Yet Another Upgrade

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In early September, an outbreak of looting and violence in a town in Russia's northwestern Karelia region targeted the resident Caucasus population, blamed for the recent deaths of two locals. This is the latest sign of increasing racial tensions and intolerance in Russia, which have been highlighted by bodies such as the UN and Amnesty International. The nationalist Rodina (Motherland) party, which came fourth in the 2003 Duma elections, has thrived on anti-immigration sentiment, but is unlikely to be permitted by the Kremlin to launch a major challenge at the next elections in December 2007, if only because the latter