russia

New space race: Putin unveils $50 billion drive for Russian supremacy

"President Vladimir Putin on Friday unveiled a new $50 billion drive for Russia to preserve its status as a top space power, including the construction of a brand new cosmodrome from where humans will fly to space by the end of the decade. Fifty-two years to the day since Yuri Gagarin became the Soviet Union’s greatest hero by making the first human flight into space, Putin inspected the new Vostochny (Eastern) cosmodrome Russia is building in the Amur region of the Far East. Putin said that Russia hoped to have the first launches from Vostochny in 2015 and the first manned launches in 2018." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew space race: Putin unveils $50 billion drive for Russian supremacy

Russia to ban cash transactions over $10,000

"The move is expected to boost banks’ cash reserves and put a damper on Russia’s shadow economy. However, the middle class will most likely end up having to pay the price for the scheme. In 2014, a ban on cash payments for purchases worth more than 600,000 rubles (about $19,500) will be introduced; the limit will then be halved in 2015. Furthermore, the document introduces mandatory, cash-free, salary payments. Smaller companies with fewer than 35 employees will be the only exception, and trade companies will be able to pay salaries in cash if they employ no more than 20 people on staff." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRussia to ban cash transactions over $10,000

Post-Cyprus Blues: Confusion and an Erosion of Faith

"It may be misleading to project the crisis and resolution in Cyprus onto other quite different financial crises in other quite different economies. The common ground may be a rising fear of capital controls and the search for safe havens that won't implode or change the rules overnight. The sudden emergence of risk in what was perceived to be a safe haven will likely spark interest in non-banking safe havens, for example, precious metals, and what correspondent Mark G. calls the Glass Jar Bank, which he observes is still a popular alternative in Eastern Europe to entrusting one's cash to banks." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPost-Cyprus Blues: Confusion and an Erosion of Faith

Russian Authorities Raid German Foundations and NGOs

"Russia's recent large-scale crackdown against organizations designated as 'foreign agents' has now been extended to German political foundations. Russian state prosecutors have launched investigations of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), a political think tank aligned with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union party, and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), the think tank of the center-left Social Democratic Party, according to German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung." Continue reading →

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See You in Court: Russians May Sue Over Cyprus Losses

"Big depositors- many of them Russian — face losses of up to 40 percent as the result of a so-called 'bail-in' to back 10 billion euros in EU financial aid to stabilize the Cypriot banking system. 'It's worth trying, it's not going to be easy, its not going to be a one-off, 24-hour court case, but the nature of the action itself sounds like expropriation,' said Andrey Goltsblat, at law firm Goltsblat BLP. There could be a basis to sue either Cyprus or individual banks, say lawyers who have been contacted by current and prospective clients seeking redress. 'People are just frustrated and ... are trying to find a way to get their money off Cyprus,' said Goltsblat." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSee You in Court: Russians May Sue Over Cyprus Losses

Whom to Believe on Gold: Central Banks or Bloomberg?

"Based on current data, the net increase in central bank gold buying for 2012 was 14.8 million troy ounces – and that's before the final 2012 figures are in for all countries. This is a dramatic increase, one bigger than most investors probably realize. To put it in perspective, on a net basis, central banks added more to their reserves last year than since 1964. The net increase – so far – is 17% greater than what was added in 2011, which was itself a year of record buying. Whatever gold's price movements, positive or negative, central bank officials have continued adding a lot of ounces to their reserves." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhom to Believe on Gold: Central Banks or Bloomberg?

BRICS Nations Plan New Bank to Bypass World Bank, IMF

"The biggest emerging markets are uniting to tackle under-development and currency volatility with plans to set up institutions that encroach on the roles of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The leaders of the so-called BRICS nations -- Brazil, Russia,India, China and South Africa -- are set to approve the establishment of a new development bank during an annual summit that began today in the eastern South African city of Durban, officials from all five nations say. They will also discuss pooling foreign-currency reserves to ward off balance of payments or currency crises." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBRICS Nations Plan New Bank to Bypass World Bank, IMF

Russians prepare to quit Cyprus; Northern European bankers descend

"There were the two Andorran bankers who called offering to open bank accounts for the Cyprus-based businessman in the Pyrenees, and then Mr Mikhin's Swiss bank, which announced it would be sending representatives to Limassol to poach Russian clients on Tuesday, the day Cyprus is due to reopen its banks for the first time in over a week. While last week saw dozens of well-heeled Russians and their representatives fly down to Cyprus to check on bank accounts and confer furiously with Cypriot officials, they are being closely followed by another wave of visitors: the European bankers who hope Cyprus' loss will be their gain." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRussians prepare to quit Cyprus; Northern European bankers descend

The Seeds of War Have Been Sown

"Unless the Troika backs off the weaker, heavily-indebted countries, which is not likely, yes, I believe Europe is headed toward massive civil unrest and war. Vladimir Putin is up in arms over the crisis in Cyprus. He will not stand idly by while Russian money is at risk in Europe. Keep in mind that Russia largely controls the European energy sector. If Putin feels Russian financial losses in Europe are unjust, I don’t doubt for one minute that he would threaten to retaliate by 'turning the lights out' in Europe. War and massive civil unrest in many parts of the world is a very real threat. And it’s already starting to impact the financial markets." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Seeds of War Have Been Sown

Former US Treasury Official: ‘Banks Move To Enslave Humanity’

"What we are seeing, as in Greece, is the response to the effort to make the public responsible for the mistake of private banks. In Greece they forced the people to have wages cut, pensions cut, social services cut, public assets sold off, in order to cover the losses of banks. If they don’t stand with the people, there will be more political and social unrest and more discrediting of governments. What’s happening is governments are revealing that, even if they are democratically elected governments, they do not represent the people. They only represent a very few, very powerful folks. This of course destroys any confidence in democracy. That’s the biggest crisis.” Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFormer US Treasury Official: ‘Banks Move To Enslave Humanity’