Prominent Russian politicians have commented on the announcement yesterday by an ex-premier, Mikhail Kasyanov, that he would run in the 2008 presidential election.

Sergei Mironov, Speaker of the Federation Council, Russia's upper house of parliament, told a Moscow press conference Thursday that he was vehemently opposed to amending the constitution in order to extend the presidential tenure, currently limited to two four-year terms. Mironov said President Vladimir Putin. . .

The police seized about five metric tons of drugs in the first six months of 2005, a spokesman for the Russian Interior Ministry said Friday. "More than 4.8 tons of drugs, psychotropic and dangerous substances were seized [in efforts to counter] the illicit drug trade during the . . .

President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to allocate grants to 11 of Russia's oldest theaters and drama schools. At a meeting with the directors of the country's leading theaters and drama schools, Putin said: "The money is in the 2006 budget. The first tranche will be more than . . .

Incomes of the upper 10 percent of Russia’s rich made up 29.6 percent of the country’s total personal earnings in the first half of this year, against 30 percent in the same period of last year.

Russian parliament member Yekaterina Lakhova is proposing a moratorium on the adoption of Russian children by citizens of those countries where violence against Russian children was reported, including the United States.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s popularity has dropped to an all-time low of 25 percent, Echo of Moscow radio reported citing an opinion poll by the Public Opinion Foundation, which encompassed 3,000 respondents in 63 regions of Russia.

Foreigners adopt more children in Russia than Russians, although law envisages priority of Russian adoptions. In 2004, foreigners adopted 9,600 children, while Russians only 7,400.

The Russian Education Ministry is preparing changes in the rules for the adoption of Russian children, ministry official Sergei Apatenko told a news conference Tuesday.

Only 33 % of Russians view political opposition as a symbol of true democracy, compared to 48 % of those who said it was not necessary, given the normal political and economic situation in the country, according to the All-Russia Public Opinion Research Center's (VTsIOM) July poll.