Russians can freely open accounts in the West From today, any citizen of Russia can completely freely open an account in a foreign bank. This was allowed by the Central Bank in mid-September with appropriate instructions. However, for most Russians freedom of financial maneuvers is not affordable. Previously, only Russians living abroad could store money and be serviced in foreign banks without the consent of the Central Bank.

Law enforcement agencies of Mordovia are intensifying the search for criminals who committed a daring attack on collectors at the end of last week. On Friday, four robbers in Saransk robbed a PAZ bus carrying wages for workers of the Lisma joint-stock company, the largest local industrial enterprise. It happened in the middle of a working day on Vasenko Street, almost in the very center of the city. A UAZ car blocked the road, and four robbers armed with pistols broke into the bus.

The Duma members approved the budget concept and once again read the Land Code The 2002 budget passed its first reading in the Duma smoothly and without battles. Even at the stage of discussing the project in factions and committees, the government secured the support of the “alliance of four” and “Yabloko” with the Union of Right Forces.

The results of negotiations with the Chechens are unpredictable The European public is ready to take an active part in negotiations between the Russian authorities and the Chechen separatists.

Russia cuts exports by 1 million tons Russia has tried to keep its promise to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to follow the cartel's policy of stabilizing oil prices. Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko said last Friday that oil exports in the fourth quarter will be reduced by 1 million tons compared to the volume of the third quarter.

The US position towards Russia has softened The United States agreed to support Moscow's proposals to begin preparing the final report of the working group on Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization in December 2001. Essentially, this means that Washington is abandoning its demand (supported by a number of other countries) to first bring Russian legislation into line with WTO standards and only then begin the final part of the negotiation process.

Communists are cramped in the party and in the Duma The communists called on the allies for a “national discussion” of the documents prescribing the “program of action of patriots,” and in the meantime they themselves decided to switch to extra-parliamentary activities in order to create a “powerful, massive, organized protest movement.” The Communist Party of the Russian Federation considers allies “who care about the fate of Russia” to be allies.

Due to internal contradictions, the Union of Right Forces may lose elections to the capital’s parliament The Moscow right cannot develop a unified political line before the elections to the Moscow City Duma, which are scheduled for December 16. This was clearly visible at last weekend’s conference of the Moscow organization SPS, dedicated to the election of a leader and, in fact, the election tactics of the capital’s right-wingers.

Last week, the head of the British Foreign Office, Jack Straw, visited Tehran, which Western countries had recently accused of supporting terrorism. For many reasons, the West needs, writes the Turkish Sabah, that Iran distance itself from the indignant Muslim world and not join an anti-American or anti-European Islamic alliance. Iran is important not only because it has great influence in the Muslim world.

He will acquire part of the plant’s additional share issue The head of the Sibal group, Oleg Deripaska, continues his expansion in the Russian automobile industry. On September 27, the Federal Securities Commission registered an additional issue of shares of Ural Automobile Plant OJSC (Miass, Chelyabinsk region). As a result of the placement of securities, the authorized capital of the enterprise will increase by 50.9%.

After two months of difficult negotiations, the presidents of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev and Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze signed last Saturday an intergovernmental agreement on the transit of Azerbaijani gas from the Shah Deniz field to Turkey through Georgia. The size of the transit tariff has finally been determined - Tbilisi will annually receive 5% of the total amount of transit gas or the corresponding amount in monetary terms.

Chubais wants to sell wires to the state The electricity sector reform continues to be surrounded by scandals. The draft law “On Electric Power Industry” developed by RAO UES of Russia, which is now being finalized by the Ministry of Economic Development, as well as the draft government resolution “On the Unified National Electric Network” (UNEG) have already caused many complaints from energy market participants.

Hockey. Russian Championship. 8th round. "Metallurg" Nk - "Wings of the Soviets" - 2:0, "Lada" - "Metallurg" Mg - - 6:3, "Ak Bars" - "Avangard" - 1:1, "Neftekhimik" - - Spartak - 4:3, Lokomotiv - CSKA - 6:2, Torpedo - Amur - 0:3. "Dynamo" - "Severstal" - 2:1, "Molot-Prikamye" - SKA - 4:1, "Salavat Yulaev" - "Mechel" - 1:0. Leading : Dynamo - 18 points (7 games), Spartak, Lokomotiv - 17 each. In almost all matches of the 8th round, luck favored the home team.

Correspondent of the Vremya Novostey newspaper Yuri ShPAKOV talks with Michael SCHLESINGER, an expert in the field of global energy at the European Research Center PROGNOS in Basel: -- Can terrorist attacks against America affect the strategy of Western countries in the field of energy security? - We don't expect any drastic changes.

The reference English musical dictionary was published for the first time in Russia English engineer, entrepreneur and music lover Charles Grove published the first edition of the Dictionary of Music and Musicians in 1879-1989. The dictionary then consisted of four volumes. The latest, seventh, edition of Grove appeared earlier this year. It already contains twenty-eight volumes.