According to the latest VTsIOM polls, the attitude of Russians towards Vladimir Putin did not undergo significant changes in the last month and looks positively stable. Most treats him with sympathy (28%) or friendly, neutrally (“I can’t say anything bad about it” - 35%). However, the number of people who look at the president is “wary-expectantly” a little increased (to 18% from 12-14% in March-April).

The RTS index led today almost three% to the mark of 199.64 points. The volume of trading amounted to $ 28 million.

The parliamentary hearings on federal reform, at which the representative of Putin in the Duma Kotenkov has briefly outlined the limits of possible concessions to the governors from the Kremlin, ended in the creation of a trilateral working group for the finalization of Kremlin bills - with the participation of Dumans, senators and administration officers, the representative of the Federation Council Nikolai Khovansky told RIA Novosti.

Interfax, citing a high -ranking official of the Kremlin administration, reports that the Kremlin is extremely dissatisfied with Kotenkov’s statements to the governors that at least 16 of them will sit on the bench of the defendants after the adoption of the presidential bills.

According to RIA Novosti, the DPRK embassy in Moscow does not have information about Putin's upcoming visit to this country. But, as informed North Korean sources told the agency, “perhaps tonight” will be announced about the upcoming contacts of the head of Russia with Korean comrades. It would be nice - exactly at midnight.

VTsIOM presents the results of a survey conducted on May 18 - 22, 2000 in a sample, representative for adult (18 years and older) of the population of Russia on the floor, age, level of education, region and type of settlement. The survey was conducted in 83 settlements of 33 regions of the country (150 points of the survey), each participated in 1,600 people. The permissible error is within 3.8%.

Bashkiria is ready to voluntarily introduce 31 amends to her Constitution in order to bring it into line with the Russian; Two Omsk riot police were killed, five more were injured - these are the results of the terrorist attack, carried out by the Chechen Kamikadze in the village of Alkhan -Yurt; The governor of the Perm region sent a letter to Putin asking him to transfer his region from the Volga District to the Urals (the defectors are ready to appear among other subjects of the federation) -

The Duma hosts parliamentary hearings on Putin’s federal reform, in particular, the results of the yesterday's scandalous meeting of the Federation Council and the amendments proposed by senators to the bill on the mechanism of the formation of the upper house. The essence of the performance of the unpleasant governors of Alexander Kotenkov came to the conclusion that the Kremlin can only make concessions in minor trifles.

A meeting of the government dedicated to Chechnya is taking place in the White House. But before talking about Chechnya, Mikhail Kasyanov drew the attention of the audience to the fact that the initiatives of the new government had already begun to come true. So, both chambers of the parliament adopted a bill on an increase in the minimum wage.

Vladimir Putin received a reward. This is the gold medal "Friendship of peoples - the unity of Russia." The decision to award the president made the Assembly of the peoples of Russia, headed by Ramazan Abdulatipov. And he was awarded for "the manifested courage during the liberation of Dagestan from the militants." Thus, the merits of the president in strengthening the friendship of peoples are appreciated.

OPEC, after long fluctuations, will consider the possibility of increasing oil production, since the prices of the world market exceeded the ceiling of the previously planned corridor. At the first increase in March, OPEC members agreed that if necessary, production should increase by 500 thousand barrels per day. The meeting of OPEC oil ministers will be held in Vienna on June 21; So far, OPEC is studying the state of the market.

Partisan actions in Chechnya sharply aggravated. Yesterday, in addition to the attack on the riot police unit in Alkhan-Yurt, an attack was attacked on the deputy commander of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Western group Valery Konovalov. His UAZ was fired at the Urus-Martan highway-Gihi near the police block. As a result, the policeman-driver died, and Konovalov was injured in the head.

Last night in Chechnya in Alkhan-Yurt, a terrorist attack was committed against Russian riot police who guarded the local school. Two kamikaze on a truck (one of them, according to Udugov, is the cousin of the field commander Arbi Baraev) crashed into the checkpoint, after which a powerful explosion occurred.

Already the third alarming message comes from Chechnya-today on the road from Urus-Martan to Roshni-Chu on a radio-controlled landmine was blown up with soldiers. Four fighters were injured, one died.

Alexander Livshits, appointed yesterday as an adviser to the prime minister on financial and economic issues, was elected chairman of the board of the Russian Credit bank. Bank founder Vitaly Malkin became deputy chairman of the Bank Council. The press release says that the changes in the top leadership of the bank are explained by the fact that Roskredit begins the main period of restructuring and restoring the normal activity of the bank.