POLITICS

Russia’s regional policy program for the period to 2020 proposes governors should be held responsible for a lack of tolerance and patriotism among the population of their regions.

(Kommersant)

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with his Yemeni counterpart Abd Rabbuh Mansur al-Hadi. The two sides discussed trade, economic and business ties.

(Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

Georgia’s parliament has decided to soften punishment for “illegal entry” to the territories of breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia - republics that most world countries recognize as part of Georgia but Russia has recognized as independent states. Now Russians and other foreigners will only be fined, not arrested if they cross into the republics for the first time. The Georgian president’s entourage says the initiative is an “inadmissible concession” to Russia.

(Kommersant)

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Russian energy giant Gazprom is now valued at less than $100 billion for the first time since 2009.

(Vedomosti)

The Russian government will inject more than $8 billion into the state railway monopoly in a bid to increase freight traffic to far eastern seaports, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said .

(The Moscow Times)

SOCIETY

Russians believe President Vladimir Putin “restricts the appetites of bureaucracy” but doubt that violations on the part of corrupt deputies and officials will be investigated objectively, according to an opinion survey by Levada Center.

(Kommersant)

Unfair court judgments, poor prison conditions and abuse of authority by law enforcement officials were among the main complaints received by Kremlin human rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin last year, which he said in an annual report was the "most difficult" for him since taking his post in 2004.

(The Moscow Times)

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has given instructions to establish a municipal video surveillance system, after the authorities previously stated that a police video surveillance system was ineffective.

(Kommersant)

President Vladimir Putin has expanded declaration requirements for more than 1.3 million state employees and given the Kremlin the power to demand and check disclosures, in what it hopes will be significant steps toward carrying out the government's stalled anti-corruption plan.

(The Moscow Times, Kommersant)

DEFENSE

North Korea has vowed to restart reactor facilities at its Yongbyon nuclear complex, challenging the international community once again. Sources in Russian state structures say Moscow has no effective tools to influence Pyongyang.

(Kommersant)

For more details on all the news in Russia today, visit our website at http://en.ria.ru.