11.09 Russian Press at a Glance, Wednesday, September 11, 2013
POLITICS
Russias initiative to place Syrian chemical weapon stockpiles under international control was an advantageous diplomatic move, analysts said. The Syrian authorities welcomed the idea. Meanwhile, the US military strike on Syria has been postponed as Congress will debate the issue only next week.
(Kommersant, Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Izvestia)
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday met with ten governors elected on September 8 and said the polls were legitimate and transparent like never before.
(Kommersant, Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Izvestia)
A government working group ruled on Tuesday that a legal ban on state officials and top managers of state companies buying cars worth over 1.5 million rubles ($45,000) was unnecessary. However, the issue may be regulated by a relevant executive order.
(Kommersant, Vedomosti)
ECONOMY
The State Duma will consider in a second reading amendments to Russias tax legislation, increasing excise duties on tobacco, alcohol and fuel. The move will push prices up, experts warn, but the budget will get additional revenues.
(Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
METALS & MINING
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko hinted that he was waiting for Russian authorities to make a decision making it possible to resume cooperation between Russian fertilizer company Uralkali and its Belarusian partner Belaruskali. Meanwhile, Uralkali, the worlds largest potash producer, increased its production and said it planned to sign a new contract with China.
(Kommersant, Vedomosti, Izvestia)
VEHICLES & ENGINEERING
Although Russias car market continues to decline, sales of Chinese cars in Russia grew 35 percent this year, with a forecasted sale of 100,000 cars this year.
(Izvestia)
Sovkomflot, along with Russian fuel giant Rosneft and Gazprombank, will build the Zvezda shipyard in Russias Far East.
(Vedomosti)
REAL ESTATE
A Cyprus company, Prevezon Holdings Ltd., and its US affiliates are accused of using the purchase of New York buildings to launder funds stolen from Russian coffers in an alleged scam detailed by deceased whistleblowing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.
(Kommersant, Vedomosti)
TELECOMS & IT
The authorities of the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan are considering canceling roaming fees for cell phone users from member states.
(Vedomosti)
Chinese social network users who knowingly post false information and rumors that damage national interests will be punished with a prison term of up to three years.
CONSUMER
Russian consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor has again banned imports of Moldovan wine, citing poor quality.
(Kommersant, Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
SOCIETY
A state-run pollster, the Russia Public Opinion Research Center, said that most Russians tend to identify themselves by the principle of citizenship, not national, religious or territorial identity. Fifty-seven percent identified themselves as Russian citizens, and 63 percent of them said they were proud to be Russian passport holders.
(Kommersant, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
A Moscow court on Tuesday sentenced 29-year-old Ilya Pyanzin to 10 years in a maximum security prison for plotting to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin.
(Kommersant, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
The number of those affected by the ongoing floods in Russias Far East has reached 100,000 people, and is likely to rise further as floods are expected to peak in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the second largest city of the Khabarovsk Territory. The Finance Ministry is preparing to pay 14 million rubles in financial assistance.
(Kommersant, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
Another criminal case has been launched against the arrested mayor of Dagestans capital Makhachkala, Said Amirov. He is now suspected of plotting to down a plane transporting a state official with an anti-aircraft missile, in addition to earlier accusations of organizing the murder of an investigator.
(Kommersant, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Izvestia)
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