RUSSIA-PRESIDENT-KARABAKH-OUTLOOK MOSCOW. Dec 24 (Russia News) – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has expressed optimism about chances for the settlement of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Azerbaijan’s …

RUSSIA-KUDRIN-REFORM-PARTY MOSCOW. Dec 24 (Russia News) – Former Russian finance minister Alexei Kudrin, who came to a mass protest rally in Moscow on Saturday, told reporters Russia needs …

RUSSIA-GORBACHEV-PUTIN MOSCOW. Dec 24 (Russia News) – Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev has suggested that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin withdraw his bid for a new term of office …

RUSSIA-KUDRIN-ELECTIONS-2 MOSCOW. Dec 24 (Russia News) – Former Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin has called for holding new elections to the State Duma in one year. “It is …

RUSSIA-RALLIES-FEDOTOV-OPINION MOSCOW. Dec 24 (Russia News) – The head of Russia’s Human Rights Council argued on Saturday that it is the wrong practice to ban public rallies. “Rallies …

MOSCOW-LDPR-RALLY-NUMBERS MOSCOW. Dec 24 (Russia News) – A rally on Pushkinskaya Square in central Moscow on Saturday organized by Russia’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) brought together about 2,000 …

RUSSIA-PETERSBURG-RALLY-ARRESTS ST. PETERSBURG. Dec 24 (Russia News) – “About 10″ people were arrested as police cut short an attempt to hold a rally on Saturday on the square …

RUSSIA-OMBUDSMAN-COMMISSION-RESIGNATION MOSCOW. Dec 24 (Russia News) – Russian Human Rights Commissioner Vladimir Lukin said on Saturday that the presidential human rights council was “justified” in urging Central Election …

MOSCOW-RALLY-OBSERVERS-MINISTRY MOSCOW. Dec 24 (Russia News) – Public observers “made high assessments” of the conduct of police during a protest rally in Moscow on Saturday that protested alleged …