The new leadership of the Russian Olympic Committee is quite effective in finding new partners. Yesterday, an agreement on long-term cooperation, as well as an agreement on the provision of charitable assistance, was signed between ROC and Sberbank of Russia. Sberbank President Andrey Kazmin said that the Olympians will receive an amount equivalent to 300 thousand US dollars to prepare for the Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

Employees of the Moscow Criminal Investigation Department detained a former soldier of the Vityaz special forces unit, who is suspected of shooting two people. As we were told at the MUR, last Saturday a large group of tipsy men walked a Giant Schnauzer on Pogonny Proyezd. They came across two young men walking with a Rottweiler. The dogs grappled, and luck was clearly on the side of the Rottweiler.

Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov signed yesterday a decree on the procedure for providing state guarantees for civil liability insurance for military risks of Russian air carriers. However, airlines no longer need government help, and financial support will remain on paper a beautiful, non-binding gesture. The issue of government support for airlines arose after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Then Western insurers suffered huge losses.

Alexey Miller “plans to go to work” Gazprom continues to excite the public. Yesterday, the online publication Strana.ru published information that a week ago, on the eve of the board of directors meeting last Thursday, the head of the concern, Alexey Miller, wrote a letter of resignation. Then, however, Mr. Miller himself went to the hospital, and the directors did not know anything about the statement.

Sibneft explained yesterday why it acquired a 27% stake in itself from its main shareholders in December last year, and sold this stake back this summer. According to the company's press secretary, Alexei Firsov, at the end of last year, shareholders controlled by Roman Abramovich needed funds to finance their own projects, and therefore such a loan was made.

The Ukrainian army is looking for a new chief The Tu-154 crash over the Black Sea became a catalyst for reforms in the Ukrainian army. Leonid Kuchma demanded that the new leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) “urgently ensure qualitative changes in military reform” and spoke in favor of civilian control over the army.

Tiraspol blocked the railway to Chisinau The Transnistrian authorities took “adequate measures” against Chisinau, which the head of the regional administration Igor Smirnov spoke about back in September, after Moldova abolished the old customs stamps that were also used in Transnistria. In Tiraspol, this was regarded as an attempt at an economic blockade, but they gave the Moldovan authorities time to “come to their senses.” The parties did not even try to reach a peaceful agreement.

Today the results of the competition among elevators that will receive the right to participate in grain interventions will be announced. On November 6, the first auction will take place, which will allow grain prices to be regulated. In the fall, during a period of falling prices, it is planned to purchase grain through a state agent and thereby “warm up” the market, and in the spring, on the contrary, to sell it, relieving the market of price overheating.

At a joint meeting of the State Council and the Security Council today, the “Fundamentals of Russia’s policy in the field of development of the defense industry until 2010” will be considered and adopted.

The Moscow Interbank Currency Exchange is trying to lure stubborn bankers onto its platform who prefer to trade currencies bypassing the MICEX. The number of transactions concluded in the electronic lot trading system (SELT) is becoming smaller every day, volumes are decreasing, and along with them commission fees are falling. The Exchange Council decided that reducing the size and simplifying the commission scale would stimulate trading.

Real money is not held in high esteem in Belarus The presidential election campaign, which ended in Belarus two months ago, has cost the treasury dearly. Even government experts predict an increase in wage debts and a fall in the value of the Belarusian ruble. In search of the missing money, the authorities turned their attention to citizens' savings. The government is developing a document that would ban cash transactions in amounts over $200.

Kiselevskugol put up for sale The Russian Federal Property Fund announced the sale of its 65 percent stake in the Kiselevskugol company. The package is divided into two parts (33 and 32%), which are put up for specialized auctions. The initial price of a share with a par value of one ruble is 800 rubles; the entire package is valued at 104 million rubles. The results of the auction should be announced on December 26. Kiselevskugol is the smallest company in the Kemerovo region.

Foreigners began to fly to Moscow less The global crisis that hit air passenger transportation after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States is forcing foreign airlines to curtail their operations, including in Russia. Last Sunday, the relocation of Swissair and Sabena companies from Sheremetyevo to Domodedovo took place with a reduced staff. Sabena decided not to change its Moscow home airport, but simply stopped flights to Moscow.

For the first time, the correspondence between Andrei Bely and Alexander Blok has been published in full Published by the Moscow publishing house Progress-Pleiada, the large-format volume contains more than 600 pages. Andrei Bely and Alexander Blok began corresponding before they met in person. On January 3, 1903, Blok addresses “dear Boris Nikolaevich”: “I have just read your article “Forms of Art” and felt an organic need to write to you. The article is brilliant and frank.

The victory at the tournament in St. Petersburg did not increase Marat Safin’s rating in the ATP. Just like a week ago, Marat takes 11th place. Yevgeny Kafelnikov also did not move one position from his sixth place. And the most noticeable progress was made by the Englishman Tim Henman, who, after winning the tournament in Basel, moved from tenth to seventh place.