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Yes, your eyes isn't playing any trick, the "New" Niva is just a refresh of the original, which is 47 year old and still counting... another 18 year more and it will beat VW Beetle's record to be the most long life model. So what's new and make me started a thread about it? It now come with one of the most basic and standard safety features that has been around, for well, decades now: an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). However, it still doesn't come with any airbag, not even for the driver! Its engine has also been updated to make it Euro 5 compliant. That’s quite an upgrade given the outgoing model was built to the Euro 2 standard introduced in 1996, but it’s still far behind most modern engines. In fact, Euro 5 regulations have been around since 2009 whereas Euro 6 was introduced in 2014. If everything goes smoothly, Euro 7 laws could be enacted by 2025. See below for the rest of the updates for this almost half a century old SUV...

https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/China-up-close/Analysis-Xi-risks-stumbling-with-Putin-if-he-plays-his-cards-wrong?utm_campaign=GL_china_up_close&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=9&pub_date=20220407213007&seq_num=2&si=44594 Xi risks stumbling with Putin if he plays his cards wrong If Russia fails in Ukraine, questions would arise over long-term authoritarian leadership KATSUJI NAKAZAWA, Nikkei senior staff writerApril 7, 2022 04:00 JST Katsuji Nakazawa is a Tokyo-based senior staff writer and editorial writer at Nikkei. He spent seven years in China as a correspondent and later as China bureau chief. He was the 2014 recipient of the Vaughn-Ueda International Journalist prize. Chinese President Xi Jinping's personal alliance with Russian President Vladimir Putin is hampering China's diplomacy. That is becoming clearer as the war in Ukraine rages on. Both men have laid the groundwork to stay in power until the middle of the 2030s. Both have territorial ambitions: reestablishing the former Soviet Union's sphere of influence for Putin, Taiwan for Xi. But the association comes with significant risk. Mere weeks ago, Chinese foreign and security officials were beaming with confidence. After Xi and Putin met in the Chinese capital on Feb. 4 and promised friendship with no limits, China was aware that the clock was ticking on a Ukraine operation. It had gathered intelligence through its official and behind-the-scenes connections in Russia, established over many years. But China had expected Russia to refrain from any such military action until the Beijing Winter Paralympics had closed on March 13. This judgment was based on Putin's remarks to Xi in a private conversation. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Feb. 4. © Kremlin/Reuters China's expectations proved to be wishful thinking. Putin only went halfway toward being considerate to Olympic host Xi. The Ukraine invasion began after the Winter Olympics closed on Feb. 20 but before the Paralympics began on March 4. Still, Beijing had hoped the attack would be swift and that by the opening of the Paralympics, Russian forces would have established control in Ukraine. Instead, more of the unexpected came, and rather than driving a wedge between the U.S. and Europe, the Russian invasion strengthened Western solidarity. Washington would not become bogged down in Eastern Europe, and there would be no geopolitical windfall for Beijing. In fact, China now finds itself with the weaker hand. When Xi held a virtual meeting with leaders of the European Union on April 1, he asked that they make their own diplomatic decisions on China "independent" of the U.S. But the request fell on deaf ears. The EU, in turn, urged China not to provide military and economic support to Russia. The Europeans showed no sign of moving toward an investment pact with China, which is a pending issue. Chinese President Xi Jinping and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speak with European Council President Charles Michel and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell via video conference during an EU China summit at the European Council building in Brussels on April 1. © Reuters A month and a half into the Ukraine war, Xi is now concerned about "the subtle impact it may have on Chinese domestic politics," a Chinese political source said. A nightmare scenario for Xi, who seeks to secure an uncustomary third term as China's top leader this fall, would be for Putin's operation to fail and spread the impression that an authoritarian leader in office for too long tends to make the wrong calls at crucial moments. This would cause immeasurable damage to Xi ahead of the Chinese Communist Party's national congress. Even if Xi wins reelection this time, a Russian failure in Ukraine could all but ensure that he won't stay beyond the next national congress in 2027. In this case, Xi would immediately become a lame duck, all but erasing his yearslong effort to cement his path into the next decade. Xi and Putin are strange bedfellows. Both have no choice but to stay in power after making so many enemies. They need to prevent their respective boats from capsizing until they reach their destinations in the 2030s. Former U.S. President Donald Trump had good intuition about Xi's position when he visited Beijing in November 2017. "You're president for life, and therefore you're king," he told Xi at the Forbidden City, where Chinese emperors once lived. The Forbidden City is one of Beijing's most