17.07 Russian Press at a Glance, Wednesday, July 17, 2013
POLITICS
President Vladimir Putin once again gave the Cabinet a ticking-off Tuesday for slacking. He blamed ministers for getting behind schedule in carrying out measures to develop the country's Far East
(Kommersant, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, The Moscow Times)
Ukraine is set to make a decision between trying to join the European Union and the Russian-led Customs Union.
(Kommersant)
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Russia's "big four" telecoms operators will meet with the upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, later on Wednesday to discuss measures to counteract US electronic espionage.
(Moskovsky Komsomolets)
Gazprom announced Tuesday a $3.7 million tender to create an Apple iOS-based tablet computer for its CEO Alexei Miller.
(Vedomosti)
Russias state-controlled oil giant Rosneft is ready to invest 1 trillion rubles ($30 billion) in the development of East Siberia and the Russian Far East in the next five years.
(Vedomosti)
Len Blavatnik, one of the billionaire partners in the AAR consortium, has invested some $400 million of his windfalls from the sale of oil giant TNK-BP in German internet business Rocket International.
(Kommersant)
DEFENSE
President Vladimir Putin observed the Armed Forces performing the largest military exercises since Soviet times Tuesday, the latest in a series of surprise drills around the country this year aimed at examining the army's combat readiness following military reforms.
(The Moscow Times)
WORLD
The White House dismissed allegations Tuesday that former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden is being persecuted by the US government and again called on Moscow to reject his request for asylum and send him back to the United States to stand trial on charges of espionage and theft.
(Kommersant)
Meanwhile, President Putin has said relations with the United States are more important than the "dirty hassles of the intelligence services."
(Argumenty i Fakty)
SOCIETY
Memorial, Russia's oldest human rights NGO, has been allowed by a court to not register as a "foreign agent," in the first such victory for a non-government organization since Russia passed a new law last November, requiring NGOs involved in politics and accepting foreign cash to so register. The decision could set an important precedent.
(Kommersant)
The number of legal migrant workers coming to Russia has increases 40 percent in the last four years, according to new data from Russia's Federal Migration Service.
(Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
A postage stamp depicting France's cultural symbol, Marianne, has touched off a flurry of controversy after one of its creators revealed it was inspired by a topless Ukrainian feminist activist who hacked down a Christian cross in Kiev last year with a chainsaw.
(The Moscow Times)
CRIME
Trader George Urumov, a Russian national accused by a British-based subsidiary of one of Russia's largest financial groups of fraud totaling $183 million, denied participating in false trades and paying bribes to colleagues during a hearing in London's High Court.
(The Moscow Times)
The new head of Moscow's infamous Matrosskaya Tishina prison hung himself on Wednesday, not long after taking up his post.
(Moskovsky Komsomolets)
SPORTS
Russia won gold medals in women's water polo, men's volleyball and men's basketball on the penultimate day of the 2013 World University Games, running their already enormous total to 151 and 285 overall.
(Kommersant)
Moscow's Luzhniki stadium is getting its finishing touches for the 2013 IAAF World Athletics Championship. Officials say the city is ready to welcome 2,500 athletes from 205 countries for the event.
(The Moscow Times)
CULTURE
A US human rights group has accused American pop star and actress Jennifer Lopez of cozying up to criminals and rights abusers by accepting more than $10 million to perform for politicians and businessmen in the former Soviet republics
(The Moscow Times)
For more details on all the news in Russia today, visit our website at www.en.rian.ru
