Nuclear Space

Russian scientists want to launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft - and could have the prototype ready by 2012.
But while the ambitious plan would give Russia's space programme an atomic lift, not everyone is convinced it will get off the ground.
And environmental activists fear it is too dangerous to consider firing atomic materials into space owing to the risk of problems on re-entry.
Federal Space Agency chief Andrei Perminov got the backing of President Dmitry Medvedev for the plan, the Associated Press reported.
But Houston-based rocket engineer James Oberg was sceptical about the plan, saying Perminov was looking for a backer "with more dollars than sense".

From one rippling torso to another

A well-sculpted bronze of Vladimir Putin's widely admired pecs is set to adorn the gubernatorial mansion in California thanks to the Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation of Russia.
Golden State governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a man who knows a thing or two about bodybuilding, is apparently an avid collector of sculptural portraits, and already has busts of Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin on the mantelpiece.
So a Russian sculptor has been commissioned to recreate the likeness of the all-action PM to complete Arnie's set - though it is not known whether he'll be shown in one of his shirtless-in-Siberia adventure poses.

Ukraine Epidemic Deaths Hit 95, Outbreak Eases: Officials

KIEV, Ukraine -- Health authorities in Ukraine said Thursday the death toll from an outbreak of flu and respiratory infections had risen to 95, but added the epidemic showed signs of easing.

We have 633,877 people suffering from flu and acute respiratory infections," and among these cases "95 people are dead", Deputy Health Minister Zinovy Mytnyk said.He did not add how many deaths were a result of swine flu.The new figure was a jump of nine from the death toll announced by health officials Wednesday, which included five deaths confirmed as caused by the A(H1N1) virus.The World Health Organisation has said it assumes the epidemic is swine flu. Mytnyk added Thursday that the first signs of the outbreak receding had been detected in the west of the country, where the epidemic started.Medics believe "the peak of the epidemic has already been reached" in several western regions, the official said.The outbreak -- which caused panic and a run on pharmacies -- prompted Ukrainian authorities to launch tough measures, including school closures and an appeal for help to world powers.Analysts have suggested that rival Ukrainian leaders may be trying to exploit popular fears in campaigning ahead of January 17 presidential polls, as each candidate seeks to take the initiative in fighting the outbreak.

Swine-Flu Panic In Ukraine: Crisis Or Political Ploy?

KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukraine is in the midst of what some might call swine-flu hysteria. The country is in virtual lockdown mode, with the government closing schools, universities and movie theaters and banning all public gatherings until the end of November.
Pharmacies have run out of protective masks; those who missed the rush are improvising with scarves or homemade facsimiles. And rumors are running rampant, much as they did during Soviet times when the authorities tried to cover up disasters like the Chernobyl nuclear-plant meltdown."We are worried that the swine flu has mutated and is killing scores of people," says Nina Sokolovska as she stands in line at a pharmacy.To be sure, flu is spreading in Ukraine, with the government reporting more than 600,000 cases in the last week. The Health Ministry said Thursday that 95 people have died from the flu or respiratory infections, although it's uncertain how many of these deaths have been caused by the H1N1 virus and how many have been the result of seasonal flu. The World Health Organization says it's safe to assume the H1N1 virus is widespread.Given the persistent rumors and the country's volatile political situation, however, some Ukrainians have suggested that the gravity of the situation is being exaggerated by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko for political gain ahead of the January presidential elections."What has happened is hysteria and panic, which is being provoked," says Arseniy Yatsenyuk, a presidential candidate currently running third in the polls. He accused Tymoshenko of whipping up a frenzy to distract people from the government's failings. "Is anyone talking about wages? No. Is anyone talking about the 4 million unemployed? No. Is anyone talking about the gas we haven't paid for? No," he says. The media have also questioned Tymoshenko's motives. A headline on one Ukrainian news website, Ukrayinska Pravda, read: "Who needs swine flu and who needs a high rating?"Others are taking the flu pandemic more seriously and are blaming Tymoshenko for mishandling the government's response efforts. Viktor Yanukovych, the leader of the opposition and front-runner in the presidential race, has called for the Health Minister to be fired and accused Tymoshenko of putting people's health at risk by launching her own presidential campaign with a rally just six days before the ban on public gatherings was announced."Tymoshenko knew she shouldn't bring such a large number of people to Kiev. It was a feast at the time of a plague," he says. Current President Viktor Yushchenko — Tymoshenko's former partner in the 2004 Orange Revolution and now her bitter rival — also attacked her for holding a campaign rally, saying it was "criminal irresponsibility" if it allowed the disease to spread.But Tymoshenko has also been praised by many for implementing sweeping measures to try to stop the spread of flu. She has made every effort to appear on top of the situation, personally going to meet a shipment of the H1N1 vaccine Tamiflu at Kiev's airport on Monday. One doctor who asked not to be named in the hard-hit Lviv region praised the Prime Minister's actions."Politicians are aggravating the situation by making so much noise," she tells TIME. In addition, Glenn Thomas, a spokesman for the WHO team that's been dispatched to Kiev to assist Ukrainian authorities, says the government's response had been "transparent and rapid."Taras Berezovets, an adviser to Tymoshenko, tells TIME that Yushchenko and the other presidential candidates are using the swine-flu epidemic as an opportunity to attack the Prime Minister. "The media are to blame for the panic. From the beginning, the government has told people to remain calm and follow some simple rules," he says.Tymoshenko has been guilty of one thing: sending mixed messages. The closing of schools and banning of public gatherings are among the harshest measures in Europe against the H1N1 virus. Yet Tymoshenko has not forcefully advocated for people to get vaccinated against the virus. "I am not vaccinated," she said in a television address this week. "I am protecting myself like everybody, with lemon, onion, garlic, everything that is needed. I think the best way is simply to protect your health through well-known means." Yushchenko, meanwhile, has urged people to get vaccinated immediately.Everyday Ukrainians are used to the political bickering that has beset their country since the Orange Revolution five years ago. Many people are looking after themselves because they don't trust the government to do anything for them.The folk remedies advocated by Tymoshenko are growing in popularity, as are slightly stronger tonics. "A vodka a day keeps swine flu away," one elderly woman told masked passersby on the street

WHO 'Assumes' Ukraine Gripped By Swine Flu

GENEVA, Switzerland -- The World Health Organisation said Tuesday that it was valid to assume that most of the cases of influenza reportedly sweeping through Ukraine were caused by the pandemic A(H1N1) virus.
Ukrainian authorities on Sunday launched an urgent appeal for help from world powers after it imposed drastic measures to tackle a sudden surge of flu-like illness in the country.More than 250,000 cases have been reported, according to official Ukrainian figures cited by the WHO."Given the potential significance of this outbreak as an early warning signal, WHO commends the government of Ukraine for its transparent reporting and open sharing of samples," the UN health agency said in a statement."Laboratory testing in Ukraine has confirmed pandemic H1N1 influenza virus in samples taken from patients in two of the most affected regions," it added."As the pandemic virus has rapidly become the dominant influenza strain worldwide, it can be assumed that most cases of influenza in Ukraine are caused by the H1N1 virus."The highest rates of "acute respiratory illness/influenza-like illness" were found in western areas, while they were also increasing rapidly around the capital Kiev, according to the WHO.Seventy-one people have died as a result of flu and acute respiratory infections, the Ukrainian health ministry said, but the pandemic A(H1N1) virus has been confirmed in only one of the fatal cases.The WHO said a team of specialists who arrived in the country on Monday will initially focus on the Lviv region, where reported "severe" cases of acute respiratory illness "have been especially high."Samples from Ukraine have also been received by the WHO's influenza research laboratory in London for tests."Many questions remain to be answered," the WHO said."The outbreak in Ukraine may be indicative of how the virus can behave in the northern hemisphere during the winter season, particularly in health care settings typically found in eastern Europe," it added.Local analysts have suggested that rival Ukrainian leaders may be trying to exploit popular fears in campaigning ahead of January 17 presidential polls, as each candidate seeks to take the initiative in fighting the outbreak.

