Drug book ‘black list' stirs controversy

An Orsk-based librarian's blog stirred controversy last week by alleging that certain books had been blacklisted by the State Committee on Drug Control, including Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas", Irvine Welsh's "Trainspotting" and Alex Garland's "The Beach". The librarian claimed in her blog that the committee had sent a list of 37 titles to libraries calling on them not to lend the books as they might be interpreted as advocating drug abuse. The list was reprinted by various media, but meanwhile the committee denied the list was real. The agency "hasn't given libraries any directions with regards to lending books," the committee's spokesman Nikolai Kartashov told Ekho Moskvy radio station. Still, such a move by the authorities would not be unprecedented. A few years ago, a local court ruled that the Russian translation of "Marijuana: The Forbidden Medicine" by James B. Bakalar and Lester Grinspoon promoted the use of illegal drugs, and all copies were confiscated.

Vladimir Kozlov

‘King of Pop: The Show' to go on

Russian promoters of "King of Pop: The Show" have confirmed that the tribute to Michael Jackson will be held at the State Kremlin Palace on November 29, as previously scheduled, despite attempts by members of the late singer's family to ban the entire series of shows all over the world, RIA Novosti reported. Jackson's brother Jermaine recently challenged the legality of the show in a German court but the verdict was not in his favour.

"The court's decision proves that the show is legitimate both in Germany and elsewhere in the world," an unnamed representative of the Russian promoter said. "And it will be certainly held in the Kremlin." She added that there had been rumours that Jermaine Jackson might show up in one of the cities where the show was scheduled to protest against it, but any action of that kind would be illegitimate.

Vladimir Kozlov