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Man learns casino losses not deductible
KHABAROVSK, Russia, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, on a road trip through the Far East, gave some tourists a surprise talk Friday on the merits of his modest Lada Kalina.
Putin encountered the tourists at a gas station along the highway between Khabarovsk and Chita, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported. The prime minister has completed about one-fifth of the 1,200-mile journey along the new road.
"Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a very convenient, comfortable and reliable car," Putin said of his low-cost compact when someone asked him why he had selected that model from AvtoVAZ. "Try buying this car. I assure you, you won't regret it."
AvtoVAZ, the country's largest car maker, has received millions of dollars in government aid, with Russia adopting its own cash-for-clunkers program. The industry, which gained a reputation in Soviet times for producing cars people would only buy because they had no choice, continues to struggle, while government officials have become big fans of luxury Western brands such as Mercedes and BMW.
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