PRESS DIGEST - RUSSIA - Mar 23
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
State-owned companies will be required to pay at least 50 percent of their net profit in dividends or explain why they should pay less, the daily reported a federal agency for State Property Management as saying.
A second criminal case has been brought against the ex-Governor of Kirov region Nikita Belykh for alleged bribe-taking.
The federal anti-monopoly service says Novorossiysk commercial sea port violated antitrust laws by setting high tariffs for cargo handling and must pay 10 billion roubles ($174 million). The company will appeal the decision in court, the daily reported.
IZVESTIA
www.izvestia.ru
The port system of the Caspian sea region of Russia will receive a major upgrade to improve its trade, shipping and cruise tourism capacities, the newspaper said, citing a senior regional official. In addition, the visa regime for Iranian citizens will be simplified to encourage tourism in the region.
ROSSYISKAYA GAZETA
www.rg.ru
Ukraine bans Russia's entry for the 2017 Eurovision song contest from entering the country for three years. Ukrainian authorities said the singer had violated Ukrainian law by visiting Crimea, annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014.
($1 = 57.6360 Rub)
($1 = 57.5259 roubles) (Reporting by Margarita Popova)
