Russian Rubles: Dollar is Unstable!

Friday, 16th of November:

Things have gotten worse for the US dollar on the Moscow Interbank Currency Exchange (MICEX). The Dollar currently stands at 24.48 RUR/USD, RUR 0.04 below the official exchange rate set by the Central Bank for November 17-19. (weekend numbers)

The ruble’s appreciation against the dollar is due to the Euro’s renewed rise against the American currency on international markets. The euro is currently trading at about $1.4650, up from $1.4595 as of 15:00 Moscow time. This means that the euro has strengthened by 0.4 percent against the dollar during this short period. (means the Euro is kicking the Dollars butt!)

This week has been uneven for the US dollar. Having risen by RUR 0.08 against the ruble on Monday and Tuesday, the dollar dropped RUR 0.04 to 24.49 RUR/USD on Wednesday, in line with developments on international markets, where the dollar fell 0.5 percent against the European currency. On Thursday, it dropped by a further RUR 0.03 against the ruble, but recouped the loss on Friday, rising by RUR 0.06 to 24.52 RUR/USD. Having recovered against the euro on Thursday, the dollar was expected to end the week in a positive mode.

But… The Dollar decided to go the other way. (Down)

The Dollar is starting to become unstable. The World markets will not be able to support it forever.

I say it will stay above water until Christmas is over! Then sink like a rock.

Sad but true!

Kyle

comments always welcome.

Iran calls for US nuclear apology!

Hello,

Remember that Russia and China are in support of Iran. That is why this article is in this Blog!
From what I am reading Russia and China both are getting more than a little bit fed up with the USA treatment of Iran.
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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said the US and its allies should apologise for their treatment of Iran over its nuclear programme.

Mr Ahmadinejad said the latest report by the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) showed Iran had been truthful about its nuclear activities.

The IAEA found Iran had clarified some of its nuclear history but questions remained over present activities.

The US has vowed to push for further UN sanctions in the light of the report.

The IAEA report praised Tehran for making progress in responding to questions about past activities but warned that the agency’s knowledge about Tehran’s current nuclear programme was diminishing.

It said that Iran was continuing to enrich uranium in defiance of demands by the UN Security Council.

“Selective co-operation” was “not good enough”, the White House said after the report’s release on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a meeting scheduled for next week to discuss further sanctions against Iran has been cancelled because China has pulled out, diplomats say.

‘Political victory’

Iran has portrayed the IAEA’s latest findings as a political victory.

“Since the first days, we have declared that Iran’s nuclear activities are lawful and in the framework of its legal rights, but the Western countries’ propagation networks and political pressures did not allow the Iranians’ voice be heard in the world,” Mr Ahmadinejad is quoted by state media as saying.

“Now the whole world has seen that the news was not true and Iran’s activities have been clean and peaceful and all the main questions of the IAEA have received their appropriate answers.”

Mr Ahmadinejad said the time had come for the US and its allies to change their behaviour. “Upon wrong and incorrect information you issued two resolutions,” he said, referring to two earlier rounds of UN sanctions.

“Now that you have found out that this information was wrong, you have to be brave and come forward and tell the Iranian nation ‘We made a mistake’ and apologise.”(RBC)

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The USA just says that the report is wrong.

I keep saying: America get your own ducks in order. Stay on that side of the world. Let the Super Powers on this side of the world deal with their fellow neighbors!

Oh I forgot…. Oil, That is the Name of the Game!!!!

Kyle

comments always welcom.

Russia: Belarus Close Ally!

Hello,

Just a thought today………………………

One way that Russia can explain to the USA about missile games, could be the deployment of new Russian Iscander short-range missiles in the neighbouring Belarus. Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has made the statement that it would re-equip its forces with short-range missiles.

