The scale of corrupted practices in Moscow government's records has finally been put in numbers and publicized. Moscow's new Mayor has formed a committee to decide the future of investment practices in the city of Moscow, pledging to establish a competitive and transparent environment for forthcoming investments and the end of the era of direct investments outside of competition rules. The rules somehow will be applied to a grim reality of existing construction and development contracts covering 40mln sq/m of Moscow's territory. Half of these contracts are considered dead (yes, this is the term used to describe the "promised land", blocked as a "security blanket" and granted to Luzhkov's "favorite" investors. The latter simply hold the titles to the land without having to do any investments until "the territories of influence" have been defined). 50% of the remaining half now have to undergo strict auditing. Thus, out of 1320 contracts granted by Luzhkov's administration, only 200 have been genuine projects. (source - Образец коррупции - 
Ведомости - http://news.rambler.ru/8283693/)
***
Russia's representation in NATO confirmed that the agreement with the Alliance on unifying Missile Defense Shields between the two parties is not off the negotiations table (Рогозин опроверг сообщения об отказе НАТО объединять ПРО с Россией
Лента.Ру, 27 ноября 2010, 00:53 - http://news.rambler.ru/8268083/ ) . In the meantime, PM Putin made a statement about following up on his long-term proposal to create a free trade zone between Russia and EU, saying "the development of lose relations between RF and the EU is inevitable" (Путин считает неизбежным дальнейшее сближение России и ЕС
Deutsche Welle, 26 ноября 2010, 19:04 - http://news.rambler.ru/8274959/) .
The forwardness in Russia-EU and Russia-NATO relations is logically bringing a change in a number of ex-Soviet Republics, particularly the ones whose pro-EU agenda for the past decade has meant a committed anti-Russian stance. With the recent reshuffling of having a pro-Kremlin leader in the Ukraine who nevertheless is committed to its commitments vis-a-vis the EU (Moldova's recent elections have had a similar outcome as well), and an anti-Kremlin leader in Georgia who no longer aspires to cause an armed tension against Russia, Belorussia's has been the most puzzling case. Lukashenko, who even in political circles is called "Batyushka" (roughly means Daddy, but with a heavily traditionalist meaning of the word), is now in an awkward position whereby Russia's anti-corruption, pro-freedom and rights policies have reached to Belorussia as well. The country hasn't had much progress since its independence in the 90s and is still the one country where one can feel home when nostalgic of Soviet urban culture.
For the past two decades all Lukashenko had to do was to speak anti-West, pro-Russia, reject any trade or other types of cooperation agreements with the EU and keep getting commodities (oil and gas, wheat and weapons) from Russia at a much cheaper rate. Now, the tables have shifted, Russia shall trade with Belorussia the same as with everyone else in the region and no longer shall support a despotic leader. In light of upcoming elections in Belorussia, Lukashenko now is the one leading an anti-Russian campaign and the Kremlin silently approves of the heavily pro-EU opposition leader, whose main campaign message is to shed light on the real size of Lukashenko's gains from corruption through contracts with Russia and whose opposition rallies have not been met with the usual strictness of the past two decades. Lukashenko simply disapproved of the rallies but refrained from adding up the list of political prisoners. (Лукашенко продолжает разыгрывать «антироссийскую карту»
Вести.Ру, 12 часов назад - http://news.rambler.ru/8282074/ AND Кандидат в президенты Белоруссии готов судиться с Лукашенко: оспорит слова о деньгах из России
NEWSru.com, 26 ноября 2010, 22:30 http://news.rambler.ru/8264475/)
***
Yes, yes, yes, I'm gonna talk about it, too - the WIKILEAKS COMMOTION !!! While from New York Times to Indian Dailies reported about the release of 270,000 diplomatic wires between the State Department and the US Embassies worldwide. Something even more awkward happened in Switzrland. Basically, Seymour Jenkins - a nice Swiss citizen was walking the streets on Sunday when he noticed a fresh new issue of the German "Der Spiegel" with Wikileaks article referred on the cover. Surprised to see the publication on the kiosk shelf so early, he nevertheless bought one. The article was entirely dedicated to the words the US diplomatic corps used to describe the world leaders with in their casual comminiqués to the DoS. Thus,
- Medvedev - "pale and indecisive"
- Putin - "alpha-male"
--------- (no official response from the Kremlin thus far. Just a Foreign Affairs Ministry official anonymously reported to the Kommersant journalist that the Russian diplomats, too, are very colorful in their descriptions of US leaders)
- Angela Merkel - "not a risk taker, not creative"
- Nikola Sarkozy - "the naked king"
- Hamid Karzai - "paranoic"
- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - "Hitler"
Mr Jenkins then started to twit about his discovery, which prompted other friends and contacts run to the newsstands and get their copies of Der Spiegel. However, by that time the Magazine had been pulled off from the shelves and even its online version lasted for less than an hour. Jenkins then scanned his copy and placed a couple of pages on his Twitter account and started to write little quotes from it. By this morning, the Guardian, Le Figaro and El Pais have all a cover page story on the Wikileaks but there must have been something about the Der Spiegel... (Выложили начистоту
// Сегодняшний компромат с сайта WikiLeaks появился уже вчера Газета «Коммерсантъ» № 220/П (4520) от 29.11.2010 http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=1548270)
P.S. I tried to track down the Twitter account of Seymour Jenkins with no avail. Instead, bumped into an article by Guradian's Simon Jenkins on whether Wikileaks has crossed the line. It's a captivating read and albeit in the subject of Russian media scoop, here's the reference -
US embassy cables: The job of the media is not to protect the powerful from embarrassment
***
The Russian Duma did not approve of a Draft Law proposed by the Communist Party, calling for clearing Stalin's name off the Katynka tragedy dring the WWII. They claimed it was a part of the Nazi propaganda to make it look like Stalin ordered the Polish officers be murdered. However, the majority of the Duma made statement, whereby in reference to the archives it is clearly stated that Stalin's direct orders were the cause of the murders and hence, his name cannot be cleared. (Депутатам-коммунистам не разрешили «фальсифицировать историю» в вопросе о Катынской трагедии
GZT.RU, 26 ноября 2010, 14:18 http://news.rambler.ru/8270873/)
