Only six people have crossed the Russian-Georgian...

Sights of Moscow

Russia on Friday launched a military satellite...

Russia on Friday launched a military satellite, the Defense Ministry said.

MOSCOW, December 6 (RIA Novosti) - Zenit...

MOSCOW, December 6 (RIA Novosti) - Zenit St. Petersburg and Lokomotiv Moscow suffered away defeats in the UEFA Cup on Wednesday evening, the results ending 2007 on a sour note for both sides. Zenit, who needed a victory to make 100% sure of progress to the last 32, faced Group A leaders, Everton. The representatives of Russia"s former capital were in high spirits after lifting the domestic title for the first time since 1984 in early November. However, their mood was spoiled after 30 minutes when Nicolas Lombaerts was sent off for handball, giving away a penalty in the process. Although Everton then failed to convert the subsequent penalty, the English side continued to pressurize the Russian champion"s goal. Zenit also had chances, with Pogrebnyak and Zyryanov going close. Zenit, managed by Dutch trainer, Dick Advocaat, looked to have gained a valuable and hard-earned point as the game moved into the final minutes. It was not to be, however. With five minutes remaining, Malafeyev in the Zenit goal could only parry a shot by Joleon Lescott, and the Everton forward, Tim Calhill, secured all three points for the Merseyside club. "That was typical refereeing for a Russian side playing away from home," Andrey Arshavin, Zenit"s captain, told the Russian Sport-Weekend after the match, commenting on the sending-off decision, which the BBC called "harsh". In order to qualify for the next round, Zenit, who are in second place in the five team group, need either Dutch club AZ Alkmaar to fail to beat Everton at home on December 20th, or for the Germans Nurnberg to draw or lose at Greek side Larissa the same evening. Lokomotiv Moscow, needing a victory to maintain any hope of progress in the tournament, went down 2-0 to Greek side Panathinakos in Athens. The result means that the 2002 and 2004 Russian champions have failed to win a game in their group. The defeat also rounds off a dismal 2007 for the club, who finished seventh in the Russia Premier League, their lowest showing since 1991. Lokomotiv also fired their manager, former director of sports at Scottish club Hearts, Anatoly Byshovets, earlier this month.

MOSCOW, April 1 (RIA Novosti) - The Paris-based...

MOSCOW, April 1 (RIA Novosti) - The Paris-based international organization Reporters Without Borders strongly criticized on Wednesday the death of a journalist and the beating of a prominent human rights activist in Moscow. Sergei Protazanov, a reporter for the Grazhdanskoye Soglasie newspaper, based in the north Moscow suburb of Khimki, died in hospital on Monday, two days after he was beaten near his home. Police on Wednesday denied the reports of an attack on the journalist, saying his death occurred because of intoxication. They said Protazanov was found drunk near his home and hospitalized but released on Sunday. A medical expert said he died as a result of poisoning by an unknown substance. Lev Ponomaryov, leader of the For Human Rights movement and a member of the newly formed Solidarity opposition party, was attacked outside his east Moscow home on Tuesday. "Ponomaryov, executive director of Russia"s For Human Rights movement, was cruelly beaten by three unknown people at about 11:00 p.m. Moscow time [19:00 GMT]," the official"s colleagues said. Reporters Without Borders said on its website: "There seems to be no end to the appalling series of attacks on journalists, especially local journalists, and human rights activists. The authorities need to actively intervene instead of just issuing statements." "Journalists and human rights activists must not only enjoy the same right to safety as other citizens but should receive special protection because of the particularly useful nature of their contribution to Russian society," the organization said. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has been one of the most dangerous countries for reporters. The most high-profile slaying was the 2006 death of Russian investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya. In January, Novaya Gazeta journalist Anastasia Baburova was shot dead alongside lawyer Stanislav Markelov in downtown Moscow. Mikhail Beketov, editor-in-chief of the Khimki Pravda local newspaper, who fought a campaign to protect a forest near Moscow from destruction by developers, spent several weeks in coma after being badly beaten near his home in November.