Mikhail Puzikov, commander of Belarus’ missile and artillery troops, announced Belarus’ plans to buy Russia’s Iskander-E conventional missile system by 2020. He said,”Any action must have a counter-action, including with the US anti-missile elements in the Czech Republic and Poland,” (RBC)

Moscow is working on the deployment of new missiles in the Kaliningrad region and in Belarus in response to the US plans to place 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic as part of a shield of protection. (To protect Europe)

Russia sees this as a threat. I understand this thinking from Russia.

Now I ask the question: Why does the USA think it has to protect Europe? Is Europe that weak? Is Europe that Scared? Is Europe………?

Let Europe put their own missile defense in! Let Europe tell Russia what they want to do!

(America, needs to stay home & fix its problems.)

Kyle

comments always welcome.

http://kylekeeton.com/2007/11/
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Russians: Do Not Give Us Dollars!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about the Worlds attitude toward the Dollar.

The Dollar has hit new all time lows. It is not just the World that says this, it is even showing in the USA. The sub prime issue, is bigger than anyone thinks. Those US Banks that gave the loans, also sold those same loans to foreign investors! (These foreign investors do not want to hear about defaulted loans)

The Dollar which is weaker than the Canadian dollar and Australian dollar right now, is being supported by countries such as China, Russia, Japan & all of Europe. At any given moment, China could destroy the USA monetarily. Just by converting their stockpiled of $ to Gold, Silver or Euros. Russia keeps a certain amount of her reserves in $. Russia could convert and do the same damage almost as China. The three countries that have the largest reserves is China, Russia & Japan! (China having the largest reserve)
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Article on the Russian Reserves……….(RBC)

“Russia’s gold and foreign currency reserves stood at $455.2 billion as of November 9, up $7.3 billion or 1.6 percent from $447.9 billion a week before, the Central Bank of Russia has reported.

From October 5 to November 2, the reserves went up by $23.1 billion. In the last five weeks, from October 5 to November 9, they increased by $30.4 billion, or 7.1 percent.

The significant rise in such a short time could be due to the Central Bank’s increased acquisition of foreign currency on Russia’s forex market, bringing the reserves to their highest level ever recorded.

As a result, Russia has slightly reduced its gap from China and Japan, which have the largest gold and foreign currency reserves in the world. China’s reserves top $1.434 trillion, up $101 billion in the third quarter of this year alone and a more than 45 percent increase from January to September 2007 compared with the same period a year ago. Japan has over $945 billion.

The draft guidelines of the state monetary and credit policy for 2008, published by the Central Bank of Russia, say that the gold and foreign currency reserves will increase by $114.9 billion in 2007. In 2008 they are projected to rise by $37.9 billion to $68.4 billion, depending on Russia’s macroeconomic policy. In 2009 the reserves are expected to increase by between $8.6 billion and $46.3 billion. In 2010 they could drop by $4.5 billion or rise by $5.6 billion and $20.8 billion.

Meanwhile, from January 1 to November 2, Russia’s gold and foreign currency reserves increased by $144.2 billion, which is $29.3 billion more than the Central Bank had projected for the whole year.

Gold and foreign currency reserves are highly liquid financial assets controlled by the Central Bank and the Finance Ministry. They consist of monetary gold, special drawing rights, the reserve position in the International Monetary Fund, and foreign currency.”

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Now as the ruble grows stronger against the dollar, more Russian companies are paying salaries in rubles instead of dollars. The salary structure has changed. Back in 2005, 45 percent of salaries were paid in rubles, and 44 percent in dollars. Currently, 80 percent of companies calculate salaries in rubles, and only 15 percent in dollars. (info RBC Report)

The good thing, “Unemployment is not a threat for Russia, with 72 percent of companies planning to hire more employees in 2008. (the problem of personnel training remains) In 2007, 70 percent of companies had difficulty finding personnel. Demand is very strong for competent office managers, secretaries, and young specialists with foreign language skills.”
(Analytical department of RIA RosBusinessConsulting)

The path that the Dollar is taking is a rocky path indeed! (more like boulders)

Kyle

comments always welcome.

