Kenyan President recommends two years of abstinence The Kenyan leader has found a new way to fight AIDS. “As president,” Daniel arap Moi told his compatriots, “I don’t know what to say, having to spend millions of shillings importing these things.” The president called “pieces” the 300 million condoms that the government recommended purchasing to fight AIDS.

MCT Corp. monopolizes alternative communications in Primorye The two largest mobile communications companies in the Primorsky Territory, providing services in the GSM standards (Primtelephone) and DAMPS (AKOS), found themselves in the same hands. The American MCT Corp. began to control the two competitors. “Until recently, local operators focused their main efforts on intense competition among themselves.

Commercial and state banks negotiate with Hermes one by one Russian banks are gradually restoring relations with the German state export insurance agency Hermes after the crisis. Alfa Bank announced yesterday that it had received a loan from Bankgesellschaft Berlin in the amount of 5.3 million euros guaranteed by Hermes. In the coming days, the Moscow Credit Bank will announce a deal involving Hermes.

Krasnoyarsk region impressed the head of the World Bank Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko and Mr. Wolfensohn signed an agreement yesterday under which the World Bank guarantees non-political risks to foreign investors who decide to provide loans to Russian forestry and coal enterprises. According to Mr.

RAO UES of Russia does not allow nuclear workers into Georgia Nuclear workers and RAO UES of Russia were in conflict again yesterday. The Rosenergoatom concern does not exclude the possibility of filing a lawsuit against Anatoly Chubais’ company for delaying time and preventing the possibility of exporting nuclear energy to Georgia.

The former tsar receives the post of prime minister and a Bulgarian surname For almost a month, the Bulgarian ex-Tsar Simeon II was wondering what to do after the brilliant victory of his party in the general elections on June 17.

Russian special services killed a prominent Mujahideen One of the associates of terrorist No. 1 Osama Bin Laden, the leader of the extremist organization “Muslim Brotherhood” Abu-Umar Muhammad Al-Sayyaf, nicknamed Yarmouk, was killed in Chechnya by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB. The intelligence services called this field commander even more dangerous than Khattab, since the militants were financed through Abu-Umar.

Sukhumi accuses Georgian saboteurs Georgian-Abkhaz negotiations with the participation of mediators from the UN and the command of the Russian “blue helmets”, which resumed at the beginning of the week in Sukhumi after a three-month break, did not bring the desired result.

No peace under the Spanish olive trees The British beef scandals had barely died down when a new disaster struck Western Europe. This time, the center of the scandal is low-grade olive oil “orujo”, obtained in the process of recycling waste in the production of quality products and used mainly for cooking and baking.

Russian viewers had the opportunity to laugh and cry at the fiction of a British journalist The only thing better suited than an ugly girl to be the hero of a real melodrama is an orphan. It is only necessary that fate be bitter at first, but at the end of the path, like the rays of the setting sun, a good ending looms. It’s very good if the story is not only touching, but also funny.

The Central Bank has one summer left to live in the old way The long-term struggle between the Duma members and the Central Bank seems to be entering a decisive stage. It is possible that the Duma will listen to the Central Bank's report for 2001 according to new standards.

The 28th Grushinsky Festival in Samara has become more civilized Those arriving from the Valery Grushin Art Song Festival can be recognized by the enthusiastic sparkle in their eyes. When asked how it is there, they simply answer “great”, without going into details.

In Lensk, vodka is being evacuated and panel houses are being brought in On the labor front, a decisive assault began on the restoration of the city of Lensk, destroyed by the spring flood.

The oil company retained its position at the Moscow Refinery LUKOIL received a 50% stake in ZAO MNPZ-Resurs, a new company that has been operating the Moscow Oil Refinery (MNPZ) since July 1. Thus, the change of leadership in the Central Fuel Company, which owns a controlling stake in the Moscow Refinery, did not in any way affect LUKOIL’s position in the capital’s profitable oil products market. “Our subsidiary LUKOIL Holding Service owns 50% of the shares of MNPZ-Resurs CJSC.

China promises democracy in exchange for Olympics The capital of the 2008 Olympics will be announced today. Obviously it will be Beijing. By six o'clock in the evening Moscow time, the evaluation commission of the International Olympic Committee will make a choice from five candidates - Beijing, Paris, Osaka, Toronto and Istanbul.