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

IZVESTIA


After NATO launched its airstrikes against military targets in Yugoslavia on Wednesday, it won't be easy for President Boris Yeltsin and U.S. President Bill Clinton to find common ground, notes the story. A source in the Russian Defense Ministry reported that a "decision on the principle of military measures in response to the bombing of Yugoslavia has already been taken at the highest level." The story comments on NATO's raids and Russia's reaction. Also covered in Kommersant Daily, Komsomolskaya Pravda and Moskovsky Komsomolets.


When Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov decided to turn his plane back to Moscow, he was well aware that he was altering the whole internal political and economic situation in Russia. The story comments on the decision he took.


Ukraine's parliament Wednesday officially announced that it had rejected the non-nuclear status of its country. It is NATO's aggressive plans that have caused this decision.


Leaders of the regional branches of the Liberal Democratic Party, the Communist Party and other parties and movements in Vladivostok have come up with a proposal to postpone the date of the elections to the City Duma, scheduled for May 17.


Former Central Bank head Sergei Dubinin has made a statement, which is given here, shedding light on his agency's legal activities in relation to FIMACO, the Central Bank's offshore entity.


Five socialist parties and movements signed a coalition agreement Wednesday, believing that their coalition "will become the core of the left-of-center election bloc."


The aviation company Transaero has decided to close its office in Vladivostok because of the current economic conditions.


The Ingosstrakh fire insurance board has marked its tenth anniversary. In an interview, its deputy chief Marina Sennikova speaks about the agency, its achievements and clients.


Another story features the first surgery center in Russia specializing in anemia, where surgeons have begun to perform unique operations on the heart.


German Sterligov, former head of the Alisa Exchange, has announced the creation of special units based on his public and political movement "Slovo and Delo," or Word and Deed, to combat the degradation of children and adults. The story outlines the project.


Louis Elliot, leader of the British pop group "Rialto," has arrived in Moscow for a two-day visit to promote his album. The story features the group and its new album.


One story looks at the complicated financial position of Inkombank, saying whom the bank owes and how much.


Sberbank has made a decision to fund the construction of three state-of-the art military frigates at the Baltiisky Zavod. The frigates will be built for India. The story details the project.


Deputy Prime Minister Gennady Kulik on Tuesday announced the intention to buy agricultural machines worth $2 billion from John Deere, an American company. The American Case Corporation will also take part in the upcoming negotiations.


Unified Energy Systems, the energy company, will buy 25 percent of the Nizhnekamskaya electric power station, part of the Tatenergo energy company. The story looks at the plan.


KOMMERSANT DAILY


At a session of the board of ORT, the state broadcaster, on Wednesday, the government announced its intention to control the financial performance of Russian public television. The story comments on the essence of the government decision.


The Fatherland movement will hold its congress on April 24 in Yaroslavl. This decision was made Wednesday by the movement's political council. Fatherland leader Yury Luzhkov meanwhile will continue his negotiations with Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov and Yabloko leader Grigory Yavlinsky with the aim of signing a document on political accord.


The Krasnoyarsk Prosecutor's Office on Wednesday instituted criminal proceedings against the managers of Krasnoyarskenergo, an energy company, and the Krasnoyarsk Aluminum Factory on charges of illegally lowering energy tariffs in favor of the Krasnoyarsk Aluminum Factory. The story details the case.


The Russian Mortgage Association last week rejected $4 billion, which was offered to it by the U.S. government. Officially, it was stated that the refusal was made for "political reasons." But what really happened?


On Thursday, Sberbank is to begin to pay out deposits to former clients of Rossiisky Kredit, which is the seventh largest bank.


Transneft head Dmitry Savelyev and the acting governor of the Leningrad region, Valery Serdyukov, have signed an agreement to build the $500-million Baltiisky pipeline system. The story details the project.


KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA


A 13-year-old schoolboy in the Leningrad region has been hospitalized after a bear attacked him in a park. The bear had escaped from a local club. The story details the incident.


In an interview, Vyacheslav Trubnikov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, comments on the situation surrounding Yugoslavia.


One story reports on how several State Duma deputies responded Wednesday to Liberal Democratic Party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky's call to volunteer to fight in Kosovo.


In an interview, America's leading Sovietologist, Zbigniew Brzezinski speaks about his evaluation of President Boris Yeltsin, who, in his opinion, will leave both a positive and a very tragic mark on Russian history. Brzezinski also comments on how he regards Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov.


Both the State Duma and the Federation Council approved a new income-tax scheme, the essence of which boils down to three basic "socialist" notions, described here, one of them being that people should not live in poverty. The story offers concrete figures to prove the point.


The American journal Catalyst has published the results of an investigation into popular sugar substitutes, which are temptingly sweet but very dangerous for health. The article names several of them, offering an opinion that is shared by Russian doctors.


Legendary Soviet bard Alexander Vertinsky would have turned 110 on Thursday. In an interview, his daughter, actress Mariana Vertinskaya, reminisces about her father, who liked everything that was beautiful.


MOSKOVSKY KOMSOMOLETS


In an exclusive interview, Swiss Attorney General Carla Del Ponte speaks about the aim of her visit to Moscow. Also covered in Izvestia.


