A brief look at the stories making headlines in the Russian-language press

		Izvestia Kommersant

Izvestia
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The canceling by the Supreme Court of the Defense Ministry's order concerning the imposing of a list of information to be classified as secret in the Armed Forces will have far-reaching consequences both for individuals convicted of espionage and for society as a whole. The Supreme Court's decision went into force Nov. 6 and, as a result, the Defense Ministry now will have to cancel 10 points of its order regulating the secrecy regime in relation to hundreds of thousands of documents. The story reveals the essence of the order, focusing on several consequences of its being canceled.

A new scandal has erupted between NTV and TV-6, with a point of contention being several names of programs that moved from NTV to TV-6 after the changeover of the NTV management and owners in April. TV-6 on Oct. 25 received a letter from the Press Ministry with a demand to close or rename these programs. The story gives details, with a commentary from "Itogo" program author Viktor Shenderovich.

Pakistani authorities are discussing the possibility of sending their nuclear arsenals to China due to fears that 24 nuclear warheads may fall into the hands of fundamentalists or that they can be destroyed by preventive strikes on the part of the United States, Israel or India, which countries fear that these weapons may be seized by terrorists. In an interview Vladimir Dvorkin, an author of nuclear provisions of the domestic military doctrine and head of the Center for Strategic Nuclear Forces of the Academy of Military Sciences, talks about methods of counteracting nuclear terrorism.

The story describes how the Communists marked Revolution Day, Nov. 7.

The Gazprom board of directors on Tuesday held a session to discuss an issue of buying out the additional issuance of stock of its daughter petrochemical company, SIBUR. The story examines the session's decisions.

In an interview former Economics Minister Andrei Nechayev, head of the Russian Financial Corporation, talks about the current situation in Gazprom, focusing on problems facing its new top managers.

Germany's Security Council at its extraordinary session has made the decision to send 3,900 soldiers to Afghanistan to take part in the anti-terrorist operation. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has called the decision historic. The story focuses on its significance.

Air France and British Airways on Wednesday resumed the commercial exploitation of the supersonic passenger jet-liner Concord, which was suspended after an air catastrophe on July 25 last year. British Prime Minister Tony Blair was one of the passengers of the first flight from London to New York.

On Tuesday anthrax spores were found in the diplomatic mail of the U.S. Consulate in Yekaterinburg. The story gives details.

The feature story describes how Soviet leaders spent their leisure time in the House for KGB officials in Kislovodsk, which was dubbed the Brezhnev dacha.

Can a civil society be created in Russia and does this country need it in general? Philosopher Oleg Yefremov shares his viewpoint on the issue.

India's Defense Minister George Fernandes has ordered to accelerate the process of purchasing armaments for the Indian army. During his recent visit to Moscow, India's Primer Minister Atal Bihari Vadjpayee discussed the issue with the Russian leadership.

Another attempt was made upon the life of Chechen administration head Akhmad Kadyrov on Wednesday. Analysts say that this is connected with his negative stand on meetings with Aslan Maskhadov and his supporters. The story gives details.

The Chechen government has drafted a purpose-oriented program, "The Youth of Chechnya" which is aimed at preventing the republic's younger generation from being recruited into criminal groups. The story examines the document's major provisions.

Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov at a news conference on Wednesday stated that for a successful struggle against extremist groups in the city it is necessary to place special agents to work in their ranks. The mayor admitted that chauvinism and nationalism manifestations today constitute a serious problem for Moscow. Brief.

The Communications Ministry on Nov. 1 offered a new service to the public ?€” musical telegrams. Brief.

At a court trial Thursday to consider the case of television journalist Sergei Dorenko, his lawyer, Maxim Smal, intends to ask the court for a verdict of "not guilty" for his client. But the prosecutor on Tuesday stated that Dorenko should be sentenced to no less than four years in prison. Brief.

Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov is in no hurry to sign a draft decree on creating the Single Tariff Agency. The document has been lying on his table for several days already. The story explains Kasyanov's behavior.

The Railways Ministry's working group responsible for drafting amendments to legislation regulating the process of creating and functioning the "Rossiiskiye Zhelezniye Dorogi" (Russian Railways) company will hold an enlarged session today to regulate the stands of all interested parties. In an interview Viktor Markov, head of the Railways Ministry's Judiciary Board, talks about major amendments in the legislation.

A large group of British businessmen is expected to arrive in Moscow within a few days to take part in a seminar, during which Russian state officials will try to persuade them to buy more Russian goods and to make investments in the Russian economy. The story examines the event, focusing on the participants' most probable reaction.

The story examines two significant events that has happened in Kishinev, Moldova this week. The foreign ministers of Moldova and Russia have initialed the Inter- State Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, and the Moldovan capital city has overcome an energy crisis.

Rumor has it that Chechen Premier Stanislav Ilyasov may resign in the near future. The story examines several causes for such rumors.

Chechen administration officials on Monday stated that work was under way on the republic's anthem and coats of arms. Meanwhile, as its has turned out, Chechnya already has an anthem and a coat of arms. The story gives details. Also covered in Kommersant Daily

Not long before the Day of National Reconciliation and Accord on Wednesday, sociologists conducted opinion polls to see how the public views this date. The story gives results.