Parties hope for bold reforms

Following Kremlin criticism of last month's regional election results and widespread allegations of fraud from several pro-Kremlin and opposition parties, all eyes are on President Dmitry Medvedev's upcoming state-of-the-nation address for signs of bold democratic reforms.
But parties across the political spectrum are split on whether there will be anything more than mere rhetoric to the proposals.
"The president has said he's ready to make amendments to Russia's electoral law," said Maxim Rostmistrov, a top official at the nationalist LDPR party, whose leaders met with Medvedev on October 24 to complain about election fraud. Along with Just Russia, LDPR is widely considered to be merely a nominal opposition party. But the party joined the Communists and walked out of parliament on October 14 in a display of disappointment in the election results.
"It is the mistake of our legislation," said Rostmistrov, when asked why the alleged election violations were so massive this year. "We passed a law that had governors voted into power by regional parliaments," he said, speaking of the 2004 bill that cancelled elections for regional heads, replacing them by presidential appointment. "Of course the governor would try to save his post any way possible - his life depends on it. So he tries to bring in as many loyal people as possible."
Few were surprised when United Russia won in regional elections in 75 regions across Russia. But parliamentarians from two pro-Kremlin parties, LDPR and Just Russia, said the rigging was blatant even by Russian standards. In Moscow, where support for the liberal opposition is much higher than in the regions, all four parties were expected to pass the 7 per cent threshold. Instead, just three opposition candidates made it into the 35-seat City Duma.
On state television, Medvedev said the elections had been satisfactory, while Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that those who were unhappy should pursue the issue through the courts. "If we are speaking about whether the elections were fair or not, then if anyone has doubts, they should go to court and provide proof," Putin said. "Those who lose are always unsatisfied."
Oleg Shein, a former Duma deputy from the Just Russia party who ran for mayor in his native Astrakhan, called the voter fraud unprecedented.
"Considering that the scale of the violations was much bigger than last year, this definitely poses a serious risk not just for society but for the Kremlin," he said.
In Astrakhan, on the Caspian coast, observers were "physically removed" from the voting stations and journalists and oppositionists were violently attacked. Up to 2,000 people took to the streets there to protest election results. But according to Shein, it's the local officials who are rigging the ballot.
"Local clans are forming that answer neither to citizens, nor to the federal government. If this continues, within a year it won't be the Kremlin giving orders to local leaders. Local leaders will be [making up] their own results in the national elections as well. If Moscow does not take action, then the federal centre may start losing control, especially in light of the [economic] crisis."
Shein was among top party officials who met with Medvedev on Oct. 24. Asked whether Shein expected Medvedev to bring this up during his state-of-the-nation address, Shein said statements were not enough, and action was needed.
Vladimir Zhirinovsky's LDPR, meanwhile, demanded that the Kremlin sack Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, Tula governor Vladimir Dudka and the president of the central Russian republic of Mari El, Leonid Markelov.
Comments by LDPR's Duma faction chief, Igor Lebedev, that Medvedev hadn't jumped to Luzhkov's defence were widely interpreted to mean that the Moscow chief's days as mayor were numbered, but party officials downplayed any significance the election results had for Luzhkov's future.
"The format doesn't mean Medvedev will answer or deny anything," a spokeswoman for Lebedev said. "The whole purpose of these meetings is to hear out the party. In the past, when LDPR complained about a governor, Medvedev was silent, and then three weeks later the governor was asked to resign."
"If anybody should be taken down, it should be Medvedev and Putin," said Sergei Mitrokhin, the leader of the liberal Yabloko party, whose own ballot was apparently mislaid in the City Duma election. "They created a situation where elections have to be falsified to make sure United Russia wins." As for Luzhkov, "to secure himself against his possible sacking he tried really hard to get good votes for United Russia. He plays the role of a small cog [in a machine]," and his job is to secure support for the party of power.
A bigger question was whether Medvedev would actually change electoral laws. During his first state-of-the-nation address last November, Medvedev proposed granting parliamentary seats to some parties that failed to pass the 7 per cent threshold, abolishing election deposits, and gradually reducing the number of voter signatures required for parliamentary polls. But the only real change was a bill rushed through that extended the presidential and parliamentary terms from four years to six.
In his recent article, "Russia, Forward!" Medvedev called for a more powerful, multi-party legislative body.
But if Medvedev does anything, "it will be just words," said Vladimir Pribylovsky, president of the Panorama think tank.
Pribylovsky said that the decision of LDPR and Just Russia to join the Communist walk-out was a "ritual gesture" that was probably approved in advance by Vladislav Surkov, the deputy chief of the presidential administration who is widely viewed as the Kremlin's chief political ideologue. "The elections are a show put on for the West," he said.
The oppositionist parties decided to protest what they saw as rigged elections "because they owed it to their constituencies," Pribylovsky said.