A statement from the Moscow government press center concerning mass media information states that Vladimir Resin, the first vice-premier of the Moscow government, allegedly headed the state commission that selected the Swiss firm Mabetex to complete major renovation of the Kremlin. Also covered in Izvestia.


What police officers saw in Moscow pensioner Svetlana Pavlova's apartment on Krivorozhskaya Ulitsa shocked them - her 18 hungry cats were eating the dead body of their owner, who died two weeks ago.


The government has issued a decree providing another benefit to Federation Council and State Duma deputies - they have been freed from attending military training sessions.


Moscow police on Tuesday confiscated three very large natural emeralds valued at $10 million from illicit dealers. The story details the case. Also covered in Kommersant Daily.


Four State Duma deputies answer the following questions: Can the state, which is threatening to default, pursue an independent foreign policy? Is Russia capable of effectively influencing the current situation in Yugoslavia?


In an interview, Igor Giorgadze, former chief of the Security Council of Georgia, who is currently being hunted by the Georgian government, says that Russia cannot extradite him because he is not in Russia. He also speaks about his ambitious future plans.


One story reports how children with serious central nervous-system problems live in special hospitals.


NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA


Editor Vitaly Tretyakov harshly criticizes NATO's bombing of military facilities in Yugoslavia. He says that this clearly shows that the U.S. has put in place a military and police regime over Europe, with NATO functioning as its instrument of repression.


Political scientist Igor Maksimychev poses four questions to the Russian Foreign Ministry in the wake of NATO's airstrikes against Yugoslavia.


U.S. President Bill Clinton and his administration are doing everything in their power to convince Americans that the current NATO military operation in the Balkans is necessary. The story comments on the administration's plans.


One story highlights nine articles from Chapter7 of the UN Charter to prove that NATO's current airstrikes are in violation.


NOVIYE IZVESTIA


One story describes the Tofalar people, who comprise the smallest ethnic group in Russia. They live in the mountainous taiga region of Tofalaria.


Another story focuses on the NATO bombing of military facilities in Yugoslavia, which was approved by 19 NATO members and put into effect Wednesday. How has Moscow responded to it? Also covered in Segodnya.


SEGODNYA


One story looks at measures Russia may take in response to the airstrikes that NATO launched Wednesday against Yugoslavia. Seven leading politicians share their views on the airstrikes.


In his first official interview since being elected head of the Central Election Commission, Alexander Veshnyakov speaks about the way he plans to build relationships with the Kremlin and the government. Also covered in Nezavisimaya Gazeta.


Fuel and Energy Minister Sergei Generalov and his U.S. counterpart Bill Richardson have signed a memorandum in Washington on mutual understanding in the context of the passing of amendments to the Russian legislation on production-sharing agreements.


An unofficial memorial has emerged near the government White House since the tragic events of October 1993. Many other unsanctioned monuments, including a painted wall devoted to singer Viktor Tsoi on the Arbat, have appeared in Moscow lately, and city authorities have no idea what to do with them. The story looks at the problem.


One story features several building firms, the Swiss Mabetex among them, that are competing for the right to complete the second stage of the major renovation project of the Bolshoi Theater.


OBSHCHAYA GAZETA #12


In an interview, Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov speaks about the way the government is going to restructure the country's economy. He also talks about possible Russian-Iraqi cooperation in the post-sanction period.


The first launch of a Zenit rocket from the international floating cosmodrome is scheduled for March 27. The story features the participating companies, and the director-general of the design bureau of the Transport Machine-Building Ministry, Gennady Biryukov, offershis impressions of the project.


In an interview, Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov talks about the problems that may arise in connection with the START II treaty.


ROSSIISKAYA GAZETA


In an interview, minister for regional policy, Valery Kirpichnikov, answers the following questions: Why does Russia need a Regional Policy Ministry? What is its defining role? How are its relationships with mayors and governors?


The government has accepted a proposal made by the Russian Space Agency in collaboration with the Finance Ministry to give 100,000 rubles ($4170) to the state-owned Baikonur space center.


At the initiative of Moscow museums, the Moscow International Festival "InterMuseum-99" is now on at the Expocenter on Ulitsa Krasnaya Presnya. One hundred and fifty-eight Russian museums, galleries and exhibition halls are taking part in this event.


The Krasnoyarsk Aluminum Factory, which produces about a quarter of all marketable aluminum in Russia, had considerable success last year and paid over 720 million rubles ($29.7 million) in taxes to the state. In an interview its director, Alexander Barantsev, speaks about his factory's successes.


LITERATURNAYA GAZETA #12


The story reports on how oligarch Boris Berezovsky, through his shady financial deals, established his personal influence over Aeroflot in 1995 and helped the National Russian Unity neo-fascist organization, led by Alexander Barkashov, to revive in Russia. Berezovsky used Barkashov neo-Nazis in his personal plans.


SOVETSKAYA ROSSIYA


Several stories, published a few hours before the airstrikes, with a common title, "The Mad Gendarme," fiercely criticize the military schemes of the U.S. and NATO against Yugoslavia.