POLITICS
Russian opposition leaders started drawing plans to participate in fall regional elections immediately after the Justice Ministry registered their RPR-Parnas party on Thursday. (The Moscow Times, Kommersant, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
The lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, has temporarily shelved the discussion of crucial draft legislation – the law on State Duma elections. It was submitted in February by then-President Dmitry Medvedev but has not been discussed since. (Izvestia)
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Russia is preparing a new legislation which envisions tax and customs incentives for energy companies developing oil and natural gas reserves in the Arctic. The measure is aimed at increasing economic feasibility and attracting more private investors to resource potentially rich maritime territories. (The Moscow Times, Kommersant, Vedomosti)
The Russian government has submitted to the lower house of parliament a draft law on the norms of individual consumption of goods. The so-called consumer basket for 2013 envisions increased consumption of meat, fish, vegetables and milk products but reduces the share of bread, potatoes and butter. (Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
Russia’s largest auto-maker AvtoVAZ is planning to boost the popularity of its Lada cars by licensing the name of the brand for production of toy cars. (Vedomosti)
Sales of tablet PC’s in Russia grew fourfold in the first half of 2012 to 15.2 billion rubles ($465 mln). Apple, Samsung and Acer control 76% of the Russian market by sales. (Kommersant)
WORLD
There is growing evidence confirming that the United States has started indirect financing and supplying of Syrian rebels using the schemes well-tested during their support of Taliban rebels in their fight against the Soviet troops in the 1980s. The resemblance with the rise of al-Qaeda and bin Laden is striking. (Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
SOCIETY
Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized the Pussy Riot punk band for their scandalous performance in downtown Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral but said the punishment for them should not be “too harsh.” (Vedomosti)
Moscow lawmakers are planning to introduce draft legislation that tightens rules on the sales and possession of arms in the capital. The draft law envisions the addition of pneumatic weapons to the list of licensed possession and mandatory medical approval for Muscovites applying for suggested pneumatic weapon licenses. (Izvestia)
Russia is planning to tighten rules for public transport companies following the recent wave of accidents involving passenger buses. (Kommersant, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
Russia’s Supreme Arbitration Court has ruled that the Russian Railroads company has no right to include a voluntary insurance fee of up to 100 rubles into the price of a rail ticket. (Moscow News)
Russian viewers will be able to watch some 20 free digital TV channels by 2015. (Vedomosti)
Salaries of Russian school teachers may soon drop to levels of 2011 as the Finance Ministry has blocked the adoption of a new legislation that originally envisioned a sharp increase in their incomes. Interview with member of Public Chamber Lyubov Dukhanina. (Moscow News)
CRIME
A new potent drug may have appeared on the Russian “black market” as some 180 residents of the Urals region have died recently from overdoses in a span of a few days. (Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
