08.08 Russian Press at a Glance, Thursday, August 8, 2013
POLITICS
Citing frustration with Moscows refusal to hand over fugitive US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, the White House said Wednesday that US President Barack Obama has canceled a planned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin next month.
(Izvestia, Kommersant, Moskovsky Komsomolets, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Vedomosti)
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev inspected Olympic facilities in Sochi and expressed his satisfaction.
(Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Kommersant)
More than 30 business owners and top executives have come together in support of opposition mayoral candidate Alexei Navalny in a country where the government has routinely retaliated against such moves.
(The Moscow Times)
Journalists in Russia could soon enjoy the same legal protection from prosecution as lawmakers. Russia's lower house of parliament is considering introducing amendments to the laws on media which would make it more difficult to open legal proceedings against journalists.
(Izvestia, Moskovsky Komsomolets)
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Telecom provider VimpelCom Ltd., one of Russia's top three mobile operators VimpelCom, announced its delisting from NYSE and move to the NASDAQ.
(Vedomosti)
Fast food giant KFC is going to nearly double the number of its outlets in Russia and other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to 450 by 2015.
(The Moscow Times)
Russias largest lender, Sberbank, reported a record figure of 700 billion rubles of loans extended to businesses and individuals in July.
(Kommersant)
DEFENSE
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said construction of warships must be carried out under unified contracts including the cost of their weapons systems to ensure their prompt delivery on budget to the Russian Navy.
(Kommersant)
SOCIETY
British film and television star Stephen Fry urged the British prime minister and the International Olympic Committee Wednesday to impose an absolute ban on the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi for what he described as Russias persecution of gays.
(Vedomosti)
According to a poll conducted by Levada Center, the majority of Russians support the sovereignty of Georgias breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, five years after the start of the five-day war that led to their independence and recognition by Russia.
(Kommersant)
A Russian human rights group called on local officials Wednesday to launch a probe into a camp set up by the Moscow authorities for foreigners awaiting deportation that it claims is unlawful.
(Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
Russian TV presenter and socialite Ksenia Sobchak was questioned by investigators over comments she made about two female lawmakers, which seemed to suggest they were against oral sex.
(Moskovsky Komsomolets)
Russian Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov said flooding caused by weeks of torrential rains across three far-eastern regions was a federal emergency.
(Kommersant)
CRIME
Hackers broke into the Twitter accounts of RIA Novostis International Multimedia Press Center and of RIA Novosti Deutsch leaving false tweets about the death of former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.
(Kommersant, Novaya Gazeta, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
Stanislav Khatskevich, a former director general of the Krasnaya Polyana company responsible for Olympic construction in Sochi, was detained on charges of embezzlement.
(Kommersant)
Two high-ranking police officers and a Federal Migration Service official were involved in a criminal scheme that brought illegal immigrants to Russia and forced them into slave labor, the Interior Ministry said
(The Moscow Times, Kommersant)
SPORTS
Russian football club Anzhi Makhachkala, known for its big spending on top name players, said that its budget, provided by Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, is being cut and its strategy radically overhauled.
(Vedomosti, Kommersant)
Anatoly Rakhlin, the judo coach who once said he was President Vladimir Putins second father died early Wednesday morning in St. Petersburg.
(Kommersant)
Zenit St. Petersburg football club advanced to within one round of the Champions League group stage on Wednesday with a comfortable 5-0 win over Danish minnows Nordsjaelland
(Kommersant, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
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