popular tourist destinations and a UNESCO World Heritage site, but it was closed off for the day as Xi entertained the American president and first lady. Former U.S. President Donald Trump had good intuition about Xi's position when he visited Beijing in November 2017. © Reuters This exchange happened four months before Xi pushed through a surprise revision of the national constitution the following March, scrapping the limit of two five-year terms for a Chinese president. For Xi to stay head of state for life, he needs to be reelected as the party's general secretary every five years. Aiming for a third term this year is the first step toward an ultralong-term reign. The year 2035 has been set as the target for catching up with the U.S. Most of China's current long-term plans and visions of nation-building have 2035 in mind. And indications are that Xi intends to run the government until 2035. A shortcut to Xi's goal is to create a new top post for life. It would be similar to the post of party chairman, which Mao Zedong held until his death. But that may be difficult under the current party ban on stoking personality cults. Further, it would be impossible if Putin fails in Ukraine and the masses begin to question the ultralong rule of any one leader. Soldiers walk amid destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine on April 3. © AP Meanwhile, in Russia, Putin also pushed through a constitutional revision in 2020, following in Xi's footsteps and paving the way for the Russian president to stay in office until 2036. If Putin lasts that long, he would be 83. If Xi reigns until 2035, he too would be 83, at least in traditional Chinese age. It is also the age when Mao Zedong died, as the incumbent leader of China. Are there any measures Xi can take? When the time is ripe for a Russia-Ukraine cease-fire, China has the option of participating in a security framework to ensure peace. Xi could hold a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to facilitate such a scenario. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's phone call earlier this week with Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, the second since Russia's invasion, was likely a step in that direction. "It is China's historical and cultural tradition as well as our consistent foreign policy to safeguard peace and oppose war," Wang said. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during a remote video press conference held on the sidelines of the annual meeting of China's National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing on March 7. © AP But Wang carefully avoided any remarks that could be taken by Russia as unreasonable pressure from China. Not knowing Putin's entire game plan, it is too dangerous for China to take a clear stance. And bound by the Xi-Putin joint statement of Feb. 4, in which both specified opposition to further NATO expansion, China cannot fully side with Ukraine. Xi needs Putin to survive. There is a risk that if his Russian comrade falls, Xi could fall with him. Putin's survival is crucial for Xi, but not necessarily for China.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/17/india-russia-oil/ As sanctions over Ukraine war mount, Russia turns to India to buy oil and arms By Gerry Shih Today at 1:07 p.m. EDT Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Russian President Vladimir Putin before a meeting in New Delhi on Dec. 6. (Money Sharma/AFP/Getty Images) NEW DELHI — When Russia faced international condemnation and sanctions after President Vladimir Putin launched his Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, India stayed on the diplomatic sidelines. Now, as those economic sanctions begin to bite, Moscow is again turning to India. India, the world’s biggest oil importer behind China and the United States, has agreed to purchase 3 million barrels of Russian oil at a heavy discount, an Indian official said Thursday. The purchase, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is relatively small given Russia’s production and Indian demand. But the volume could increase in the coming months and reinforce a growing perception that India is determined to preserve its extensive trade and military ties with Moscow, even as the United States and its allies urge governments around the world to isolate Russia. Aside from the oil deal, the Indian government is also exploring ways to maintain trade with Russia by reviving a Cold War-era arrangement called the rupee-ruble trade, according to two other Indian officials with knowledge of the matter. The mechanism, which would be akin to a ledger of trade between the two countries, would let Indian and Russian firms do business while bypassing the need to use U.S. dollars — the predominant currency of international trade — and lowering the risk of potential U.S. sanctions. The three Indian officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. “Eighty-five percent of India’s oil comes from imports, so we always look for good options,” one of the officials said. “If that includes a good package coming from the Russian side, and there’s no bar on buying from Russia, then let’s accept that.” The Indian officials characterized the ruble-rupee ledgers, which will probably be set up at Russian and Indian banks that are not exposed to the U.S. financial system, as a solution to help the Indian economy and its exporters rather than a way to evade potential U.S. sanctions. India trades with Iran, another country under U.S. sanctions, using a similar rial-rupee trade arrangement. In