Russian Press at a Glance, Thursday, February 24, 2011

A brief look at what is in the Russian papers today

POLITICS

Russian officials announced that all Russian citizens have been evacuated from the capital of violence-torn Libya, but reports emerged about people stranded elsewhere in the country
(The Moscow Times, Izvestia, Kommersant, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

Two senior officials, both United Russia members, have clashed in Volgograd, where the city's mayor has refused to leave office after being fired by the governor and has threatened to sue
(The Moscow Times, Vedomosti)

Belarus has put on trial two Russians for taking part in street protests during the reelection of President Alexander Lukashenko in December, defying Moscow's calls for their release
(The Moscow Times)

ECONOMY

The Russian Economic Development Ministry was tasked with preparing a plan for social and economic development until 2030. Its main objective is to eliminate Russian budget debt by 2020
(Izvestia, Kommersant)

South Africa officially became the fifth member of the rapidly developing BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China). The group will be renamed BRICS
(Izvestia)

Business ethics are improving in Russia, on paper at least. More local companies are emulating Western standards and adopting ethics codes to help them operate in a corrupt environment and create the appearance of trustworthiness
(The Moscow Times)

METALS & MINING

Norilsk Nickel said it won't raise its $12.8 billion offer to buy back shares from Oleg Deripaska's United Company RusAl because it doesn't want unmanageable debts
(The Moscow Times)

OIL & GAS

Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin would like Rosneft to get a seat on BP's board in exchange for giving BP a slot on Rosneft's
(The Moscow Times)

POWER GENERATION

The Russian anti-monopoly service (FAS) found the electricity division of the world’s largest aluminum producer UC Rusal guilty of manipulating electricity prices. The service launched the case in June, saying there was a sharp fall in electricity prices on the wholesale market in August and September 2009 following a slump in electricity purchases as RusAl Krasnoyarsk and RusAl Sayanogorsk did not file purchase orders
(Vedomosti)

TELECOMS & IT

The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has levied a 38.1-million ruble fine on Russia's top three largest mobile operators Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), MegaFon and VimpelCom for inflated roaming tariffs
(Izvestia)

BANKING & FINANCE

VTB acquired a 46.5% stake in Bank of Moscow from the City Hall and got the chance to seize control of the bank from its president Andrei Borodin. Earlier, Bank of Moscow shareholders elected VTB executives to its new board, signaling a cooling of tensions over VTB's takeover ambitions
(The Moscow Times, Izvestia, Vedomosti, Kommersant)

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has given state development bank Vneshekonombank until May to set up a fund that would finance investment in the remote Far East region, saying that potential projects are worth $3 billion.
(The Moscow Times)

TRANSPORT

Sheremetyevo International Airport will have to cut the number of inbound and outbound flights after it begins serving government flights from April 15. Experts estimate that the move will affect 50 companies, including Russia’s flagship air carrier Aeroflot. The airline, headquartered at Sheremetyevo, is estimated to lose about $300-400 million.
(Kommersant, Vedomosti)

SOCIETY

Some of the most interesting artifacts of the Soviet Union in Russia are the holidays that continue to be celebrated, almost two decades after the fall of communism. On February 23, Russians celebrated the Defender of the Fatherland Day, a rough equivalent of Father’s Day but with a militaristic flavor. On this day, daughters, wives and girlfriends give presents to Russian men and lavish them with attention.
(The Moscow Times)

Russian law enforcement agencies carried out airstrikes and mortar bombings in a hunt for militants on the slopes of Europe's highest peak, Mt. Elbrus, but it remained unclear Wednesday whether any insurgents were killed
(The Moscow Times, Izvestia, Kommersant)

For more details on all the news in Russia today, visit our website at www.rian.ru