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The number of accidents reported in St. Petersburg during the first two days of the year was lower than in previous years as 300,000 Petersburgers reportedly took to the streets during New Year festivities. The week-long national holiday, which ends Tuesday, also saw a number of hoax calls causing public emergencies, the police said. According to the St. Petersburg police press-office the first night of the year was quiet and there were fewer than average accidents. However a suspect was detained after a bomb threat at Staraya Derevnya metro station was made on Monday. The caller said a bomb had been planted at the station, while declining to give any more details. |
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 MOSCOW — New Year has long been the favored holiday, celebrated with champagne and fireworks and gifts under a New Year tree. Then there was Jan. 2, also traditionally a holiday. |
All photos from issue.
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ST. PETERSBURG — The rail connection between St. Petersburg and Tallinn is planned to be restored this year, Fontanka.ru news agency reported quoting Ekho Moskvy radio station and the Itar Tass news agency. The exact date of the service’s start and the timetable is yet to be decided, Itar Tass reported. |
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ST. PETERSBURG — St. Petersburg’s Zoo will open a new children’s section this year, Rosbalt reported Thursday. Situated by the zoo’s central square alongside the Kronverg canal, the new section is said to open its doors in the end of May, coinciding with City Day. |
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 There are always those stories — funny, poignant, touching, outrageous — that never make it onto the front pages but stick with readers long after the big, blaring, five-column headlines have receded from memory. |
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EILAT, Israel — The orchestra of St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theater wrapped a short tour to Israel on Saturday with a stunning performance of Verdi’s “Requiem” featuring soprano Yekaterina Semenchuk and basses Alexei Tanovistsky and Eduard Tsanga, among others, in the Red Sea resort of Eilat in country’s far south. |
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LONDON — Oil prices climbed to $57 on Monday as Russian crude supplies halted through a pipeline that meets a fifth of demand from Europe’s largest economy Germany and top exporter Saudi Arabia detailed February supply cuts. U.S. crude was up 60 cents at $56.91 by 0949 GMT, after falling by nearly 8 percent last week. London Brent crude rose 79 cents to $56.43. Russian crude supplies through the 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline to Poland and Germany stopped overnight, Polish officials said on Monday. Russia is the world’s second largest exporter and about two-fifths of its shipments go through the line. “As far as we know it has to do with a dispute between the Russian Federation and Belarus over export duties on the one hand and transport fees on the other,” Poland’s Deputy Economy Minister Piotr Naimski told news TV channel TVN24. |
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Ints Kalnins / Reuters
Lithuania’s Ignalina nuclear plant, due to shut down in 2009. Lithuania may double the size of its replacement if Poland joins the project, it was reported Monday. |
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It has been a banner year for Russian stocks, but analysts expect to see that banner waver in 2007, when volatility picks up on local markets and the looming State Duma and presidential elections shake up the ties between business and power. The giants of the local markets reigned this year as Russia became the 10th-largest economy in the world, reaching a gross domestic product of $960 billion this month.
