POLITICS
Al Jazeera reporters said they obtained the first evidence that foreign special services were present on the Libyan soil – they spotted Western special forces officers near the rebel stronghold of Misrata
(Moskovskie Novosti)
ECONOMY
The United Russia has proposed four prominent party members to replace top-ranking officials at the posts of heads of four major state companies
(Vedomosti)
Russia must announce in June how it will end a raft of protectionist measures if it wants to join the World Trade Organization this year
(The Moscow Times)
OIL GAS
Russian fuel crisis deeply affected Mongolia, the country’s president said during his visit to Russia
(Kommersant)
The energy dialog between Russia and China took place this week, despite Beijing’s warnings that the delegation may not arrive. China’s CNPC started paying its debts to Russia’s Rosneft and Transneft shortly before the talks
(Izvestia)
BANKING FINANCE
State and private sector finance executives are divided on how to realize President Dmitry Medvedev’s ambition to transform Moscow into a leading international financial center. While some participants at the Association of European Businesses’ annual investors’ conference argued that the drive would stand or fall on the successful implementation of the finer points of financial legislation, others said the key was to create an environment in which business felt comfortable.
(The Moscow Times)
CONSUMER
Belarus is solving its economic problems by “Soviet” means – instead of market reforms, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko proposed freezing food prices, “a 50-hour working day” and patrolling streets in search of those not working. Meanwhile, an IMF mission headed to Minsk to assess the economic situation
(The Moscow Times, Moskovskie Novosti, Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
The outbreak of stomach infection in Europe may fuel food prices in Russia, though Spanish and German cucumbers are extremely rare in Russian shops.
(Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
DEFENCE
Russia canceled joint military maneuvers with India. Though there were rumors that political reasons were behind the move, organizational problems are seen as the most likely reason
(Vedomosti)
SOCIETY
The Chechen man suspected of killing journalist Anna Politkovskaya in her apartment building is in Moscow custody after evading authorities for nearly five years.
(The Moscow Times, Kommersant, Moskovskie Novosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Izvestia, Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
The European Court of Human Rights rejected former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s claim that his 2003 arrest was politically motivated but granted him 24,000 euros ($35,000) in damages for violations linked to the detention.
(The Moscow Times, Kommersant, Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
The Russian Economic Development Ministry has published a draft amendment to the law on state tenders. The announcement coincided with reports that government officials misspent more than 2 billion rubles ($71 million) in state tenders between November and March, according to the Audit Chamber’s findings.
(The Moscow Times, Moskovskie Novosti)
SPORT
FIFA President Sepp Blatter, 75, is expected to win his fourth term as he stands unopposed in Wednesday’s election.
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