POLITICS
United Russia lawmaker Vladimir Pekhtin, who chairs the State Duma’s ethics committee, resigned from the legislature on Wednesday after bloggers revealed that he owned luxury real estate abroad, which he had not mentioned in his annual tax report.
(Kommersant, Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Izvestia)
Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika and Investigative Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin met with State Duma lawmakers on Wednesday. During the meeting they said that anti-corruption efforts and defending the rights of “the most vulnerable Russians” had become their priority.
(Kommersant, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
Japan’s former prime minister and noted public figure Yoshiro Mori arrived in Moscow to prepare for Japanese PM Shinzo Abe’s visit to Russia slated for later this year.
(Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
The government of Bulgaria resigned after clashes between protestors and police.
(Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Izvestia)
Early parliamentary elections, widely seen as crucial to Europe’s financial stability, will be held in Italy on Sunday.
(Kommersant)
ECONOMY
The International Monteray Fund joined the discussion about the political conditions needed for the Russian economy's long-term, sustainable growth, saying that Russian economy's fundamental problem was its conservative structure.
(Kommersant)
China registered a rapid decline in investment in January. Officials have yet to comment on the phenomenon.
(Vedomosti)
OIL & GAS
Lukoil, after losing the shelf development battle with Rosneft and Gazprom, has not given up all hope of being allowed to develop oil deposits in Russian waters. It is currently eyeing deposits in areas that are not formally considered "shelf."
(Kommersant)
Italy’s Eni hired lawyers White & Case in an attempt to review its contract with Gazprom.
(Vedomosti)
TELECOMS & IT
More than 90 percent of passwords created by online users, are vulnerable to hacker attack, recent research by Deloitte indicates.
(Vedomosti)
CONSUMER
Grain prices in Russia dropped for the first time during the season.
(Vedomosti)
DEFENSE
Western Military District chiefs have prepared a report for Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, asking him to opt against buying modernized T-72 tanks.
(Izvestia)
TRANSPORT
Russian regional development minister Igor Slyunyayev said that making airline and railway tickets cheaper would be enough to ensure Olympic venues in Sochi are profitable after the Games.
(Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
SOCIETY
The death of Maxim Kuzmin, a Russian child adopted by a US family, may prompt Russia to demand the return of his brother Kirill.
(Kommersant, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Izvestia)
The United Russia party introduced a bill to increase fines for most traffic violations.
(Kommersant)
ENVIRONMENT
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a development plan for the country’s Arctic regions.
(Kommersant, Izvestia)
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