16.07 Russian Press at a Glance, Tuesday, July 16, 2013
POLITICS
* Russian anti-corruption activist and opposition RPR-Parnas party nominee Alexei Navalny may be registered as candidate for the highly-contended post of Moscow mayor on Wednesday, just a day before he faces the verdict in an embezzlement trial involving misappropriation of $500,000 worth of timber from a state-run company. (Kommersant)
* Nils Muiznieks, human rights commissioner for the Council of Europe, has urged the Russian authorities to stop labeling non-governmental organizations as "foreign agents."
* Russian lawmakers will consider changes to the so-called Dima Yakovlev law during the next session of parliament, to allow mixed Russian-American couples the possibility to adopt Russian children. (Izvestia, Moskovsky Komsomolets)
* President Vladimir Putin inspected the progress of snap military exercises in Russia's Far East. (Moskovsky Komsomolets)
ECONOMY &BUSINESS
* Russias industrial output in the first half of 2013 increased by a mere 0.1 percent, which clearly indicates stagnation in the economy. Russian companies are continuing to lose their competitive edge due to bloated expenses fueled by the expanding state-controlled sector. (Kommersant, Vedomosti)
* Mandatory insurance may cease to exist in Russia by 2020, according to a draft proposal by the Finance Ministry. (Kommersant, Vedomosti)
* Wholesale electricity prices in Russia went up 17 percent last week, following increased tariffs for natural gas. (Vedomosti)
* All 200,000 ATM machines in Russia will be controlled by the Central Bank, according to draft legislation to be considered by lawmakers during the next parliamentary session. (Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
* African swine fever has reached the Belgorod region, the leading producer of pork in Russia. (RBC Daily, Vedomosti)
* Food imports to Russia fell 4.4 percent in the first half of 2013 indicating a shift in consumer demand toward domestic produce. (Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
* The Moscow authorities are planning to set up multifunctional centers aimed at providing services to various businesses in the capital. (Kommersant, Izvestia)
SOCIETY
* In the wake of a deadly bus crash outside Moscow over the weekend, Russian lawmakers have proposed tightening both traffic regulations and punishment for violating them. (Rossiiskaya Gazeta, The Moscow Times)
* Mandatory uniforms will be introduced in all schools across Russia, come September. Each school will decide on how their pupils will look like, but jeans and running shoes are definitely out. (Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
*Muscovites get more news from the Internet than the radio, according to a new poll. (Moskovsky Komsomolets)
CRIME
* Russian investigators have announced success in solving the high-profiled murder of journalist Natalya Estemirova, who was abducted and killed in Chechnya four years ago. Estemirovas colleagues insist that investigators' findings are groundless. (Kommersant)
For more details on all the news in Russia today, visit our website at www.en.rian.ru