recent weeks, India has drawn condemnation from some U.S. lawmakers after it repeatedly abstained from criticizing Russia at the United Nations. But Biden administration officials have often stopped short of criticizing an Asian giant that is seen as a crucial part of its strategy to counter China. On Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters she did not believe that Indian purchases of Russian oil would violate existing U.S. sanctions. “But also think about where you want to stand when history books are written about this moment,” Psaki added, without explicitly naming India. “Support for the Russian leadership is support for an invasion that obviously is having a devastating impact.” India’s special relationship with Russia was highlighted this month when the Russian military gave India “special input” about when and to where its stranded citizens should flee the besieged Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, while Russian military officers offered to fly Indians, specifically, out of the war zone. India is not the only country maintaining trade relations with Russia. Many European countries, including U.S. allies in NATO, continue to purchase Russian energy even though the United States and Britain have announced domestic bans. And India’s oil purchases probably would not amount to a game-changer for Putin’s war effort. Russia’s most important customers are Europe and China; India accounted for about 3 percent of Russia’s exports in 2021 and sources most of its oil from the Persian Gulf, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. But the two countries’ cooperation in the energy sector has deepened in recent years. In 2016, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Putin oversaw a $13 billion deal between Rosneft and a refinery in Modi’s home state of Gujarat that represented India’s largest-ever injection of foreign investment and Russia’s largest-ever outbound deal. Indian energy companies, meanwhile, have invested $16 billion in Siberian oil fields. An oil refinery in Vadinar village in Gujarat, India. (Sam Panthaky/AFP/Getty Images) As talk about the oil purchase ramped up last weekend, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak called Indian Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to express Russian interest in “further attracting Indian investment to the Russian oil and gas sector and expanding Russian companies’ sales networks in India,” according to a statement issued by the Kremlin. Puri said in the Indian Parliament this week that the Modi administration was working hard to keep gas prices low and that he was in talks with “all levels” of the Russian government about a deal. The Indian Oil Ministry has otherwise not publicly commented about the matter. Many Indian industry executives and observers say it would be unfair for the West to pressure India to quit Russian oil. The European Union said this month it would wean itself off Russian energy “as soon as possible,” but large countries that depend on Russia, such as Germany, have not immediately cut imports. “Has Europe or any other significant taker of Russian oil and gas reduced its consumption yet?” said Subhash Kumar, the former chairman of the Indian state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, the country’s largest crude-oil company. If India, which is not involved in the Ukraine conflict, did not buy discounted Russian oil, there would be other takers on the market, he said. Other prominent commentators have cautioned against proceeding with the purchases, mostly due to its optics. “From a moral standpoint, the decision to buy Russian oil and gas at a discounted rate because of the crisis in Ukraine could be questionable,” Vikram Singh Mehta, the former chief executive of Shell India and former chairman of the Brookings Institution’s India arm, told local media outlets this week. In the coming months, India’s trade with Russia is likely to continue in another crucial realm besides oil: defense. Largely as a legacy of the Cold War — when the Soviet Union gave India everything from help setting up steel plants to blueprints for MiG fighter jets — around 85 percent of Indian weapons today came from the Soviet Union or Russia, according to a 2021 analysis by the Stimson Center, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington. Amit Cowshish, a retired Indian defense ministry official who previously oversaw India’s military acquisitions, said the armed forces would be badly crippled within a year if India could not trade with Russia. Advertisement “There’s ammunition, subassemblies, critical licenses, all of which would run out, and it wouldn’t be in the U.S. interest to see an Indo-Pacific partner be crippled or alienated by sanctions,” he said. So far, Biden administration officials have avoided criticizing India’s continued relationship with Russia. During a House Armed Services Committee hearing last week, lawmakers asked Ely Ratner, the assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs who has argued for a tougher U.S. posture against Beijing, why India was not siding with the West on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “We recognize that India has a complicated history and relationship with Russia,” Ratner responded. India is trying to diversify away from Russia, but it will take time, Ratner added. “From the U.S. perspective,” he said, “India is an absolutely essential partner as we think about our strategy in the Indo-Pacific.” Niha Masih and Anant Gupta contributed to this report.

