32 people killed in Russian plane crashes in Siberia

At least 32 people were killed and 11 survivors have been taken to hospital, Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said on Monday. 

The ATR 72, a twin-engine, turbo-prop plane, with 43 people aboard, crashed some 30-35 km (18-22 miles) from the western Siberian city of Tyumen, Emergency Situations Ministry spokeswoman Irina Andrianova said. 

The mid-range plane belonging to Russian airline UTair crashed after taking off from Tyumen on a flight to Surgut, an oil town further north in Siberia. 

There were 39 passengers and four crew on board, according to preliminary information, Andrianova said.

Injured survivors were flown to hospital by helicopter after the plane caught fire following the crash, the cause of which was not immediately known, Russian news agencies reported. 

UTair has three ATR-72 craft made by the French-Italian manufacturer ATR, according to the airline's website. 

ATR is an equal partnership between two major European aeronautics players, Alenia Aermacchi, a Finmeccanica company, and EADS. 

The crash was the deadliest air disaster in Russia since a Yak-42 plane crashed into a riverbank near the city of Yaroslavl after takeoff on September 07, 2011, killing 44 people and wiping out the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey team. 

President Dmitry Medvedev called for a reduction in the number of Russian airlines and improvements in crew training after that crash, which followed a June crash that killed 47 people including a navigator who had been drinking. 

Russia launches US telecommunications satellite

A Russian rocket carrying a US telecommunications satellite blasted off from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan Sunday.

The Proton-M rocket carrying Intelsat-22 lifted off at 4.10 p.m., Russia's Roscosmos space agency said.

The satellite is equipped with 90 transponders to provide telecommunications services in Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, Xinhua reported.

A special equipment is installed on the satellite that will aid the Australian defence force. The six-tonne satellite is expected to operate for 15 years.

The satellite was developed by Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems for Intelsat Ltd., an international consortium that operates the world's most extensive satellite network, comprising over 50 satellites.

Russian-made ammunition found in al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's house

Russian-made ammunition has been found in al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's high-walled compound in Abbottabad, a media report said on Friday.

The inquiry commission probing the US commando raid that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden on May 02 last year has learnt that Russian-made ammunition was found in the compound.

The ammunition was in a cupboard, sources told Dawn.

One casing of a used bullet was found.

The US operation was carried out without tipping off the Pakistani military, straining ties between Islamabad and Washington.

Russian court rejected ban on Bhagwat Gita

A Russian court on Wednesday rejected a petition seeking a ban on translation of Bhagavad Gita, bringing cheers to crores of Hindus across the world.

The petition in the Siberian city of Tomsk called Bhagvad Gita, one of Hinduism's holiest scriptures as "extremist literature" and said it promotes "social discord" and “hatred towards non-believers”.

Russian lawyers Mikahil Fralov and Alexander Sakhav argued vociferously against the petition.

The case filed by state prosecutors in Tomsk claimed that the renowned translation of the text, titled "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" is "extremist literature" and should join Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf in the list of banned books.

"Bhagavad Gita As It Is" -- first published in 1968 -- is a translation of and commentary on the original text by Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the international Hare Krishna movement, ISKCON.

The judge, after reviewing the petition from the state prosecutors and the responses against it, dismissed the plea.

"We have won the case. The judge has rejected the petition," Sadhu Priya Das of ISKCON, who is also the Chairman of newly formed Hindu Council of Russia said.

Reacting to the judgement, ISKCON spokesman Brajendra Nandan Das said in New Delhi that, "We are very happy".

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna welcomed the judgement and thanked the Russian government for its support.

ISKCON members have linked the court case to the Russian Orthodox church, which they claim wants to limit their activities in Russia.

The case had created a storm back in India. Speaking in Parliament, Krishna called the lawsuit "patently absurd". He had summoned the Russian Ambassador in New Delhi, Alexander Kadakin, on the eve of the court hearing and told him that Moscow should provide all possible help to resolve the issue.

He also conveyed to the Russian diplomat the sensitivities involved with the issue. Kadakin had assured Krishna that the Russian Government will do all it can within its power.

