What the Papers Say, July 31, 2013

Kommersant

1. Denis Skorobogatko et al. report headlined "Unanimous fertilizer" says shares in the Uralkali fertilizers manufacturer have lost 20 percent of their value, which has affected the price of global fertilizer manufacturers. The fall was caused by Uralkali's decision to give up the joint export with Belaruskaly company. Experts note that some people might have made millions on the insider information; pp 1, 8 (848 words).

2. Andrei Kolesnikov article headlined "Health Ministry warned" reports on a meeting on the health-care system chaired by President Putin; pp 1, 3 (1,064 words).

3. Andrei Yershov article headlined "Servicemen advance payments spent on business arrangements" reports on new financial fraud at the Defense Ministry. Investigators discovered that one of the ministry's directorates has broken a contract with the construction company belonging to late businessman Sergei Amelin and is now trying to return 9 billion rubles ($272 million) worth of advance payments. Some of the money has already been spent on buying facilities previously belonging to the ill-famed Oboronservis defense company; pp 1, 4 (695 words).

4. Olga Shestopal article headlined "Rosfinnadzor comes for auditors" says Rosfinnadzor financial watchdog is checking the work of auditors in Russia; pp 1, 7 (526 words).

5. Taisia Bekbulatova article headlined "Moscow mayoral candidates to be filmed in advance" says television debates of Moscow mayoral candidates will be pre-recorded and six mayoral hopefuls will discuss topics in one television program; p 2 (713 words).

6. Alexander Zheglov article headlined "Market finds out about its heroes" covers the developments in a high-profile case of an attack on policeman Anton Kudryashov at a market in Moscow; p 4 (500 words).

7. Maria Yefimova interview with Alexei Pushkov, head of the Russian delegation at PACE, speaking on PACE monitoring of human rights in Russia; p 6 (606 words).

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

1. Konstantin Remchukov article headlined "Navalny phenomenon and economic and political challenges for Vladimir Putin" looks into recent political developments in Russia and forecasts that either the State Duma or the government may be dissolved; pp 1-2 (1,024 words).

2. Ivan Rodin article headlined "Web liberals and internet guards" says the State Duma's discussion of control over obscene language on the internet is to continue in autumn; pp 1, 3 (913 words).

3. Svetlana Gamova article headlined "Kiev sends Russian peacekeepers to guardroom" says Russia will be able to help Moldova's breakaway Dniestr Region only financially as Kiev does not allow Moscow to transport cargo via the Ukrainian territory without the approval of Moldova; pp 1, 6 (687 words).

4. Anastasia Bashkatova article headlined "Wages grow amid economic stagnation" says around 35 percent of Russian companies have found resources to raise wages for their personnel despite the economic slowdown in the country; pp 1, 4 (896 words).

5. Viktoria Panfilova article headlined "USA upgrades Tajikistan army" says the president of Tajikistan is discussing the re-armament of his country's military with Washington just days before his visit to Russia; pp 1, 6 (806 words).

7. Editorial headlined "'Snowden's case primarily humanitarian problem" compares U.S. whistle-blower Edward Snowden's case with the trial of Bradley Manning who has handed over classified information to WikiLeaks; p 2 (504 words).

8. Oleg Matveychev article headlined "Real intrigue of elections" says that, according to recent public opinion polls, most Muscovites support President Putin and acting mayor Sergei Sobyanin rather than opposition candidates, including Alexei Navalny; p 2 (677 words).

9. Sergei Kazennov and Vladimir Kumachev article headlined "Carte blanche: Obama's bog maneuvers" tries to forecast whether U.S. President Obama will come to G20 summit in Russia; p 3 (717 words).

10. Vladimir Skosyrev article headlined "Philby and Snowden aliens among their people" compares U.K. spy Kim Philby with U.S. whistle-blower Edward Snowden; p 7 (690 words).

Vedomosti

1. Vitaly Petlevoy article headlined "Uralkali shifts to fall" says an announcement by Uralkali management that fertilizer prices will be falling has made other fertilizers manufacturers 20 percent cheaper; pp 1, 13 (575 words).

2. Darya Borisyak article headlined "Defaults to be insured" says the Russian Federal Service for Financial Markets is preparing a legal base for credit default swaps; pp 1, 14 (753 words).

3. Editorial headlined "Stick and wire" comments on the Russian lawmakers' plans to control the use of foul language on the internet; pp 1, 6 (401 words).

4. Anastasia Kornya and Bela Lyauv article headlined "Inaccessible candidate" says a modest campaign of the candidate for Moscow mayor and acting head of the city, Sergei Sobyanin, is a part of his strategy; p 2 (400 words).

5. Svetlana Bocharova et al. report headlined "Forced agents" focuses on prosecutors' attitudes towards NGOs given the new law on noncommercial organizations; p 2 (400 words).

6. Another editorial headlined "Sin as resource" slams the Russian fiscal policy as the authorities pledge to raise salaries to doctors and at the same time to stop increasing excise duties on alcohol; p 6 (333 words).

7. Article by Mikhail Fedotov, chairman of the human rights council under the Russian president, headlined "Agent speaks with agent" focuses on a campaign against NGOs in Russia; pp 6-7 (1,603 words).

Izvestia

1. Dmitry Yevstifeyev article headlined "Matveyevsky market to be demolished" says the Moscow municipal authorities have decided to close and demolish the market where Dagestani natives attacked a policemen; pp 1, 5 (593 words).

