In January-May 2009, AvtoVAZ reduced 47% sales compared to the same period last year, the company President Boris Aleshin said on Friday on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. “From the beginning of the year, the fall amounted to 47% of all models,” RIA Novosti quoted him quoted. Aleshin recalled that at the end of 2008, the company reduced car sales by 44% compared to 2007.

The investigating authorities opened a criminal case on the fact of fraudulent seizure during the reconstruction of the Moscow Capital Hotel "Moscow" of more than $ 87 million. The case was started on June 1. The basis for this was the materials of the audit conducted by the operational-search bureau No. 10 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

The chaotic development of Sochi on the eve of the 2014 Olympics may threaten residents of the city with poisoning. Sochi stands on the deposits of mercury ore, and the pair can come to the surface, Nadezhda Didenko, the scientific secretary of the Sochi branch of the Russian Geographical Society, candidate of geological and mineralogical sciences, warns. Sochi authorities do not know about such a problem, but they promise to figure it out, writes the Caucasian Knot .

The former stewardess of the Dalavia airline, which was dismissed after the bankruptcy procedure of the company, committed suicide in Khabarovsk, jumping out of the window of the apartment. As the representative of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Khabarovsk Territory said on Friday, a 51-year-old mother committed the suicide in the same way later on Thursday, in the same way.

On Thursday, June 4, the Japanese concern Fuji Heavy Industries, which produces cars under the Subaru brand, announced the start of mass production of the Plug-in Stella electric car. The model will go on sale at the end of July. Subaru plans to sell 170 of these cars by the end of March 2010, reports Drom.ru. The Subaru Plug-in Stella is based on the Stella minicar. The power unit in the car is a lithium-ion battery. The electric motor is located at the front, its power is 64 hp.

Following the other stars of Hollywood, Mel Gibson reduces the cost of his real estate for sale. The sale price of the Old Mill Farm mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut, is currently $ 29.75 million. In September last year, the house cost 35 million, and in the summer of 2007, when it was first put up for auction, 39.5 million, reports Prian.ru with reference to The New York Times.

The performance of President Dmitry Medvedev at the opening ceremony of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum almost interrupted technical problems. In the hall of Pavilion number 8, which is located in the center of LenExpo, several thousand people gathered to listen to Medvedev, Prime-Tass reports. But just a few minutes after the start of the performance, problems with a microphone on the rostrum arose.

The Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine voted for the resignation of Yuri Yehanurov from the post of Minister of Defense of the country. This decision was supported by 363 people's deputy out of 398 who took part in the vote, with 226 necessary votes, reports Newsru.ua . The consideration of the issue took place without the participation of Ekhanurov himself.

A terrible blow to the positions of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was struck by the Minister of Labor and Pensions James Pernell. He resigned and called on the head of government to follow his example. Brown's departure from the posts of the leader of the Labor and the Prime Minister, according to Pernell, will only go to the good of the ruling party.

The Union of Cinematographers of Russia, headed by director Nikita Mikhalkov, wants to receive money for clean DVDs. Cinema figures suggested that President Dmitry Medvedev introduce a fixed fee from each DVD, which were produced or imported into the country, and transfer the money received by them. The head of state has already instructed the government to develop a mechanism for collecting and distributing funds.

Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin was fenced from uncomfortable questions. The presidential administration sent recommendations to regional parliaments about what occasions they should not publicly contact the president and prime minister in a crisis, Writes Vedomosti . According to the publication, the document contains a list of questions on which the legislative assemblies before applying to the federal authorities should hold additional consultations.

The global financial and economic crisis has undergone corporate management in Russian companies to a serious test. Minority shareholders and foreign investors, writes Inopressa.ru with reference to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , have always been in Russia something like the "injured side". Purely formally in Russia there is the basis for competent and effective management of companies - this is the so -called Corporate Governance (corporate management).

The Minister of Agriculture Elena Skrynnik, who took this high position just a few months ago, was already in the center of the scandal. She is accused of a threat to murder (Article 119 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), reports Life.ru. With such a statement, the site claims, the former husband Skrynnik - Yuri Kukota turned to the police. Note that the incident occurred even before Skrynnik became a minister.

Finland "very regrets" about the actions of his diplomat in the situation with the export of a child from Russia, said Taria Halonen, President of Finland, at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. She said that this issue was discussed during the recent trip of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to Helsinki. “We talked with Vladimir Putin about the actions of the Finnish diplomat. This diplomat will not return to Russia and this issue is clear for him and for us,” said Halonen.

The “Pittsburgh Penvins” led by Russian Evgeny Malkin, equalized the score in the final series of the playoffs of the National Hockey League (NHL) against Detroit, winning on Thursday the second match on the ice with a account of 4: 2. Thus, after two starting lesions in Detroit, hockey players from Pennsylvania managed to restore balance in the series to four victories (2-2).