POLITICS
The Russian Central Election Commission is making final arrangements for Sunday’s parliamentary elections. (Moskovskie Novosti)
ECONOMY
Russia’s GDP may exceed those of France, Britain and Germany in the next 20 years, allowing the country to discuss joining the European Union, prominent U.S. economist and head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Jim O’Neill, has predicted. (Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
The deputy head of the Russian Economy Ministry, Andrei Klepach, has said the forecast for Russia’s net private capital outflow in 2011 has been increased to $80 billion from $50 billion. (Kommersant, Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
OILGAS
Russia and the European Union will begin on Thursday a regular round of arduous negotiations on gas pipeline projects. Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko will once against try to persuade EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger to support Russia’s South Stream project and drop plans to construct pipelines to supply gas from Asia to Europe bypassing Russia. Moscow’s chances of success are slim. (Kommersant)
BUSINESS
Russian businessmen who have lost hope in the authorities’ ability to defeat corruption have announced the creation of a special public anti-graft center. (Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
Oil companies TNK-BP and CTRP-Rimera are to invest in the development and purchase of drones to explore oil deposits. (Vedomosti)
SOCIETY
The Russian opposition claims the number of violations in the 2011 State Duma election campaign has increased several times compared to the 2007 parliamentary elections. (Kommersant)
CRIME
A Moscow court sanctioned on Wednesday the arrest of Viktor Baturin, the brother-in-law of former Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov, on charges of attempted fraud. Baturin said he would “fight till the end” to prove his innocence. (Kommersant)
Two Belarusians convicted of carrying out a deadly attack on the Belarusian capital’s subway system, killing 15 people, have been sentenced to death. Independent experts and human rights activists have strongly criticized the verdict, saying that the two men’s guilt has not been proven. (Kommersant, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
HEALTH
While the number of HIV-infected Russians is expected to rise, the United Nations is halting its anti-HIV programs in Russia, leaving the country’s government to fight the disease on its own. (Moskovskie Novosti)