2. Yelena Malay article headlined "Russia to grow drug-free cannabis and poppy" says the Russian authorities have allowed farmers to grow drug-free cannabis and poppy; pp 1, 4 (701 words).

3. Alexander Yunashev and Sergei Zvezda article headlined "Visitors to be banned from checking in presidential residences" says the Federal Protection Service is to prohibit the use of mobile devices at the Russian presidential residences due to security concerns; pp 1, 2 (736 words).

4. Sergei Podosenov article "Social scientists report pessimism and decrease in number of protesters" says that according to one pollster, the number of active protest movement participants is declining down in Russia; p 2 (600 words).

5. Alena Sivkova article headlined "Russian Orthodox Church to hand over $1.3M to help Syrian victims" says the Orthodox Church has raised $1.3 million to help people who have suffered in the Syrian conflict; p 3 (412 words).

6. Natalya Savisko and Tatyana Baykova article headlined "New president of Pakistan to negotiate with Taliban" features Russian comments on the new Pakistani president, Mamnoon Hussain; p 7 (400 words).

7. Maria Gorkovskaya and Yury Matsarsky article headlined "Washington brings Israelis and Palestinians to negotiating table" features a Russian researcher's comment on the Middle East peace talks; p 7 (500 words).

Rossiiskaya Gazeta

1. Tatyana Zykova article headlined "To be sent to address" says a new measure has been taken to fight fly-by-night companies in Russia: if tax collectors cannot find companies by the addresses given in their registration documents, the companies' accounts may be frozen; pp 1-2 (393 words).

2. Roman Markelov article headlined "If you do not make pension payments, you will go to jail" says businessmen who avoid paying social taxes in Russia are facing up to six years in prison now; pp 1-2 (442 words).

3. Vitaly Petrov article headlined "Votes not block of shares" is an interview with political scientist Boris Vishnevsky about the mayoral election campaign in Moscow; p 3 (800 words).

4. Article by Fedor Lukyanov, chairman of the presidium of Foreign and Defense Policy Council, headlined "Snowden and Tarantino" urges Russian authorities to grant asylum to U.S. whistle-blower Snowden. The expert believes that Russian-U.S. relations will recover after the blow caused by the Snowden case; p 5 (712 words).

Moskovsky KomsomoletsNovaya Gazeta

1. Mikhail Rostovsky article headlined "Sobyanin as Hamlet, Navalny as Moor" analyses acting Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin's hesitation over participation in the election debates with opposition candidates; pp 1, 3 (818 words).

2. Vladislav Inozemtsev article headlined "Authorities' economic policy to write Russia off" comments on economic policy measures adopted by the government; p 3 (700 words).

3. Ignat Kalinin article headlined "How Shoigu plants wisdom in army" reports from the military's newly-created science unit; p 3 (400 words).

4. Igor Subbotin article headlined "No war, no peace" is an interview with Russian scholar Alexander Zhebin about the relations between Koreas; p 8 (700 words).

1. Unattributed article interviews Communist party candidate taking part in the Moscow mayoral election, Ivan Melnikov, speaking on his election platform; p 11 (1,092 words).

2. Igor Vasilyev interview with Igor Bunin, president of the center for Political technologies, speaking on the Moscow mayoral election and Navalny's electorate; p 10 (1,295 words).

RBC Daily

1. Alexander Litoy interview with OSCE expert Yevgeny Zhovtis speaking on the Bolotnaya square unrest trial; p 2 (1,000 words).

2. Stepan Opalev article headlined "Oboronservis beats Navalny" features Russian's weekly anti-corruption ranking compiled by RBC Daily and Medialogia; p 2 (250 words).

3. Katerina Kitayeva article headlined "STS Media and partners" comments on Yuliana Slashcheva taking up post of general director of the Russian STS Media holding company; p 5 (500 words).

4. Russian business ombudsman Boris Titov article headlined "Explanation issue" comments on the prospects of economic amnesty in Russia; p 6 (750 words).

Noviye Izvestia

1. Vera Moslakova article headlined "To register not to refuse" says, according to some experts, the opposition Civil Platform party headed by Russian tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov may not make it through the electoral filter in Yaroslavl; p 2 (800 words).

2. Sergei Putilov article headlined "At bottom" comments on Vladimir Putin's meeting on naval development and implementing the 2011-2020 naval defense procurement program and notes the plan for development of the Navy may end up in failure; p 3 (700 words).

Trud

1. Sergei Frolov article headlined "What outgoing mayor faces — terrible or just bad?" says the Nizhny Novgorod mayor, Oleg Sorokin, may soon be stripped of office over having property abroad and speculates on how the story might end for him; p 2 (400 words).

Argumenty i Fakty

1. Tatyana Kuznetsova interview with Ingush leader Yunus-Bek Yevkurov speaking on corruption in the North Caucasus and problems facing Ingushetia; p 7 (1,300 words).

2. Sergei Osipov article headlined "Deposing Al-Asad?" features expert comment on the latest developments in the Syrian crisis; p 9 (500 words).

Komsomolskaya Pravda

1. Alexander Grishin "Prokhorov's shot-off cartridge" looks at the reasons why Russian tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov's party Civil Platform might fail in the elections scheduled for Sept. 8; p 4 (1,300 words).

Related articles:

• What the Papers Say, July 30, 2012
• What the Papers Say, July 29, 2012
• What the Papers Say, July 26, 2012