Today in Russian Business – Jan 9th, 2008

An attempt by oligarch Alexander Lebedev (profiled in yesterday’s Guardian, and who already holds a 49% stake in independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, the paper which employed murdered journalist Anna Politkovskaya) to buy UK newspaper The Evening Standard has reportedly been vetoed by its owner.  Natural gas shortages caused by the Russia-Ukraine dispute have forced Suzuki’s factory in northern Hungary to close until next week, raising concerns about jobs cuts.