Markets await yoghurt-cola merger PepsiCo Inc. and French food group Danone yesterday denied any actual or proposed deal would take a majority stake in the maker of the iconic yoghurt to the maker of the iconic fizzy drink. Rumors about such a deal have been circulating for weeks. The companies' announcements came after Danone's share price hit its all-time high yesterday in anticipation of a deal. At the opening of trading on the Paris Stock Exchange, Danone securities were up 14%.

Forecast for the coming days In the northwestern regions, over the next two days the weather will be determined by a cyclone centered over southern Scandinavia. In some places there will be short-term thunderstorms, the daytime temperature will be +22...+27оС. In the Central region on Wednesday, under the influence of an atmospheric front, short-term rains are expected during the day, thunderstorms are not excluded, the temperature during the day will be +22...+28оС.

The sixth high-level meeting with regional and other intergovernmental organizations opens early next week at UN headquarters in New York. The theme of the summit is “UN Partnership with Regional Organizations in the Interests of World Security.” One of the central agendas of the meeting will be the analysis of new challenges: will a crisis follow them or will their emergence create new opportunities for global development.

Most Russians don't need the opposition Almost half of Russians believe that in a normal political, social and economic situation there is no need for the existence of an opposition. Sociologists from the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM) came to this conclusion after conducting a survey in 46 regions, territories and republics of Russia in July.

Alcoa and the EBRD agreed to develop rolling production in Russia Representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development signed yesterday a loan agreement with the American company Alcoa in the amount of $75 million. The funds will be used to modernize and increase the capacity of two enterprises that Alcoa bought last year from Russian Aluminum for $257 million - - Samara Metallurgical Plant (SMZ) and Rostov Belokalitvinsky Metallurgical Production Association (BKMPO).

Since yesterday, registration of candidates for presidential elections has been allowed in Egypt. They will take place on September 7. The secretary of the political council of the ruling National Democratic Party of Egypt (NDP), 41-year-old Gamal Mubarak (the eldest son of head of state Hosni Mubarak), announced that the NDP candidate will be determined at its congress.

Ukrainian antimonopoly authorities acquitted Russian oil workers Ukraine has officially announced that it has no claims against Russian oil companies selling fuel in the republic. According to the head of the Antimonopoly Committee (AMC) of Ukraine, Alexey Kostusev, his department closed the case against Russian companies on suspicion of cartel agreement in the oil products market.

According to the State Duma Committee on Budget and Taxes, 67 Russian regions are currently subsidized. Moreover, according to the law “On the Federal Budget for 2005,” 27 federal subjects are highly subsidized regions, and therefore the main hypothetical candidates for introducing presidential rule.

After an accident, the attitude of Russians towards the “motor citizen” changes Russians have not yet decided on their attitude towards compulsory motor third party liability insurance (MTPL). Such conclusions can be drawn from a study published yesterday by the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM).

For German conservatives, Eastern Europe is more important than Russia Yesterday, the leader of the German Christian Democrats, Angela Merkel, paid a one-day visit to Paris. She is a candidate for the post of Federal Chancellor of Germany from the opposition CDU/CSU bloc in the upcoming early elections to the Bundestag in September and has a very high chance of winning over the current Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. Yesterday Mrs. Merkel was received in France at the highest state level.

Blair promised Karzai to increase the contingent Afghan President Hamid Karzai and British Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday signed a ten-year cooperation agreement between the two countries. On Tuesday, the Afghan guest arrived in London for a two-day visit - the third since the US-British coalition overthrew the Taliban regime and Karzai came to power in December 2001.

One of the three most influential professional boxing organizations in the world, the IBF, has ordered number four ranked heavyweight Wladimir Klitschko to meet in a fight to determine a new mandatory challenger for the title with Nigerian Samuel Peter. The IBF championship belt in the most prestigious weight category is now held by American Chris Byrd.

The NCCA is fighting for the democratization of photography The curatorial logic is dark and capricious.

Moscow wants to return Pyongyang to the agreed framework Yesterday, China officially announced the resumption of six-party talks on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula in Beijing on July 26. The first meeting of the delegations of the DPRK, China, USA, South Korea, Russia and Japan took place in the Chinese capital in August 2003.

Armstrong can win the Tour without a stage win At the 16th stage of the prestigious Tour de France multi-day cycling race, its six-time winner and current overall leader, American Lance Armstrong, again failed to achieve his secondary goal at the 2005 Great Loop and finish first. Iron Lance, the strongest rider in the general classification, is unlikely to lose the yellow jersey to his competitors in the remaining days, but he really wants to win at least one stage. So far it hasn't worked out.