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/ 23 January 2008

Putin deploys new weapon — his judo master

He has been accused of bullying the neighbours, turning off Europe’s gas supply and — as one diplomat appalled by Russia’s treatment of the British Council put it — ”punching a librarian”. But now Putin, apparently fed up with Russia’s poor image abroad, has decided to do something about it: he has sent for his old judo master.

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/ 22 January 2008

Putin to revive Soviet muscle-flexing parade

It was one of the highlights of the Soviet calendar — a chance for the communist superpower to show off its military might and for ordinary citizens to check that their gerontocratic leaders were still alive. But 17 years after the last hammer-and-sickle tanks trundled through Red Square, the Kremlin is to revive the Soviet-era practice of parading its big weaponry.

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/ 17 January 2008

Russian envoy: ‘Now we really have a crisis’

The diplomatic stand-off with Russia entered a dangerous new phase on Wednesday as British officials denounced ”a pattern of intimidation” by Russia’s security services against British Council staff. The Foreign Office complained of unacceptable behaviour, after Russians working at British Council offices were called in for questioning by the FSB.

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/ 16 January 2008

UK warns Russia after council staff summoned

Britain warned Russia on Wednesday that any attempt to intimidate staff of its cultural arm was ”completely unacceptable” after Russia’s state security service summoned local employees to speak to its officers. Britain’s consulate in St Petersburg said the British Council office in the northern city had been forced to shut temporarily.