POLITICS
This summer's Russian-U.S. spy scandal was the result of betrayal by a Russian intelligence officer. Investigative reporting.
(Kommersant)
President Dmitry Medvedev will hold an Internet conference with Russians.
(Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
Right Cause, which styles itself as a liberal opposition party, has become the first party to officially support President Dmitry Medvedev's candidacy for a second term in 2012. Party co-founder Georgy Bovt said Wednesday that the decision reflects the country's political reality.
(Moscow Times)
The Republican Party that won last week's midterm elections to the U.S. Congress will block any initiatives from President Barack Obama. This could not only freeze the healthcare reform but also fold Obama's policy of "resetting" relations with Russia.
(Kommersant)
BUSINESS
Russian phone retailer Euroset is preparing for an IPO in London, three investment bankers and one company manager said. The IPO could be held at the London Stock Exchange in 2011 and involve some 30% of the company's stock. The final decision will be made by November 20.
(Vedomosti)
British lighting equipment producer Abacus has announced plans to build a plant in St. Petersburg next year. Abacus is "looking at how we can support the Winter Olympics in Sochi," said Andrew Morris Richardson, chairman of the board of Abacus Russia and a board member of British Abacus.
(Moscow Times)
English could become the only language for communication between traffic controllers and pilots for non-military Russian flights, said Alexander Neradko, head of the Federal Air Transportation Agency. Currently, both Russian and English are used for radio communication at the country's international airports, while the rest only use Russian.
(Moscow Times)
Russia hopes to join the World Trade Organization next year, presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich said.
(Vedomosti, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
The European Union plans to spend €1 trillion ($1.4 trillion) on diversification of energy supplies by 2020. The EU's energy strategy could strip Russia of part of its sales market but experts say the EU has little chance of implementing it.
(Vedomosti)
SOCIETY
City Hall's website crashed Wednesday after Mayor Sergei Sobyanin published his long-awaited plan to fight Moscow's notorious traffic jams. The plan in particular proposes barring trucks from the city during daylight hours. Experts say this will only result in shortages of goods and price hikes.
(Moscow Times, Vremya Novostei, Vedomosti)
The Investigative Committee's top department was assigned on Wednesday to handle the case of the attack on Kommersant reporter Oleg Kashin, who remains in a drug-induced coma, as suspects singled out by the media denied involvement.
(Vedomosti, Kommersant, Moscow Times, Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has banned parents from paying for efforts to repair and equip schools because there is a special federal target program to deal with the issue.
(Kommersant)
OIL & GAS
Bulgaria's Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposed joint venture with Russian energy giant Gazprom to run the Bulgarian section of the planned South Stream pipeline that will run across the Black Sea. The agreement envisions a 50-50 partnership between Gazprom and Bulgarian Energy Holding and is to be signed during Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit to Sofia on Saturday.
(Vremya Novostei, Moscow Times)
Gazprom's sales to South Korea should pull even with supplies to major European buyers like France by 2017 as the Russian gas export monopoly turns its attention toward burgeoning Asian markets, Gazprom chief Alexei Miller said Wednesday.
(Moscow Times, Vremya Novostei)
IT
Registration of ordinary users in the Cyrillic Internet domain (.рф) will start at midday Thursday.
(Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
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