POLITICS
Japanese premier Naoto Kan said Japan was facing its most difficult situation since World War II, with the death toll likely to exceed 13,000 people. Economists say the country could use the disaster to boost its economic development.
(Kommersant, Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
Two tankers with liquefied natural gas and a planeload of blankets may be what it takes to start easing Russian-Japanese hostilities over a 65-year island dispute.
(Moscow Times)
The United Russia party gained some 40% in many regions at Sunday’s elections to regional legislative assemblies, according to exit polls. Opposition parties called the election results a failure for the ruling party.
(Kommersant, Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
Increased turnout and allegations of foul play were two hallmarks of the last big vote before State Duma elections in December, as almost 3,000 elections took place in all but nine regions nationwide on Sunday.
(Moscow Times)
President Dmitry Medvedev has jumped onto the visa-free travel bandwagon, with his top foreign policy adviser declaring that the Kremlin sent a proposal to cancel visas to the White House before last week’s surprise announcement by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
(Moscow Times)
ECONOMY BUSINESS
Sberbank, Russia’s biggest lender and oldest bank, announced on Friday the much-anticipated purchase of the private investment banking outfit, Troika Dialog, for $1 billion.
(Moscow Times, Vedomosti)
The Russian market remains in the focus of foreign investors’ attention. Foreign funds working with Russian securities attracted some $500 million last week.
(Kommersant)
SOCIETY
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin banned construction in the city center.
(Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
Criminal capital outflow from Russia in 2010 totaled 163 billion rubles ($5.7bn).
(Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
SCIENCE
Experts at Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, discuss what could happen next at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
(Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
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