World Trade Center tenant will receive double insurance The tenant of the World Trade Center (WTC), destroyed as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, should receive double compensation from insurance companies. This decision was made on Monday evening by the Manhattan District Court, thus putting an end to a complex debate between entrepreneur Larry Silverstein, who managed the “twins” immediately before the tragedy, and the consortium of insurers Swiss Re.

Russia continues to demand the preservation of old contracts in Iraq In anticipation of the presidential elections in Iraq scheduled for January 30, Moscow continues to seek from Baghdad a guarantee of maintaining contracts concluded by Russian companies with the regime of Saddam Hussein.

The President of Afghanistan remains to reach an agreement with his rivals Yesterday, the first popularly elected President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, took the oath of office in Kabul. About 150 guests from abroad were invited to the ceremony (their exact number was hidden for security reasons). Russia was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alekseev. From the United States, Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld were present.

Life in different worlds One of the main problems that worries European intellectuals today is the path of development of America and Europe and their future relations. We invite the reader to read a very interesting article written by Alain Manck - French economist and writer, president of the consulting company AM Conseil , chairman of the supervisory board of the newspaper Le Monde .

The girls who used the act of euthanasia were sentenced Yesterday, the Rostov Regional Court handed down a verdict in a rare euthanasia case for Russia. Minor residents of the city of Volgodonsk Kristina Patrina and Marta Shkermanova will go to a colony for succumbing to the persuasion of a seriously ill neighbor and depriving her of her life.

Enterprises will be allowed to be liquidated by advertisement in a magazine Dead companies, which have no debts or creditors, will soon be able to be liquidated without a trial - by an administrative decision alone.

“Avtograzhdanka” is not beneficial to anyone now Mandatory “automobile insurance”, contrary to general ideas about “extortionate” tariffs and “unscrupulous” insurers, in fact so far turns out to be not such a profitable business. The more Russians insure their auto liability, the more likely the insurance company is to end up paying more than they receive.

Tax officials are scaring away buyers from Yuganskneftegaz The Board of Directors of Gazprom, as expected, voted for Gazpromneft's participation in the auction for the sale of Yukos' main asset, Yuganskneftegaz. However, the official results of the board of directors have not yet been summed up. A source familiar with the situation explained that the protocol for absentee voting on the auction is signed by the chairman of the council, head of the presidential administration Dmitry Medvedev.

Four events happened almost simultaneously. First, Russia actually closed the border with Abkhazia, trying to prevent Sergei Bagapsh from coming to power there. Secondly, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili recognized the same Bagapsh as the winner of the presidential elections, saying that he was ready to conduct a dialogue with him on all issues.

Ukrainian Prime Minister goes on vacation and joins the opposition Leonid Kuchma yesterday failed to obtain guarantees of personal security in the event of the end of his term, and the opposition failed to obtain guarantees for holding “fair presidential elections” on December 26. A mutually beneficial “exchange” - support for amendments to the constitution and the law on presidential elections - was thwarted by the Rada.

Passenger car manufacturers have gone uphill The past year has become a landmark for the domestic automobile industry—experts note that in 2003, for the first time in the last ten years, one of the highest results was achieved in the production of passenger cars. According to the final report of ASM-Holding for last year, over 1.28 million cars were produced, which is 104.8% of the 2002 level. A significant excess of output occurred in all sectors, including passenger cars.

“December Evenings” was illuminated by Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble Style, concept and spirit of “December Evenings of Svyatoslav Richter” at the Pushkin Museum. Pushkin is so sophisticated and elitist that the word “headliners” in relation to its participants seems an inappropriate reminder of the shamelessness of show business. Nevertheless, the Norwegian jazz saxophonist Jan Garbarek and the famous English vocalists of the old-time Hilliard Ensemble are the headliners.

Soldiers in sheepskin coats with three-line stripes and T-34 tanks defeated the Germans near the walls of the capital in an hour and a half It took the Russian armed forces only an hour and a half to set fire to villages with flamethrowers, blow up several tanks and armored personnel carriers, burn magpie cannons, level the trenches and march through the conquered land in a solemn parade. This is how Russia celebrated the 63rd anniversary of the defeat of Nazi troops near Moscow yesterday.

Alfa-Eco wants to save Sheremetyevo If Alfa-Eco wins the competition for the right to manage Sheremetyevo International Airport (SIA), then in the next decade it intends to double passenger traffic in the country’s main air harbor. Vice-president of the Alfa-Eco group Dmitry Lyubinin yesterday presented to journalists his concept for the development of the airport.

LUKOIL was the first among Russian companies to receive a share in a project in Saudi Arabia. In its official press release, the company reports that, as a result of an open tender, it received the right to enter into a contract with the government of Saudi Arabia for the exploration and development of gas and gas condensate fields in Block A, located in the center of the country.