Medvedev demands Russian olympics officials resign after poor Vancouver showing

Medvedev demands Russian olympics officials resign after poor Vancouver showing

Fox News, “Medvedev Demands Russian Olympics Officials Resign After Poor Vancouver Showing

President Dmitry Medvedev called Monday for officials in charge of preparing Russian athletes for the Winter Olympics to resign after the country suffered its worst-ever performance in Vancouver.

Russia, long accustomed to boosting national pride with sporting success, was left scrambling for explanations for its dismal Olympics performance just four years before it hosts the Winter Games.

The Russian squad recorded its worst ever performance in Vancouver, finishing 11th in the Games’ medal table and clinching only three gold medals and 15 overall.

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Russia says won’t back “crippling” Iran sanctions

Yahoo! News (Reuters), “Russia says won’t back “crippling” Iran sanctions

Russia will not support “crippling” sanctions against Iran, including any that may be slapped on the Islamic Republic’s banking or energy sectors, a senior Russian diplomat said Wednesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Moscow last week to press the Kremlin to back tougher sanctions against Iran over its suspected nuclear weapons project.

This week, Netanyahu called for an immediate embargo on Iran’s energy sector.

Yahoo! News (Reuters) article continues here.

Russia says to start Iran nuclear plant in 2010

Russia says to start Iran nuclear plant in 2010

Reuters, “Russia says to start Iran nuclear plant in 2010
by Guy Faulconbridge

Russia will start up the reactor at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant this year, the chief of Russia’s state nuclear corporation told reporters on Thursday.

“2010 is the year of Bushehr,” Rosatom chief Sergei Kiriyenko told reporters after a cabinet meeting in Moscow.

“There is absolutely no doubt that it will be built this year. Everything is going according to schedule,” he said.

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