Magadan State Airlines (MAVIAL) decided to update its aircraft fleet by leasing two Yak-42D-90s, which will have to replace the Tu-154B on domestic routes, whose service life will be completely exhausted in 2004. Yesterday, representatives of the airline and the Saratov aircraft plant signed a protocol of intent. Construction of the aircraft will begin next year. The cost of each of them will be $12.5 million.

Housing cooperatives are multiplying in the capital's housing market About ten years ago, the slogan used by nascent investment companies was: “Give us a chance to use your money.” They took advantage of the result, which was known throughout the country. This year, pyramids in Moscow suddenly began to be revived under the guise of housing cooperatives. Experts believe that getting housing for shareholders who were last in line is a very risky operation.

The head of the YUKOS press service, Andrei Krasnov, resigned after eight years of work in this oil company. “It’s impossible to work in the same place for so long,” Mr. Krasnov himself explained his departure to the newspaper. “Now I have taken a time out and am considering two proposals, one of which is related to the oil industry,” he added. A new head of the YUKOS press service has not yet been appointed. "TIME FOR NEWS"

Instead of tanks, Moscow offers Tehran an “iron curtain” During the official visit to Russia of Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani, Moscow will have to solve a rather difficult political problem.

State Duma deputies from the Far East and Transbaikalia intend to soon propose a draft law on the Far East for consideration by the lower house of parliament. The need for the document, parliamentarians say, is dictated by the imperfection of federal and local legislation. In fact, we are talking about creating a wide economically favored zone.

An extraordinary meeting of MDM Bank shareholders elected a new board of directors of the bank, which included Andrey Melnichenko, Sergey Popov, Yuri Milyukov, Stanislav Mironenko, Sergey Sarkisov, Richard S. Spikerman and Andrey Dymov. As AK&M reports, Andrei Melnichenko was elected chairman of the council. The former chairman of the board of directors of MDM Bank, Alexander Mamut, left this post.

The corpse of the chief bailiff of the city of Karabash, Chelyabinsk region, was discovered last Sunday on Lake Yushty in the South Urals. 51-year-old Sergei Bakulin went duck hunting alone on September 18. Since then, no one has seen him alive, and during the search only an empty boat was found. Yesterday the body was sent to the morgue for a forensic examination to determine whether the official was killed or drowned.

The decision of the Moscow Arbitration Court to liquidate the Moscow independent broadcasting corporation TV-6 Moscow did not put an end to the protracted conflict between the new management of the channel and one of its shareholders, the LUKOIL-Garant pension fund.

Kashmiri militants decided not to be distracted by the US and the Northern Alliance Yesterday, Islamic separatists carried out a daring terrorist attack near the building of the legislative assembly of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir in the city of Srinagar. A suicidal gunman detonated a car filled with explosives at the entrance, and his colleagues, at least three of whom were dressed in police uniforms, burst into the building and opened fire on the guards.

The President considers the new Prime Minister of Belarus a compromise Yesterday, President of Belarus Lukashenko named the name of a person worthy of heading the cabinet formed by the “dad”. “I pay a lot of attention to construction. He who doesn’t build doesn’t live,” Lukashenko said, introducing Gennady Novitsky as the new prime minister. In the previous government, he oversaw construction and housing and communal services.

Chisinau suspects Islamic radicals were trying to buy weapons The director of the information and security service of Moldova, Valery Pasat, reported in parliament that “high-ranking emissaries of Hezbollah and Hamas tried to buy weapons in Transnistria.” Until recently, the country knew nothing about any terrorist organizations on its territory. But now there is a sharp influx of foreigners from those states that are considered a haven for terrorists.

The sugar auction will be held by the European-Asian Exchange The commission for the sugar auction selected the exchange yesterday. Trading, as last year, will take place on the European-Asian Exchange. The reserve platform will be the Republican Universal Exchange in Cheboksary. Most likely, this decision will cause a wave of discontent among representatives of the exchange community, who even joined pools in an attempt to gain the right to conduct trading.

Raw materials for money will be purchased on a tender basis The board of the association of state enterprises Goznak approved yesterday a number of important financial documents - regulations on tender purchases of materials and services, planning and budget. The management of the association expects that the implementation of these measures will make the company’s work more modern and reduce costs by at least 10%. The board meeting took place at the St.

Zurab Tsereteli again decided to remind of his existence. Yesterday, at the Argumenty i Fakty agency, he told reporters in detail how he spent the summer: “All this time I was studying, developing a palette. If you come to my studio, you will see the same thing on all the canvases. Lots and lots of sunflowers. The palette is the most important thing for an artist. And another initiative. It’s important to come up with an idea and bring it to completion.” Actually, this could be the end of it.

MEDT manages not to quarrel with energy market participants The Ministry of Economic Development has submitted to the government a package of documents on reforming the electric power industry. These are draft amendments to the Civil Code, to the law “On the regulation of tariffs for heat and electricity”, as well as to the resolution “On the Unified National Electric Network”. Now German Gref’s department intends to closely discuss the draft law “On the Electric Power Industry”.