Russia’s record oil output is slipping, and major tax cuts are on the way. But massive investment is needed.
After climbing for years, Russia’s output has begun to drop: It was down by 0.7 percent in April. The problem is so serious that the new Prime Minister, former President Vladimir Putin, has said the issue is [...]

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Companies are paying public officials to raid the offices of business rivals and subject them to criminal investigations
It seemed like any other workday at Togliatti Azot, a giant chemical factory in Russia’s Samara region, on the Volga River 600 miles east of Moscow. Engineers were on their morning rounds, and union representatives had just finished [...]

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BRIC shows signs of emerging as an alliance in an exercise seen as a challenge to the U.S.-dominated unipolar world order.
BRIC, an acronym coined by Goldman Sachs a few years ago to define a group of large emerging economies with fast growth rates, was born in May this year as a formalised grouping aspiring to [...]

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and his successor, Dmitry Medvedev, have promised a harmonious dual leadership. But as Medvedev prepares to be inaugurated as Russia’s new president, the two leaders’ supporters are already gearing up for a power struggle. By Uwe Klussmann in Moscow more…

Photo Gallery: The ‘Putvedev’ Era Begins
EU Condemns Saber Rattling: Russia and Georgia [...]

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On a recent visit to Italy, President Vladimir Putin was asked about a Russian newspaper report that he was divorcing his wife of many years to marry a 24-year-old rhythmic gymnast famous in Russia for her lithe beauty.
Putin denied the report in his usual charming way, scolding the media “with their snotty noses and their [...]

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Russian President Vladimir Putin’s favored successor, Dmitry Medvedev, has the support of more than 70 percent of voters and is almost certain to win Sunday’s presidential election.
Following is a timeline of highlights of the Putin presidency:
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Vladimir Putin: Russia’s New Dictatorship

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MOSCOW (Reuters) - The former head of the Soviet KGB warned on Wednesday that a conflict between rival Russian security services could lead to “big trouble” and urged feuding clans to unite around President Vladimir Putin.
Details have emerged of a feud between rival groups of secret service officers who form the bedrock of Putin’s team. [...]

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