The former head of the Krasnoyarsk aluminum plant, Anatoly Bykov, finally appeared in court yesterday in the case of organizing an attempt on the life of Krasnoyarsk businessman Pavel Struganov, also known in certain circles under the nickname Pasha Tsvetomusika. However, the process only lasted a little over an hour.

Russia flirts with OPEC Having returned to Moscow late at night from Dushanbe, President Vladimir Putin early in the morning already met with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who unexpectedly arrived in the Russian capital on Sunday. After difficult negotiations with the United States, China, Tajikistan and all the countries of the Pacific region, the president managed to find the strength to talk with Mr. Chavez.

Alexander Mamut: “The Central Bank’s plan is not tied to either time or place” Next Saturday, the month-long period allotted by the government for finalizing the Strategy for the Development of the Russian Banking Sector, approved “in general” on September 27, expires. Most likely, the project will get Mikhail Kasyanov’s signature only after the weekend - so far the “finalizing” departments (Ministry of Finance, Central Bank, MEDT, MAP, etc.) have not submitted any proposals to the White House.

Vnesheconombank will be given a twin The government's discussion of the concept of reforming Vnesheconombank, scheduled for next Thursday, has been postponed for a week. Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Kudrin, who announced the transfer yesterday, also announced some details of the future restructuring. According to him, we are no longer talking about creating a special agency under the Ministry of Finance for managing public debt, but about separating the “commercial component” from VEB.

Anatoly Bykov may become a Krasnoyarsk deputy Former chairman of the board of directors of the Krasnoyarsk Aluminum Plant, Anatoly Bykov, officially announced that he will run again for the legislative assembly of the Krasnoyarsk Territory (elections will take place on December 23). Moreover, the aluminum baron created his own voting bloc.

Russia proves to the United States that there is no alternative to the Northern Alliance Vladimir Putin's nightly blitz visit to Dushanbe and his acquaintance with the leaders of the Northern Alliance of Afghanistan became a continuation of the Shanghai negotiations between the Russian president and George Bush. It is obvious that at the first stage of the anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan, the United States failed to achieve its goals - both military and diplomatic.

The Afghan crisis is costing Ankara dearly Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem is completing today a blitz tour of three CIS countries linked by ethnic and linguistic ties with Ankara - Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Mr. Jam called these three peoples “members of the same family,” with whom it is necessary to discuss the difficult situation that has developed in the region after the start of the Afghan campaign.

The nuclear submarine "Kursk" is ready for a visit from investigators from the Prosecutor General's Office. Yesterday, the boat was completely freed from the 26 gripping devices with which it was coupled to the Gigant-4 barge. According to the Northern Fleet headquarters, the boat is now completely installed on keel blocks, its upper deck is exposed.

The penultimate tennis tournament of the Masters series this season has ended in Stuttgart. The final match in tournaments of this rank is played in five sets, and Belarusian Maxim Mirny and court owner Tommy Haas were preparing for such a long argument. However, there was no more or less serious fight - supported by his fellow countrymen, Haas defeated his opponent - 6:2, 6:2, 6:2. Maxim Mirny clearly could not control his nerves.

For the fourth time in the last year, NOSTA (Orsko-Khalilovsky Iron and Steel Works, Orenburg region) changes owners. Last Saturday, a leadership team of new owners - shareholders of Russian Aluminum - landed at the plant. The first deputy of the Krasnoyarsk aluminum smelter, Sergey Filippov, became the managing director of NOSTA.

Today the Sofia Gubaidullina Music Festival opens in the Great Hall of the Conservatory The festival, which Sofia Gubaidullina herself, not without guile, calls the “quiet final chord” of her composing career, is dedicated to her seventieth birthday. There are not so many new things in the program that have not been heard in Moscow before. In fact, what is presented is a “collected works”, or rather a one-volume book, whose pages will open in the concert halls of Moscow and Kazan within a week.

Russian and French prime ministers will work together to fight money laundering Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, receiving his colleague Lionel Jospin, apparently could not remain silent about the Paris Club. Mr Kasyanov does not rule out the possibility that Russia will pay off its debt ahead of schedule.

The coffee cartel has collapsed The first victim of the crisis that has been raging on the global coffee market for almost a year has appeared. The Association of Coffee Producing Countries (ACPC), which unites suppliers of 70% of coffee beans, announced its dissolution in January 2002. Its members are unable to pay dues, and the association itself has failed to establish control over exchange prices.

Last week, the management of RAO UES of Russia reviewed and approved the transformation program at Kuzbassenergo. Among the Siberian energy systems, Kuzbass will be the first to begin structural restructuring. So far, the preliminary stage of restructuring, designed for the period until May 2002, has been approved and will be implemented. Kuzbassenergo is the sixth largest energy system in Russia. Its installed energy capacity is 4750, operating capacity is 4500 MW.

They want to treat drug addicts forcibly Two ministries at once are advocating today for the return of the practice of compulsory treatment of drug addicts. The union of the “humane” Ministry of Health and the “repressive” Ministry of Internal Affairs was recently announced in the State Duma by Health Minister Yuri Shevchenko.