Irene Nelson is a Russian singer who is bringing her talent to the United States. She has already won three Russian Grammys with the group Reflex and now hopes to find success as a solo artist.

Nelson’s debut album is forthcoming, but her single, “Sunrise,” has already been featured on Billboard’s Dance/Club Play chart. Following her success in Russia, Nelson hopes to win America over with her voice as well.

Nelson answered some of Blast’s questions via email regarding how she broke into the industry and what she has planned for her career future.

BLAST: Can you describe the songs on your new album?

IRENE NELSON: My songs are about eternal human values such as good and evil, war and peace, true freedom and love. In my first single “Sunrise” I consciously avoided the description of the physiological love. Using metaphysical images, in this case the two birds, I am (singing) about two beloveds who dissolved in their love, turned into holy souls and (were able) to rise from aches and walk on water.

My music is simple. In my songs I reflect on (questions such as): “When we want to be ahead of the game by any means necessary or win in fierce fight, don’t we follow the thought path of our own sick ego?” or “Is the winner in war really a winner … or killer?”

BLAST: Do you have a release date set yet? What is it titled?

IN: I think in the near future we will decide whether we will remain independent or to go with one of the major labels. The release date depends on it. In any case it will be in the spring.

Regarding the title of my album, we have different opinions. My music producers, Gary Miller and Vlad Tyurin, like Ahead of the Game, but my first American single, “Sunrise,” is very precious to me. This is the song with which I became known in US and entered the American Billboard chart — I would like to name it Sunrise.

BLAST: How long have you been working on the new album?

IN: It has been two years since the (creation of) the first single “Sunrise,” which I recorded in London at George Martin’s legendary AIR Studios. Sound producer Steve Orchard (U2, Coldplay, Peter Gabriel, Dido) and sound producer and hit-maker Vlad Tyurin (Reflex were working on this single. To continue to work on the rest of the songs Vlad and I went to Los Angeles. Here we met another big producer Gary Miller (David Bowie, Simply Red, Kylie Minogue etc.) and have worked with him since. The new album was born in our close collaboration. All music was created by Vlad Tyurin, Antony Tyurin and me, all lyrics written by myself.

BLAST: What was your inspiration for the album?

IN: I was inspired by my inner transformations (such as) knowing my own difficult path as a girl from a deep Siberian province who literally escaped home. Experiencing many troubles, I started thinking about the (meaning) of different occurrences; I started to look for answers in the books of philosophers and yogis. Over 10 years, I have accomplished many spiritual practices and yogi techniques on my own. I always wanted to (look) beyond the borders of a physical world.

BLAST: When did you begin singing? How did you enter the music industry?

IN: Upon completing school I wanted a musical education and had to escape from my parents to the capital of Novovsibirsk, Siberia (New Siberia). I didn’t know anyone when I arrived and didn’t have any money, so I would go door to door seeking shelter. I was accepted by one of the music colleges to study piano. I could not afford a piano so I drew a keyboard on paper and would unroll my “piano” and practice daily. After finishing my musical education I was invited to a jazz big band as a vocalist—it was my first experience as a singer. I sang the famous jazz compositions of Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Ross and Billy Holiday and spent the next few years touring, participating in festivals and wining various awards.

Later I met songwriter Vlad Tyurin — a legend among Russian’s musical elite. Vlad has made his mark as one of the most outstanding and distinguished composers and sound producers. He invited me to collaborate with him on a dance project and Reflex was born. I was not only the lead vocalist in the very famous girl band Reflex, I was also a songwriter and generated all the ideas. This project was created by Vlad Tyurin and me, so oftentimes we had to do and manage everything ourselves! (In addition) to composing music and lyrics, we were also the producers during every step, including: sound engineering, making videos, styling and setting photo sessions. It was a huge experience and as a result Reflex became a seven-year-old success story — the most outstanding dance project on the Russian pop stage that won an amazing amount of musical awards. We have received medals and orders “For professionalism and contribution to culture.”

As you know, right now I am working here, in the United States.

BLAST: Why did you decide to bring your music to the US?

IN: The United States is a country that is open to everything new. I like to take unknown paths and coming to America was literally like a jump into the unknown, almost like visiting another planet. I have been listening to American music since I was little and my skills were perfected by (having) American role models. America is a land of outstanding musicians. I have always had a sincere dream to sing a duet with American artists.

BLAST: Who would you like to work with in the future?

IN: You might think that I am crazy, but I dream of singing a duet with U2’s Bono.

BLAST: Do you hope to live in Los Angeles permanently or do you have plans to return to Russia.

IN: Over the past two years I have spent in LA, I have absolutely fallen in love with this city. I have a lot of friends here and even my own recording studio in Malibu where Gary Miller, a platinum songwriter/record producer, is my partner. LA became my second home. But when I start feeling kind of homesick, I immediately go back (to Russia).

BLAST: Do have any upcoming performances?

IN: At the end of the last year I was enthusiastically putting together a band and started rehearsals. But suddenly my father got very ill. For almost six months we were fighting his fatal disease, but unsuccessfully. For a long time I could not think about anything else. But now that my album is finished I will gather a new band, and by autumn we will be all ready to move forward.

BLAST: Is there anything else that you would like to add?

IN: I want my music to be a reason for communication between me and American people. We have a lot of things to discuss! As I said before, (I’m) a girl from Siberia who (took) a long path to end up in America to see everything with her own eyes and prove to herself that we are all the same and that we are all seeking the same thing — Love!

Nicholas Daniloff discusses freedom of the press and the impact on diplomacy. (Photo credit: Lauren McFalls/Northeastern University)

Northeastern University journalism professor Nick Daniloff, a former foreign correspondent for United Press International and U.S. News & World Report in London, Paris, Moscow and Washington D.C., has seen diplomacy in all its glory and ugliness. He was held prisoner by the Soviets as trade bait during the Cold War after a Russian spy was arrested in the US.

Daniloff was kind enough to discuss the recent WikiLeaks release of confidential diplomatic cables

BLAST: Did you find something amazing, shocking or surprising about the cables?

NICK DANILOFF: In what I read, there were some surprises. For example: the King of Saudi Arabia urged the United States “to cut off the head of the snake” or, in other words, to destroy Iran’s nuclear weapons program. We always knew that Saudi Arabia feared Iran, but the suggestion to decapitate coming from the king’s mouth was a surprise. He does not talk like that in public.

