POLITICS
Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov abruptly stepped down as leader of the Just Russia party over the weekend, sparking speculation that he was vacating the spot for another heavyweight like Russia’s NATO envoy, Dmitry Rogozin, or even President Dmitry Medvedev.
(Moscow Times, Kommersant, Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
The Federal Migration Service has presented a draft concept of the state migration policy until 2025. It proposes attracting new migrants to Russia by liberalizing migration laws.
(Kommersant)
The Russian government slashes financing for federal target programs in 2012.
(Kommersant)
ECONOMY BUSINESS
Russia’s chief sanitary doctor Gennady Onishchenko tried to soothe Russian motorists who imported radionuclide-contaminated cars from Japan and had them held at the Vladivostok customs post. Onishchenko said the cars will soon be returned to their owners.
(Moskovskiye Novosti)
Windfall oil revenues will be directed to special funds this year to keep market liquidity levels at bay and avoid the risk of higher inflation, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said.
(Moscow Times)
The number of mergers and acquisitions around the world has risen sharply since early 2011.
(Kommersant)
Yandex could float 10-20 percent of its stock on NASDAQ in late May. Investment banks preliminarily assessed the company at $6-9 bln.
(Vedomosti)
SOCIETY
The Russian Supreme Court ruled that extending the arrest for ex-Yukos head Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev on their second criminal case was illegal. Meanwhile, another Khamovniki court official confirmed a previous report that the verdict to Khodorkovsky was not written by Judge Viktor Danilkin.
(Moskovskiye Novosti)
According to draft amendments to the 2011 budget, some 42 billion rubles ($1.5 bln) will additionally be allocated on measures to implement instructions from Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev.
(Moskovskiye Novosti)
The Justice Ministry has drafted bills to vest Russian human rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin with broader powers.
(Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
OIL GAS
Kiev is waiting for Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin instructed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to listen to what Ukrainian officials say about their intention to have gas contracts with Russia revised. Ukraine has increased pressure on Naftogaz’s former top officials.
(Moskovskiye Novosti)
IT
VimpelCom completed its merger with Wind Telecom to create the world’s sixth-largest phone company by subscriber numbers.
(Moscow Times, Kommersant, Vedomosti)
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