This is what’s in the news for Thursday April 5, 2012. The Wall Street Journal reports Russia is close to joining the WTO, a landmark move to integrate their economy into the international trading system, but U.S. firms may be left out because of restrictions on trade. The Wall Street Journal also reports talks to resolve U.S. and European price fixing probes into e-books are picking up as three international publishers may want to settle, while Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and others resist, sources say. Reuters reports PetroChina (NYSE:PTR) is in talks with Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A) and Hess (NYSE:HES) to explore shale oil in Santanghu Basin in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region. Finally, Bloomberg reports four Federal Reserve regional bank presidents who vote on monetary policy this year see less of a need for the Fed to spur the economy with new accommodation.