Games director-general Francois Carrard received a large petition from journalists who complained that they were not allowed into hotels where IOC officials were staying. "The ban was imposed for security reasons," Mr. Carrar said, declining to comment. Nevertheless, the organizers still gave some relief to the press and allowed correspondents to appear in the lobby of the Regent Hotel, leaving the “presidential residence” of the Renaissance Hotel intact. "TIME FOR NEWS"

Today in Belarus the registration of candidates for parliamentary deputies officially ends. Of the 768 applicants, 218 were not eligible to run for the House of Representatives of the National Assembly. The opposition suffered significant losses in battles with district election commissions.

Mikhail Kasyanov in London received confirmation from British Finance Minister Gordon Brown that Great Britain is ready to renew the credit line to Russia. And before that, on Tuesday, the Prime Minister convinced British businessmen that “in Russia they understand that the main factor for investment is the predictability of economic processes, the inadmissibility of shying from side to side in making decisions that change the investment climate.” Mr.

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov called the incident with the Russian ambassador to Yugoslavia Valery Egoshkin “pure arbitrariness.” The other day, on the Kosovo border, the ambassador's car was stopped by British military personnel from KFOR for a search.

Northern themes cannot be avoided in this year's budget process. Even despite the fact that the budget bill for 2001 provides for a more than twofold (6.65 billion rubles compared to the current 3 billion) increase in federal funding for northern deliveries.

Kuwait's Foreign Minister believes it is too early to lift the blockade on Iraq The situation around Iraq, at the request of Vremya Novostei newspaper correspondent Elena SUPONINA, is commented on by the deputy. Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, member of the ruling dynasty of Kuwait Sheikh SABAH AL-AHMAD AL-JABER AL-SABAH, who these days is taking part in the UN General Assembly taking place in New York.

Andrey TSIMAILO, First Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Media-Most Holding, answers questions from Vremya Novostei newspaper correspondent Arina BORODINA. - Why were negotiations with Alfred Koch interrupted? — The last time we spoke with Koch was on the morning of the 14th. He listened to our new proposals and said that “you can formulate them in writing,” like the Media-Most proposals.

Yabloko and SPS propose that the state take over the financing of the school The bill “On ensuring the constitutional rights of citizens to general education,” long promised by the liberals, developed on the initiative of the Duma factions “Yabloko” and the Union of Right Forces, was discussed yesterday in the State Duma Committee on Education and Science. The document proposes significant changes to the school financing system.

“It’s a disgrace” - this is how the President of the Russian Fencing Federation, Yuri Bychkov, described the situation with transport for athletes after the opening ceremony of the Games. Our athletes who took part in the team parade reached the Olympic Village only in the morning.

On the eve of the autumn conscription in Chechnya, a scandal has emerged involving the chief military commissar of the republic. Yesterday, the military commandant of Chechnya, General Ivan Babichev, proposed to the commander of the United Group of Federal Forces in the North Caucasus, Lieutenant General Valery Baranov, to create a special commission that would examine the activities of the Chechen military commissar, Colonel Alexander Petrov.

Even before his election as president, the new Russian leader decisively set the pace in clearing away the numerous rubble he inherited from the tumultuous foreign policy of his previous reign. The confrontational and scandalous style of communication with the West was quite easily and quickly overcome by rapidly building a network of personal contacts and a relaxed rejection of the most dubious projects, such as the idea of ​​a future multipolarity.

The winds of change blew in Potanin's empire Late on Monday evening, the press service of RAO Norilsk Nickel issued a statement about a large-scale reorganization of the entire metallurgical holding.

In Russia, “there are about 800 thousand forced migrants and about 54 thousand refugees,” said Alexander Blokhin, Minister of Federal Affairs, National and Migration Policy. This year alone, more than 40 thousand people came from the CIS countries, which, of course, is less than in previous years, but still their improvement places a heavy burden on the country’s budget.

The single European currency depreciated by 27% Preparations for the annual session of the IMF and World Bank are in full swing in Prague.

The Russians again won their second gold on the fencing track The Russian women's epee team yesterday accomplished in Sydney what fans had been waiting in vain for two days from our gymnasts - they won team gold. And this despite the fact that, unlike the rings and parallel bars masters, our fencers did not shine at all at the largest tournaments in recent years. If they had lost the Olympics, no one would have thrown a stone at them.