PRESS DIGEST - RUSSIA - Nov 17
MOSCOW, Nov 17 (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
The daily say the Central Bank of Russia plans to create a special consolidation fund to help the owners of troubled banks close their businesses with dignity. The fund could also be used by normally functioning banks whose owners are tired of running their business but see no way out, it says.
Russia has withdrawn from the International Criminal Court's founding treaty, the daily reports. It cites experts who say Russia's credibility on the world stage is on the wane.
Russians believe they have been badly affected by the country's economic crisis and that it will last for a long time, the daily says, citing data from the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
Oil production in Russia will fall by 23 percent and gas production by 20 percent by 2040, the daily says, citing a forecast by the International Energy Agency.
The KAMAZ truck company will supply 1,700 trucks (a quarter of it's annual exports) to Cuba in the coming months, the daily says.
KOMMERSANT
www.kommersant.ru
The daily says Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov and the Finance Ministry are trying to relieve tensions around the planned privatisation of a stake in oil major Rosneft related to the detention of Alexei Ulyukayev, the former economy minister.
Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case to look into allegations of massive fraud involving the construction of the Vostochny space centre, the daily reports.
The daily reports that the Investigative Committee has also opened a criminal case into the suspected theft of 1 billion roubles ($15.47 million) that state technology firm RUSNANO was allocated several years ago to set up pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in the Yaroslavl region. It says the case involves the mayor of the town of Pereslavl-Zalessky as well as managers of the contractor.
The former deputy governor of St. Petersburg Marat Oganesyan has been arrested on suspicion of stealing more than 50 million roubles ($773,468) of budget funds that were allocated for electronic equipment at the Zenith Arena stadium in St. Petersburg, the newspaper reports.
NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA
www.ng.ru
The Supreme Court overturned the conviction of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the daily says. The politician said the decision meant he had regained the right to run in elections. He might participate in the next presidential election in 2018, the newspaper reports.
ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA
www.rg.ru
The daily reports that the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, has backed a decision to raise excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol in 2017. ($1 = 64.6439 roubles) (Reporting by Margarita Popova; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