Duke-NUS scientist accused of spying for Russians in the US Read more at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/19/us/hector-alejandro-cabrera-fuentes-spying-russia.html NEW YORK — United States federal officials have arrested a researcher from Duke-National University of Singapore for allegedly acting on behalf of a Russian agent who recruited him to collect information about the US government and met repeatedly with him in Moscow. Hector Alejandro Cabrera Fuentes, a Mexican citizen, and his wife were about to board a plane back to their native Mexico from Miami on Sunday, when a customs official asked to inspect their phones. The official looked in a file of recently deleted images on the phone of Fuentes’s wife and found a close-up photograph of a license plate. The plate belonged to the vehicle of a US government source, federal prosecutors said in a statement. Fuentes admitted to the US Customs and Border Protection that he had told his wife, who was not named in the statement, to take the picture. It turned out, federal prosecutors said, that Fuentes was acting on behalf of a Russian government official who had recruited him in 2019 to rent property in Miami-Dade County and gather information. “The Russian official told Fuentes not to rent the apartment in Fuentes’s own name and not to tell his family about their meetings,” according to a statement from the Department of Justice. Hector Fuentes met with the Russian official twice in Moscow, it said. During the second meeting this month, the official gave Fuentes a physical description of a US government source’s vehicle. The Russian official “told Fuentes to locate the car, obtain the source’s vehicle license plate number, and note the physical location of the source’s vehicle,” according to the statement. The two were supposed to meet again around April or May so that Fuentes could give him the information, officials said in the statement. Federal officials said Fuentes and his wife rented a car, and Friday they followed the US source home. A security guard on the premises became suspicious of the couple because the rental car had tailgated another vehicle to get inside the building complex. As the guard approached Fuentes, his wife got out of the car and snapped a photo of the government source’s vehicle, federal officials said. The guard asked the couple what they were doing there, and Fuentes said they were visiting someone at the building. “Security did not recognize the person as living there and told Fuentes to leave the premises,” federal officials said. When Fuentes was questioned about the photo two days later at the airport, he admitted he had been directed by a Russian government official to conduct the operation, the officials said. Fuentes has been charged with acting on behalf of a foreign agent without notifying the attorney general. He has also been charged with conspiracy to act on behalf of a foreign agent. At a hearing in Miami federal court Tuesday, Fuentes said he had a variety of jobs, including one as a researcher at Duke-NUS, where he earned US$7,500 a month, according to The Miami Herald. Fuentes also told a magistrate judge he earned US$5,000 a month from an Israeli company based in Germany and had about US$100,000 in bank accounts in Mexico, Singapore and the United States, according to the newspaper. Fuentes is listed on the Duke-NUS website as one of the lead researchers of a 2016 study on cardiovascular disease. In 2015, he gave a presentation at a conference hosted by the European Society of Cardiology in London. In his bio, Fuentes was described as a graduate of Kazan University in Russia, where he obtained a degree in molecular biology and microbiology. He will be arraigned March 3 in Miami federal court, federal officials said. Ms Dharshini Subbiah, a senior communications specialist at Duke-NUS, told Duke-NUS campus newspaper The Chronicle: “All of his appointments have been suspended, and pending the ongoing investigations in the US we are unable to comment further." In response to TODAY's queries, a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) spokesperson said: "MHA will not be commenting on this case." THE NEW YORK TIMES

