POLITICS
The UN General Assembly will open its general debate. High-ranking representatives from some 200 countries are expected to attend the event. Against a background of the Syrian crisis, many of them are starting to doubt the UN’s efficiency. The Russian delegation will try to prevent the UN’s central role in settling international issues from being dismissed.
(Kommersant)
The government has offered a compromise to the Kremlin: a 2013-2015 budget close to that proposed by the Finance Ministry should be submitted to the lower house of parliament, and the two sides then may discuss various changes by the first quarter of 2013.
(Kommersant)
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
The tax authorities plan to reject the assumption that rail monopoly Russian Railways incurs losses in its commuter transportation operations, demanding the company pay an additional 740 million rubles ($23.8 million) to the budget.
(Vedomosti)
Promsvyazbank, one of Russia's biggest privately owned lenders, announced it will proceed with a $500 million listing in London and Moscow.
(The Moscow Times)
The Energy Ministry plans to spend $1 trillion to raise the fuel and energy sector’s energy efficiency. This is nearly half of the country’s GDP and more than the capitalization of all Russian fuel and energy sector companies, which are expected to provide the bulk of the astronomical sum.
(Vedomosti)
SOCIETY
Russia’s lawmakers are set to toughen responsibility for drunk driving following Saturday’s incident when a drunk driver in Moscow ran over seven people.
(Kommersant)
U.S. government-funded Radio Liberty has reiterated its commitment to operating in Russia after November 10, when a new law will force it to discontinue AM broadcasts, and after dozens of journalists and editors left the organization last week.
(The Moscow Times)
A new wave of protests against the destruction of St. Petersburg’s historical center is on the rise in the northwestern Russian city.
(Kommersant)
The State Duma's ethics commission recommended that Deputy Ilya Ponomaryov's voting rights be suspended for one month after he called United Russia members "crooks and thieves" and wore jeans instead of a suit to parliament.
(The Moscow Times)
The lower house of parliament is expected to adopt a statement on the protection of people’s religious feelings. The statement’s authors say punishment for desecration of holy objects and for insulting believers should be toughened.
(Kommersant)
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