The Don state apparatus will be brought up to standard The authorities of the Rostov region intend to radically change the principles of financing the state apparatus.

Yukos is gaining a place in the US oil market The first direct deal to supply Russian oil to America will be completed in the coming days. The Greek large-capacity tanker Astro Lupus yesterday evening delivered to the port of Galveston (Houston) 240 thousand tons of oil, which YUKOS, together with ExxonMobil, sent to the United States on June 12 - Russian Independence Day. The tanker will begin unloading on America's Independence Day.

The Prime Minister ordered tariffs not to change Mikhail Kasyanov overturned the decision of the Federal Energy Commission to increase tariffs for rail freight transportation by 14% from January 20, 2002. According to him, in the very near future a final decision will be made on the timing of indexation of tariffs for the services of natural monopolies, including railway transport services.

TNK offers Gazprom a form of participation in the Kovykta project The issue of Gazprom's participation in the project to develop the Kovyktinskoye gas condensate field in the Irkutsk region has become increasingly discussed.

The ski federation is mired in legal proceedings Many news agencies have already reported that the hearing of the case of Russian skiers Larisa Lazutina and Olga Danilova at the Lausanne Sports Court of Appeal may be postponed indefinitely. At the same time, many circumstances of the case, as well as the situation developing within the Russian Ski Federation, remained behind the scenes.

The shadow of a dead oligarch haunts Argentina Argentine President Eduardo Duhalde announced that the country's presidential elections will be held six months ahead of schedule - in March 2003. At the same time, the influential metropolitan newspaper Clarin published a series of sensational reports that the influential Argentine oligarch and mortal enemy of Duhalde Alfredo Yabran, who shot himself four years ago, may be alive.

Mikhail Kasyanov expects to find a compromise with Viktor Gerashchenko on the issue of the Bank of Russia withdrawing from the capital of Vneshtorgbank and its privatization. “The issue of the Central Bank withdrawing from VTB capital remains,” Mr. Kasyanov said yesterday, while “the possibility of attracting investment (in this bank) is supported by the government.” In the coming days, Mr. Kasyanov plans to meet with Mr. Gerashchenko and discuss with him the future fate of VTB.

Yesterday, the journalistic team of the TV-6 channel submitted an application to the Ministry of Press to register a limited liability company under the name “TV-6”. Journalists intend to “take over” the channel from the Moscow Independent Broadcasting Corporation, the decision to liquidate which was recently made by the Supreme Arbitration Court of Russia.

The Vremya Novostey newspaper managed to talk with the wife of Andrei Ageev, one of those arrested in the Los Angeles case. According to her, the expected “favorable” court decision will so far change little in the fate of her husband, and, as the US authorities promise, he will remain in prison at least until the fall.

The return of refugees to Chechnya will not be forced Twice over the past two days, high-ranking foreign delegations visited the camps of internally displaced persons in Ingushetia: first the group of the PACE chief rapporteur on refugees and internally displaced persons Tadeusz Iwiński, then the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers himself. Both international dignitaries, to the delight of the authorities, spoke in favor of the speedy return of refugees to Chechnya.

Chairman of the Board of Vneshtorgbank Yuri PONOMAREV, who is participating in the Russia-Poland economic forum in Warsaw, answered questions from Andrei DENISOV, a correspondent for the Vremya Novostei newspaper. -- How do you assess the situation around VTB? -- The Prime Minister expresses hope that the issue of a joint vision between the government and the Central Bank of the problem of the Central Bank's withdrawal from the capital of Vneshtorgbank will be resolved.

The upper house of parliament met yesterday for the first time in its new composition. So far, the new senators have not yet developed a taste for discussing bills. None of the issues included on the agenda, perhaps with the exception of the bill “On Leasing,” aroused either heated discussion or special interest. But issues related to the new work order and their own financial support were discussed with pleasure by the new senators. A new regulation was adopted as a basis.

FIFA has released a new ranking of the strongest teams in the world. It is headed, as expected, by the Brazilian national team, which recently became a five-time World Cup winner. The national teams of Argentina and France, located in the second and third lines of the ranking, did not win laurels in Japan and Korea, having been eliminated at the early stage of the championship.

Artificial turf installed at Luzhniki The match of the 13th round of the Russian Championship in the Premier League between Torpedo and Rostselmash went down in football history. The hero of this match was not the football players or the coaches, but the new field of the Grand Sports Arena of the five-star Luzhniki stadium. The laying of the turf by the Canadian company Montrade began at the BSA on May 12, immediately after the final match of the Russian Cup.

US offers UN compromise Today the UN Security Council will announce a fateful decision for all international peacekeeping. The 72-hour period for the “technical extension of the mandate” of the UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) expired overnight. Let us remind you that the extension for six months, as is always done, was prevented by the United States.