Airbus 320 operated by Cham Wing Airlines carrying 176 passengers flying from Najaf, Iraq to Damascus, Syria had to make an emergency landing at Khmeimim air base in Syria. From BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51411860 Flightpath of the plane from Najaf (right of pic) to Damascus , divert back and then north. Note: SIA does not overfly Syria. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/sia-does-not-overfly-syria-while-cathay-pacific-re-routes-flights-to-avoid

2018 World Cup Draws Can Admin help to change the title to "2018 FIFA World Cup" Thanks

MOSCOW: China's Huawei, considered a security threat in the US, on Wednesday (Jun 5) signed a deal with Russian telecoms company MTS to develop a 5G network in the country over the next year, The agreement was signed on the sidelines of a meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The deal will see "the development of 5G technologies and the pilot launch of fifth generation networks in 2019-2020", MTS said in a statement. Quoted in the statement, Huawei's Guo Ping, said he was "very happy" with the agreement "in an area of strategic importance like 5G". The Chinese telecom giant has been in turmoil since May, when the Trump administration banned US companies from selling high-tech equipment to Huawei over suspicions it is spying for Beijing. Experts say the US decision, to come into force within three months, threatens the survival of the company, which is highly dependent on US chips for its phones. Several companies have already distanced themselves from Huawei, including Google, whose Android system equips the vast majority of smartphones in the world. Huawei's reported potential involvement in Britain's 5G network has proved politically sensitive and Theresa May's government insists no decision has been made on the issue. Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/china-s-huawei-signs-deal-to-develop-5g-in-russia-11600008

Redid the gallery with a new web address. Took out some not so good pics and changed the song. http://www.keehian.com/russia2018

Global Oil Glut Sends Prices Plunging - WSJ Economists say falling oil prices could kill off Russia’s flagging economic growth, forecast at no more than 0.5% this year. Evgeny Nadorshin, chief economist at Russian conglomerate AFK Sistema, said Russia’s economy could begin contracting by the end of this year if oil prices remain near $90 a barrel. Leading Russian politicians and executives believe the Saudis are pushing down prices to target Russia’s oil-export-dependent economy and Mr. Putin, as an extension of ongoing sanctions.

About cars accidents

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3332790/Monstrous-new-crisis-Russia-s-downed-jet-Putin-s-fury-stab-terror-accomplices-Moscow-analyst-warns-war-likely-Moscow-analyst.html this looks v serious to me...

http://www.voltairenet.org/article185860.html "As the Russian jet approached the US vessel, the electronic device disabled all radars, control circuits, systems, information transmission, etc. on board the US destroyer. In other words, the all-powerful Aegis system, now hooked up - or about to be - with the defense systems installed on NATO’s most modern ships was shut down, as turning off the TV set with the remote control."

A short work trip to the land of Putin. Tiring but very fascinating. Made some video clips. Landed into -1 deg with some snow. Not cold by Moscow standards, but I'm from the tropics. Cloud cover was very dense and I couldn't see anything outside the window until the plane had almost touched down. Before the flights, some video clips from Changi Airport. This is the Kinectic Rain exhibit at Terminal 1. This has been around for some time but this is the first time I stared at it for a bit. This is the full size X-wing fighter exhibit at Changi Terminal 3. More to come, stay tuned.

Now this is a good military parade: (PS - It is almost 1 hour long....) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw2bsbqycAY