I should add that the release of the military logs was shocking in that they revealed the names of some individuals who had been helping the U.S. in Afghanistan. That put those individuals in grave danger of execution by the Taliban. Since the uproar over this disclosure, Wikileaks chief Julian Assange has become a little more responsible and has agreed to remove names of persons who might be vulnerable to reprisals from the documents.

BLAST: Has Wikileaks done something illegal?

ND: First, Wikileaks is working with documents stolen from the United States. Stealing or receiving stolen material is illegal, isn’t it?

Assange has released documents which were classified “secret,” that is an illegal violation of the classification system. And if he has identified secret U.S. operatives that, too, would be considered illegal. The U.S. does not have an Official Secrets Act, rather it depends on the possessors of secrets to guard those secrets. When they release secret information they may be prosecuted. Journalists who disclose secrets in the U.S. are usually not prosecuted because it is not their responsibility to protect secrets and the First Amendment and its interpretations by the Supreme Court have given journalists considerable protection.

I would add that Julian Assange is not a journalist; he is a source. And Wikileaks is not a journalistic organization, it is a distributor of raw materials.

BLAST: How should ordinary citizens read and digest the Wikileaks disclosures?

ND: They should use the curiosity and critical thinking that we at Northeastern have tried to develop among our students. They should read the information just as they read the news only with the Wikileaks material they will have to supply context. And there is new information or news in Wikileaks. Eventually, readers may get bored reading hundreds, if not thousands, of cables. Then they will rely on good newspapers or TV broadcasts to point out important stuff.

Here’s an example which intrigues me personally as someone who lived in Moscow for many years but may not necessarily grab another reader. I thought Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin would never give up power. But some of the Wikileaks reports indicate he has grown weary of his responsibilities. That leads me to wonder if he will step down voluntarily.

Putin today, Putin tomorrow.

In a cable written in February and released by Wikileaks recently, the American embassy in Moscow asserts its belief that former president and current prime minister of Russia, Vladimir Putin, will decide the outcome of the 2012 Russian presidential election.

“While supporters of Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev are pushing him to establish himself as a stronger tandem member, many political experts increasingly believe that no matter who becomes president in 2012, the road to the presidency still runs through Prime Minister Vladimir Putin,” the cable reads.

“No matter whether Putin, Medvedev, or someone else becomes President in 2012, Putin will have the final word.”

The cable says that Medvedev might be re-elected if Putin could control the country from some other position in the government.

The cable quotes other officials saying that Putin will become president again if he wants to be, Medvedev will win if Putin wants, or someone else will win if Putin wants them to win.

The embassy cable underscores Putin’s unquestioned power in the country.

“A recent joke circulating in Moscow emphasized (the) point: Medvedev sits in the driver’s seat of a new car, examines the inside, the instrument panel, and the pedals. He looks around, but the steering wheel is missing. He turns to Putin and asks: ‘Vladimir Vladimirovich, where is the steering wheel?’ Putin pulls a remote control out of his pocket and says, ‘I’ll be the one doing the driving.’”

The British government has revoked the citizenship and passport of one of the main attractions in the US-Russia spy case.

Anna Chapman, the 28-year-old redhead who pleaded guilty in New York to procuring information for a foreign government, had previously been married to a British man. Chapman was a Russian sleeper agent sent back to Russia on Friday in the biggest spy swap since the Cold War.

Chapman has been a tabloid sensation since sexy photos of hear appeared online in social networking sites.

Russia Today presenter Yulia Shapovalova ended her shift Monday morning and made her way down to the Park Kultury metro station. After entering the station, she was quickly told to evacuate by officials who, little did she know, were trying to clear out the station before a female suicide bomber detonated a charge.

In the interview, Shapovalova is visibly distraught.

Two female suicide bombers detonated bombs today, one at Lubyanka station around 7:50 a.m., and the other, about 40 minutes later, at Park Kultury station across town. Preliminary estimates place the death toll at around 40, however some have reported it being as high as 60 and even 100.

Islamic extremists from the Caucasus region, which includes Chechnya, which has long been at odds with Russian government, are being blamed for the attacks. In 2004, extremists from the region set off a bomb in Moscow’s metro station, killing at least 40 and injuring more than 130.

No groups have yet taken responsibility for the blasts.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin vowed "the terrorists will be destroyed." In a speech this morning, President Obama condemned the “heinous” terrorist attacks and pledged to stand with Russia in the fight against global violent extremism.

With files from the New York Times.

TORONTO — In what Western media have dubbed as a stunning reversal of fortune for Ukraine’s pro-democratic Orange Revolution of 2004, the former pro-Russian adversary was officially declared on Sunday the winner of this month’s presidential elections.

Viktor Yanukovych, the former Soviet apparatchik who was cast aside by the international community after Ukraine’s Supreme Court overturned his victory in 2004 over allegations of fraud and vote-rigging, won about 49.5 percent of the vote over the fiery incumbent prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, an erstwhile figurehead of the Orange Revolution, who received about 45 percent, according to official statistics from Ukraine’s Central Election Commission (CEC).

The incumbent, President Viktor Yanukovych, was ousted from the presidency during the first round of elections on January 17, securing less than 5 percent of the popular vote.

Tymoshenko, however, is refusing to concede and has said she will contest the results in the capital city’s Higher Administrative Court. Few analysts believe she stands a chance at success, as scores of international election observers, including the influential Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), declared the elections free and fair. Nevertheless, Tymoshenko’s camp is questioning the validity of about 900,000 ballots in the February 7 run-off vote throughout various polling stations. Coincidentally, the 3.5 percent margin between her and Yanukovych constitutes just over 850,000 votes.

Winning a slim but certain mandate, Yanukovych said he would improve Ukraine’s relations with Russia and unite the country’s population, which for long has been divided largely along western nationalistic and pro-Russian eastern lines.

The contest was a stark reflection of Ukraine’s climate of political nihilism. The former Orange regime, headed by Yushchenko and Tymoshenko and swept into power after weeks of pro-democratic mass protests in 2004, failed to deliver on their promises of combating corruption and pulling Ukraine toward Europe. Instead, Yushchenko pushed through a series of unpopular and divisive reforms further alienating the population of a country known for its ethno-territorial divisions.

