TODAY: Politkovskaya suspects on trial again; gay rights activist calls for tolerance in wake of murders; Moscow mayor may run for early re-election;  Labour Code restricts outsourcing; E.U.-Russia Summit begins; Gazprom courting local providers.

The second trial of five men suspected of involvement in the killing of journalist Anna Politkovskaya six years ago began in Moscow yesterday, as a lawyer for her family said there is ‘no chance’ that the name of the person who ordered her killing would be revealed.  Lawyers for the accused men are demanding a jury trial.  Politkovskaya’s direct criticism of Vladimir Putin and her wide reporting on corruption and rights abuses has made the trial a symbol of Putin’s attempts to stifle dissent, says Reuters.  Prominent gay rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev is calling for a more tolerant society and an end to official ‘homophobic rhetoric’, following a murder in Kamchakta last week that was thought to be related to the victim’s sexuality.  This was the second suspected homophobic murder in Russia in less than a month, rousing speculation that the Putin regime’s anti-gay laws are to blame. ‘It’s going to get worse,’ Alexeyev said.  A woman has been detained by police for offering a Kremlin job to a businessman for $3 million.  Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin may resign from his post in order to make himself available for early re-election in September of this year, instead of the projected date of 2015, giving him ‘a significant advantage over his rivals’.  Amendments to the Labour Code to restrict employee leasing are supported by labour unions due to increased worker security, but could negatively affect businesses and the economy, critics say.