Snowy Russia!

Hello,

Just an update on the snow! (because I love snow)

It is now about a foot deep. Boza & I love it. We go for a walk & Boza spends his time freezing his nose. I am going to try to get a picture of Boza with his Ice Beard!

It is not so cold but the wind is blowing pretty good and that makes the snow pile up!

The last picture is our frozen car, Nelly! 🙁

Have a good day.

Kyle

comments always welcome.

Russia: Forbidden City?

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking of an article that I read. This article was on the Forbidden Space City!

After reading the article, I want to go there. Not sure if they will let me? I am going to ask my wife about Forbidden Cities in the CCCP era and Russia now.

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Russia’s Space City Frozen in Time: The Associated Press

“Sunday, October 21, 2007; 12:40 PM BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan — In this remote and rusting town on the barren steppes of Central Asia, the space race and the Sputnik era seem much more than a memory. Rockets still pierce the heavens in a halo of smoke during launches, and engineers and military men still crack open bottles of vodka to celebrate a successful launch. What has changed are the passengers. Nowadays Baikonur embraces the world, from wealthy space tourists to the world’s first Malaysian cosmonaut, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, who blasted off for the international space station on Oct. 10.

The city itself is a rusting relic of the golden age of Russian rocketry, yet if anything, its place in the space industry is heading toward expansion. For at least four years after the space shuttle program ends in 2010, the U.S. will completely depend on Russia and Baikonur _ to send its crews to the international space station. Facilities and equipment are workable but old.

Remnants of demolished buildings and pieces of rusty metal dot the landscape along the roads to the launchpads. Dozens of apartment blocks that were abandoned after the 1991 Soviet collapse stand in rows like tombstones, their windows bricked up. The launch pad used this month was the same one that blasted Yuri Gagarin into orbit in 1961 to become the first man in space. Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, took off nearby in 1957. Even the technology hasn’t changed much. The Soyuz spacecraft designed in the mid-1960s is still in service, somewhat modified. It can only be used once, but costs just $25 million. The newest Endeavor space shuttle cost $2 billion, but is reusable. Life and work in Baikonur and its cosmodrome are also pretty much what they were in the Soviet era. The town of 70,000 _ unbearably hot in summer, freezing cold in winter and dusty year round _ is isolated by hundreds of miles of scrubland.

Baikonur, once one of the Soviet Union’s most secret cities, is still closed to outsiders and surrounded by barbed wire. Armed soldiers at checkpoints guard dozens of launch pads, five tracking control centers and a missile test range. The continuity is especially striking because the 1991 collapse left the cosmodrome stranded in what had become a foreign country, the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan. “We did not know what country we belonged to, but we kept on launching rockets,” said Sergei Kuzmin, a former military officer, now a city clerk.

Russia rents Baikonur from Kazakhstan for $115 million a year. The mayor is jointly appointed by the Russian and Kazakh presidents. “We live under two governments, but unfortunately get only one salary,” Kuzmin noted wryly as he walked the freshly renovated corridors of city hall.”

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When someone says that I can not go somewhere I want to go to that place. 🙂

What I find interesting is the USA needs the services of this City! After 2010 America will not be able to get to the International Space Station, without Russia! (Interesting)

Kyle

comments always welcome.

Russia: The Winter Is Here!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking to myself!

“It Is Winter!”

-5 degrees C. in middle of the day and -10 degrees C. at night.

The dog Boza is not sure what to think. He is just out of puppy hood and this really is his first winter. He sticks his nose into the snow and freezes his snout!

Kyle

comments always welcome.

