NASA intends to abandon shuttles The new American space program, which George Bush is expected to announce this week, seems likely to affect Russia most directly. The ambitious plans of the US President to create a permanent base on the Moon and prepare an expedition to Mars actually mask the introduction by the Americans of a regime of austerity in space, and this saving will be carried out, including at the expense of partners on the ISS.

Federal budget The main financial document of the country. Budget expenditures are provided in the amount of 2.66 trillion rubles, revenues - 2.74 trillion rubles. GDP is projected at 15.3 trillion rubles, inflation rates at 10%. The priority of the 2004 budget is to ensure national security. Expenditures on national defense increased by 19% compared to the previous year, on the judiciary by 30%, on law enforcement and state security by 27%.

The governor of Kuban dismissed the mayor of Sochi, who he disliked, from his post. In the new year, the largest resort in Russia begins to live with a new head. On January 6, deputies of the Sochi City Assembly unanimously accepted the resignation of Mayor Leonid Mostovoy, who had written a letter of resignation “at his own request” the day before, and approved Viktor Kolodyazhny as the first deputy head of the city. Now, in accordance with the charter of the resort, Mr.

The dollar is already cheaper than 29 rubles The fall of the dollar has become such an undeniable economic reality that the Russian monetary authorities have allowed it to overcome another important psychological milestone. On Friday, the official exchange rate of the American currency fell below 29 rubles for the first time since May 2001, to 28.991 rubles/dollar. -- following the decline of the dollar against the euro and other leading currencies on the international market.

Akhmat Kadyrov continues to form a new political team In 2004, Chechnya acquired two new representatives in the Federation Council.

Vladimir Putin's partners in the presidential elections have been identified Until recently, the only, almost unreal threat to the re-election of Vladimir Putin as head of state was the possibility of a boycott of the elections by the right and left forces. The lack of interest in the elections and the absence of serious opponents could lead to insufficient voter turnout.

Innovations 2004 changed one collection for another As has become an annual tradition, new tax rules came into force with the onset of January. As in previous years, the current changes cannot be called unambiguously reducing the tax burden. For both businesses and ordinary citizens, reductions in some taxes will ultimately be offset by increases in others. Reducing taxes will have a very indirect (and therefore not very noticeable) effect on the incomes of ordinary Russians.

The presidents exchanged experience in building a “managed democracy” Vladimir Putin made his first foreign visit in the new year on January 9-10 to Kazakhstan. We prepared for the arrival of the distinguished guest. Banners in Russian appeared on the streets of Astana, and an official biography of the Russian president appeared in the government newspaper.