The Asia-Pacific region, where oil consumption is constantly growing, continues to attract commodity exporters. At the end of last year, Russia announced the start of construction of an oil pipeline from Eastern Siberia to the Pacific coast, and now Venezuela has announced its intention to become a serious player in the region.

The Krasnodar governor is being sold even in neighboring regions In the office furniture section of the “From A to Z” shopping center in Rostov-on-Don, along with tables, cabinets and armchairs, a portrait of the Governor of the Krasnodar Territory Alexander Tkachev is now sold. The version that the store employees simply decided to increase the political literacy of Rostovites by presenting them with a gallery of gubernatorial portraits does not stand up to criticism.

The Myrrh-Bearing Wives and Clara Zetkin are invited to switch places The Russian Orthodox Church is systematically trying to replace the “ideologically outdated” communist holidays with religious ones. Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, speaking yesterday to journalists at the exhibition “Orthodox Rus'”, proposed abandoning the usual Women’s Day on March 8th.

Russia will soon cease to be considered a debtor to the International Monetary Fund. Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, as the government press service reported yesterday, signed an order on the early repayment of funds borrowed from the IMF and subject to repayment in 2005-2008. The amount of loans repaid ahead of schedule is about $3.33 billion. In October 2001, Russia already made early payments to the IMF. Then, having paid $2.7 billion, the Central Bank fully repaid its debt to the Fund.

Roman Kozak directed Andrei Platonov’s story “Dzhan” The performance is performed on the stage of the branch of the Theater named after. Pushkin, there are only three performers. Alexander Matrosov plays the hero of the story, Nazar Chagataev, who in the theater became simply Nazar. A surname is something superfluous and annoyingly specific. Kozak staged “Dzhan” as a parable, and living people had to give way to certain generalized figures.

The Hydrometeorological Center celebrates its 75th anniversary with a promise to reduce subjectivity in forecasts The anniversary of the Russian Hydrometeorological Center - its 75th anniversary - in Moscow was marked by frosts and a severe snowstorm, which became almost a natural disaster for the Russian capital.

Hydro-OGK is going to minimize taxes RAO UES of Russia yesterday admitted for what purpose it registered a wholesale generating company (Hydro-OGK) being created in the Krasnoyarsk Territory on the basis of the largest Russian hydroelectric power plants. As Vyacheslav Sinyugin, a member of the energy holding board and head of Hydro-OGK, stated in an interview with Interfax, this was done to minimize taxation.

Property taxes will rise sharply in Moscow In 2005, Muscovites will have to pay one and a half times the tax on their real estate. And the fiscal authorities have nothing to do with it: the tax will increase due to the introduction of a new coefficient of replacement cost of real estate. The increased coefficient was approved last week by the Moscow government.

Capital does not survive in Russia The Russian economy remains unattractive for investment. According to the Central Bank, in 2004, the net outflow of private capital (the difference between inflow and outflow) amounted to $7.8 billion. Moreover, this figure could have been more impressive if not for the “saving” fourth quarter, when 10 more people came into the country.

CLUBS Alina Vitukhnovskaya . Presentation of the book “The Black Icon of Russian Literature” by the publishing house “Ultra. Culture". Vitukhnovskaya is a cult figure, one of the most radical characters in Moscow artistic life. As part of the presentation, there will be a concert by the groups Altera Forma and Inquistorium , and Vladimir Epifanetsev will read poems by Alina Vitukhnovskaya and present a video film Noir-Theatre. "B2" , 20.00. Felix Lahouti (violin) and Funky Land. Funk.

Russia was awarded another honorary rating Yesterday, the Standard & Poor's rating agency upgraded Russia's long-term sovereign credit rating to investment grade - from BB+ to BBB-. Of the three most influential and authoritative global rating agencies, S&P was the last to decide on such an assessment of Russian debt obligations. Moody's Investors Service "raised" Russia back in October 2003, Fitch did the same at the end of November last year.

Criminal cases have been opened regarding the kidnapping of Aslan Maskhadov’s relatives Rumors about the abduction or detention of Aslan Maskhadov's relatives, which appeared at the end of last year and have recently been refuted by officials both in Chechnya itself and in Moscow, received documentary confirmation yesterday.

Sergei Darkin will become the first appointed governor Yesterday it became known that Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to deputies of the legislative assembly of the Primorsky Territory the candidacy of Sergei Darkin as his candidate for governor. There is nothing unexpected in the fact that the head of state supported the candidacy of Mr. Darkin, who became the first of the current regional heads who risked turning to Vladimir Putin with a question of trust.

Palestinian leader counts on Russian support Yesterday, the new head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, who is making his first international tour, met with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The choice of route of the Middle Eastern guest showed the whole world that Russia is gaining real chances to restore its influence in the region. Currently, the United States plays the role of the most significant foreign mediator in the Arab-Israeli peace process.

The Belarusian opposition is looking for a replacement for Lukashenko The Belarusian opposition began preparations for the 2006 presidential elections. The issue of a single candidate was discussed by opposition members in Vilnius last weekend. More than ten people declared their readiness to become an alternative to Alexander Lukashenko. Among those wishing to compete for the presidency are well-known politicians.