POLITICS
Some 300 people were detained in Moscow late on Tuesday during a second evening of protests over alleged mass electoral fraud in favor of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia party at this weekend's parliamentary polls. (Kommersant, Vedomosti)
The leader of the ruling United Russia party, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, is expected to visit the Central Election Commission on Wednesday to personally submit documents for registration as a presidential candidate. Experst believe that his campaign will focus on All-Russia People’s Front rather than on United Russia, as the results of recent general elections showed fading popularity of the party. (Moscow News, Vedomosti, Izvestia)
United Russia plans to carry out a serious reshuffle of its cadre in the regional branches where the ruling party showed poor results during parliamentary elections on Sunday.
(Kommersant)
The ruling party needs re-branding and Russia needs a “new Putin,” political experts concluded on Tuesday during a round table on the results of Sunday parliamentary elections in Russia. (Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
ECONOMY&BUSINESS
Russia’s stock indexes dropped by more than 4 percent on Tuesday and the U.S. dollar exchange rate jumped above 31 rubles reflecting growing political instability in the country after the recent general elections. (Kommersant, Vedomosti)
TNK-BP and LUKoil have announced a reduction in gasoline prices citing favorable demand-offer conditions on the Russian market. Experts believe, though, the companies have been ordered to lower the prices as the announcement came shortly after executives from the oil firms had been summoned by the government to discuss the situation on the domestic gasoline retail market. (Moscow News)
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will lobby the interests of the Russian nuclear industry during his visit to the Czech Republic on December 7-8. A Rosatom-led Russian-Czech consortium taking part in a tender on the construction of two new reactor blocks at the Temelín NPP faces strong competition from the U.S. Westinghouse Electric Company. (Kommersant)
Russia may allow some foreign air carriers to enter the country’s domestic passenger air transport market. At present, Holidays Czech Airlines and Latvian Air Baltic are on the list of potential candidates requested by Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League. (Vedomosti)
Russian computer games developer Destiny Development will challenge the popularity of the world’s most-frequently downloaded Angry Birds game with the release of its clone - Angry Pets. (Izvestia)
The current Eurozone crisis has forced many economists to reconsider their oil price predictions for next year. Some of them believe prices could drop as low as $30-35 per barrel. (Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
DEFENSE
Russia started the first day at an arms show in Malaysia with a preliminary agreement on the delivery of six Su-30MK2 fighters to Indonesia. (Kommersant)
WORLD
The border between South Ossetia and Russia was closed Tuesday following a grenade attack on the home of the breakaway region's prosecutor and a decision to throw out a court appeal by presidential hopeful Alla Dzhioyeva (The Moscow Times, Kommersant, Izvestia)
The recent amendments to the law On the Armed Forces of Ukraine allow President Viktor Yanukovych to order the deployment of the military in times of peace without asking the approval of the parliament. Political experts fear the new legislation could be used against protesters. (Moscow News)
SPORTS
Religion is gradually penetrating the world of Russian sports. In addition to a recent move to bless Russian athletes before their participation in the Olympic Games, the Russian Bandy Super League may soon include a team sponsored by the Russian Orthodox Church. (Moscow News)
The Washington Capitals extended their losing streak on Monday despite the recent arrival of new head coach Dale Hunter. Russian hockey star Alexander Ovechkin, who has put in a sub-par performance since the start of the current season, is getting part of the blame for the team’s woes. (Kommersant)
SOCIETY
Russia’s Federal Service on Financial Markets may be allowed unrestricted access to information on banking activities of any Russian citizen even if they are performed abroad. The relevant legislation could be passed as early as next year. (Izvestia)
A 17th-century monastery in the Tver Region (central Russia) has been put up for sale to private buyers for a price that is less than an average price of a studio apartment in the Moscow suburbs - 1.7 million rubles ($54,000). (Izvestia)
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