POLITICS
A former Russian intelligence officer who helped U.S. authorities bust a Russian spy ring last summer has been charged with high treason and desertion
(Moscow Times, Kommersant, Moskovskiye Novosti, Izvestiya)
The United States could accuse Pakistan of assisting Osama bin Laden, who was killed by U.S. operatives in the Asian country on Sunday.
(Kommersant)
Moscow and Tbilisi continue to negotiate the terms of Russia’s admission to the WTO
(Kommersant)
A look at what impact Osama bin Laden’s death have on U.S. domestic affairs and the global fight against terrorism
(Moskovskiye Novosti)
ECONOMY
Many banks are not prepared for a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis and would lose half their capital if similar events reoccurred, the Central Bank determined after conducted a banking stress test
(Moscow Times, Vedomosti)
The United States is suing Deutsche Bank $1 billion over claims that the bank provided wrong information on the country’s mortgage products
(Kommersant)
The government has invented a way to help businesses and improve the investment climate. The Economic Development Ministry will be allowed to examine all laws and resolutions by officials to find out whether they are helpful to entrepreneurs
(Moskovskiye Novosti)
BUSINESS
Yandex, one of Russia’s most popular Internet search engines, cautioned potential investors about the possibility of a takeover by oligarchs and potential negative influence by the state in its prospectus for an upcoming initial public offering on Nasdaq.
(Moscow Times)
The Yandex search engine, preparing for an initial public offering on Nasdaq in May, has been preliminarily valued at $6-7 billion
(Kommersant, Izvestiya)
Moscow’s Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo airports could catch up with Domodedovo airport, the capital’s largest, in terms of earnings and passenger flow if they agreed to merge
(Vedomosti)
Nasdaq and ICE have decided to launch a hostile takeover of NYSE Euronext, whose board rejected a merger proposal twice
(Vedomosti)
SOCIETY
The European Court of Human Rights handed a landmark victory to a former arms control researcher freed in a U.S. spy swap last year, ruling that he was detained for too long and denied a fair trial in 2004
(Moscow Times, Kommersant, Vedomosti, Moskovskiye Novosti)
Food in Russia could cost 15% less, communications 10% less and real estate 25-30% less if there was less bureaucracy and legalized corruption, experts say
(Vedomosti)
Nine people died in Russia’s Urals region because the local cardiology institute lacked funds to give them heart surgery
(Vedomosti)
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