The trial began in June and was scheduled to conclude on December 19, just after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's two-day visit to Russia.

However, officials in Tomsk agreed to hear further testimony from experts and the Russian ombudsman for human rights and postponed the court decision till today.

Russia test launches RS-18 ballistic missile

Russia successfully test-launched intercontinental ballistic missile -- RS-18 (SS-19 Stiletto) -- Tuesday from the Baikonur Space Centre in Kazakhstan, said the defence ministry.

The missile is capable of carrying up to six warheads.

"The goal of the test launch is to prove the stability and basic technical characteristics of missiles of this kind," said defence ministry spokesman Vadim Koval.

Developed by the Chelomei Design Bureau, the RS-18 is a silo-based, liquid-propellant missile, which together with the RS-16 (SS-17) and RS-20 (SS-18) comprises the fourth generation of Russian strategic missiles.

The Russian Strategic Missile Forces are considering the possibility of extending the RS-18 missiles' service term by one year to 33 years, he added.

A source in Russia's defence industry said RS-18 missiles are currently used to test advanced warheads designed to penetrate missile defences.

Russian court to decide on Hindu scripture Gita ban today

A Siberian court will on Wednesday pronounce its verdict in response to a petition moved by a group connected to the Christian Orthodox Church seeking a ban on sacred Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita.

The group wants the court to declare Bhagvad Gita an "extremist text".

New Delhi has already expressed its serious objections to the Christian Orthodox Church’s move to get Bhagvad Gita banned in Russia.

Ahead of the court hearing in Tomsk city, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna yesterday conveyed to Russian Ambassador Alexander Kadakin the country's concern over the "sensitive" issue, which has created an uproar in India.

Krishna told the Russian Ambassador that Moscow should provide all possible help to resolve the issue.

During the meeting, Kadakin assured Krishna that the Russian Government will do all it can within its powers.

"The External Affairs Minister conveyed the concerns of the Parliament of India and the people of India on the issue. The Russian side has been saying that it is a judicial process and that it will take all steps it can within its power (to resolve the issue)," the reports said.

Earlier, Russian Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin in his statement had declared that "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" written by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), is a globally respected book.

He also stated that it was unacceptable to seek a ban on it in Russia.

Separately, at an emergency meeting Hindus from India, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Nepal and other countries residing in Russia have also set up the Hindu Council of Russia to defend their interests.

$128 billion siphoned out of India in a decade

Even as the country continues to witness a campaign for a strong anti-corruption watchdog, a report has calculated that between $104 billion and $128 billion (roughly Rs 5 to 6 lakh crore) was illegally siphoned out of India in the decade spanning 2000 to 2009.

This works out to an average outflow of about $10-13 billion (Rs 48,000 to Rs 63,000 crore) every year.

The report has been prepared by international watchdog Global Financial Integrity (GFI), which first collected and computed worldwide data on illicit financial outflows in 2008.

International watchdog Global Financial Integrity's (GFI) report on illicit financial flows says nearly Rs 6 lakh crore was illegally siphoned out of India in the decade spanning 2000 to 2009.

GFI estimates illicit flows by looking at data on two aspects of the economy. The first category is calculated by comparing foreign funds generated by external borrowings and foreign direct investment with the uses to which these funds could be put - bridging the country's current account deficit or adding to its forex reserves.

If the official data shows that the use is less than the funds generated, there must be an illicit outflow and if it is more there must be an illicit inflow. GFI data shows that in India over $6.8 billion (about Rs 33,000 crore) was lost in this manner over the decade.

The second category is illicit flows that arise through trade mispricing. If an importer declares a higher import value to the customs department than the value of goods recorded by the exporting partner country, it creates an illicit outflow.

Similarly, if an exporter understates the value of goods actually exported in relation to the imports recorded in the importing partner country and keeps the balance of funds abroad, that too is an illicit outflow. International trade data reveals such mispricing by comparing data from partner trading countries.It is this type of jugglery that accounts for the bulk of illicit flows in India - worth over $121.65 billion (Rs 5.8 lakh crore) or almost 95% of the total.

