PRESS DIGEST - RUSSIA - Aug 25
MOSCOW, Aug 25 (Reuters) - The following are some stories in Russia's newspapers on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
VEDOMOSTI
www.vedomosti.ru
- Russia's Finance Ministry is preparing amendments to the tax legislation for Russia's oil and gas producers for the next year, which could yield an additional 320 billion roubles ($4.9 billion) for the state budget.
- Russia's Security Council suggests launching a separate communications network for the military and security forces which would ensure solve "reliable and stable state and military control of the country".
- A U.S. citizen of Baptist faith was fined 40,000 roubles ($616) for conducting missionary activity in Russia. The man became "the first victim" of Russia's new tough anti-terror law, the daily writes.
- Police in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don stopped a group of angry farmers who intended to reach Moscow onj tractors in protest at large agribusiness holdings which they say "grab" their land in the southern region of Kuban, the daily says.
KOMMERSANT
www.kommersant.ru
- Moscow and Ankara will have to go through another test in their relations, the daily writes, commenting on the possible aftermath of Turkey's land operation in Syria which was backed by the United States but was not coordinated with Russia.
- The number of Russians travelling abroad has fallen by 25-30 percent so far this year. Apart from financial difficulties, Russians are afraid of possible terrorist attacks, the daily says.
- Russia's oil and gas giants, Rosneft and Gasprom, spent 14 billion roubles ($215.75 million) and 404 million roubles ($6.23 million) respectively on various charity and sponsorship projects last year.
IZVESTIA
www.izvestia.ru
- Turkey has held preliminary consultations with Moscow and Damascus before launching its land operation in Syria, the daily writes, citing its source close to Syria's government.
- Russia will offer Israel to agree on additional security measures to avoid any incidents between Russia's and Syrian military and the Israeli army in the area of the Golan Heights.
- The Health Ministry has advised that Russians should eat less bread and potatoes, according to its new nutrition recommendations "for a healthy way of live".
NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA
www.ng.ru
- Turkey's land operation in Syria, obviously carried out with the consent of its NATO allies, could lead to the annexation of the autonomy of Syrian Kurds and the collapse of Syria as a state, the daily writes.
- Russian economic experts criticise the monetary policy of the Central Bank which in their opinion plays right into the hands of forex speculators, the daily writes. ($1 = 64.8904 roubles) (Reporting by Tatiana Ustinova)
