Columnists »

Trendwatcher: Vacation time for Ugly Americans (and Brits, and Russians)

Weekly column by Natalia Antonova

What do you dread most on your vacation? Exotic bugs? Boredom? A lingering case of traveler’s diarrhea? Well, a lot of Russians, as it turns out, dread other Russians.

Transmissions from a Lone Star: White Indians

Weekly column by Daniel Kalder

Recently there’s been a bit of a kerfuffle in Massachusetts, where Ted Kennedy’s old senate seat will soon be up for grabs. Having kept it in the family since 1955, it went Republican at the last election, which is akin to the Biblical prophecy of “'The Awful Horror' standing in the place where he should not be" (Mark 13:14) as far as Democrats are concerned.

Due West: Kremlin Reshuffle or ‘Refluffle?’

Weekly column by Konstantin von Eggert

The new government that Vladimir Putin was putting together for Dmitry Medvedev while the latter was talking to Barack Obama and the G8 leaders in the United States has finally been presented in Moscow.

Uncertain World: Does Europe Have Any Alternative?

Weekly column by Fyodor Lukyanov

Tomislav Nikolic defied the odds and expert forecasts to win the presidential election in Serbia. Quite recently, he was considered a radical nationalist with markedly anti-Western views. But he has managed to shed this extremist image. He is not against joining the EU, nor does he seek to recapture Kosovo.

Sam's Exchange: State at War

Biweekly column by Sam Barden

There is a war raging inside the U.S. State Department at the moment, between those who back the real (energy) economy and those who back the financial (dollar) economy. In the course of my strategic advisory work at Wimpole International (www.wimpole-international.com) I ran headlong into this war.

Features, Opinion & Analysis »

Russian Volunteers Become Force in Search for Missing Kids

MOSCOW, May 25 (RIA Novosti, Marc Bennetts)

As Russia marks International Missing Children's Day for the first time on Friday, RIA Novosti takes a look at a volunteer organization that has grown out of tragedy to become one of the first ports of call for many desperate parents.

Russian Public Not Split Over Reforms – Study

MOSCOW, May 24 (RIA Novosti, Alexey Eremenko)

The political rift between the opposition-minded middle class in Moscow and the population in the Russian provinces is a myth, with most of the populace united in the demand for change, a group of experts established by former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said on Thursday.

Traditional Media Face New Tech Challenge

MOSCOW, May 24 (RIA Novosti, Larisa Sayenko, Anastasia Alekseeva)

The domination of the information market by mainstream media has rested upon a traditional business model for many years, but it seems to be in rapid decline. Mass media face a new challenge to create distinctive value for tech-savvy young consumers, believes Andrew Heyward, former President of CBS News, and a leading American expert in innovative digital technologies.