Ukraine has accused Russia of carrying out an armed invasion by sending naval forces to occupy Sevastopol airport in the Crimea region. Russia's Black Sea Fleet denies its servicemen are blocking the airport. Another Crimean airport, Simferopol, has also been occupied by armed men, thought to be pro-Russia militia. Relations between the two countries have been strained since Viktor Yanukovych was ousted as Ukrainian president last week. Continue reading the main story At the Scene Christian FraserBBC News, near Sevastopol airport Sevastopol is by name an international airport, but civilian flights stopped some years ago, and it is owned by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. So it would be of no real consequence that soldiers are guarding a military base were it not for the fact no-one knows whose orders they are obeying. There are roadblocks springing up from here to the administrative capital Simferopol. The local parliament is in session there, but is sharing the municipal building with a paramilitary unit, and Simferopol airport is also under protection. The interim interior minister, however, is quite clear on his Facebook page who he thinks these units are. They are answering to the Russian Federation he said - and this, he adds, is a military takeover. Mr Yanukovych is now in Russia and expected to hold a news conference later in the city of Rostov-on-Don, near the Ukrainian border. He disappeared after leaving office but resurfaced in Russia on Thursday, asserting that he is still Ukraine's lawful president. Ukraine's general prosecutor has said he will ask Russia to extradite Mr Yanukovych, if it is confirmed that he is still there. In other developments: The BBC has seen eight trucks with the black plates of the Russian army moving towards Simferopol Unconfirmed reports say eight Russian military helicopters have arrived in Sevastopol Ukraine's central bank has put a 15,000 hryvnia (1,000 euro; £820) limit on daily cash withdrawals Armed Forces chief Yuriy Ilyin, appointed earlier this month by Mr Yanukovych, is sacked Ukraine's parliament calls on the UN Security Council to discuss the unfolding crisis in Crimea Lynchpin of struggle These tensions between Russia and Ukraine in the wake of Mr Yanukovych's departure have been particularly evident in Crimea, Ukraine's only Russian-majority region. The BBC's Bridget Kendall, in Moscow, says the Crimea is becoming the lynchpin of a struggle between Ukraine's new leaders and those loyal to Russia. Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said Russian soldiers had arrived in Sevastopol military airport near Russia's Black Sea Fleet Base on Friday morning. The men were patrolling outside, backed up by armoured vehicles, but Ukrainian military and border guards remained inside, Mr Avakov said. "I consider what has happened to be an armed invasion and occupation in violation of all international agreements and norms," Mr Avakov said on his Facebook page. Armed men also arrived at Simferopol airport overnight, some carrying Russian flags. A man called Vladimir told Reuters news agency he was a volunteer helping the group there, though he said he did not know where they came from. Continue reading the main story Crimea's airportsSimferopol is the main international terminal, serving the regional capital Sevastopol, home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, has a Soviet-era military airport (Belbek) which was also used for civilian flights until some years ago. Ukrainian air force jets are stationed there The Russian Black Sea Fleet has aircraft stationed at other air bases in Crimea (Gvardeyskaya and Kacha) "I'm with the People's Militia of Crimea. We're simple people, volunteers," he said. Andriy Parubiy, acting chairman of Ukraine's National Security Council, has claimed that both airports are now back under the control of Ukrainian authorities. The airport occupation is latest in a series of moves to raise fears of unrest in Crimea, which traditionally leans towards Russia. On Thursday, a group of unidentified armed men entered Crimea's parliament building by force, and hoisted a Russian flag on the roof. The Crimean parliament later announced it would hold a referendum on expanding the region's autonomy from Ukraine on 25 May. Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged his government to maintain relations with Kiev, but he is also giving the Crimean government humanitarian aid. US Secretary of State John Kerry has called on all sides to "step back and avoid any kind of provocations". Financial strain On top of its political problems, Ukraine also faces huge financial hurdles. It says it needs $35 billion over the next two years to avoid default on its loans. Russia has suspended the next instalment of a $15bn loan because of the political uncertainty. Switzerland and Austria announced on Friday that it had launched an investigation against Mr Yanukovych and his son Aleksander for "aggravated money laundering". Austria also said it had frozen the assets of 18 Ukrainians suspected of violating human rights and involvement in corruption. It did not give any names. Crimea - where ethnic Russians are in a majority - was transferred from Russia to Ukraine in 1954. Ethnic Ukrainians loyal to Kiev and Muslim Tatars - whose animosity towards Russia stretches back to Stalin's deportations during World War Two - have formed an alliance to oppose any move back towards Moscow. Russia, along with the US, UK and France, pledged to uphold the territorial integrity of Ukraine in a memorandum signed in 1994. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26379722

When it comes to road safety, Russia roads are far from being the safest as proven by the many in-car camera videos that show road rages and other dangerous driving. To curb this problem, the Russian goverment came up with a list of pretty bizarre and discriminative set of rules which dictate who can hold a driving license. The list a very long one but highlights of how weird it is include not allowing transgenders to drive because they are deemed to have a 'medical condition'. Of course, the gay-rights activists around the world aren't too happy about this, but in 2013, Russia made 'promoting non-traditional lifestyles' illegal so it is doubtful the government will revise their rules. The list also includes banning drivers who have gambling and stealing problems. People with 'mental disorders' like fetishism, exhibitionism and voyeurism are also barred from driving. If you are too short, under 150cm to be exact, you are also not allowed to hold a driver's license too. We are glad we don't live in Russia!

We all know Volkswagen Golfs are great sensible all-rounders for the family while still possessing decent verve when the driver is in the mood for a short blast. Apparently, someone in Russia thinks that it is too sensible and decides to turn his Mk6 Golf R into a 700bhp twin turbo monster. With the help of all-wheel drive and good reaction time, it proceeds to see off some much more expensive machinery. Watch the video below to see it in action. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdHVjYM9WsM&list=UUT8Rf6QQeFADwyyPTrGgT4Q

