By John Helmer in Moscow The US has responded with a powerful SOS for reporters, setting in motion a model for similar protections worldwide. SOS stands for Sod Off Schillings. The new American legislation will make it impossible for practical purposes for Russians to attack American reporting of their activities by suing them or their […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer in Moscow According to the Chinese tradition, the original Budai (aka Laughing Buddha) was an eccentric Zen Buddhist monk. He lived in the Fenghua province during the Late Liang Dynasty in the first years of the 10th century. His name translates into English as “Promise this”.

by John Helmer - Monday, September 20th, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer in Moscow The west African republic of Guinea has never before been so important to Russian mining companies – and to the even bigger internationals. So when Guinean voters go to the polls for the runoff round of their presidential election, much is at stake – and not only for our Russian […]

by John Helmer - Friday, September 17th, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer in Moscow Victor Vekselberg, the chairman of the board of UC Rusal, went on trial in the Federal Penal Tribunal of Switzerland this week, charged with sharemarket violations, and facing a fine of 40 million Swiss francs ($40 million). That, according to the report of Le Temps today (see illustration), is the […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, September 16th, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer in Moscow The promoters of United Company Rusal at Bloomberg have kicked off a new marketing campaign for Oleg Deripaska’s heavily indebted aluminium company, disclosing this week that “Rusal is planning Russia’s first offering of bonds in China, spurred by McDonald’s Corp.’s debut sale in yuan.” A roadshow to test whether the […]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer in Moscow Even in ignominy or retirement, a big boy’s toys are worth playing with. Uralkali is Russia’s dominant producer of potash fertilizer and will soon merge with Silvinit to become the national potash champion, according to a government scheme first reported here on June 15. At the time, the head of […]

by John Helmer - Monday, September 6th, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer in Moscow Oleg Deripaska is preparing a series of presentations to institutional investors next week in Boston and New York, chaperoned by one of his largest creditor banks, BNP Paribas. Rarely has so unconvincing a lamb been led to market by so well-known a wolf; or such an odd couple asked to […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
No Comments »

Senator Bob Brown (left image) is the first Australian politician to call for official accountability in the secret dealings the Australian Government has had since 2004 with Oleg Deripaska. He is chief executive and controlling shareholder of United Company Rusal, the Russian aluminiun monopoly registered on the island of Jersey.

by John Helmer - Thursday, July 29th, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer in Moscow A $200 million road construction project in Kenya, one of the country’s biggest infrastructure investments, is being delayed by a World Bank investigation of the involvement of Oleg Deripaska. The due diligence investigation of Deripaska now under way at the World Bank is the first acknowledgement by the multilateral global […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer in Moscow Yury Humber and the Bloomberg bureau in Moscow run by Bradley Cook have a special relationship with United Company Rusal.

by John Helmer - Monday, July 26th, 2010
No Comments »