St. Petersburg vice-governors are being prepared for trial The investigation of the criminal case against the Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg Valery Malyshev, who is accused of bribery, was completed by the Office of the Prosecutor General for the Northwestern Federal District. The official began to familiarize himself with the materials of “his” investigation, after which they will go to court.

A large batch of rare earth metal of the platinum group - the isotope osmium-187 - worth more than a million dollars was recently seized from underground dealers by employees of the main department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Central Federal District. The detectives' catch amounted to only six grams of this substance, however, according to experts, this is almost gigantic in size for the Russian illegal market.

Authorities fear a repeat of the 1999 tragedy A powerful earthquake occurred yesterday in Afyon province, in western Turkey. According to initial unofficial information, about 35 people were killed and over 150 were injured, dozens of whom are in serious condition. The city of Bolvadin suffered more than others. The first strike of the elements with a force of 6 on the Richter scale was followed by almost sixty more (!).

Valentin Moiseev remains in prison The Supreme Court upheld the verdict of the Moscow City Court on August 14 last year against the former head of the Asian Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Valentin Moiseev, and rejected the complaint of his lawyers. Valentin Moiseev was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. This decision did not satisfy either side.

The First Comics Festival is taking place in Moscow Of all the genres of Western mass culture that so easily entered into Russian post-perestroika usage, the worst situation was with comics. In the West, many periodicals traditionally have their own artists, and this kind of relaxation for the eyes is valued by readers no less than crossword puzzles and astrological forecasts.

Personnel changes have occurred in the Accounts Chamber. By order of the chairman of the joint venture, Sergei Stepashin, Mstislav Afanasyev was appointed head of the apparatus of the joint venture. In addition, the head of the secretariat, Mr. Stepashin himself, was replaced: instead of Vladimir Engelsberg, this position was taken by his former deputy Sergei Fateev. Mr. Afanasyev is a well-known figure in government circles.

The clarification of relations in the courts between military registration and enlistment offices and young people demanding the replacement of military service with an alternative one began soon after such a legal norm appeared in state documents. The right to alternative civil service was enshrined in the Russian Declaration of Human and Civil Rights in November 1991.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to Turkey Nurmuhammed Khanamov announced yesterday in Ankara his resignation and transition to the democratic opposition to the regime of President Niyazov. This was reported yesterday by Radio Liberty and the opposition Turkmen Internet site Gundogar.com.

For the fourth day now, 24 people have been trapped in the snow in the mountains of Dagestan, trapped as a result of avalanches. Five cars in which they were traveling along the road through the Kharib Pass were hit by rubble on Wednesday, but people were only able to signal rescuers on Friday. On Saturday, a team of mountain rescuers managed to reach those in distress by helicopter, but were unable to evacuate them due to difficult weather conditions.

Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin RAMADAN told Vremya Novostei special correspondent Elena SUPONINA what the Iraqi leadership thinks about the US threats. -- The US President named Iraq among the states that threaten global stability. Are you ready for the counter-terrorism operation to fall on you? - This is not the first time Bush has said this.

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A year before the start of the elections, candidates for the post of governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory were determined The three largest Russian corporations operating in the Krasnoyarsk Territory seem to have decided on their political preferences. RAO Norilsk Nickel is represented in the political elite of the region by the head of Taimyr, Alexander Khloponin. RAO UES of Russia has been actively friends with the current governor of the region, Alexander Lebed, for the last year.

Saparmurat Niyazov was proud of Russia for half an hour Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov, who is going to Moscow on a working visit on January 21, hopes to sign here “a document that will determine the legal basis for relations between the two countries.” The Turkmen leader stated this yesterday in Ashgabat before the start of a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.

It will be possible to monitor how federal treasury money is spent using the State Automated System “Elections” electronic network. The corresponding agreement was signed yesterday by the Chairman of the Central Election Commission Alexander Veshnyakov and the head of the Accounts Chamber Sergei Stepashin.

Viktor Ivanov set tasks for the Ministry of Justice Minister of Justice Yuri Chaika, at an expanded board of his ministry held on Friday, spoke in favor of the abolition of the death penalty in Russia. According to Mr. Chaika, the “optimal option” for punishing particularly guilty criminals is “the option with life imprisonment.” Indicative in this regard for Mr.