13.08 Russian Press at a Glance, Tuesday, August 13, 2013
A brief look at what is in the Russian papers today
POLITICS
Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a one-day working visit to Azerbaijan to discuss a wide range of bilateral issues, including trade, energy and transportation. The talks are expected to result in the signing of several agreements, including a document on cooperation between the two nations' emergencies ministries. (Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
Russian prosecutors have claimed that Moscow mayoral candidate and opposition leader Alexei Navalny has accepted illegal donations from abroad to fund his electoral campaign. The allegations were immediately denied by Navalnys campaign headquarters. (Kommersant, Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Izvestia)
Russias Constitutional Court has received the first official complaint against the recent controversial law on non-governmental organizations (NGO), which obliges them to register as foreign agents if they receive foreign funding and engage in political activity. (Kommersant)
Acting Moscow mayor's Sergei Sobyanins election fund has received contributions from unidentified sources worth 100 million rubles (about $3 mln). That is three to five times more than the contributions received by his challengers in the mayoral race. (Vedomosti)
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Online microblogging service Twitter may carry out an IPO in the beginning of 2014. Analytics believe that the time for Twitter IPO is right as investors are eager again to put money in high-tech companies thanks to an apparent success of a recent IPO conducted by Facebook. (Vedomosti)
The balance of power in the global economy is changing again as developed countries regain their weight in pushing economic growth while developing economies cool down faster than expected, according to experts from Bridgewater Associates. (Vedomosti)
Russia will be able to modernize the An-124 Ruslan strategic airlift jet aircraft without authority from Ukraines Antonov design bureau. Russia plans to set up production of these unique planes at home. (Vedomosti)
One of Japans largest corporate conglomerates, the Mitsui Group, has bought 40 percent of shares in Russias Baikal forest Company. It is Mitsuis second investment in the Russian forestry industry. (Vedomosti)
SOCIETY
The 24-hour-hotline combining Russia's emergency services will be operational in nine regions and all major cities by the end of 2013.The toll-free number, 112, combines those of the fire service, 01, the police, 02, ambulances, 03. (Rossiiskaya Gazeta, The Moscow Times)
DEFENSE
A Russian company is developing nanotechnology that would allow production of light-weight ceramic armor for the military and police as early as by the end of 2015. Ceramic armor plates manufactured with the use of boron carbide powder will be used to make bulletproof vests, armor protection for combat vehicles and even for combat aircraft as they would be four times lighter than the existing armor plates. (Izvestia)
CRIME
A prosecutor has requested life imprisonment for Sergei Pomazun, accused of fatally shooting six people in the southwest Russian city of Belgorod. Pomazun, 31, pleaded for the court to sentence him to 25 years, not life. (Kommersant)
The Russian Justice Ministry has drafted a law that would ban the description of methods and technologies related to making of explosive devices in articles posted on the Internet and disseminated by mass media. The law may come into force as early as in October. (Izvestia)
