Siberian Aluminum, having changed its name to Basic Element and becoming an investment company, still remains the largest shareholder in the automotive giant GAZ. Meanwhile, the government’s desire to revive the Russian auto industry in the “Basic Element” is perceived as a good sign, but that’s all, Gazeta writes today. Chairman of the Supreme Scientific Advisory Council of the Basic Element company, State Duma deputy Konstantin Remchukov told reporters about this in an interview.

At least two people were killed and dozens were injured as a result of hurricanes and tornadoes that hit the US states of Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois on Sunday. Snow fell in Wisconsin, the depth of the cover was 50 cm. As a result of broken power lines, thousands of people were left without electricity. And in Minnesota, wet snow has caused major car accidents. Strong winds swept through southern Illinois, destroying and damaging several homes near the town of Dongola.

The head of the Palestinian National Authority, Yasser Arafat, has already received freedom of movement and can freely leave Ramallah, the Voice of Israel radio station reports, citing high-ranking sources in the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Earlier it was reported that the head of the Palestinian National Authority, Yasser Arafat, accepted the compromise plan proposed by the United States, which was also approved by the Israeli cabinet.

Export duty on oil from June 1, 2002. will be increased to $20.4 per ton. This was announced today by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation A. Kudrin at the end of a meeting of the government commission on protective measures in foreign trade and customs tariff policy. Currently, the export duty is $9.2 per ton. According to A. Kudrin, the decision to increase export duties was made as a result of monitoring oil prices on world markets for March-April.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent congratulations on his 80th birthday to the country’s only Hero of the Soviet Union and holder of the Order of Glory of three degrees, Nikolai Ivanovich Kuznetsov, the press service of the head of the Russian state reported. The veteran currently lives in the city of Pestovo, Novgorod region. The president’s message says: “Your life is an example of faithful service to the Motherland, duty, and people.

In connection with the festive events on May 1, vehicle traffic will be limited in Moscow. As RBC was informed by the capital's traffic police, on May 1, from 7:30 until the end of the events, traffic will be blocked on the following streets: Tverskaya, Mokhovaya, Okhotny Ryad, Petrovka, Nikolskaya, Varvarka, B. Ordynka, B. Yakimanka, B. Polyanka, Bolotnoy, Volkhonka , Solyanka, Znamenka, Vozdvizhenka, Moskvoretskaya, Teatralnaya Square, Teatralny Proezd.

Perhaps everyone knows that paper money is not sterile. But the fact that banknotes can be carriers of diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza, tonsillitis and other viral diseases became obvious after a study by Indian scientists. Indian researchers have discovered that banknotes are perfectly resistant to all kinds of infections, including viral diseases.

Foul-smelling feet can easily land you in jail. Thus, one Dutchman, whose feet are rather sore, will go to places not so remote because he had the habit of taking off his shoes in a public library... Thirty-nine-year-old Toinis Toin, who lives in The Hague, has a big problem - his feet chronically emit an odor that can kill a skunk. The owner of stinky feet himself is already accustomed to this terrible smell, but those around him are not, and, moreover, they are not going to.

The head of the commission to investigate the causes of the Mi-8 crash in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Sergei Shoigu, does not consider the disaster a “tragic accident.” He stated this on RTR. “I would call this a tragic accident if it were not for the large number of deviations from norms and rules,” the minister said. According to him, the helicopter was built in 1992 and recently underwent scheduled repairs.

The mother of US President Barbara Bush, it turns out, changed three bust sizes during her life. In any case, so says one Kansas publication that published Mrs. Bush's speech. Barbara Bush laughed for a long time when she saw a touching story in The Wichita Eagle newspaper about how her bust grew and shrank. The mother of President George W. Bush gave a speech at the opening of a college in El Dorado, Kansas, and spoke about some of the events in her life.

The RTR television channel signed a contract to broadcast the World Cup, which will take place in June 2002. in Japan and South Korea. The press service of the television company reported this today. As a result of negotiations with the Kirch Media group, all 64 matches of the World Cup will be shown on Russian television. TV channels RTR and ORT will show 32 games each, dividing them according to the principle of even and odd. Final match June 30, 2002 RTR will show it live.

The Moscow Garrison Military Court sentenced the former head of the Main Directorate of the Military Budget and Financing of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Georgy Oleynik, to 3 years in prison to be served in a general regime correctional colony. The defendant was taken into custody right in the courtroom. The court found G. Oleynik guilty of exceeding his official powers in the execution of a number of agreements on the settlement of Ukraine's debt for Russian gas.

A Su-25 plane crashed in Chechnya. As reported at the headquarters of the Russian Air Force, the disaster occurred at 10:30 Moscow time in the Vedeno region of the republic. The plane was performing a combat mission. The Su-25 pilot died. His body was discovered by members of the rescue team. The Su-25 is used very intensively in military operations in Chechnya, so accidents occur quite often with it.

Russian and US Defense Ministers Sergei Ivanov and Donald Rumsfeld will hold a brief working meeting today at the capital's Sheremetyevo airport. The head of the Pentagon will make a stop at Sheremetyevo on his way back to the United States from a trip to the countries of Central Asia. According to Sergei Ivanov himself, the main topics of discussion will most likely be preparations for the Russian-American summit in May of this year and the START agreement.

The Ministry of Property Relations of the Russian Federation in January-March 2002 ensured the receipt of 9348.9 million rubles into the federal budget compared to 5073.7 million rubles for the same period in 2001. The press service of the ministry reports this. At the same time, from the use of federal property, the state received 6,171.5 million rubles in three months of the year - 133.9% of the plan, amounting to 4,607.4 million rubles.