Among them was mandating that all government business be conducted in Ukrainian; issuing a decree to remove all Soviet-era monuments; and honoring a World War II-era anti-Soviet insurgent leader with alleged ties to the Nazi occupation and the killing of Polish civilians in western Ukraine. The moves angered many pro-Russian Ukrainians, especially those in the east and south, who had sympathized with — and even fought alongside — the Soviet Union.

The unapologetically pro-Western Yushchenko also vigorously pushed for Ukraine’s membership into both NATO and the European Union, despite a majority of Ukrainians’ disapproval of both.

The past five years have been riddled with political infighting and the public disintegration of the ruling Orange coalition. For the majority of his administration, Yushchenko focused his energy on discrediting Tymoshenko, whom he first dismissed as prime minister in September 2005, a mere nine months into his nascent presidency. Since then, the two Orange heavyweights have been at loggerheads, with one blaming the other for corruption and deceiving the Ukrainian electorate.

Ukraine’s masses, meanwhile, lost all confidence in their ruling elite and marked their disapproval by voting Yanukovych, the two-time convict who was once vilified as a pro-Moscow stooge, into office. This time around, however, Yanukovych has softened his position and said he will seek a more moderate course for Ukraine, by maintaining cooperation with Europe and revamping its relations with Moscow.

Many Ukrainian voters saw this year’s vote as one between the lesser of two evils, and one against the perceived failures of the Orange Revolution. Throughout his political career, Yanukovych, famous for his Biden-esque gaffes and ungainly style, has been backed by oligarchs and has time and again been characterized as a front man for their interests. Meanwhile, Tymoshenko was cast as an unabashed populist who promised far more than she could deliver.

Though Tymoshenko, too, enjoys the backing of big business, she’s mostly viewed as an oligarch in her own right who made her millions as the "gas princess" in Ukraine’s shady energy trade of the 1990s. During the campaign, Tymoshenko relentlessly attacked Yanukovych as a marionette puppet for eastern Ukrainian oligarchs, among them the billionaire steel and banking tycoon Rinat Akhmetov, while Yanukovych responded with an apparently effective silence, claiming only that she was further destabilizing Ukrainian politics with her attacks.

Ukraine’s plummeting economy also guided the course of the election. After contracting nearly 20 percent in 2009, the economy has suffered dearly during the global downturn, and the currency’s freefall has sparked inflation and a dearth of investor confidence. As prime minister, Tymoshenko has suffered the brunt of the criticism.

Yet Yanukovych, whose Party of Regions controls a slim majority in parliament, pushed through a legislation last fall to hike social spending, a move that may boost further inflation and that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) strongly condemns. As a result, the IMF has frozen the last installment of its $16.4 billion assistance package to Ukraine, a loan that many consider a vital lifeline for the crippled economy.

Yanukovych, who has served as a regional governor of an eastern Ukrainian province and twice as prime minister under Yushchenko, will face the daunting task of rehabilitating the political and economic woes of Ukraine, a former Soviet republic that straddles — ideologically and geographically — Europe’s eastern frontier with Russia.

Yanukovych hopes to succeed in calling an early inauguration on February 25 to derail Tymoshenko’s efforts to challenge the election results in court. The next step for the president-elect, his advisers say, will be to secure a majority vote in parliament to dismiss Tymoshenko from her post as prime minister, after which Tymoshenko would be expected to build an opposition coalition in parliament.

MARBLEHEAD — Keri Cahill and her teenage daughter Nastia, whom she adopted 4 years ago from an orphanage in the Kemerova region of Siberian Russia, could hardly breathe yesterday, as they huddled around the computer in their apartment strewn with Christmas decorations.

After years of paper work, legal research, consolations, international travel, fundraising and prayers, Nastia’s sister, Anya Turovinina, with whom she had been separated since Nastia was 18-months old, would finally be here within a few days. Confirmation would arrive at any moment.

Anya Turovinina

"We have come from the Embassy 20-minutes ago but we cannot make you happy with a positive answer as Anya was refused an American visa," read an email from a translator working for Anya and the Cahills from the Russian end.

"Formally the Consul told her that there is no economic or whatever other bond of her with Russia and it is most evident that she would stay in America."

At first, the tears were unstoppable. Nastia’s memories of Siberian orphanage life, the hunger pains the bitter loneliness and lack of care, remain fresh and vivid. At Anya’s age of 16, even orphanage doors would be closed to her soon.

"I’m most concerned for Anya’s mental health and safety,” said Cahill. She was so upset when she heard the news that she needed to be medicated. It’s killing me. I think of her as my daughter. Her sister and I love her very much and just want to welcome her into her rightful family."

Anya’s age and parentage are at the crux of the problem. Too old to be legally adopted within Russia, Anya will need a student to visa to immigrate to the U.S. Cahill plans to enroll her at nearby Salem State College and then "adopt her stateside," she said, "Massachusetts adoption laws are very liberal. Even adults can be legally adopted here."

After 4 years of work, Cahill was confident enough of her success to have purchased an airplane ticket for Anya using funds she has partly raised from well wishers from her through a "Bring Anya Home Fund" published on personal and social networking sites.

As Cahill sees it, she now has three days to get the American Embassy in Moscow to change their minds. Devastated as she is, she knows she needs to keep fighting and that’s all she’s been doing since the email arrived. Her first course of action was to call her state representatives.

"I’ve heard from both Senator (John) Kerry’s office and Congressman Tierney, both of whom assured me that all is being done to rectify the situation.," Cahill has posted on her Web site http://bringanyahome.org/, "Calls are being made to the US Embassy in Moscow at midnight tonight, and there should be more of an update after that."

Brigid O’Rourke, a spokeswoman for Kerry, said “our office is aware of the situation, and we are trying to determine the best avenue in how we can help.”

Next, Cahill began what she’s best at: reaching out to youth. As Artistic Director of the Salem-based youth theater group, the Rebel Shakespeare Company, which runs both summer workshops and in-school residencies, Cahill has deeply impacted the lives of countless of young people across the North Shore. For many troubled youths in particular who have found a means for self-expression in her program, she has been like an adoptive mother for years.

Through email lists and Facebook Cahill has been rallying her network to spread her story, and pull any strings they may have. Her Facebook group, "Inexhaustibly for Anya—Bring Anya Home" has already swelled to 1,964 members. The Boston Globe covered her case in 2006.

She has invited all of these members to join her this evening for a vigil at her home. Her hope is that if she brings her story to the nation’s attention, a wrong will be righted, her family, finally complete.

