Corey Flintoff

Investigating The Boston Bombing ... In Southern Russia

Corey Flintoff — Wed, 01 May 2013 07:18:00 +0000

The search for the motivations of the alleged Boston Marathon bombers stretches from New England to Central Asia, but a lot of attention has been focused on Dagestan.

The mostly Muslim republic is located in the southernmost part of Russia, and it's been the battleground in a low-level insurgency that takes lives nearly every day.

One of the suspects, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, traveled to Dagestan twice in recent years, and investigators want to know whether that experience led him toward a radical and violent form of Islam.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev's parents and other relatives lived in the republic'

Retaliating Against U.S., Russia Bars 18 Americans

Corey Flintoff — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:42:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Tensions have been increasing between the United States and Russia, and things unraveled even more over the weekend. Russia named 18 Americans who will be barred from entering Russia because of an alleged involvement in human rights violations. Here's NPR's Corey Flintoff.

COREY FLINTOFF, BYLINE: The Russian list includes prominent officials from the Bush administration who are accused of advocating torture during the interrogation of terrorism suspects.

Emigre Artist Sculpted Exquisite Gems Of Russian Folk Life

Corey Flintoff — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 21:02:00 +0000

A team of American researchers is on a treasure hunt for jewels — of both artistic and historic value.

This month, researchers from Denver were in Russia to document the work of Vasily Konovalenko, a former ballet set designer turned sculptor, who created scenes from Russian folk life in semiprecious stones.

In the 1980s, Konovalenko emigrated from what was then the Soviet Union in search of artistic freedom. Now, his legacy is divided between the U.S.

Ex-Diplomats: U.S.-Russian Relations Not As Dire As They Seem

Corey Flintoff — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 21:19:00 +0000

Relations between the United States and Russia are testier than they have been in years. The two nations are at odds over human rights, the civil war in Syria and even the adoption of Russian orphans by American families.

But former American diplomats say things aren't as bad as they may seem. They say the two countries should work together on economic and security issues.

Four former U.S.

Once Championed By Putin, Medvedev Falls Precipitously Out Of Favor

Corey Flintoff — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:13:00 +0000

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev appears increasingly isolated from the centers of power surrounding President Vladimir Putin.

Analysts say Medvedev is the target of a campaign to wreck his reputation and drive him from office. It's a risky situation for the former president, who was once regarded as Putin's partner.

The attacks have come from many directions. One of the harshest was an anonymous, documentary-style film that was posted on the Internet in January.

The film, Game at Giveaway, accuses Medvedev of betraying Russia's national interest.

In Crackdown, Some Russian Groups Labeled As 'Foreign Agents'

Corey Flintoff — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 17:32:00 +0000

Russian investigators have descended on the offices of nongovernmental organizations across the country, demanding to inspect financial records and other documents.

This follows the recent passage of a law designed to impose tighter controls over these NGOs, especially those that receive funding from abroad.

Russia's Putin Signs Controversial Adoption Bill

Corey Flintoff — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 10:06:00 +0000

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a measure into law that would ban Americans from adopting Russian children.

Russia's parliament had overwhelmingly approved the ban, which was designed as retaliation for a new U.S.

Wine And Food May Rekindle Love Lost Between Russia And Georgia

Corey Flintoff — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 20:33:00 +0000

It's a big day in the religious and culinary calendar of the Republic of Georgia. Georgian Orthodox believers observe Dec. 17 as St. Barbara's Day, in honor of an early Christian martyr.

Russia's Hockey League Glad To Have NHL-Lockout Orphans

Corey Flintoff — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 19:45:00 +0000

As the National Hockey League lockout drags into its 86th day, which featured news that more games have been cancelled including the All-Star game, some of the league's biggest stars are getting plenty of action back in their home countries.

In Russia, major NHL players such as Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin are giving a boost to the fledgling KHL—the Kontinental Hockey League.

Russian NHL players are scattered throughout the KHL teams that still carry names from the Soviet era when Russia dominated world hockey.

Ovechkin plays for Dynamo Moscow, the team that gave him his professional

In Russia, Pro-Putin Youths Protest Mormons As 'Cult'

Corey Flintoff — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 11:16:00 +0000

Young supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin have staged several protests this month outside Mormon meeting houses, claiming that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an "authoritarian sect" with connections to the CIA and FBI.

The protesters are members of the Young Guard, a youth organization of Putin's United Russia Party. They insist their actions have nothing to do with Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate and Mormon who called Russia the "No.

Russia, U.S. Seek To Resolve Friction On Adoptions

Corey Flintoff — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 19:31:00 +0000

Americans have been adopting Russian children in sizable numbers for two decades, and most of the unions have worked out well. But it remains a sensitive topic in Russia, where officials periodically point to high-profile cases of abuse or other problems.

Now, the two countries are putting the finishing touches on a new agreement governing these adoptions.

Russia's Putin Welcomes Obama's Re-Election

Corey Flintoff — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:36:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent word congratulating President Obama on his victory. Still, as NPR's Corey Flintoff reports from Moscow, during the campaign, the Russian government and state-run media sough to discredit the American electoral process.

COREY FLINTOFF, BYLINE: Most Russians haven't followed the U.S. elections very closely, but those who did remembered that Mitt Romney had characterized their country as America's number one geopolitical foe.

Radio Liberty Going Off The Air In Russia

Corey Flintoff — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 18:29:00 +0000

Radio Liberty was founded in the 1950s to broadcast American views into the former Soviet Union when the Cold War was at its peak. Radio Liberty transmitted on short wave, and the Soviet government did all it could to jam the broadcasts.

But after the fall of the Soviet Union, Russian President Boris Yeltsin granted the service permission to open a Moscow bureau and broadcast within the country on AM radio.

Now, after two decades of broadcasting, Radio Liberty's AM signal is about to be turned off.

Texas Company Charged In Illegal Technology Transfers To Russia

Corey Flintoff — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 21:00:00 +0000

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn say they have broken up a ring that allegedly exported sensitive electronic technology to Russia.

Eight people were arrested today in Houston, including Alexander Fishenko, an immigrant from Kazakhstan who built a multi-million dollar export firm called Arc Electrics.

The indictment names Fishenko as an unregistered agent of the Russian government who

Opposition Victory Signals New Direction For Georgia

Corey Flintoff — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 21:20:00 +0000

Parliamentary elections in Georgia, the former Soviet republic, delivered a resounding defeat for the ruling party of President Mikheil Saakashvili on Monday. Preliminary election results showed the opposition winning 57 percent of the vote.

A day later, the president conceded defeat.