http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/229670/russian-boob-billboards-caused-500-traffic-accidents-in-a-day/ An advertising company in Moscow was trying to convince business to invest in mobile billboards, so they hired 30 billboard vans to drive around for the day, displaying a large ad with a woman cupping her naked breasts, with the text, “They attract.” Unfortunately, the ads worked a little too well, and caused a bunch of distracted drivers to crash their cars. Reportedly, over 500 accidents occurred in roughly a day As this all happened in Russia, there are likely 500 dashcam videos recording the various accidents. (Unfortunately, none have been uploaded to weird video streaming sites … yet …) “I was on my way to a business meeting when I saw this truck with a huge photo of breasts on its side go by,” said one driver, Ildar Yuriev. “Then I was hit by the car behind who said he had been distracted by the truck.” So many drivers complained the police had to go on patrols specifically to ban the vans from the road. A spokesperson for the Sarafan Advertising Agency was apologetic for the accidents and promised that they’d help compensate drivers for the damage caused by the enormous boob vans. “We wanted to draw attention to this new format with this campaign,” he said. “In all cases of accidents, the car owners will receive compensation costs from us that aren’t covered by their insurance.” don't think we will get to see this type of ads here......

With the rise in road rage incidents, having a dog in your vehicle could seem like a good way to protect yourselves from violent motorists... While the guy walking up to the Mitsubishi L200 truck did not actually look very agitated, I am sure he still got a good shock seeing the dog trying to get a piece of him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T323_Dp8L9k

If that guy drive like how he did, i will happily see him on stomp

The Tow truck and road rage are amazing....... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEMOhX3NlrA&feature=player_detailpage

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/are-there-ghost-cars-in-russia-2014-04-16 This is creepy. Watch it over and over again. Still doesn't make sense. Where did the car came from? Its a busy junction and not some uninhibited ulu place.