"I still have hope," said Cahill. "I’m exhausted and I’m pained, but this is a just cause. This is about love and security for a little girl. I think if people can just understand the story we can get this done."

Blast editor John M. Guilfoil contributed to this report

Hey, want to hear three ridiculous stories?

Cannibals

Russian police recently arrested three homeless guys suspected of killing a man, eating part of his body, then selling the rest of the meat to a kebab vendor, BBC reports.

According to police, it is unclear when the incident occurred however the three men have been charged with murder. They are being held in Perm, about 870 miles east of Moscow.

The men attacked and killed the victim with hammers and knives. They then ate pieces of his body and sold the rest to a shop that sells kebabs and pies, a statement by the three men claims.

BBC reports it’s unclear whether any customers were served the human meat.

Meanwhile back in America…

A 25-year-old woman from Texas faked breast cancer just to get her breasts enlarged.

Trista Joy Lathern successfully fooled her husband and community by shaving her head to fake chemotherapy. She then hosted a fundraiser in which 100 people donated almost $10,000.

Lathern took the 10 grand and bought a brand new pair of $6,800 double D’s.

Apparently she needed them to save her seven-month old marriage.

On a related note…

Need a pick-me-up before a date? Two chefs in Columbia recently invented a dessert that combines passionfruit with an active ingredient found in….Viagra.

The pudding-like dessert, Canoe reports, is topped with whipped cream and chocolate and served in a parfait glass. One of the creators said they invented the dish in an effort to reinvent Viagra as a new kind of aphrodisiac, according to Canoe.

Of course, they can’t sell the dessert since Viagra is a prescription drug, but it doesn’t stop those in need from making it in their own homes. Or you can just pop the pill.

In a report outlining the updated priorities of US intelligence, China and Russia were placed alongside Iran and North Korea on a list of nations that challenge US interests at home and abroad, the French press agency AFP reports.

China was added, amongst other things, for “increasing natural resource-focused diplomacy and military modernization,” while Russia was singed out because, despite a growing partnership with the US on fighting things like nuclear terrorism, “it may continue to seek avenues for reasserting power and influence in ways that complicate US interests,” according to the AFP.

The National Intelligence Strategy (NIS), a report released every four years, calls China and Russia “aggressive” in the cyberworld and while the NIS did not explicitly name either countries as a cyber threat, it did outline cause for concern.

“At the tactical level, they are intent on penetrating our critical infrastructure, information systems, and leading industries,” it said, AFP reports. The report went on to recommend the US employ tactical strategies “across the cyber domain to protect critical infrastructure.”

The report also lists Iran and North Korea, unsurprisingly, as parts of its main opposition. It stressed the possibility of further partnerships with China and Russia to help strengthen relationships, however saw no hope of immediate reconciliation with either countries.

“Iran poses an array of challenges to US security objectives in the Middle East and beyond because of its nuclear and missile programs, support of terrorism, and provision of lethal aid to US and coalition adversaries…North Korea continues to threaten peace and security in East Asia because of its sustained pursuit of nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, its transfer of these capabilities to third parties, its erratic behavior, and its large conventional military capability.”

Its assessment of Iran and North Korea was much harsher than of its two newcomers.

The report also highlighted Al-Qaeda as a continuing threat to both Americans and American interests at home and abroad and said the US’ main objective for the next four years will be to enhance “cyber security”, combat extreme terrorism and ensure weapons of mass destruction are not created or bought by any opposing nations.

The promotion and spread of democracy was not listed as a main priority.

This article was written and reported by Lauren McCombs, Jessica Elford, and Pasquale Augustine.

In a last minute change in posture, President Barack Obama recently decided to go to Russia to “reset” the generally confusing political relationship between Russia and the United States.

Outsiders could perceive that the U.S. State Department attitude has been that Russia can be ignored because it is not in the game and is just another distraction for the U.S. This position is a complete and utter rejection of the world of reality which we live in, including the misuse of the word “distraction.” Russia can never be ignored nor should she be. This general Washington attitude about Russia tends to be an unrealistic assumption , and does not consider what the long-term and potential tragic consequences that this idea could render for the international community. A recent media comment stated a realistic assessment as, “Russia is too big of a country to ignore including the fact that European History has been tied to Russia, sometimes with disastrous results.”

As for the Summit, Andrei Klimov, Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma’s Foreign Affairs Commission said prior to the official Summit meeting, “Unfortunately, our agenda contains too many difficult issues; I’ll be surprised if we can solve any of them.” In the Intel World this is considered a very strong position statement. In another confusing statement, President Obama, on Russian TV said, “It (Russia) remains one of the most powerful countries in the world.” If this is true then how can the State Department ignore Russia and consider it as a weak country not worthy of American attention and/or support. Although, on the other hand America does need Russian support for creating a viable European image including the building of much needed political and public support for America.

Thus, at the end of the meeting, the public was told that two agreements were signed. One agreement involving the cutback in nuclear arms to 1,700 warheads per country within seven years. The second, a mutual agreement which gives the U.S. the right to fly over Russia to deliver troops and supplies to Afghanistan. This is estimated to save the United States $133 million in current day fuel costs.

As a conclusion to the meeting President Obama reinforced Russia’s nuclear arms position during his speech at the New Economic School in Moscow when he stated, “President Medvedev and I made progress” the word progress does not mean resolution “on negotiating a new Treaty that will substantially reduce our warheads and delivery systems. We also renewed our commitment to clean, safe and peaceful nuclear energy, which must be a right for all nations that live up to their responsibilities under the NPT. We also agreed to increase cooperation on nuclear security, which is essential to achieving the goal of securing all vulnerable nuclear material within four years.”

It is interesting to note that both the Russian and American media understanding from summit is that both parties have reached a major breakthrough in terms of limiting nuclear arms to a new low level where nuclear weapons are not considered a threat to any country. This is hard to believe since the U.S. and Russia together have approximately 95% of the world’s nuclear weapons, which the State Department reported in 2009 as 3,909 Russian warheads vs. America’s 5,576 warheads. Are we to believe that this is the primary subject? Or is the real concern, the proliferation of nuclear arms in Iran and North Korea, a problem which neither Russia or the U.S. want to face directly.