Russian News: November 13, 2007

Dollar rising vs. ruble for 2 days:
RBC, 13.11.2007, Moscow 11:51:35.After an hour and a half of today’s special dollar trading session for tomorrow deals, the weighted average exchange rate stood at 24.53 RUR/USD. The official dollar rate for November 14 may therefore be revised RUR0.04 higher. Combined with a RUR0.04 loss on Monday, the ruble has dropped a total of RUR0.08, or 0.3 percent, against the dollar in two days. The current developments on MICEX may be attributed to the dollar’s advance against the euro on international exchanges. The latter is now trading at nearly USD1.4620, down from almost USD1.4650 at the same time at the previous session. Consequently, the euro has edged down around 0.2 percent against the US currency on the global market since then.

Putin to chair State Council meeting:
RBC, 13.11.2007, Moscow 09:52:55.Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to chair State Council meeting in Krasnoyarsk today. President of Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin and Transport Minister Igor Levitin are also expected to attend the meeting.

The meeting’s agenda includes discussions on the development of Russia’s transport infrastructure. The State Council’s working group has prepared a report, which outlines the main goals for the development of the country’s infrastructure and the current situation in this field.

Two thirds of Russians likely to vote in State Duma elections:
RBC, 12.11.2007, Moscow 17:42:14.About 75 percent of Russians are planning to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, a poll by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center showed. Among those, 35 percent said they were definitely going, and 40 percent said they would most likely vote. As a result, the number of Russians willing to vote in the election has gone up from the previous showing of 68 percent about a month and a half ago.

The share of potential voters increases proportionally to the voter’s age: 30-32 percent of respondents are under 44 years old, 35 percent are between ages 45 and 59, while 47 percent are retired people.

The poll was held among 1,600 people in 153 locations of Russia’s 46 regions. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4 percent.

Russia to invest in oil and gas industry:
RBC, 12.11.2007, Moscow 12:15:32.Russia needs to invest $3 trillion in the next 10 years in the development of the country’s oil and gas industry, Viktor Ivanov, Head of the Russian Chemical Union, said during a conference in Moscow today. He noted that the amount would allow Russia’s oil and gas industry to reach the level of European countries. Ivanov added that the country needed to introduce new technologies that would allow companies to boost the share of refined oil products in the total amount of refined oil at least by 10 percent. He also said that it was more profitable for Russian companies to export oil rather than export refined oil products. Therefore, Ivanov reiterated Russian companies’ need to invest in their own development, while the government needed to create favorable market conditions for such companies. He pointed out that cutting taxes for oil companies would be a reasonable measure.

Kyle

comments always welcome!

Bears: I Think Bears Are Great!

Hello,

Concern grows for smallest bear

Habitat loss and commercial hunting have been blamed for a decline in the number of sun bears – the world’s smallest species of bear.

An assessment by World Conservation Union (IUCN) has re-classified the animal as “vulnerable”.

Experts estimate that sun bears, found in south-east Asia, have declined by at least 30% in the past 30 years.

The IUCN’s bear expert groups warn that six out of the world’s eight bear species are threatened with extinction.

“Although we still have a lot to learn about the biology and ecology of this species (Helarctos malayanus) , we are quite certain it is in trouble,” said Rob Steinmetz, a member of the IUCN bear specialist group.

RED LIST DEFINITIONS:

Extinct – Surveys suggest last known individual has died
Critically Endangered – Extreme high risk of extinction – this means some Critically Endangered species are also tagged Possibly Extinct
Endangered – Species at very high risk of extinction
Vulnerable – Species at high risk of extinction
Near Threatened – May soon move into above categories
Least Concern – Species is widespread and abundant
Data Deficient – not enough data to assess

“We estimate that sun bears have declined by at least 30% over the past 30 years and continue to decline at this rate.”

Mr Steinmetz said deforestation had reduced the size and quality of the bears’ habitat.

“Where habitat is now protected, commercial poaching remains a significant threat,” he added.

“We are working with governments, protected area managers, conservation groups and local people to prevent extinctions of the many small, isolated sun bear populations.”

Until this latest assessment, the bears had been classified as “data deficient” because not enough was know about the state of the species.

Uncertain times

One of the iconic species for conservationists, the giant panda, remains listed as “endangered”, despite recent efforts in China to release captive-bred pandas into the wild.

