POLITICS

Britain has agreed for the first time in more than a decade to extradite a Russian citizen seeking asylum. The citizen is a former St. Petersburg resident, accused of beating a man to death. Britain has turned down all other requests to extradite Russian asylum seekers, including self-exiled businessman Boris Berezovsky, since President Vladimir Putin took power in 2000.

(The Moscow Times)

DEFENSE & SECURITY

Defense industry enterprises will have to issue warranty certificates for their products due to a demand by the Defense Ministry. After the products’ service life is over, the manufacturers will have to dispose of them.

(Vedomosti)

Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Russian Federal Security Service officers to protect Russians from an array of threats, including extremist groups, foreign-funded organizations and cyberattacks.

(The Moscow Times)

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

A total of $211 billion has been illegally withdrawn from Russia over the past 18 years. The illegal capital inflow totaled $553 billion, according to foreign experts.

(Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

Prior to a meeting of G20 financial regulator chiefs in Moscow, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov outlined the key issues on the agenda. The issues include a proposal to assess risks for central depositaries as part of a reform of the over-the-counter derivatives market.

(Kommersant)

ExxonMobil and Rosneft signed an agreement that will give the US company exploration access to an additional 606,000 square kilometers in the Russian Arctic. A separate agreement will give Rosneft the opportunity to acquire a 25 percent interest in the Point Thompson unit on Alaska's North Slope.

(The Moscow Times)

IT

Spanish police and Europol have conducted an international special operation and detained 11 members of a cybercrime network led by a Russian national. The group consisting of Russians, Ukrainians and Georgians extorted money from internet users demanding that they pay fake fines. Otherwise, the victims’ computers remained locked. The criminals have managed to collect at least 3 million euros.

(Vedomosti)

SOCIETY

Russia’s Constitutional Court has ruled that the minimum level of fines for violations of laws governing protests should be lowered. The Court also said compulsory community service could only be used as a punishment if a person had been convicted of causing bodily harm at a protest. A number of judges said the law should have been annulled.

(Kommersant)

State Duma Deputy Vladimir Pekhtin asked to be temporarily relieved of his duties as chairman of the Duma's Credentials and Ethics Commission until the conclusion of a probe into allegations that he failed to declare more than $2 million in property holdings in the US state of Florida.

(The Moscow Times)

The presidential human rights council has drafted amendments to some laws. Rights champions propose mitigating responsibility for insulting police officers and for slander and toughening punishment for those who prevent journalists from fulfilling their duties. The amendments also oblige officials to respond to media criticism.

(Kommersant)

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