A most interesting analysis of the so-called Arms Agreement has been made by Daryl G. Kimball, Executive Director of the Arms Control Association when he called the agreement,”An overdue, if very modest, step toward riding each side of obsolete and expensive cold war legacy weapons.” John Bolton added his thoughts when he said,

“The number they are proposing for delivery vehicles is shockingly low.” Aren’t these comments the main objective that both sides really wanted? To initiate a media program in both countries in order to obtain public credit for eliminating old useless nuclear weapons including unreliable missile systems. This agreement does not preclude the fact that the world needs to realize that it still faces large stockpiles of new high performance, multi-headed nuclear weapons and delivery systems? THINK ABOUT IT. Is this a subject Political Intrigue or Reality?

In terms of an overview President Obama made light of the positive cooperation between Russia and the U.S. in assessing the threat of ballistic missiles from other countries. He said, “I’m pleased that President Medvedev and I agreed upon a joint threat assessment of the ballistic missile challenges of the 21st Century, from Iran and North Korea.” As we can see, this was an interesting comment to make considering just three weeks ago, right after the election of Iran’s new president, Russia and Iran both sat at the same table, as official members, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) annual meeting. At this meeting President Medvedev officially expressed his support of the newly elected Iranian President. It is also interesting to note that the Charter for this organization says its goal is, “To pursue joint security, energy and development goals, including enhanced cooperation against terrorism, Islamist extremism and separatism.” The word “Separatism” is of real concern in terms of Putin’s vision of a new Great Russia. Therefore it is now official that Russia and Iran support each other in their “security efforts” in an organization that rejected the entrance of U.S. as a mere observer status. How will it be that Russia shares the same ideals for security as Iran while supporting the US in a so called, “Joint threat assessment of the ballistic missile challenges?” One answer comes from the Intel World which states from long experience, “All is not what it appears too be.” Only time will answer questions like these. As Peter Baker in the Wall Street Journal recently said, “They made promises of cooperation that ultimately might prove easier to translate into words than reality.”

This current agreement may be reminiscent of similar ones made in the Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and G.W. Bush presidencies. In summary it is oblivious that although agreements were reached on the decision to reduce nuclear missiles many issues have been left open as points to agree to disagree. After President Obama’s meeting with Prime Minister Putin President Obama said, “On areas where we disagree, like Georgia, I don’t anticipate a meeting of the minds anytime soon.”

The second day of the meeting involved President Obama meeting with Russian business leaders to stress better economic ties between the United States and Russia. This is a reasonable subject to open, assuming that the U.S. has an economic system to negotiate with. It is also interesting that the Secretary of Commerce was the only person to accompany President Obama to Russia. Secretary Locke’s remarked at the Business Summit that, “Now is the time to further United States and Russian integration with the world economy.” We continue to hear words like “World Economy” not “American Economy.”

Secretary Locke also commented that, “Likewise, we consider it very much in the interest of Russia to further integrate into the world economy. We support Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization and encourage Russia to pursue opportunities to increase its bilateral trade and investment with the United States as well as other countries.” Russia had been on the waiting list to enter the WTO for several years although the week before the Summit Prime Minister Putin withdrew Russia’s application. This is a key Russian strategy decision which America should not overlook.

The logical question now would be why did Putin remove Russia from the application process only a week before the Summit with the U.S.? Russia is continuing to give conflicting signs of what it wishes to do. Is no one paying any attention to what Putin is saying?

In summary, one question must be asked: will this Summit have the desired effect of starting the so called “reset” of the long troubled relationship between Russia and the United States? Keep in mind that the U.S. won the Cold War and Russia lost. In winning the Cold War we created a “Big Bad Enemy” which is not going to be subservient to the U.S. In addition, Russia and the United States have very different cultural views with the result of a distorted view of the U.S. which has become embedded in the Russian public. How will Russia overcome this view that it has had of the United States for so long? Will it happen in a few short meetings, years, or ever? Will it be too much to overcome or will we be able to work through them to have two strong countries who no longer fight for power, but instead share and grow from it.

It has been said by many wise men including Julius Caesar that, “Power is the Name of the Game.”

Think about it.

This article was written and reported by Lauren McCombs, Jessica Elford, and Pasquale Augustine.

SAN DIEGO — Chinese president Hu Jintao went to Russia during the week of June 15 to meet with President Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin. The two countries have had an allied relationship for 60 years, although it has grown stronger over the past thirteen years. China has now become Russia’s top trading country, signing energy bills that have a value of $100 billion dollars

No surprise here that top Washington Analysts say Jintao’s visit to Russia was a strong indication of the continued steadfast support between Russia and China on key issues of national sovereignty, national security, and trade issues. The main topic of the visit were the issues of the financial and trade support between China and Russia. At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting China promised $10 billion dollars to Central Asian countries and Russia to help during this current economic turmoil. The leaders of Afghanistan, Iran, India, and Pakistan were also at the table of the SCO meeting.

In terms of history the SCO was founded in 1996 and has annual meetings. The organizations charter says that it “is not an alliance directed against other states and regions and it adheres to the principles of openness.” It is interesting to note that SCO’s goal is to pursue “joint security, energy and development goals, including enhanced cooperation against terrorism, Islamist extremism and separatism” in the Sino-Russian geographical arena. Most interestingly then, the agreement does have teeth in relation to power and can take independent action without waiting for American or UN approval.

Many intelligence analysts believe that SCO was created to counteract NATO and especially the international strength of the United States. This view is strongly reinforced by the fact that in 2005 the United States applied for Observer status in SCO and was rejected. It should be noted though that the SCO has no strict rule for admittance into the organization, expect that the main consideration for entrance into the organization is the shared border consideration. The fact that, technically, the United States and Russia share the Alaskan border via the Pacific Ocean puts questions to why the United States was rejected Observer status. It does seem to hint at strong political reasons are truly behind the rejection.

It has become clear that China and Russia have also agreed to a closer merging of economies trading directly through the Ruble and Yuan, bypassing the US dollar completely from any transaction. Recently both China and Russia have expressed anxiety about the strength of the US dollar and the effect the current recession in the US is having on world markets. China already directly passes over the dollar when trading with Brazil and Argentina. Although these are only minor markets, the decision to trade in common currencies between Russia and China is a major step forward for Russia and China and a major step backwards for the US. Overall though, this trend supports the idea of either a One World Currency or replacement of the US dollar entirely.

A very good academic question can be stated, “But why does it matter and why do we care if Russia and China pass over the dollar in their $100 million dollar energy trade?” American citizens including the large number of college graduates must understand that the US dollar will continue loosing strength and the US economy will continue to loose its influence and control in the international economic and political markets. This means, among other things, it is getting harder for Americans to find job and pay back loans. Students are the ones most at-risk for receiving this one-two punch for years, if not decades to come.

