Moscow authorities are expelling office tenants from hotels The Moscow authorities have made another attempt to increase the hotel “capacity” of the capital. While old hotels are being reconstructed and new ones are being built as part of a ten-year tourism development program, Yuri Luzhkov approached the problem of the shortage of places from a different angle.

Gazprom fell into a Turkmen trap for Ukraine Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov won a crushing victory in the gas business over Kyiv and Moscow. Although from January 1 the price of Turkmen gas was increased only for Naftogaz of Ukraine (from 44 to 58 dollars per thousand cubic meters), and for Gazexport it remained at last year’s level, the future risks of the Russian company have increased many times over.

Yesterday in Russia the American currency rose in price by 20 kopecks The New Year on the Russian foreign exchange market, which opened yesterday after a long holiday, began with a revival of the dollar. Since the beginning of the year, while Russian banks were resting, the American currency has grown strongly (by 4%) against the euro, so yesterday its quotes in Russia immediately jumped up by more than 20 kopecks. The official exchange rate of the Central Bank was 27.95 rubles/dollar.

Prizes are being given out at the Detroit Auto Show At the Detroit Auto Show, which started over the weekend, all the prizes in the North American Car competition went to Americans.

Alexander Lukashenko is preparing voters for rising gas prices Just before the New Year, Gazprom and Beltransgaz entered into a contract for the supply of gas to Belarus and the transit of export volumes through its territory in 2005 on the terms of the Russian monopolist. The price of gas and transit remained at the same level - $46.68 per thousand cubic meters and $0.75 for transportation per 100 km.