LOCAL NEWS

Conscript At Center Of Hazing Scandal

Human rights group Soldiers’ Mothers has discovered medical files that show that 20-year-old conscript Roman Rudakov, who has been kept in the emergency ward of military hospital No. 442 after doctors removed his small intestine on Sept. 30, 2006, had been severely beaten in the abdominal area three weeks earlier.

NATIONAL NEWS

FRENKEL OFFICIALLY CHARGED WITH MURDER OF BANKER

MOSCOW — Prosecutors on Wednesday charged banker Alexei Frenkel with organizing the murder of Andrei Kozlov, a senior Central Bank official who sought to clean up the banking industry.

Prosecutors at the Basmanny District Court formally entered the charges against Frenkel in connection with the killing of Kozlov, who was shot at point-blank range Sept.

RUSSIA’S RICHEST WOMAN SUED BY HER OWN BROTHER

Yelena Baturina, the country’s richest woman and the wife of Moscow’s mayor, is being sued by her brother and former business partner Viktor Baturin.

Baturin, formerly the deputy head of Inteko, the billion-dollar concrete, plastics and real estate business that his sister heads, said Wednesday that he was suing the company for his dismissal and for the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars of Inteko shares.

MARIINSKY II NOT GOING TO PLAN

The Russian government has suspended its contract with architect Dominique Perrault to plan and construct a new building for the Mariinsky Theater due to fears his French firm might fail to deliver the project on time.

“At present Perrault to us is not a world-renowned architect, but just a contractor, who does not meet his obligations,” Mikhail Shvydkoi, the head of the Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography was quoted by Fontanka.

THINKERS HAVE A DREAM: A RUSSIAN MARTIN LUTHER KING

Locked in a situation of uncertainty in a country in which they believe abuse of civil rights is rampant, Russian intellectual liberals are awaiting a messiah.

LOCAL BUSINESS

S GROUP UNVEILS PLANS FOR HOTEL, HEALTH SPA

The Finnish company S Group will open a five-star spa hotel on Vasilievsky Island this summer. On Jan. 5, SOK signed an agreement with Holiday Club Resorts acquiring business operations of the Holiday Club St. Petersburg spa hotel, which is being built at Birzhevoy Pereulok.

MERKEL TO PUSH ON ENERGY

MOSCOW — German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday that she would use her country’s EU presidency to push for an agreement ensuring Russia’s ability to act as a reliable energy supplier.

Tenants, Owners Fear for Future of Apraksin Dvor

Private owners and investors of shopping areas in Apraksin Dvor, a downtown area widely known for its open-air market, strongly objected to new ideas for the development of the territory at a press conference Thursday. Meanwhile, the city administration believes the territory can not be preserved in its present condition.

CULTURE

SOUND WAVES

Australian musician Mick Harvey, co-founder of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Boys Next Door and The Birthday Party, has taken a break from playing with fellow Australian Cave to put together an album of his film music.

In a recent email interview from his home in Melbourne, Australia, the 48-year old Harvey, whose recorded solo work includes a pair of acclaimed tributes to the late French singer/songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, explained his interest in composing for films.

“It is a great creative outlet and challenge, to find the atmosphere and sense of the film in music,” he said.

“Many people feel that music is the soul of a film and often that is the case, so it’s a big responsibility and an exciting artistic endeavor.

CHERNOV’S CHOICE

With all energy spent during the January holidays, music listings this week lack virtually any big names, and, what’s worse, unlike last year, there are almost no rumors about international acts who are likely to perform in the city in the next 12 months.

However, it might be worthwhile to check out Deti Picasso, a Moscow-based Armenian folk-tinged band fronted by vocalist Gaya Arutyunyan, who sings in Russian and Armenian.

TOP DOG

Thai food aficionados around the city may be excited to learn about the opening of a new Thai restaurant on Ulitsa Rubinshteina, considering the dearth of Thai food in St. Petersburg. They will not be disappointed by a visit — on the contrary, Mops, which means “pug-dog” in Russian, offers first-class service, superb food and very agreeable surroundings.

ZOO STORY

In 1983, one of the main cult directors of the past century, Francis Ford Coppola, directed “Rumblefish,” a gang story that overnight made stars of Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourke and Nicholas Cage; in 2004, Gus Van Sant, directed the Palme Dior-winning “Elephant,” a visually outstanding movie about high-school shootings that was immensely powerful and yet didn’t jump to any conclusions.

SPORT

SHARAPOVA ADVANCES DESPITE HEAT

MELBOURNE — Top seed Maria Sharapova made up for her exhausting opening victory with a 6-0 6-3 drubbing of fellow Russian Anastassia Rodionova in the Australian Open second round on Thursday.

Sharapova, who was within two points of defeat by Frenchwoman Camille Pin in searing midday heat on Tuesday, looked much more comfortable on a cooler evening and clinched victory in 58 minutes.

CHELSEA BANKS ON ARSENAL VICTORY AGAINST MANCHESTER UTD

LONDON — Arsenal take on old foes and Premier League leaders Manchester United this weekend with champions Chelsea crossing their fingers for a Gunners victory.