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Russian Medvedev says No: To Kurils mineral-rich islands despite Japanese protests.

Rocky barriers to Russo-Japanese peace By Kosuke Takahashi TOKYO – Unnecessary provocations by Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev are being blamed for the reawakening of a decades-old island feud between the countries, with both leaders accused of pandering to nationalism ahead of key elections. Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara landed…

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FilmMaker of Khodorkovsky Saga fears for Safety in Putin`s Russian

‘Khodorkovsky’ director wary of showing film in Russia German film director Cyril Tuschi reads a newspaper as he sits in a porch swing in his office in Berlin on February 3. The maker of a twice-stolen documentary on jailed Russian former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the hottest ticket at the Berlin film festival, is wary…

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Syria: Cutthroat “Mukhabarat” of Middle East

Analysts say a popular president, dreaded security forces and religious diversity make a Syrian revolution unlikely. A key factor for stability within Syria is the popularity of President Bashar al-Assad Despite a wave of protests spreading across the Middle East, so far the revolutionary spirit has failed to reach Syria. Authoritarian rule, corruption and economic hardship are characteristics…

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The Nightmare for Israelis: The Muslim Brotherhood

A Palestinian protester sets ablaze a U.S. flag in the West Bank city of Ramallah, in support of the anti-Mubarak protests in Egypt — While there was rejoicing in Cairo, concern was palpable in Israel over Hosni Mubarak’s stunning ouster from the presidency by pro-democracy demonstrators on Friday. Israelis worry that transition in their southern…