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ST. PETERSBURG — Polish gas distributor CP Energia acquired Kriogaz, a St. Petersburg-based liquid gas producer, Interfax reported on Dec. 29. The prior agreement was signed in August. CP Energia also signed an agreement with Gazprom Export to supply 1. |
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ST. PETERSBURG — Baltika brewery has completed acquisition of Pikra, Vena and Yarpivo plants, the company’s press service said on Dec. 29. The merger was announced on Jan. |
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ST. PETERSBURG — Transneft’s net profit increased by 24 percent in the first nine months of 2006 compared to the same period of 2005, Interfax reported on Dec. 29. The company reported net profit at 50.8 billion rubles ($1.9 billion), according to IFRS. |
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ST. PETERSBURG — Net capital inflow to Russia last year accounted for about $40 billion, according to prior data, Interfax cited Russian president Vladimir Putin as saying on Dec. |
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ST. PETERSBURG — Tariffs for housing services increased by 17.9 percent during 2006, Interfax reported on Dec. 29 citing a report issued by Federal State Statistics Service. Although tariff increases slowed by the end of the year, growth through the whole year was twice the inflation rate, which was reported at 9 percent. |
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We always have high hopes in the New Year period. But let’s take a look at the year that has just come to an end. Did 2006 meet expectations? It was record-breaking in many ways. |
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As promised, St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko has recently approved a new law providing special concessions for major investors in the city’s economy. The Law, effective from Jan. 1, provides relief from property tax and a 4 percent reduction in the regional portion of the profits tax rate for companies investing 3 billion rubles ($113 million) or more. |
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ST. PETERSBURG — Transaero will buy 11 Boeing aircraft in 2007 using a leasing scheme, Interfax reported Monday. The airline currently operates six Boeing-747s, seven Boeing-767s and eight Boeing-737s. |
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ST. PETERSBURG — The Russian Federal Property Fund will sell its stake in Northwest Telecom at an auction on March 15, Interfax reported on Dec. 29. The starting price for 3.34 percent of shares of the major landline operator in the Northwest region is 1.124 billion rubles ($42.6 million). Other shareholders of the company are Svyazinvest (39. |
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 The year ahead represents an important transition for investors in Russia. Not because it is the last full year of Vladimir Putin’s presidency, but because it is the last in an eight-year preparation phase during which the state has established a dominant role in so-called strategic sectors and has built up a substantial financial reserve base. |
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Óñïîêîèòåëüíûå ñðåäñòâà: tranquilizers I love New Year’s resolutions. Every year, I enjoy the utterly ludicrous belief that I can improve myself. Despite decades of proof to the contrary, this year for sure I can banish bad habits, exercise four times a week, back up computer files regularly, and become a kind, generous,and loving soul whose Russian is perfect. |
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PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia — U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are war criminals with more Iraqi blood on their hands than Saddam Hussein, former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday. Mahathir, one of the developing world’s most strident and veteran critics of the West, launched a shrill attack on Bush and Blair, telling reporters at his Malaysian peace foundation that Bush should face the same “sham” justice as Saddam. |
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BAGHDAD — The trial of six former Iraqi officials accused of trying to wipe out ethnic Kurds resumed in Baghdad on Monday with the chair once occupied by Saddam Hussein in court empty. |
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LONDON — Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers will face each other in the FA Cup for the third successive season after being paired in the fourth round draw on Monday. Arsenal beat Bolton 1-0 in the sixth round en route to winning the Cup in the 2004-05 season but Bolton won last season’s fourth round tie by the same score at the Reebok Stadium. They have become something of a bogey side for Arsenal, having lost only once to the north London side in their last seven league and cup meetings. They now face each other again at the Emirates Stadium at the end of the month. |
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/ Agence France Press
Marcus Baghdatis of Cyprus at the Sydney International in Australia on Monday. |
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KAPALUA, Hawaii — Vijay Singh closed the door on a frustrating 2006 campaign by winning the opening event of the 2007 PGA Tour season on Sunday. Hard work to rectify swing problems toward the end of last year paid dividends for the Fijian as he sealed a two-shot victory at the Mercedes-Benz Championship. “Life doesn’t stop at 40, it just begins I guess,” Singh, 43, told reporters after holding off a late challenge by Australia’s Adam Scott with a three-under-par 70 at the Kapalua Resort.
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MOSCOW — Russia’s soccer chief on Sunday denied press reports that the country’s Dutch coach Guus Hiddink may quit early to take over from Jose Mourinho as manager of English side Chelsea. “He [Hiddink] has a contract, he is the current manager of the national side, and while his contract is in force no one can consider him as a candidate for another post,” Russian Football Union President Vitaly Mutko told Ekho Moskvy radio station. |
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LONDON — Shane Warne is thinking of setting up a cricket academy for children in England, the Australian spinner disclosed on Monday. In his regular column in The Times, Warne repeated that Australian cricket was his priority and that his manager had been talking to Cricket Australia about a possible role. |
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