NASA has scheduled the launch of the first "space taxi" for next summer. More than $100 million has been allocated for the flight of the Dream Chaser mini-shuttle. The device should become an alternative to the Russian Soyuz, on which the United States is heavily dependent, experts say. The test launch of the “space taxi” will take place in the summer of 2012. This was stated by NASA representatives.

A major oil spill occurred off the coast of New Zealand. The Liberian-flagged container ship Rena ran aground 14 km from the popular tourist town of Mount Maunganui. New Zealand authorities called the incident the worst environmental disaster in the country's history. The New Zealand Maritime Administration said that a total of 150 to 350 tons of oil products spilled into the sea out of 1.7 thousand tons on board.

Elections The election commission refused to register the list of candidates from the LDPR for deputies of the legislative assembly of the Kamchatka Territory of the second convocation, deputy chairman of the regional election commission Alexander Denisov said yesterday. Registration of lists ended on Monday evening.

World steel consumption in 2011 will increase by 6.5% compared to 2010 - to 1.398 billion tons, after an increase of 15.1% last year. This forecast was announced by the chairman of the WSA economic committee, Daniel Novegil. According to the forecast, steel consumption is expected to continue to grow by 5.4% in 2012, driven by emerging economies and various regions of the world.

Pension savings will be decoupled from market decline The aggravation of the market situation, which threatens, as in 2008, with negative results for investing pension savings, has brought to the fore the topic of expanding the investment declaration of managers and non-state pension funds. The National League of Managers proposed to significantly expand the list of instruments for investing savings, including securities of foreign issuers, units of mutual funds and depositary receipts.

The supply channel for counterfeit vodka has been eliminated The Tatarstan police have blocked a large channel for the supply of counterfeit vodka to the republic. Members of an organized criminal group (OCG) led by its organizer were detained. According to investigators, they supplied vodka from North Ossetia in transit through Perm. The criminals were caught red-handed during the sale of a batch of counterfeit goods worth 1.1 million rubles.

Left Front coordinator Sergei Udaltsov detained Participants in the Day of Wrath leave Theater Square. They are trying to pass the police cordons. The rally was approved by the authorities for the first time in six months and attracted about 100 people. Kommersant FM correspondent Dmitry Andryushchenko told presenter Oksana Barykina about the end of the action. — What is happening on Theater Square now? — Law enforcement officers detained the coordinator of the “Left Front” Sergei Udaltsov.

25 1 min. ... The investigation intends to appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office the decision of the Kuban prosecutor, who returned for further investigation the case of the former head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Buryatia, Viktor Syusyura, accused of smuggling, the investigative department of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnodar Territory reported on Tuesday. The former Minister of Internal Affairs of Buryatia, accused of smuggling, was arrested on October 20, 2009.

The gallery will receive the building for free use The conflict over divine services in the building of the Transfiguration Cathedral, where the Perm Art Gallery is located, may soon be resolved. As Kommersant has learned, gallery director Nadezhda Belyaeva is preparing to sign an agreement to receive the Transfiguration Cathedral for free use. At the same time, the regional authorities are also offering their own solution to the conflict - the construction of a house church.

Ukrainian vehicle manufacturers in January-September 2011 increased the production of cars (passenger cars, commercial vehicles) and buses by 44% compared to the same period in 2010 - up to 76.925 thousand units. According to statistics from the Ukravtoprom association, thus, at the end of nine months, the dynamics of production growth compared to last year’s figures slowed down somewhat (at the end of six months, the increase was 55%, seven - 50%, eight - 48%).

Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase may report sharp declines in quarterly profits Tomorrow in the US, the largest banks begin to publish reports on their activities for the third quarter. Analysts are not expecting impressive results, especially from the investment divisions. The first to submit a quarterly report is JP Morgan Chase, which managed to avoid major losses in 2008–2009.

United Russia plans to spend 450-500 million rubles from the federal fund on the federal election campaign. “There is a feeling that we will not exceed 450-500 million rubles... We will try very hard,” said Andrei Vorobyov, head of the Central Executive Committee of United Russia, on October 12, answering the question of how much the party plans to spend from the federal election fund on State Duma elections, which will be held on December 4. Mr.

The Ulyanovsk regional government approved the project for the construction of a new reactor Ulyanovsk authorities approved Rosatom's plans to build a new fourth-generation fast neutron reactor on the territory of the Dimitrovgrad RIAR. Environmentalists and social activists are protesting against these plans, noting the dangers of the sodium coolant used.

Viktor Yanukovych believes that not all is lost for Yulia Tymoshenko Yesterday, the country's top leadership tried to relieve the tension that arose in society in connection with the guilty verdict against former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. President Viktor Yanukovych called it a “regrettable case” and hinted that the appeals court would have the final say in the case.

As Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko stated on October 12, the internal structure of the upper chamber will be changed by the end of this year. However, she did not specify what changes were planned. According to Valentina Matvienko, there are now 27 committees in the Federation Council, which account for one and a half hundred senators, which does not allow them to work effectively. "Reform is necessary," she said.