“Even though some people have claimed that panda populations are on the rise, we still consider them endangered because too much uncertainty exists to justify chnaging their status,” explained Dave Garshelis, co-chairman of the IUCN bear specialist group.

Although the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) remains the world’s most threatened bear species, there are reasons to be optimistic about its long-term survival.

China has established nearly 60 panda reserves, a logging ban and begun a programme of reforestation.

Out of the eight species featured on the IUCN Red List, only the American black bear is considered secure throughout its range, which includes Canada, the US and Mexico.

With an estimated population of 900,000, there are more than twice the number of American black bears than all the other species put together.

STATUS OF WORLD’S BEARS:

Giant panda – Endangered
Sun bear – Vulnerable
Asiatic black bear – Vulnerable
Sloth bear – Vulnerable
Andean bear – Vulnerable
Polar bear – Vulnerable
Brown bear – Least Concern
American black bear – Least Concern

(Source: IUCN)

“An enormous amount of effort and funding for conservation and management continue to be directed at bears in North America,” said Bruce McLellan, Mr Garshelis’ fellow co-chairman of the group.

“It is unfortunate that so little is directed at bears in Asia and South America where the need is extreme.”

The assessment of the seven terrestrial bear species and polar bear (technically classified as a marine mammal) was published on Sunday following a meeting in Mexico.

The findings will be used to update the bears’ entries in the 2007 edition Red List of Threatened Species, which is considered to be the most authoritative audit of more than 41,000 species.

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/ Published: 2007/11/12 10:44:58 GMT © BBC MMVII

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Polar Bears are having a rough time surviving North of Russia. Humans keep taking their space and the ice is retreating.

Just thoughts for a Monday!

Kyle

comments always welcome.

Moscow: Trying To Get Traffic Under Control!

Hello,
My wife and I were driving the streets of Moscow on Sunday and we could not believe the traffic congestion. When we go out for a nice little ride through town! (take that sarcastically) We usually see around 3 – 4 bad wrecks. I learned in America, to drive defensively & I use every trick that I learned to stay out of accidents here in Moscow.

I am glad to see that Moscow is trying to do something about the problem……

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22 Streets Become One-Way

The Moscow Times

Twenty-two centrally located streets became one-way streets Sunday, amid an ongoing struggle by Moscow city authorities to ease traffic congestion.

The change — largely involving streets in a west-central area stretching between Pushkin Square, Novy Arbat and the Garden Ring Road — came months after 49 two-lane streets in east-central Moscow were turned into one-way streets.

The latest move is expected to ease congestion in the city center by 10 percent to 15 percent, City Hall experts said.

Traffic jams are an enormous problem in Moscow, costing the economy billions of dollars in lost productivity and commerce every year. The average car travels at just over 16 kilometers per hour inside the Garden Ring. Citywide, the average speed is close to 25 kilometers per hour, according to city statistics.

Every day, around 200,000 cars clog the city’s 6,000 kilometers of roads, and some traffic experts fear a collapse when the number of cars hits 300,000 by 2012.

The streets that became one way on Sunday include five ulitsas — Bolshaya Bronnaya, Bolshaya Molchanovka, Malaya Bronnaya, Malaya Molchanovka and Spiridonovka — and 17 pereuloks — Bogoslovsky, Bolshoi Kozikhinsky, Bolshoi Patriarshy, Bolshoi Rzhevsky, Borisoglebsky, Bryusov, Granatny, Khlebny, Maly Patriarshy, Maly Rzhevsky, Medvezhy, Nozhovy, Skatertny, Spiridonyevsky, Stolovy, Tryokhprudny and Yermolayevsky.

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The big problem with the roads is that they were built for public transport and very few cars.

I think that the statistics are wrong… Moscow has three million cars registered. It Feels Like two million of them are on the road, when we are out driving. 🙂

Kyle

comments always welcome.