POLITICS
Russia’s outgoing President Dmitry Medvedev has submitted a draft law to parliament on amendments to the Civil Code. Medvedev believes that the document, which has been in the works for four years, “will strengthen the fundamentals of economic life and improve the investment climate" in Russia. (Kommersant, Vedomosti, Moscow News)
Russian lawmakers are set to discuss a new law on elections to the upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation council. According to draft legislation, candidates must be over 34-years-old, have “an impeccable reputation and should not be affiliated with any political parties. (Kommersant)
Vladimir Putin’s third term as Russian president should be his last, the majority of respondents of a public opinion poll conducted by the Levada Center pollster said. (Vedomosti)
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Apple is aiming to attract a third distributor in Russia – the OCS company – to boost the sales of its personal computers in the country. (Kommersant, Vedomosti)
The volume of mortgage loans in Russia continues to grow despite steep interest rates. Market experts predict earnings of up to a billion rubles (over $34 mln) from mortgage sales in 2012. (Vedomosti)
Russia may harvest at least 94 million tons of grain in 2012 keeping a positive trend which started last year. (Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
BANKING
Russia’s five largest banks control half of consolidated banking assets in the country. All these banks are state-run, which distorts the concept of fair competition in the banking business. (Vedomosti)
DEFENSE
The Russian Defense Ministry is planning to modernize outdated BMD-1 combat vehicles in service with the Airborne Troops rather than buy new and more advanced combat vehicles of the same type. BMD-1 will be refitted with upgraded engines, guns, fire-control systems and communications equipment. (Izvestia)
WORLD
India is on the brink of a serious political scandal over a confidential report on a poor combat readiness of the Indian army due to a lack of advanced weaponry. Russian experts believe that the report may push the Indian military to look for new arms purchases from Russia. (Kommersant)
SOCIETY
Moscow lawmakers have supported the proposed return to a standard school uniform mandatory for all pupils around the country. Some experts believe, though, that the project, which will cost 2.3 billion rubles ($78.5 mln), is merely aimed at “supporting Russia’s uncompetitive textile industry.” (Kommersant, Moscow News)
Russia’s Regional Development Ministry estimates that more than 30 percent of Russian citizens will never be able to buy a new house or apartment. (Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
Russia’s North Caucasus regions may become the only stable contributors to the workforce for the whole country. These regions registered a steady population growth in the past decade, while the rest of the country experienced a demographic downfall. (Moscow News)
CRIME
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has disagreed with the presidential human rights council’s view on pardon of convicts in questionable cases, including those of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev. (Izvestia)
Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office said on Monday that some of the high-profiled criminal cases, including those of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev, had been checked and the conclusions made by prosecutors had been sent to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for revision. (Moscow News)
Russia’s Rosneft state-run oil company will not file a civil suit against former Yukos head Mikhail Khosdorkovsky. The write-off on restitution of damages is estimated at 400 billion rubles ($13.6 bln). (Izvestia)
ACCIDENTS
The crash of a French-made ATR-72 passenger plane operated by Russia’s UTair airline near the city of Tyumen on Monday proves that the modernization of the plane fleet alone does not guarantee flight safety. (Moscow News)
For more details on all the news in Russia today, visit our website at http://en.rian.ru.
