Today in Russian Business – Dec 18, 2009

Bloomberg reports that Rusal’s application to have its IPO on the Hong Kong stock exchange has received conditional approval, but other reports indicate that a Hong Kong Commission wants to limit the IPO sale to institutions, preventing private individuals from taking part.  Labels on beer, wine and liquor will soon warn potential buyers in large print about the dangers of alcohol consumption, but this article implies that price hikes are more of a deterrent than health warnings.  Other proposals for curbing consumption include a plan to ban beer sales at kiosks.  Billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov is still on a mission to become a shareholder in the NBA.  VEB concedes that it may have to return to giving out subordinated loans to banks, as previous measures have not lifted lending activity.