AUDIO: Depardieu to move to Mordovia

The Russian region of Mordovia has invited French actor Gerard Depardieu to set up home there, hours after he received his Russian passport.

It has been reported by Governor Vladimir Volkov said he could choose an apartment or a place to build a house.

Mordovia is best known for its Stalin-era gulag prison camps.

Mr Depardieu has taken Russian citizenship after the French government criticised his decision to move abroad to avoid higher taxes.

Edward Lucas, international editor of the Economist and a former Moscow bureau chief, said that President Putin is keen to entice people of Depardieu's status and said he had already "got his hooks into this international glitterati."

Referring to Mordovia itself, Mr Lucas added, "I've been to places like it and it's not the sort of place that you want to go to for very long... It's an extremely dull place."

Get in touch with Today via email , Twitter or Facebook or text us on 84844.

View the original article here

AUDIO: Unearthing Lennon, Zappa, Joplin tapes

Howard Smith, a long-time writer for the Village Voice newspaper in New York, interviewed stars such as Lennon, Clapton, Zappa, Joplin and Warhol, in the late 1960s and 70s.

These people helped shape a generation of pop culture.

For decades the unedited tapes lay buried in his Manhattan apartment, but they have now been unearthed.

Documentarian Ezra Bookstein talks about Howard Smith as a journalist: "really had a way of getting people to open up."

He says: "you're not hearing about a time, you're in the time."

He continues: "Sitting there with headphones listening to the tapes, I felt like I was alone in the room with John Lennon."

Get in touch with Today via email , Twitter or Facebook or text us on 84844.

View the original article here

AUDIO: Unearthing Lennon, Zappa, Joplin tapes

Howard Smith, a long-time writer for the Village Voice newspaper in New York, interviewed stars such as Lennon, Clapton, Zappa, Joplin and Warhol, in the late 1960s and 70s.

These people helped shape a generation of pop culture.

For decades the unedited tapes lay buried in his Manhattan apartment, but they have now been unearthed.

Documentarian Ezra Bookstein talks about Howard Smith as a journalist: "really had a way of getting people to open up."

He says: "you're not hearing about a time, you're in the time."

He continues: "Sitting there with headphones listening to the tapes, I felt like I was alone in the room with John Lennon."

Get in touch with Today via email , Twitter or Facebook or text us on 84844.

View the original article here

AUDIO: Depardieu to move to Mordovia

The Russian region of Mordovia has invited French actor Gerard Depardieu to set up home there, hours after he received his Russian passport.

It has been reported by Governor Vladimir Volkov said he could choose an apartment or a place to build a house.

Mordovia is best known for its Stalin-era gulag prison camps.

Mr Depardieu has taken Russian citizenship after the French government criticised his decision to move abroad to avoid higher taxes.

Edward Lucas, international editor of the Economist and a former Moscow bureau chief, said that President Putin is keen to entice people of Depardieu's status and said he had already "got his hooks into this international glitterati."

Referring to Mordovia itself, Mr Lucas added, "I've been to places like it and it's not the sort of place that you want to go to for very long... It's an extremely dull place."

Get in touch with Today via email , Twitter or Facebook or text us on 84844.

View the original article here

AUDIO: Depardieu to move to Mordovia

The Russian region of Mordovia has invited French actor Gerard Depardieu to set up home there, hours after he received his Russian passport.

It has been reported by Governor Vladimir Volkov said he could choose an apartment or a place to build a house.

Mordovia is best known for its Stalin-era gulag prison camps.

Mr Depardieu has taken Russian citizenship after the French government criticised his decision to move abroad to avoid higher taxes.

Edward Lucas, international editor of the Economist and a former Moscow bureau chief, said that President Putin is keen to entice people of Depardieu's status and said he had already "got his hooks into this international glitterati."

Referring to Mordovia itself, Mr Lucas added, "I've been to places like it and it's not the sort of place that you want to go to for very long... It's an extremely dull place."

Get in touch with Today via email , Twitter or Facebook or text us on 84844.

View the original article here

AUDIO: Unearthing Lennon, Zappa, Joplin tapes

Howard Smith, a long-time writer for the Village Voice newspaper in New York, interviewed stars such as Lennon, Clapton, Zappa, Joplin and Warhol, in the late 1960s and 70s.

These people helped shape a generation of pop culture.

For decades the unedited tapes lay buried in his Manhattan apartment, but they have now been unearthed.

Documentarian Ezra Bookstein talks about Howard Smith as a journalist: "really had a way of getting people to open up."

He says: "you're not hearing about a time, you're in the time."

He continues: "Sitting there with headphones listening to the tapes, I felt like I was alone in the room with John Lennon."

Get in touch with Today via email , Twitter or Facebook or text us on 84844.

View the original article here