By Citizen M | Published: March 31, 2011

TODAY: Strategy 31 organizers to turn sights to United Russia; organization raided by police ahead of protests today; new opposition report on corruption; debating the independence of the revived Moscow News; HIV figures rise; Council of Europe to intervene on gay rights; Gorbachev gala; actress Gurchenko dies.
Lev Ponomarev says that the activists ceasing to protest under the Strategy 31 banner will turn their attention to
banning United Russia. In a move widely thought to be connected with planned action on Triumfalnaya Square today, the group’s Moscow offices have been
raided by police ‘
armed with automatic weapons‘, who detained four activists. The People’s Freedom Party, headed by opposition figures (and former ministers) including Boris Nemtsov and Vladimir Ryzhkov, have released a new
report on corruption, to be distributed at today’s rallies: ‘
We have bad roads. This is because of corruption. The fact that prices are going up on utilities in our country, this is because the tariffs are going up on gas, and the tariffs on gas are going up because Putin’s friends have taken $60 billion worth of property.‘ Is the Prime Minister intending to use the revived, and now state-run, Moskovskiye Novosti newspaper to ‘
widen his appeal‘? Some sources are reserving their judgement for now: ‘
Reporters Without Borders said the revival of the newspaper may show that Putin’s ruling elite is more open to criticism.‘
Moscow’s number of
HIV infected people has risen 64.5% year-on-year, with current totals at 29,337: and it is still not in the top ten regions affected. The family of a soldier found hanged in his military unit is calling for a
full investigation. New research focusing on climate change in
Russia’s boreal forest reveals a ‘
continually accelerating large-scale shift in vegetation types‘, with experts warning that ‘
warming creates more warming‘. The Council of Europe could step in to pressure Russia over
the current status of gay rights, with a draft report underway, but homophobia ‘
runs deep in [Russian] society‘, with major political parties (including United Russia) shunning a round table to discuss the issue this week. Sergei Lavrov says that Libya does need a new regime, but that it is up to the Libyans to
forge it for themselves, as Western leaders debate whether or not to arm rebel forces.
PHOTO: Members of the audience look on as models display creations at the Veronika Nico fashion show during fashion week in Moscow March 30, 2011. REUTERS/Nikolay Korchekov