Radiation level normal in Russia’s Far East despite Japan disaster


Radiation levels in the Russian Far East are within normal limits despite an ongoing crisis at a nuclear power plant in nearby Japan, the regional office of the Russian Emergencies Ministry said on Monday.

The Fukushima plant was hit by a number of explosions following a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands on March 11.

Efforts are still underway to try to cool down the overheating nuclear cores in the reactors to prevent nuclear fallout.

Trace amounts of radioactive iodine were discovered in tap water in Tokyo in the wake of the disaster.

Radiation above the national safety level was also found in water supplies in five other prefectures, said an official from Japan’s science ministry, which is monitoring radiation levels.

Spinach and milk produced near the plant has been found to contain levels of radiation iodine far higher than the legal limits, but not at levels dangerous to human health. The sale of some products was halted.

Windows to Russia!

Five arrested at banned St. Paddy’s parade in Moscow


Moscow police detained five people on Sunday for organizing an unauthorized St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Well over 1,000 people gathered in Moscow’s main tourist stretch, Stary Arbat, on Sunday afternoon for the march, which has been a yearly tradition in the Russian capital since 1992.

But this year’s parade was canceled by new Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin due to safety and traffic concerns. The crowd was quickly dispersed by police.

Irish Ambassador to Russia Philip McDonagh said the cancellation was “in view of the cold weather and the priority that is being given at present to resolving Moscow’s traffic problems.”

The Moscow authorities organized a number of other events in place of the parade, including a concert of Irish music.

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Russia Today on Libyan, Lies and Lessons…


Libya, lies and lessons to be learned:

It is a shame that we have entered into the Libya issue…

Windows to Russia!

Russia ready to disengage liquefied gas for Japan…


Russia is ready to increase its gas deliveries to Europe by 6 billion cubic meters for 100 days in order to disengage volumes of liquefied gas for quake-stricken Japan, Russian Prime Minister Putin said on Saturday.

“Right now, Gazprom is ready to increase the gas deliveries to Europe by 60 million cubic meters per day, which corresponds to about 40 tons of liquefied gas. The liquefied gas disengaged by the move will be sent to Japan,” Putin said at an energy meeting in Russia’s Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

“Only actions coordinated with our European action would allow the move,” he added.

A powerful earthquake hit Japan on March 11. A fresh tremor measuring 6.1 jolted eastern Japan on Saturday. Over 7,000 people were killed in the disaster.

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Russia’s Foreign Ministry advises Russians against travel to Japan…


Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday advised Russians against travelling to Japan over a radiation threat posed by Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant that was severely damaged during last week’s devastating earthquake and powerful tsunami.

“Background radiation in Tokyo and the remaining part of the country, except for the area around the Fukushima 1 nuclear power plant, remains within permissible levels,” the ministry said on its website.

“At the same time, background radiation around the nuclear power plant is gradually decreasing. But the situation in the country’s northeast hit hardest by the natural disaster, especially in the area close to the Fukushima nuclear power plant, remains tense,” the ministry said.

Therefore, the ministry once again “recommends Russian citizens against going to Japan for the purpose of travel or other personal purposes while Russians staying in the country should refrain from visiting the disaster-hit areas due to the difficult situation there,” the ministry said.

The confirmed death toll from last week’s 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan has risen to 8,133, police told Kyodo news agency on Sunday.

As many as 12,272 people remain missing. About 360,000 people have been evacuated from the disaster area and accommodated at temporary shelters in the country’s 14 prefectures, the agency reported.

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Moscow urges western nations to stop indiscriminate use of force in Libya


Russia urges western nations to stop the indiscriminate use of force in Libya, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

“The reports say that during air raids on Libya strikes were also delivered on non-military facilities… As a result, 48 civilians are reported dead and over 150 wounded,” the ministry said in a statement.

‘In this connection, we are calling on the respective states to halt the indiscriminate use of force,” the statement said.

The military operation against Libya’s strongman Muammar Gaddafi who has ruled the country with an iron fist for more than 40 years began on Saturday, involving the United States, Britain, France, Italy, Canada and other countries.

A new UN Security Council resolution on Libya adopted on Thursday encompasses a no-fly zone and “all necessary measures” against forces loyal to Gaddafi.

Libyan television reported citing military officials that at least 50 civilians were killed and over 150 wounded in military attacks of the coalition forces, adding that many health and education facilities were ruined.

Windows to Russia!

