From today, the rate of the Unified Tariff Schedule, according to which wages are calculated for public sector employees, increases by an average of 33%. First of all, the salary increase will affect teachers and doctors. It is expected that at the next meeting of the Government of the Russian Federation one of the agenda items will be devoted to this topic.

In connection with the latest statements about Russia’s ratification of the Kyoto Protocol (KP), Nikolai Tonkov, a member of the RSPP Bureau, as well as the head of the Independent Northern Environmental Initiative, considers the decision of the President of the Russian Federation not to rush to sign the document correct and absolutely justified.

North Korea said today that American aircraft carried out about 160 flights in September to conduct espionage activities against the DPRK. Various reconnaissance aircraft flew both day and night near the demarcation line to collect intelligence on North Korean territory, the official North Korean news agency KCNA said in a statement.

The Bolshoi Theater will present the first premiere performance of this season on the New Stage. On October 8, the theater will present Verdi's opera Macbeth, which has not been performed on the Bolshoi stage for more than 140 years. This will be a rental performance - a joint production of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Florence) and Teatro Massimo (Palermo) theaters, the Florentine premiere of which took place about a year ago.

External debt of Russia for the first half of 2003. increased by 4.6% and amounted to $159.1 billion as of July 1 - the debt in foreign currency is $153.8 billion, in rubles - $5.3 billion. This was reported by the Bank of Russia in the published report "External Debt Russian Federation in the 1st half of 2003 according to international methodology." At the beginning of this year, external debt amounted to $152.1 billion.

The most favorable country for living in Europe is Ireland. These conclusions were reached by NFO Direct Services researchers who studied the living conditions of citizens of 9 European countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, Greece and Norway.

The Federal State Unitary Enterprise Rosoboronexport has entered into a contract with the Malaysian government for the supply of 10 Mi-171Sh military transport helicopters. As RBC was informed by the Russian company, the contract value is $70 million. The document was signed within the framework of the 7th international aerospace and maritime exhibition LIMA-2003. FSUE "Rosoboronexport" plans to begin deliveries of helicopters under this contract in 2004.

Today at about 14.00 in the Krasnodar region, an M-12 sports light-engine plane crashed during landing, RBC was told by the Krasnodar Civil Defense and Emergency Situations. The plane belonged to JSC Strizh. There were three people on board the plane (two men, one woman). They all died from their injuries when they hit the ground. The plane crashed near the village of Titarovka, Dinsky district. There are no casualties or destruction on earth. The causes of the incident are not yet known.

The Government of the Russian Federation decided to increase from October 1, 2003. 1.4 times the official salaries of prosecutorial employees of the prosecutor's office of the Russian Federation. The Russian Ministry of Finance has been instructed to provide financing for expenses related to the implementation of this resolution. The corresponding decree was signed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, DPI reports.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov considers the agreement on the use of the Russian ruble as the only legal tender on the territory of Belarus absolutely ready. He expressed this opinion when opening a meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State. M. Kasyanov noted that this agreement took a long time to be negotiated by the two parties.

Chechen Prime Minister Anatoly Popov, despite feeling unwell, will begin work today. This was reported by the radio station “Echo of Moscow”. This morning the Prime Minister arrived in Grozny. And Popov will hold several meetings regarding preparations for the elections and payment of compensation to those who lost their housing. Doctors will reportedly monitor him for several days. Let us recall that on the evening of September 27, A.

One American soldier was killed and three others were injured when a bomb exploded near Saddam Hussein's palace in Tikrit. According to the US military command, the explosion was carried out using remote control. At the time of the explosion, a convoy of several military vehicles was approaching the palace, Reuters reports . Details of the incident have not yet been reported. Saddam Hussein's palace in Tikrit now houses the headquarters of coalition forces.

This morning, at 8:03 local time, in Russia, 40 km northwest of the city of Koshagach located in the Altai Territory, an earthquake occurred, the strength of which at the epicenter was 8 points. An earthquake with a magnitude of 2-3 was felt in the capital of the republic, Gorno-Altaisk, and nearby areas. As reported by the Civil Defense and Emergency Management Department, the likelihood of aftershocks remains.

In the European Union on October 1, 2003. New rules for the retail trade of automobiles have come into force. First of all, these rules established by the European Commission regulate relations between European manufacturers and dealers. Thus, manufacturers are prohibited from obliging dealers to sell in showrooms only cars of brands that are part of a particular concern.

As a result of the earthquake in the Altai Republic, 1 thousand 889 residential buildings, inhabited by 7 thousand 371 people, were damaged. The most difficult situation has developed in the high-mountainous Kosh-Agach region, where about 2 thousand people were left homeless, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations told RBC. According to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, 25 schools, 16 hospitals, 12 social facilities and 7 boiler houses were damaged in the republic.