Russian News From Russia: May 15th, 2009!

Russia News Source – RIA: May 15th, 2009!

St. Petersburg Ford plant protest 4-day working week:
Some 150 workers from a Ford car factory near St. Petersburg held a protest rally on Friday against a four-day working week at the plant, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.

Two police officers killed in blast outside Chechen ministry:
Two police officers were killed and three injured in a bomb blast on Friday near the Chechen Interior Ministry in central Grozny, a police spokesman said.

Russia says planned European security treaty not aimed at NATO:
Russia’s proposals for a new European security treaty are not aimed against NATO, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said.

Premier of Russia’s Bashkortostan charged over illegal land deal:
The prime minister of the Russian Republic of Bashkortostan faces criminal charges over alleged illegal land acquisition deals, Russian business daily Vedomosti said on Friday.

Russia to raise oil export duty to over $152 per ton from June 1, 2009:
Russia will increase oil export duty from the current $137.7 to $152.8 per metric ton from June 1, in line with trends on global oil markets, a Finance Ministry official said on Friday.

Sri Lanka to buy military helicopters from Russia:
Sri Lanka has ordered a number of military transport helicopters and other weaponry from Russia, the country’s defense secretary said in an exclusive interview with RIA Novosti.

Russia protests child illegally taken out of country to Finland:
The Russian foreign minister has made a protest to his Finnish counterpart after a Russian boy was illegally taken out of Russia by his Finnish father, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

Strasbourg court orders Russia to compensate Chechen families:
The European Court of Human Rights ordered Russia on Thursday to pay 104,000 euros ($141,000) in compensation to the relatives of two people who were abducted or killed in Chechnya.

Russia, Abkhazia ‘to sign military base deal soon’:
Russia and Abkhazia will sign an agreement on the deployment of a Russian military base in the former Georgian republic within the next two weeks, the Abkhaz president said on Thursday.

Kremlin to decide on sale of advanced missile systems to Belarus:
Russia will only supply advanced Iskander and S-400 missile systems to Belarus if the country’s leadership approves the deal, state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Thursday.

Georgian opposition denies allegations of Russian funding:
A Georgian opposition leader denied on Thursday President Mikheil Saakashvili’s allegation that opposition members were receiving funding from Russia.

Major midair collision prevented near Moscow:
Two Russian passenger airliners carrying some 300 passengers between them were seconds away from colliding in midair near Moscow, a paper said on Thursday, citing the state air navigation service.