America’s control of international markets can be related to the saying “I have Good News and Bad News.” The Good News has always been the euphoria relating to America’s control of world markets. The Bad News is that American now becomes a Target for what is called “International Trade” in Washington, which is the new silent war against America and its ability to use the dollar as the basis of international trade, which China and Russia have already started to target.

In the future world, America will have a difficult time surviving as the dominant international economy if its economy continues to drag, and other countries continue to trade in bilateral currencies instead of going through the dollar. The dollar will then loose its tradability as a strong and controlling currency.

The current international financial crisis makes it easy for China and Russia to jointly replace the United States as a World Super Power. What America must face is the fact that China is a major exporter and both China and Russia have an extreme strong-hold on natural resources. Thus Russia and China have the ability when working in cooperation to move their interests forward without the United States, and without taking any US interest into consideration. That is bad for us.

Since 1941, Russia and United States have never been cozy bed partners. The last time Russia made it on to the US Media regularly was during the Cold War. The international question being discussed in the high circles of government power now though is, “What will happen when Russia enters the international political scene as a Super Power supported by one of the largest exporters in the world, China?” What will that mean for the United States and the “Quality of Life in America.”

Personally none of us have any desire to see what will happen within the United States if we loose our status as a superpower or even have to compete for it even more with Russia and China. We agree with Top Washington Analysts when they say that the SCO and especially Russia and China need to be watched carefully not only in economic terms but also nuclear weapons including the fact that they have targeted, San Diego, Los Angeles, Seattle and Canada, as confirmed by a Washington Analyst.

• The new head of the FCC is an internet expert who is a strong advocate for net neutrality and cheaper broadband access.

As anticipated, Julius Genachowski has been tapped by President Barack Obama to head the Federal Communications Commission.

The move is another indication that incoming leadership in Washington will move decisively to protect the free flowing Internet from those seeking to become gatekeepers to new media.

It also fulfills Obama’s promise made on the campaign trail to appoint an FCC chair who shares his support for Net Neutrality.

• Obama’s secret letter to Russia purportedly said if Russia helps with Iran, the European missile defense system will no longer be needed.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama said on Tuesday he wanted to work with Russia to resolve a nuclear stand-off with Iran but denied reports he had offered to slow deployment of a missile defense shield in exchange for Moscow’s help.

The New York Times reported that Obama had sent a letter to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev suggesting he would back off deploying a system in eastern Europe to intercept and destroy missiles, a move Russia sees as a military threat, if Moscow helped stop Iran from developing long-range weapons.

• Department of Justice halts a death penalty case.

SAN FRANCISCO — President Obama’s Justice Department halted the death penalty trial of an alleged San Francisco gang leader Monday by accepting a 40-year prison sentence that the Bush administration had vetoed.

The plea agreement for Emile Fort remained on hold after a federal judge heard a tearful plea from a murder victim’s mother for a life sentence and summoned prosecutors to a closed-door session to describe their case against Fort.

• The days of no bid government contracts are now over.

WASHINGTON “" President Barack Obama on Wednesday ordered an overhaul of the way the U.S. government awards contracts for private sector work, reversing a Bush administration policy that in some cases led to federal investigations of procurement practices and no-bid contracts.

Obama joined Republican Sen. John McCain, his presidential campaign rival, and other congressional figures to announce an executive memorandum that commits his administration to a new set of marching orders for awarding contracts. Obama said “the days of giving government contractors a blank check are over” and said changes could save up to $40 billion a year.

Rising Star Media, in a joint venture with National Amusements, Inc. and Soquel Ventures, announced Wednesday that the company will be installing an IMAX theater in Moscow, in an effort to meet the demand on European exhibitors.

The new theater will be built in the Mega Belyadacha regional mall, located in Moscow’s Lyubertsy district, and will utilize IMAX’s new digital projection system. It will be the second IMAX theater in Russia, after the theater in St. Petersburg.

The digital projection system, which was rolled out in 2008, uses hard drive copies of film instead of film prints, to promote more flexibility to the theaters’ schedules, and allows for far more film copies to be made and distributed for IMAX. The process is also much less expensive: rather than a $22,000 70 mm IMAX print, the digital copies will cost $800 to produce.

IMAC CO-CEOs and Co-Chairmen Richard Gelfond and Bradley Wechsler said in a press release that they were very encouraged by the recent demand for IMAX films, both in Europe and elsewhere.

“Our digital projection system has boosted interest from Hollywood studios and exhibitors worldwide, and we’re particularly encouraged by the interest we’re starting to see in Europe,” they said. “Russia continues to play a key role in our European expansion strategy, and we’re pleased to see top exhibitors who are already in the IMAX business open additional IMAX theatres.”

When you think of sipping drinks, vodka rarely comes to mind. Odorless, tasteless alcohol isn’t supposed to be enjoyed, right? We laugh at ads proclaiming a certain fowl-branded vodka to be “the world’s best tasting vodka.”

In comes Zyr Vodka, not only claiming to be a “sipping” vodka, but actually claiming to be the best Russian vodka out there.

Balls.

So we poured a shot or several.

Zyr applies nine filtrations, five distillations and three tastings to each batch. We’re not sure if it’s the best Russian vodka on the market, but we’re impressed.

It looks crystal-clear. The nose is clean with some lemon peel hints. As for taste, the vodka bites and finishes smooth with a hint of pepper. The vodka is made with a bit of rye, which adds to the flavor.

It also comes in a great clear-blue bottle At $30 per 750, it makes a good gift.

We recommend it cold and neat. It shoots really well and mixes well, like any other good vodka.

We still say this whole “flavor” thing in plain vodka is out of hand, though.

Zyr also recommends trying the vodka with a Blue Russian — blue cheese stuffed olives in a martini.

A pair of Russians, workers at the Alscon aluminium plant, were kidnapped Saturday in Ikot Abasi, Nigeria, on the Niger River Delta.

“Today in the morning, an armed attack was made on a settlement in the south of the city of Ikot Abasi in Nigeria where RUSAL employees are living. They were working at the Alscon aluminium plant there,” says a statement of UC RUSAL reported by the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS. “The two employees of the company were kidnapped. The company is taking all necessary measures to free the hostages as soon as possible.”

