POLITICS

The cancellation of the Jackson-Vanik amendment is being postponed indefinitely. The U.S. Congress is about to start recess, and the bill on normal trade relations with Russia has not been put on its agenda, which means lawmakers may return to its discussion after the inauguration of a new U.S. president, to be elected in November.

(Kommersant)

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

According to a new draft law developed by the Health Ministry, state medical institutions will be able to officially provide paid medical services from January 2013.

(Kommersant)

The Central Bank must avoid overreacting to food price volatility as drought conditions spread in grain growing regions, fueling inflation fears, a top investment bank warned.

(The Moscow Times)

The launch of automobile traffic across a bridge linking Russky Island with mainland Vladivostok in the Far East has been postponed indefinitely. The bridge, built for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on the island in September, has been a subject of controversy because of its high costs and disputed benefits.

(The Moscow Times)

SOCIETY

Supreme Court chairman Vyacheslav Lebedev made public a resolution, which may be used as a bridgehead for the possible release of jailed businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

(Kommersant)

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny compared himself to jailed former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky after prosecutors charged him with organizing the theft of timber products from a state company in 2009, a crime that carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison.

(The Moscow Times)

Over 30 people were detained at an unauthorized rally in downtown Moscow on Tuesday.

(Kommersant)

IT

U.S. Cyber Command chief, General Keith Alexander, took part in a big hacker conference. He called on hackers to unite to protect the country’s interests. Russia accused the United States of “double standards.”

(Kommersant)

ENVIRONMENT

The Agriculture Ministry has said its pessimistic forecast of the grain harvest was 75 million tons, although there was talk of 80-85 million tons just two weeks ago. The drought has caused damage worth 33 billion rubles ($1 billion).

(Vedomosti)

President Vladimir Putin has given a formal start to an expedition that will clean the Arctic of garbage left there since Soviet times.

(Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

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