3:31am EST MOSCOW, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The following are some of the leading stories in Russia's newspapers on Friday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. KOMMERSANT www.kommersant.ru - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sounded more menacing and aggressive than last year while answering questions from the Russian people in a televised phone-in on Thursday, the daily says. - The authorities of the town of Chelaybinsk in Urals have filed a suit against local military over ground tremors, which frightened local residents into thinking they were victim to earth-quakes, the daily said. - Investigators have brought charges against Nikolai Nevolko, a former director of Russia's biggest hydro power plant in Siberia, Sayano-Shushinskaya, over a disaster in August last year that killed 75 people. Six other officials will also face charges for failing to ensure the safety of the workers, the daily adds. VEDOMOSTI www.vedomosti.ru - Putin made several statements that contradicted President Dmitry Medvedev's policies or failed to take them into account, the daily says of Putin's question-answer session on Thursday. - The merger of Russia's Uralkali (URKA.MM: , , , ) and Silvinit (SILV.RTS: , , , ), to be announced on Monday, will move the two toward a monopoly over Russia's potash market, the daily says. ROSSIISKAYA GAZETA www.rg.ru - The state's stake in Russia's economy will shrink to 40 percent and even less by 2015 as a result of the government's privatisation drive, the proceeds of which are due to be invested in modernising the economy, the daily says citing officials. - Russia should do away with obligatory court rulings on prisoner parole to avoid court bribes, Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov was quoted as saying.
3:31am EST MOSCOW, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The following are some of the leading stories in Russia's newspapers on Friday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. KOMMERSANT www.kommersant.ru - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sounded more menacing and aggressive than last year while answering questions from the Russian people in a televised phone-in on Thursday, the daily says. - The authorities of the town of Chelaybinsk in Urals have filed a suit against local military over ground tremors, which frightened local residents into thinking they were victim to earth-quakes, the daily said. - Investigators have brought charges against Nikolai Nevolko, a former director of Russia's biggest hydro power plant in Siberia, Sayano-Shushinskaya, over a disaster in August last year that killed 75 people. Six other officials will also face charges for failing to ensure the safety of the workers, the daily adds. VEDOMOSTI www.vedomosti.ru - Putin made several statements that contradicted President Dmitry Medvedev's policies or failed to take them into account, the daily says of Putin's question-answer session on Thursday. - The merger of Russia's Uralkali (URKA.MM: , , , ) and Silvinit (SILV.RTS: , , , ), to be announced on Monday, will move the two toward a monopoly over Russia's potash market, the daily says. ROSSIISKAYA GAZETA www.rg.ru - The state's stake in Russia's economy will shrink to 40 percent and even less by 2015 as a result of the government's privatisation drive, the proceeds of which are due to be invested in modernising the economy, the daily says citing officials. - Russia should do away with obligatory court rulings on prisoner parole to avoid court bribes, Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov was quoted as saying.
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