old news... but just stumbled onto it. Si-bei sexy! Must share! I always thot those spies r like james bond movie...got chio bu with dua nei nei one..how come tis one dun hav.... LOL MOSCOW (AP) — A U.S. diplomat was ordered Tuesday to leave the country after the Kremlin's security services said he tried to recruit a Russian agent, and they displayed tradecraft tools that seemed straight from a cheap spy thriller: wigs, packets of cash, a knife, map and compass, and a letter promising millions for "long-term cooperation." The FSB, the successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB, identified the diplomat as Ryan Fogle, a third secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, detaining him briefly overnight. It alleged that Fogle was a CIA officer trying to recruit a Russian counterterrorism officer who specializes in the volatile Caucasus region in southern Russia, where the two Boston Marathon bombing suspects had their ethnic roots. Fogle was handed over to U.S. Embassy officials, declared persona non grata and ordered to leave Russia immediately. He has diplomatic immunity, which protects him from arrest. The State Department would only confirm that Fogle worked as an embassy employee, but wouldn't give any details about his employment record or responsibilities in Russia. Some officials also referred inquiries to the CIA, which declined comment. Fogle was the first American diplomat to be publicly accused of spying in Russia in about a decade. While relations between the two countries have been strained, officials in both Washington and Moscow sought to play down the incident. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul to appear Wednesday in connection with the case. McFaul said he would not comment on the spying allegation. Russian officials expressed indignation the U.S. would carry out an espionage operation at a time when the two countries have been working to improve counterterrorism cooperation. "Such provocative actions in the spirit of the Cold War do nothing to strengthen mutual trust," the Foreign Ministry said. Russia's Caucasus region includes the provinces of Chechnya and Dagestan. The suspects in the April 15 Boston Marathon bombings — Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his elder brother, Tamerlan, who was killed in a manhunt — are ethnic Chechens. Tamerlan spent six months last year in Dagestan, now the center of an Islamic insurgency. U.S. investigators have been working with the Russians to try to determine whether Tamerlan Tsarnaev had established any contacts with militants in Dagestan. Despite the end of the Cold War, Russia and the United States still maintain active espionage operations against each other. Last year, several Russians were convicted in separate cases of spying for the U.S. and sentenced to lengthy prison sentences. But Tuesday's case had espionage elements that seemed more like "Spy vs. Spy" than Ludlum and le Carre. Russian state TV showed pictures of a man said to be Fogle, wearing a baseball cap and a blond wig, lying face down on the ground. The man, without the wig, was also shown sitting at a desk in the offices of the FSB, the Federal Security Service. Two wigs, a compass, a map of Moscow, a pocket knife, three pairs of sunglasses and envelopes of 500 euro notes (each bill worth $649) were among the items the FSB displayed on a table. The FSB also produced a typewritten letter that it described as instructions to the Russian agent who was the target of Fogle's alleged recruitment effort. The letter, in Russian and addressed "Dear friend," offers $100,000 to "discuss your experience, expertise and cooperation" and up to $1 million a year for long-term cooperation. The letter also includes instructions for opening a Gmail account to be used for communication and an address to write. It is signed "Your friends." "If this is genuine, then it'll be seen to be appallingly bad tradecraft — being caught with a 'How-to-be-a-Spy 101' guide and a wig. He would have had to have been pretty stupid," said Mark Galeotti, a professor at New York University who studies the Russian security services. Samuel Greene, director of the Russia Institute at King's College London, called the evidence bizarre. "I wouldn't have thought that spies gave each other written instructions," he said in a telephone interview. Greene also noted that the FSB had displayed Fogle's official diplomatic ID, suggesting he was carrying it along with the spy paraphernalia when he was detained. "Maybe this is what the CIA has come to, maybe the propaganda folks in the Kremlin think we are this stupid, or maybe both," he said. A five-minute video produced by the FSB and shown on state TV showed a Russian official speaking to what appear to be three U.S. diplomats who had come to pick up Fogle in the FSB office. The official, whose face is blurred, alleged that Fogle called an unidentified FSB counterintelligence officer who specializes in the Caucasus at 11:30 p.m. Monday. He then said that after the officer refused to meet, Fogle called him a second time and offered 100,000 euros if he would provide information to the U.S. The Russian official said the FSB was flabbergasted. He pointed to high-level efforts to improve counterterrorism cooperation, specifically FBI director Robert Mueller's visit to Moscow last week and phone calls between President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "At a time when the presidents of the two countries are striving to improve the climate of relations between the two countries, this citizen, in the name of the U.S. government, commits a most serious crime here in Moscow," the official said. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki confirmed that an officer at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow was briefly detained and released. "We have seen the Russian Foreign Ministry announcement and have no further comment at this time," said Psaki, who was in Sweden with Secretary of State John Kerry. Little was immediately known about Fogle. A third secretary is an entry level position at the State Department, the lowest diplomatic rank in the foreign service. Putin has stoked anti-American sentiments among Russians in recent years in what is seen as an effort to build support at home. He also appears to have a genuine distrust of Russian nongovernmental organizations that receive American funding, which he has accused of being fronts that allow the U.S. government to meddle in Russia's political affairs. Hundreds of NGOs have been searched this year as part of an ongoing crackdown by the Russian government. Galeotti said the public exposure of Fogle suggests a political purpose behind the detention. He said these kinds of spying incidents happen with some frequency, but making such a big deal of them is rare. "More often, the etiquette is that these things get dealt with quite quietly — unless they want to get a message out," Galeotti said. "If you identify an embassy staffer who is a spy for the other side, your natural impulse is to leave them be, because once you identify, you can keep tabs on them, see who they talk to and everything else." "There's no reason to make a song and dance, detain them, eject them," he said. Greene said Fogle's detention should be seen as part of Putin's confrontation with the opposition and not as something likely to have a major impact on U.S.-Russia relations. "I think this is mostly for domestic consumption in Russia so that people say, 'look at these naughty Americans trying to meddle in our internal affairs and spy on us,'" Greene said. "But everybody's got spies everywhere so I don't see this as a major issue." In Washington, State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell also said the incident was unlikely to hamper U.S.-Russia relations. "I'm not sure I'd read too much into one incident one way or another," he told reporters, and pointed to Kerry's meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Sweden on Tuesday evening. "We have a very broad and deep relationship with the Russians across a whole host of issues, and we'll continue to work on our diplomacy with them directly." Alexei Pushkov, who heads the international affairs committee in Russia's parliament, wrote in a Twitter post that the spy scandal would be short-lived and would not interfere in Kerry and Lavrov's discussions aimed at bridging deep differences over the civil war in Syria. "But the atmosphere is not improving," Pushkov commented. ___ Associated Press writers Max Seddon in Moscow, Bradley Klapper in Washington and Lara Jakes in Kiruna, Sweden, contributed to this report. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/russian-security-services-say-they-detained-us-diplomat-they-claim-cia-agent