POLITICS

The European Union is ready to facilitate a new visa regime with Russia and may soon agree to visa-free travel for service passport holders, but wants to exclude servicemen.

(Vedomosti)

Henrique Capriles has agreed to be the Venezuelan opposition’s candidate against acting president Nicolas Maduro in the April 14 presidential elections.

(Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

Prosecutor General Yury Chaika has chosen a former St. Petersburg chief prosecutor, who served as the presidential envoy to the Northwest Federal District, to become his deputy and presumed successor amid speculation that Chaika may soon be dismissed. Nikolai Vinnichenko's candidacy for deputy prosecutor general has been submitted to the Federation Council for approval, the Kremlin said. Vladimir Bulavin, a former KGB officer, is assuming the post of envoy.

(The Moscow Times)

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

A hundred thousand of self-employed entrepreneurs terminate their activity or hide each month due to increased insurance payments. The Economic Development Ministry says the losses are huge, adding that this did not happen even during the economic crisis.

(Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

Norilsk Nickel shareholders elected a new board for the nickel producer and elected a former De Beers chief executive as chairman.

(Vedomosti)

DEFENSE

The United States and South Korea have begun large-scale annual military drills, codenamed Key Resolve, shortly after a new round of UN sanctions was imposed on North Korea last week.

(Kommersant)

SOCIETY

Members of the ruling United Russia party propose banning State Duma deputies from going abroad without the consent of the lower house’s speaker. The move follows A Just Russia deputy Dmitry Gudkov’s recent trip to the United States, where he criticized corrupt Russian officials.

(Izvestiya)

The Russian opposition proposes expanding the circle of deputies’ and officials’ relatives that have to provide information on their incomes and property following media reports that Irina Yarovaya, who leads the State Duma's security and anti-corruption committee, owns a luxury apartment she failed to put on her official property declaration, a claim Yarovaya denies.

(Kommersant)

The Bolshoi Theater's general director said he believes that dancer Pavel Dmitrichenko, who last week confessed to ordering an attack on the theater's ballet director, Sergei Filin, was only an "executor and a pawn in someone else's hands."

(The Moscow Times)

The Vatican’s ambassador to Russia, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, said relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church would improve whoever is elected the new Pope.

(Kommersant)

IT

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said he would no longer personally update his Facebook and Twitter accounts.

(The Moscow Times)

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