The BBC reported that gunmen in speedboats attacked the workers’ residential compound.

More than 200 foreigners have been kidnapped by militants in the Niger Delta, the heart of the country’s oil industry, since 2006, according to the BBC.

The world is indeed watching today.

Despite the United States recent economic woes, there is no doubt amongst serious observers that the country is still, by far the most powerful nation in the world. The United States military budget “" which, I think it is fair to say, gets quite a bit of use “" is astronomical. The U.S. accounts almost half of the world’s military spending, with the FY 2009 budget allocating more than $650 billion. To put this in perspective, the next highest spender is the United Kingdom with just over $50 billion. And the U.S. figures do not count the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan which are paid for with supplemental bills and have cost the nation hundreds of billions more over the last five years.

Further, the world economy, for better or worse (worse is the popular answer in 2008), is directly dependent on the U.S economy. Even though China, for example, continues to grow, they are only able to do so by sending 80 percent of their exports to the U.S. Now, as American consumers are becoming thrifty, or broke (or both), Chinese growth is in trouble.

Russia “" China’s partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which many see as a blossoming counter to the US and NATO “" is now losing out on all the revenues that they were getting from $147 barrels of oil. And this drop in oil occurred, at least in part, due to the massive deflation that has occurred since the US economy really hit the skids in September. Venezuela and Iran, two other oil-rich nations with hostile relations with the U.S, are facing the same problems as oil prices go down.

So why is this relevant to the 2008 election? It is a reminder of how important this election, and American policy in general, is to other parts of the world.

In Israel, for example, the right has expressed fears over an Obama presidency. While Obama has said all of the right things, and spoke in front of AIPAC when he finally won the primary, some in Israel are not sure he will be 1) as aggressive on Iran as a McCain or Bush Administration or 2) as willing to continue America’s unconditional (and totally unique) package in aid, which is at $3 billion, the most in the world. This is why the right started singing the “Obama-is-anti-Israel” tune when McCain fell sharply behind (as did Hillary Clinton when she was gasping for anything at the tail end of the divisive primary, which gives you a sense of how predictably low politicians can go when in trouble).

It is a fairly empty tale. Obama has toed the Party line with Israel, pledging continued and increased aid, and insisting that Iran poses a grave threat, despite the fact that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said the opposite.

Nonetheless, this election is watched with great interest from the Israeli right. To follow the coverage in Israel, I recommend, Haaretz, which is widely viewed as the “New York Times of Israel.”

Another country that must be watching with watchful eyes in Pakistan, especially given Obama’s expressed a willingness to bomb the country (which President Bush actually did recently).

Interestingly, Iraqis and U.S. soldiers may have less at stake that one might think. While Obama ran in the primary with anti-war rhetoric , his staff has acknowledged to the Wall Street Journal that he will leave around 35 “" 45 thousands troops in the country. Given that a similar draw down is likely under a McCain Administration (though the exact timeline could vary), it appears that the War in Iraq will continue in a lesser fashion, no matter who wins. Still, if anyone wants to read an English language Iraqi newspaper, visit Azzaman in English.

Iranians, too, must be watching with great interest. While both McCain and Obama are willing to talk tough on Iran, Obama has a far more moderate (supported by many Republicans from the Bush I days, such as James Baker and Collin Powell) and reasonable stance on engaging in diplomacy. To read Iranian media visit Press TV and the Islamic Republic News Agency (both state-owned, for what its worth).

And of course, every country has a stake in the U.S. economy. As I listed above, the ramifications of the economic crisis are indeed global, and countries have been scrambling with bailout and stimulus packages, request for aid from the (US controlled) International Monetary Fund and the nationalizing of some banks.

Here, world public opinion is clear: Obama is the favorite for most of the world, which has grown deeply skeptical of U.S. economic policies, and gives most of the blame to Republicans.

Some other foreign news outlets:

The Daily Star (Lebanon)

Russia Today (Russia)

The Independent (United Kingdom)

Dar al Hayet (Saudi Arabia )

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/archive/the-news/the-world-is-watching/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/exclusive-a-stroke-of-fate-interview-and-review/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/exclusive-a-stroke-of-fate-interview-and-review/#comments Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:07:30 +0000 John M. Guilfoil http://blastmagazine.com/?p=4121

Video gaming has grown leaps and bounds as an industry in Russia, turning into a $500 million industry.

Akella is at the forefront of all that, and we recently had the opportunity to play one of their upcoming games, A Stroke of Fate, which is a WWII adventure title coming out in a few months.

“Fate” is looking like a pretty solid game. It has beautifully detailed scenery and compelling mini-game puzzles like playing poker with Nazi officers to earn their trust and flirting with a receptionist to get information.

Here are my concerns: The English script needs work. It still feels like the Russians translated it into English. They need to have a native speaker rewrite it entirely to adapt it to an American audience. Also, some of the puzzles are not very intuitive and require going back and forth between four or more rooms.

Finally, there’s no voice acting, just text. I called Akella out on that, especially since they’ve been working on the game for almost two years. In response, they’re adding an ethnic German voice track — it won’t be English, but it will breathe some life into the characters.

“We’re working on voice over. All NPC and male hero speak perfect German,” said Akella’s Boris Tolkachev.

What really impresses me about this game is the amount of research and work that has gone into it so far. They recreated the “fuhrerbunker,” where Hitler took refuge as the war turned against him. The developers also researched Nazi artwork and German decor at the time.

The game’s developers from SPLine Games spoke to Blast through Tolkachev, who is our English-language contact over there.

Tolkachev said SPLine worked with a history consultant and pulled a bunch of history books, and bear with me because I’m going to list some things here –

• Walter Warlimont: “Inside Hitler’s Headquarters”
• “The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Wilhelm Keitel”
• Antony Beevor: “Berlin: the Downfall, 1945″
• William L. Shirer: “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich”
• ¯‘€¾²¾¹ ‘€º°´¸¹ ¤µ´¾‘€¾²¸‘‡: “’¾»‘‡‘Å’¸ »¾³¾²°: ´¾»‘Å’‘„ "¸‘‚»µ‘€ ½° ²¾¹½µ, ² ¿¾»¸‘‚¸ºµ, ² ±‘‹‘‚‘Æ’”
• Leonid Mlechin: “Hitler and his Russian Friends”
• B. V. Sokolov: “Hunt for Stalin, Hunt for Hitler”
• Chuev S. G.: “Special services of the Third Reich”

I have no idea what the book is that’s in Russian, but they also gave me a list of like 30 website references too. Take a look at that here.

