." Medvedev's comments underline Russia's ambition to reassert its global power following the financial crisis. Gross domestic product shrank 7.9 % last year, the worst contraction since the fall of communism in 1991, after the credit crunch sent commodity prices plunging.
  "If the world depended completely on the dollar, the situation would have been more difficult," Medvedev said.

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Experts analyze Moscow's connection to radical Islam

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clipped from www.ynetnews.com Experts analyze Moscow's connection to radical Islam, say it is all part of much bigger plan Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited Syria this week and met with Hamas politburo Khaled Mashaal. On Wednesday, he even stated that Hamas should be included in the Middle East peace process, despite Israel's firm stand against the Islamist movement. Is Russia taking a pro-Islamic side in one of the most explosive regions in the world? Moscow is seeking to increase its involvement, and hold, in the region. Terror organizations? It's doesn't really matter to them. "Russia doesn't view it as taking sides. That's too harsh. It's taking the middle. It wants to assume the role of the Middle East mediator," "It seeks to upgrade its status. It wants to turn into a more important power. For this purpose it must activate worldwide moves, in the Middle East as well."

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Russia hints reservations on anti-Iran sanctions

clipped from www.presstv.ir Despite endorsing Western efforts to pressure Iran over its nuclear program, Russia says it still prefers to resolve Tehran's nuclear issue through diplomacy rather than sanctions. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters during a trip to Paris that there was still room for diplomacy in dealing with Tehran over its enrichment activities. “We will concentrate all efforts on finding political and diplomatic solutions," Reuters quoted Lavrov as saying on Tuesday. "These efforts have not yet been exhausted.” Lavrov's comments come a day after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in a statement that Moscow would support a new round of sanctions against Tehran as long as they did not create a humanitarian crisis. Russia and China, both veto-wielding members of the 15-nation UN Security Council, have strongly resisted Western calls for 'punishing Iran' with further sanctions in the past.

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Russian president approves new military doctrine

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clipped from en.rian.ru © RIA Novosti. | Buy this image Related News Baltic Fleet vs. Patriots? Russia`s Military Doctrine: Nukes as Most Weighty Argument in Strategic Deterrence Russia moves to ease concerns over new military doctrine Who should fear Russia’s new military doctrine? Russia's military doctrine to be presented to president by yearend Russia's new military doctrine allows pre-emptive nuclear strikes Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has approved the country's new military doctrine which allows preventive nuclear strikes against potential aggressors. Russia's nuclear triad comprises land-based ballistic missile systems, nuclear-powered submarines equipped with sea-based ballistic missiles, and strategic bombers carrying nuclear bombs and nuclear-capable cruise missiles. The new military doctrine also aims to transform the Armed Forces into a more effective and mobile military force. Their structures will be "optimized" through the use of combined arms units performing similar tasks.

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