Draft dodgers face new crackdown

Alexei fears he is about to lose a year of his life to the army.
Soon this skinny kid with dyed black hair and dark clothes will swap concert halls for the parade ground as the army steps up its conscription campaign. Like most young adults from the big cities he doesn't want to leave his life and be sent to some far-flung region, but it appears he has little choice.
"I don't really want to go in the army because I have everything here - friends, family, work and two bands," Alexei said.
The army's autumn recruitment drive is now in full swing as 271,000 Russians fresh out of school get brought into the military machine.
An increasing number of recruits are now skipping town to avoid the draft, with 5,849 going missing in spring 2008 and 8,195 disappearing in the same period this year.
But now the army's big shots are saying they will find the deserters and clamp down on them.
"We don't know where they disappear, in the Sorbonne or at grandmother's dacha in the village," the military's head of organisation and mobilisation, Vasily Smirnov, told RIA Novosti. "But we will send lists of these citizens to law-enforcement agencies whose duties include searching and driving them into draft commissions."
Prosecutions of runaways remain rare, with only 115 convictions last year and 127 in 2007, but authorities hope to use the full weight of the law behind their clampdown.
"If people have broken the law, and knew precisely what they were doing, then it will inevitably be followed with the corresponding punishment," added Smirnov.
Reports abound of mistreatment, bullying and abuse of human rights in the army. In June, two recruits committed suicide and others deserted in the Leningrad region. Now the Soldiers' Mothers of St. Petersburg have appealed for help dealing with the situation, Radio Free Europe reports.
The military's main prosecutor, Sergei Fridinsky, claimed that violent crimes in the forces have fallen in recent years, and generally aren't present in most units, RIA Novosti reported. Some 15 per cent of crimes are committed against young recruits, with unauthorised mutual relations the most common.
Alexei has no plans to try to get out of the draft and spent two days last week going through extensive medical checks. He has, however, had his call-up delayed for six months following his medical exams but seems resigned to joining up next year.
Although no reason was given for the wait, a reported 30 per cent of recruits are unsuitable to the military due to ill health, while the army has said they do not need unfit soldiers.
"Let them be treated and then come and we will take them with pleasure," said Smirnov.
Poor health appears to be many people's ticket out of the forces, and many young Russians with cash to spare buy medical certificates which make them ineligible.
"I did not serve in army because I bought an ‘identity card' for 120,000 roubles," said Andrei, a 25-year-old Muscovite.
Andrei was eligible for the draft after being kicked out of university.
Some 59 military personnel are being investigated for receiving bribes from recruits this year, Alexander Nikitkin from the military prosecutor's office said on Thursday. He estimated that 12,800 people were involved in avoiding service.
"The diagnosis was put in at a military registration and enlistment office," said Andrei. "All is put though officially."
The exorbitant cost of a certificate makes this prohibitive for many, particularly those living outside Moscow.
"It is possible that I will try something [to get out of serving], but that costs money which I don't have," said Alexei.