Miss Gulag – The Other Beauty Pagent in Russia…


We received an interesting e-mail about a movie that was being promoted. Now usually if it is in the spam system and from Russia. Then it is history. Gmail has a tendency no matter what I try to do. It will spam Russian e-mail letters and since it was in the form of many of the spam letters we get. I am surprised that it survived my deletion attempt…

But something stopped Google from working correctly and I took a real look at the letter. Here is the letter that was in our spam box…

Hi Kyle and Svet,

My name is Annmarie and I represent the documentary film Miss Gulag. We’ve just released the DVD and we thought the story would really interest your readers (it’s about a beauty pageant held every year in a Siberian woman’s prison, and looks at the first generation of women to come of age in post-Soviet Russia.) Some background: the film was funded in part by the Ford Foundation and Sundance Documentary Fund, premiered at the Berlinale, and played at over 35 other international festivals. I’d love to work with you to promote it if possible, either with a DVD review or an interview with the director, who will be in New York for the next few months. I’d be happy to arrange for a review copy or streaming option. I look forward to being in touch with you further!

Best,

Annmarie

www.missgulag.com

www.facebook.com/missGULAG

Sometimes I follow how life takes the flow and in this case, Sveta and I took a close look at this movie. It was not a spam e-mail…

Here is what we found…

About The Film:
Through the prism of a beauty pageant staged by female inmates of a Siberian prison camp emerges a complex narrative of the lives of the first generation of women to come of age in Post-Soviet Russia.

Miss GULAG explores the individual destinies of three women: Yulia, Tatiana, and Natasha, all bound together by long prison sentences and circumstances that have made them the vigilantes of their own destinies.

For these women, undoubtedly, life is harsh under the constant surveillance of UF-91/9, but it is no less so on the outside. Today they, their families, and loved ones are sustained by hope for a better life upon release. This is a story of survival told from both sides of the fence.

After some studying, watching longer sections of the film and finalizing the fact that this is legit. Sveta and I found that we really liked it and we are going to attempt to get the whole Miss Gulag film. They have offered us a review copy and if that is correct we will take them up on that offer…

We will most likely have several more articles pertaining to this movie and I do know that Sveta will plan on posting something about Miss Gulag on our video blog…

So until they get back to us. We will leave it where we are at this point and you should be looking for future updates on this particular interest…

Windows to Russia!

Western countries launch attack on Libya…


The US, Britain and France have attacked Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s forces in what they say is an attempt to enforce a UN-endorsed no-fly zone. On Saturday night, at least 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired by the US and UK amid air strikes by French planes that were followed by the US bombing of a major Libyan airfield on Sunday. At least three US B-2 bombers took part in the Sunday attack, Libya’s state TV reported, adding that 48 people have already been killed and 150 more injured in the West’s military action against Libya, including the capital, Tripoli. Meanwhile, a naval blockade against this North African country is being put in place, with more than twenty warships and submarines taking part in the process. (Yevgeny Kryshkin:)

Read More >>>
Source: Voice of Russia.

Windows to Russia: Comments Back to Google Friend Connect…


I tried to go back to wide open comments and it was a nightmare again. I woke up this morning to a barrage of slimy, hateful, scummy, trashy and degrading comments. I also had 458 spam and 250 totally disgusting comments… (This was in only a 9 hour period.)

So I just cleared the board and hope that I did not lose many real comments. If you do not see your comment then please re-post…

Washington DC has stopped their attacks (for now) but it seems California and Canada has taken up the bandwagon and is performing an unmerciful onslaught of hate and degenerating comments…

Sveta said, “I see they are back!” I said, “Yes they are, but they are short lived…”

So with Google Friend Connect in operation I am spared the trash. The Wordpress comment system can not handle it. So what must be – must be…

If you desire to comment you must sign up to Google Friend Connect…

It really is not that hard to do…

Sorry!

Windows to Russia!

Main news of March 19


WORLD

* Western aircraft are bombarding civilian objects in the Libyan city of Tripoli, the Libyan Al Jamahiriya satellite TV channel said

* Moscow regrets the attack from a range of European countries on Libya which is being conducted “with reference to the hastily adopted UN Security Council resolution,” official spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Lukashevich said

* A fresh tremor measuring 6.1 jolted eastern Japan , but no major damage was reported, Kyodo news said

* Trace amounts of radioactive iodine were discovered in tap water in Tokyo in the wake of the disaster at the crippled nuclear plant Fukushima, Japanese media said

RUSSIA

* Russia is ready to increase its gas deliveries to Europe by 6 billion cubic meters for 100 days in order to disengage volumes of liquefied gas for quake-stricken Japan, Russian Prime Minister Putin said

* Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the colorful and flamboyant leader of Russia’s LDPR party, called on the Muslim world to unite and support Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi

* A legal feud between Russia and the U.S. over an old Jewish archive has resulted in the Russian Culture Ministry invoking a rare legal step of “force majeure” to order the immediate return of 37 icons and artifacts on loan at a local U.S. museum, the museum’s website said

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