Highly-regarded literary scholar and historian Lev Bezymensky has written a book titled "The Budapest Messiah: Raul Vallenberg," which features the fate of the Swedish diplomat in the context of Stalin's policy in the "Jewish question" and Russia's relations with the allies in World War II and the post-war years. In an interview Lev Bezymensky talks about his research work.

The Fatherland, Unity, SPS and Yabloko leaders in Moscow City Hall on Monday signed a joint agreement and an appeal to Muscovites. The four leading political parties made the decision to submit a single list of candidates for the Moscow City Duma elections scheduled for Dec. 16. The story comments on the decision.

The State Duma is discussing the pension reform plan that is to come into effect in two months. In an interview Deputy Valentina Pivnenko, specializing in pension issues, explains how the pension system could be more efficient.

The United States is willing to make several concessions to Russia that can receive the status of a country with a market economy. The first step in this direction has already been taken ?€” the notorious Jackson-Vanik amendment is to be canceled early next year. The story describes the amendment and what will happen when it will be repealed.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Kudrin on Monday announced the appointment of his new first deputy Viktor Zubkov, who will head the Committee on Financial Monitoring that was created last week, and dubbed the Financial Intelligence Agency. Kudrin revealed several secrets of his intelligence.

Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov has signed a decree on creating a federal agency to deal with the insurance of the harvest. The Agriculture Ministry, together with the Finance and Property ministries in the next three months is to draft and adopt a charter of the Federal Agency on State Support of Insurance in the sphere of agricultural-industrial production. The story examines the government decree. Also covered in Kommersant Daily

The story examines the state plan to service one of the parts of the country's foreign debt, the so-called eurobonds. The first tranche of these securities will be cleared off on time this month.

In an interview Ilya Lomakin-Rumyantsev, a spokesman for the Federation Council Budget Committee, explains how the state ensures the reliability of insurance companies.

Cuba's head of state Fidel Castro stated that his country had received 116 envelopes with a suspicious white powder, the fourth part of which was addressed to him. The story gives details.

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Samara Regional Vice-Governor Viktor Kazakov on Monday officially stated that the regional authorities had imposed external management in relation to the budget of the Samara city. This action sets a precedent. For the first time Russia has used the norms of the Budget Code. The story reveals their essence.

Directors of domestic leading aluminum plants have drafted a letter to Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov with a request to take several protectionist measures for them. The aluminum sector for the first time after a grandiose redivision of property has announced its inability to function normally under conditions of market fluctuations of aluminum prices. The story examines the document, focusing on the government's possible response.

The Komi Republic's election commission on Monday completed the registration of candidates for the presidential elections in the republic, scheduled for Dec. 16. The story examines 9 candidates.

The Central Election Commission has received a complaint against Yakutia's President Mikhail Nikolayev, who in his income declaration has allegedly presented false information about his income. The story gives details.

The World Bank Monday made public a report devoted to the prospects of the world economy in 2002. The World Bank proposes to Western countries to open their markets for goods produced by poor states and also to give them money. The story examines the report.

The "Cooperative Determination" military exercise has begun in Azerbaijan within the framework of the NATO "Partnership for Peace" program. Along with this, Azerbaijan has invited U.S. troops to use its territory for their anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan.

Georgia's head of state Eduard Shevardnadze on Monday stated that he excluded the possibility of his resignation and the early presidential elections in his country. In addition, he stated his serious claims on Russian policymakers for criticism in his address. The story gives details.

Deputy Economic Development Minister Maxim Medvedkov on Tuesday was to begin talks with European Commission General Directorate head Salvatore Salerno on steel trade in EC countries. The story focuses on the Russian metal companies' stands on the issue.

Promsvyazbank has bought a significant amount of stock of the newspaper Argumenty i Fakty. The story comments on the deal.

The story describes continuing scandals in the Ulyanovsk aviation complex. Aviastar shareholders' extraordinary meeting on Monday forced the company's board of directors to resign.

United Arab Emirates at the aviation show in Dubai has announced its willingness to buy jetliners from Airbus and Boeing to the tune of $15 billion. The story examines the deal.

Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov has asked Economic Development Minister Gherman Gref to draft additional chapters to the production-sharing agreement on the Kharyaginsky oil deposit. Brief.

Avtobank and Ingosstrakh on Monday announced personnel changes in their leadership. The story gives details.

The PARTAD board of directors at its session voted for exclusion of 15 companies from the association. The brief states the reason why.

The Federal Securities Commission regional branch for the Northwestern Federal District has fined Severnaya Neft Corp. for violation of the procedure and timing of submitting information. Brief.

Economists on Tuesday expected a decrease in interest rates in Europe and the U.S. The story reveals reasons behind their expectations.

Before the end of the month the government is expected to discuss a package of major draft bills underlying railway reform. The Railways Ministry's "reform headquarters" has already prepared them. The story examines the major reforms.

On the eve of the meeting in New York between Russia's Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and Cuba's Foreign Minister Felipe Peres Roke scheduled for mid-November, the director of the Latin American department of the Foreign Ministry, Valery Morozov, stated Russia's vision of increased cooperation with Cuba. The story examines them in detail.