The head of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation German Gref believes that the rotation of ministers will not help the government. “It is necessary to change the quality of politics,” Gref said, answering the question of journalists about how he relates to the proposal of Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov to change the places of ministers. "As for the transplantation ...

At a working meeting on the Russian-Belarusian joint venture on gas transit Alexei Miller, the acting Chairman of the Board of Gazprom Alexander Ananenkov. Yesterday, the Gazprom shares market was wounded by a request from deputy Savelyev about illegal operations with shares of one of the members of the Board of Directors of Gazprom Boris Fedorov.

A team of ambulance was called to the Meshchansky court of Moscow for a medical examination of the defendant Plato Lebedev. The corresponding application during the process in the case of Khodorkovsky, Lebedev and Kraynov said lawyer Yevgeny Baru. This was reported by RIA "Novosti". “I ask the court to call an ambulance so that doctors can establish whether my client can participate in court proceedings today for health reasons,” the bar on the process told.

The former mentor of the Moscow “Spartak” Oleg Romantsev, who led the club to the Russian championship eight times (and once for him, George Yartsev did it), he will play for the team of his veterans. August 25 at the Stadium "Spartak" named after I. Nento, according to Sport-Express , a match of the Veterans of Spartak and the Kiev Dynamo will be held.

The new leadership of the bankrupt Italian dairy concern Parmalat filed a lawsuit against $ 10 billion against the international audit firms Grant Thornton International and Deloitte Touchmatsu, CNN reports. Audit firms, according to the crisis manager of Parmalat Enrico Bondi, share responsibility for the fraud of the previous leadership of the concern, led by President Kallisto Tanzi, which led to losses in the amount of $ 18 billion.

“The task of doubling GDP makes us dig into several bayonets in the depths. The forecast is only feeling, and does not double the GDP,” said Mikhail Fradkov at a government meeting. Responding to the prime minister's reasoning, the head of the Mayor German Gref replied: "To answer your question, you will need to feel every minister." “And this is right,” the phrases picked up. “The ministers are waiting, and they are afraid of this.

US President Candidate John Kerry criticized Bush's plan to regroup American troops in Europe and Asia. It is reported by RIA "Novosti". “The plan declared by the president in the most general terms does not strengthen our hand in the war with terrorism and in no way removes the load from our armed forces too stretched throughout the world,” Kerry said at a meeting with foreign wars in Cincinnati.

Today, August 19, a monument to Russian President Vladimir Putin was unveiled in the park in front of the building of the Pskov Children's Regional Hospital on Kommunalnaya Street, reports Pskov News Tape. The initiative to create the monument belongs to the public organization “Motherland against Mikhailov,” which is fighting against the governor of the Pskov region, Evgeny Mikhailov. It is known that funds for the creation of the bust were collected by residents of Pskov.

The XI International Festival of Animation Films "CROC" begins. As the “News Time” notes, this is the only animated festival in the world that does not sit still, but swims on the ship. On the upper deck in the viewing hall from morning to evening, competitive cartoons and retrospectives of different celebrities are spinning, and in cities where Crok stops, they arrange shows for children. The festival was organized 15 years ago by Ukrainian and Russian animators.

In the capital of France, celebrations dedicated to the 60-year date of liberation of the city from the Nazi occupation during the Second World War will begin today, RIA Novosti reports. The official part of the celebrations will be opened by a ceremony in the courtyard of the metropolitan Police Prefecture on the island of Sita - where a rebellion of Parisians against the invaders broke out six decades ago.

Immediately two medals were won by Russian athletes in shooting a pneumatic rifle on a moving target from 10 meters. Alexander Blinov took second place, Dmitry Lykin - the third. The shooter from Germany, Manfred Kurzer, won in this discipline. The Russian team has 17 medals: 3 gold and 7 silver and bronze. In terms of the number of awards of the highest dignity in the unofficial standings, Russians take seventh place.

At these minutes, in Moscow, the action "Feast of the Free People of Russia" begins at the Government House. It is dedicated to the next anniversary of the August coup, reports Echo of Moscow .

Gossanepidadzor services identified in a number of regions of Russia dangerous children's toys from plastisol (soft plastic). Trade is suspended by them, RIA Novosti reports.

The Georgian-Ossetian conflict has seriously aggravated. At night, shelling is underway in the conflict zone, clashes occur, and people are killed. The parties still interpret events from diametrically opposite positions, accusing each other of shelling.

Last night, Georgian soldiers occupied the heights of Partshanakan, RIA Novosti reports. It was from these heights that the bypass road was fired , connecting the gorges of a large and small Liah. "We, together with the groups of the Ministry of State Security and the Internal Troops of Georgia, have observed this area for an ambush for several days.