“In other words, we were very serious about it,” Tolkachev said.

But enough of that, people work hard to make every video game that comes out there (okay, most of them). Why is Stroke of Fate any different? It’s really a self-answering question. This is a chance to play a WWII adventure from an authentic Russian perspective, and I guarantee that no matter how many History Channel specials you’ve seen, there’s a lot about the Russian involvement in WWII that Americans don’t get exposed to.

The game, with voice acting and maybe a few more interactives like non-linear elements and repeatable minigames, has real potential. It’s mouse-driven, so you’ll do a lot of clicking, but what we seem to have is a good, cerebral adventure game with real historical backbone.

This is not a game you may have heard of. Gamespot hasn’t covered it. Blast is the first American media outlet to take an interest in the game, and we’re publishing the first hands-on review of it. Don’t expect Fallout 3 or a billion-dollar game. It’s a gutsy, conversational, alternative history lesson.

Here’s some of the newest artwork Akella has released for the game:

This is one of the rooms in RSHA (Main Imperial Office of Security) at the end of the war in April of 1945.

Under the table is a can of gasoline which Meyer must get. Also, a sculpture of Richard Wagner made by Arno Breaker can be seen. Wagner was a favorite composer of Hitler.

Hitler had his music accompanied by the news from the front, performed at the convention of NSDAP and parades. Breaker was the author of numerous heroic portraits of the party bonzas from the Third Reich.

The implementation of forging signatures in the game process.

Bread cards imposed by the fascist occupying forces in the territory of Ukraine.

Vortex engine by Victor Shauberger

“A Stroke of Fate” will be published in English at the end of the year.

Lighthouse Interactive and its project partners, developer Discus Games and Graviteam‚ announced Monday that their upcoming WWII tank simulation game, Steel Fury: Kharkov 1942, will hit shelves across North America in early November and set a firm date of November 7 for European stores.

Steel Fury is known in previews as a historically accurate and thickly detailed war game. The PC DVD-ROM game features the Russian‚ T-34/76 1941 tank.

“The events of‚ Steel Fury: Kharkov 1942‚ are based on a little-known Russian offensive that occurred during May 1942, in which a German counterattack had three Soviet armies surrounded, forcing them to fight their way out of the Barvenkovskiy Kotel “meat grinder,” the companies said in a statement.

Game summary:

Steel Fury: Kharkov 1942‚ is based on real-life events that took place from May 12-28, 1942, which engaged the Red Army in the fight of their lives. During a vicious German counterattack that began on May 17, 1942, three Soviet Armies were surrounded and were forced to fight in what has become known as the “meat grinder.” Through the monstrous roar of tanks and military vehicles, and the blaring sounds of war, players will experience bitterness at the loss of their comrades during battle and elation when they are victorious.

Game features:

• Historical Authenticity:‚ Missions are based on true historical events recreated from archives and photo references, including the interiors and exteriors of vehicles and tactical markings. The player has access to vast battlefields without obstructions from impenetrable forests or other obstacles, allowing them to choose any path available to achieve victory!
• Fear and Fury Filled Missions:‚ Throughout 30 playable missions in three unique single-player campaigns, experience large scale battles with numerous active vehicles.
• ‚ Vehicles:‚ Interact with and command all units involved in the advance against the enemy, including: more than 40 different realistically modelled vehicles, with three playable tanks: T-34/76 mod. 1941, Mk.II “ËœMatilda’ III, and the Pz. IV Ausf. F2.
• Take Full Control:‚ In first and third person views, assume crew positions for Commander, Gunner, Loader, Driver, and Hull Gunner.
• Realistic Game Physics:‚ The advanced game engine allows for precise calculation of ballistics and collisions models. Objects can be destroyed and the terrain is deformable. Both player and AI controlled vehicles are subject to realistic physics.
• Realistic Environments:‚ The game engine supports dynamic lighting, featuring night-time missions and different weather conditions. The engine’s particle system allows for realistic smoke and water effects, as well as debris from explosions.
• Damage Model:‚ Everything in the path of a tank-round can be destroyed. Vehicles can damage buildings and knock down trees. Due to the advanced game engine, impacting shells create craters and trenches take damage when tanks run over them, deforming the terrain.
• Difficulty Levels:‚ Players can adjust the level of complexity the game offers. Missions gradually raise the difficulty level by introducing more vehicles, troops, and harder to achieve mission goals. Thanks to training missions, the player can easily learn how to control their tank and supporting AI troops from all crew positions.
• ‚ Editors and Utilities:‚ Players have the ability to create custom missions and make modifications. Easy-to-use editors make it possible to add new vehicles and weapons to the game.

For more information on‚ Steel Fury: Kharkov 1942,‚ visit the official websites at‚ www.steelfury.info‚ and‚ www.lighthouse-interactive.com.

This is a Blast Magazine special report with senior editor, Daniel Peleschuk, in Eastern Europe.

KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces have advanced further into Georgian territory in the country’s northwest separatist enclave of Abkhazia, where reports say their forces have crossed the breakaway republic’s border and are occupying a town in Georgia proper.

Now pressuring the small country from two sides, Russian forces are raising the question of whether or not they will push further into Georgian territory.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said on August 11 that his country has been cut in half by Russian forces, citing the Russian occupation of the central Georgian town of Gori, through which passes the only major roadway connecting the eastern and western parts of the country.

Saakashvili also appealed to the international community’s attention in what he called an “ethnic cleansing and annihilation of the ethnic Georgian population in Abkhazia.”

Video courtesy of The Boston Globe

Russian developer Akella is showing off an impressive-looking driving title called Moscow Racer at E3 this year.

“Moscow Racer is the only game in the world that gives you a chance to drive on absolutely realistic streets of Moscow city at 200 mph and not be arrested!” said Boris Tolkachev, spokesman for Akella.

“Created in cooperation with Moscow underground street racing clubs, Moscow Racer combines features of a car simulator and absolutely accurate models of the most famous Moscow streets. It is so exciting when you play a game with trucks, which are so similar to real ones,” Tolkachev said. “It is even more impressive when you know that the game gives you the experience you could feel in real life… but in a more dangerous way.”

Moscow Racer will be published in Russia in Q3. No word on the US date yet.