Word: russias
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When President Barack Obama pledged to move toward the abolition of nuclear weapons in April 2009, replacing the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) was supposed to be the easy first step. But the 1991 agreement, which limits the number of long-range nuclear weapons in Russia and the U.S., expired on Dec. 5. And a replacement has yet to be agreed upon...
Recently, the U.S. reduced the number of warheads armed on top of missiles and on its bomber bases - but less so the number of bombers or missiles themselves. On the other hand, Russia - out of economic necessity - has reduced the number of missiles and bombers, while maintaining parity by keeping them more heavily armed. (See a story from TIME's archives on the possibility of nuclear war in the 1980s...
...temperance movement flared up again in the 1985 when Gorbachev launched an all-out campaign to eradicate drunkenness, revoking liquor licenses, banning vodka consumption at Soviet embassies and razing vineyards (Russia also makes wine), earning himself the nickname Mineral'nyi Sekretar ("The Mineral Water Secretary.") (See pictures of Denver, Beer Country...
...have a life expectancy of just 60 years - largely attributed to alcoholism. Rosspirtprom, a government-owned company, oversees more than 100 vodka distilleries and controls an estimated 40% of Russian market. While President Medvedev's move, praised by the state-sanctioned vodka producers, almost certainly will fail to solve Russia's drinking problem, it's likely to generate significant income for Moscow...
Read "The Danger of Doing Business in Russia...