MOSCOW // It was a fender-bender that might have ended with nothing more than a few angry words, or perhaps fisticuffs and a few bruises. Then the gun appeared.
A snowplough had rammed the Nissan Mistral that Police Lt Anatoly Maurin was driving in southern Moscow in December. During the ensuing argument, Lt Maurin pulled out a pistol and fired a shot at the leg of the snowplough driver, Vladimir Demidov, investigators say.
The pistol Lt Maurin used is a ubiquitous self-defence weapon in Russia: a gas gun that fires rubber bullets and is meant to stun attackers, not kill them. The bullet, however, struck an artery in the driver's leg. Lt Maurin drove off, and Mr Demidov bled to death at the scene, according to investigators.
The tragedy has cast the spotlight once again on police abuses in Russia. But it was also just one of many violent incidents in recent months involving rubber pellet guns that have Russia's top officials calling for efforts to stem the proliferation of these supposedly non-lethal weapons.
Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, has ordered his interior minister to hammer out tougher restrictions for the sale and registration of rubber bullet guns, saying they are being trafficked "without any sort of control".
"A person's passport information is jotted down, and what happens with this pistol after that - where it's used and with what consequences - no one knows," Mr Medvedev said.
Increasing numbers of Russians are purchasing gas and rubber pellet guns, officials and gun enthusiasts say. Many gun-rights activists here say the police force is so corrupt and indifferent that citizens must have options to provide for their own safety.
There are about 1.5 million rubber bullet guns registered to 1.3m owners in Russia, Vladimir Vedenov, the head of the interior ministry department responsible for licensing weapons, told a news conference last week.
About 21,000 rubber bullet guns were legally purchased in Moscow last year alone, up from an average of between 15,000 and 18,000 in previous years, according to Moscow police. Of the 547,000 legal guns registered in Moscow, half are rubber bullet guns, police say.
Mr Vedenov said last Wednesday that the interior ministry would ask Russian lawmakers to draft a bill establishing stricter rules for purchasing and registering rubber bullet guns, to make them no different than regular firearms from a legal perspective.
Critics of the initiative say the proposed legislation would be largely superfluous, as background checks and medical and psychological evaluations are already required to purchase hunting rifles and rubber pellet guns alike.
And these prerequisites are easy to skirt, said Alex, 28, a Moscow gun owner who spoke on condition that only his first name be used. Money is the only requirement.
Alex said he purchased the required paperwork from a company operating in the heart of Moscow before buying a popular rubber bullet gun known as a "Makarych" two years ago. After paying the fee, he was given the once-over by several doctors and sent on his way with the approved background check and medical examinations.
"The only one who even pretended to examine me was the psychiatrist," Alex said. "None of the other ones even looked at me."
Any measures aimed at tighter regulations for gun owners will merely result in more bureaucracy and a higher price for the necessary paperwork, Alex said. "Everything is negotiable," he said.
Regulating rubber bullet guns is necessary, but the key is to avoid extremes, said Sergei Zainullin, the deputy head of the All-Russian Society of Civilian Gun Owners, a non-governmental advocacy group.
"They shouldn't be completely unregulated," Mr Zainullin said. "You can't just scrap licensing altogether. But there shouldn't be increased administrative barriers either."
Mr Vedenov also proposed making a course in handling firearms a requirement for buying a gun, a measure Mr Zainullin said he would support. "People need to learn how to shoot accurately and better understand how to defend themselves in certain situations," Mr Zainullin said. "Otherwise the guns can be a danger to the citizens themselves."
Lt Maurin, meanwhile, has been arrested and charged with aggravated deadly assault in the death of Mr Demidov, the snowplough driver. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
He told the Moscow City Court last month that he was not guilty of the charge, that the evidence against him is "incomplete" and events of that night had been "described falsely" by investigators, the state-run RIA-Novosti news agency reported.
His lawyer told the news agency that Lt Maurin committed the crime by accident. "My client regrets that he accidentally shot and killed a person."
cschreck@thenational.ae
Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Company%20profile
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 0 Southampton 3 (Ings 49', Armstrong 54', Redmond 79')
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
When December 14-17
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
Neil Thomson – THE BIO
Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.
Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.
Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.
Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.
Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.
Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.
RACE CARD
4.30pm: Maiden Dh80,000 1,400m
5pm: Conditions Dh80,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Liwa Oasis Group 3 Dh300,000 1,400m
6pm: The President’s Cup Listed Dh380,000 1,400m
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown Group 2 Dh300,000 2,200m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (30-60) Dh80,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Handicap (40-70) Dh80,000 1,600m.
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
How to volunteer
The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.
The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars
OPTA'S PREDICTED TABLE
1. Liverpool 101 points
2. Manchester City 80
3. Leicester 67
4. Chelsea 63
5. Manchester United 61
6. Tottenham 58
7. Wolves 56
8. Arsenal 56
9. Sheffield United 55
10. Everton 50
11. Burnley 49
12. Crystal Palace 49
13. Newcastle 46
14. Southampton 44
15. West Ham 39
16. Brighton 37
17. Watford 36
18. Bournemouth 36
19. Aston Villa 32
20. Norwich City 29