According to the GFI report, India, like China, also displays a peculiar kind of circular flow of funds called "round-tripping". In this trick of high finance, money illegally flows out and then illegally flows in to be invested in the underground or black economy. This not only causes huge tax losses to the public exchequer but bolsters the illegal domestic economy.

China continues to be ranked first in the international league tables of illicit financial flows, with over $2.74 trillion estimated to have been taken out of the country between 2000 and 2009. Others in the big league include Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and UAE. Trade mispricing accounts for about 51% of global illicit financial flows. Corruption, kickbacks, theft and bribery are the primary conduit for the unrecorded transfer of capital from oil exporters such as Kuwait, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. However, in Mexico, another oil producer, trade mispricing is the main source of illicit flows.

India takes Gita issue with Russia authorities

India has strongly taken up the demand for banning Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita, which a group linked to the Christian Orthodox Church has described as 'extremist', with the Russian authorities, Indian Ambassador to Russia Ajai Malhotra said.

"The matter has been taken up by the Indian Embassy in Moscow with the Russian Government at senior official level, seeking its favourable and positive intervention in the matter," Ambassador Malhotra said, as the court in Tomsk postponed its ruling on the petition banning Bhagwad Gita as 'extremist' and allegedly 'sowing' social-discord in Russia.

Describing Bhagwat Gita as extremist, a group linked to the Christian Orthodox Church has demanded ban due to conflict of interests between the Russian followers of Lord Krishna and the local authorities in the Siberian region of Tomsk.

Malhotra personally and his mission here have been publicly expressed their support to the local chapter of International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

The final hearing in the Tomsk District Court is scheduled for December 28, as the Court agreed to seek the opinion of the Russian Ombudsman on Human Rights in Tomsk Region and of Indologists from Moscow and St Petersburg (all of whom favour dismissal of the case).

The case pertains to the legal relationship between a Russian registered socio-cultural organization and the local authorities. Nevertheless, the Embassy in Moscow has been publicly supportive and sympathetic in the matter.

"We believe that there are new operational concepts that link the Indian Ocean with the Pacific Ocean, we want to talk about the manifestations of that, both in terms of maritime security and other aspects of commerce and security interactions and we would talk about developments among all the key countries in the Asia Pacific region," Campbell said.

"But our talks wouldn't end there. There would also be talks on global issues. I am very excited about these developments and I think they have the potential to advance trust and understanding among all three Capitals," he said.

Campbell said the future prospects of India-US-Japan dialogue depends on progress of the today's meeting. "Well, it has taken us some time to set up this meeting.

I think, we all will see how this one goes. I think, we will make our assessment after that. We certainly would be open to more frequent discussions, but all parties would have to be comfortable with that. And I think, what we are trying to do is to take step at a time and just see how this first set of interactions goes," he said.

Rally in Russia against vote results

Thousands of Russians rallied Tuesday in central Moscow and Saint Petersburg protesting violations in legislative elections that handed victory to Vladimir Putin's ruling party with a reduced majority.

Police said about 100 opposition protesters were detained in Russia's second city after they tried holding an unsanctioned rally on the main Nevsky Prospekt thoroughfare for the second day in a row.

A larger event in central Moscow drew some 3,000 people to a protest featuring liberals who had been barred from participating in the polls.

The Moscow opposition rally was sanctioned by the police and there were no initial arrests, with protesters holding up signs with slogans such as "the elections are a farce," an AFP correspondent reported

"They are a party of crooks and thieves," said popular anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny, using a slogan which he coined and which has since been picked up by the entire Russian opposition.

United Russia collected just 238 seats in the 450-seat State Duma in yesterday's election, down sharply from the 315 seats it won in the last polls in 2007.

But the vote was marred by unprecedented state pressure against independent election monitors and various reports of violations that drew a stiff rebuke Monday from a group of European observers led by the OSCE.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also expressed "serious concern" about the results, which were hailed by President Dmitry Medvedev as fair and democratic.