Press Review

		Izvestia Kommersant Rossiiskaya Gazeta Nezavisimaya Gazeta Krasnaya Zvezda Trud Komsomolskaya Pravda

Izvestia
www.izvestia.ru

FSB and Interior Ministry officials in Tolstopaltsevo (outside Moscow) on Friday found and liquidated the apparent headquarters of Islamic extremists with six belts of explosives. The explosives were defused and now an investigation is taking place to see whether they are identical to those used in terrorist acts in Tushino and on Tverskaya Ulitsa. A story details the operation. (1, Kommersant, 1,4, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, 2, Vremya MN, 2 Trud, 1,2, Zhizn, 4,5, Komsomolskaya Pravda, 3)

French President Jacques Chirac visited New Caledonia, France's distant overseas territory. A story describes the aim of his visit, focusing on the many good things he told the people of the island. (1,2)

World-renown American designer Philipp Stark at a news conference in Moscow on Friday stated that he plans to work in Russia. He would like to build comfortable and cheap housing for Russian students. A story highlights the designer and his ambitious plans in Russia. (1,2)

Britain's Financial Services Authority (or FSA), an independent non-government agency controlling the securities market in the country, has launched an investigation around the purchase of a controlling interest in the Chelsea soccer club by oligarch Roman Abramovich. In an interview FSA spokesman David Cliff talks about the investigation. (1)

A story focuses on the center attached to the Moscow government that helps people coming to Moscow from the regions and CIS countries receive certificates registering their temporary city residence (propiska). (2)

An editorial is devoted to the abolishment of army detention cells. Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov stated that the decision to abolish them has not justified itself. Ivanov came to this conclusion after army commanders' demands to restore this measure. (2, 12)

The Industry and Science Ministry Collegium held a session on July 16 devoted to the work of four state-run funds supporting research and scientific-technical activities. Funds directors view the session as a significant event in the life of the domestic science community. Academic Mikhail Alfimov, Chairman of the Council of the Russian Fund of Fundamental Studies, explains the situation. (3)

Russia and the United States in Moscow signed an agreement on American specialists' access to secret facilities in Seversk (Tomsk region) and in Zheleznogorsk (Krasnoyarsk region). They will work on replacing weapons-grade plutonium reactors with coal-based heating electrical power stations. This is an essential stage in implementing the Russian-American Program of liquidating weapons-grade plutonium products. A story comments on the agreement, focusing on the program. (4)

Specialists from the Moscow State University of Applied Biotechnology have developed a method to keep sausages fresh longer in hot weather. A story reveals its essence. (4)

A story features a special kindergarten for Nenets children that emerged in the Sovetsky village (outside Vorkuta) in 1996. (5)

Specialists at the Federal Center of Speaking Ability Pathology and Neuro-Rehabilitation under the guidance of Prof. Viktor Shklovsky have developed a comprehensive system of rehabilitation for patients following strokes and skull traumas. A story describes the system, focusing on an absurd decision by bureaucrats that could bury it. (6)

The Union of Professional Pharmaceutical Organizations, a public association of all those who produce, transport and sell medicine, has launched a program aimed at protecting people from counterfeit medicines. A story reveals the essence of the program. (6)

Moscow supermarkets and shops have launched various types of sales and discounts. A story describes the Perekryostok trading network that is the most progressive in the sphere of seasonal sales. (7)

Dealers of used foreign motor vehicles stated on Friday that the price of foreign cars in Moscow increased by 1 1/2 times over the 2 past weeks. A brief gives new prices to illustrate the point. (7)

The Health Ministry has officially determined the permissible alcohol levels for drivers. A brief offers concrete figures. (6, Trud, 1, 4, Vechernyaya Moskva, July 25, p. 1)

The new Peresvet passenger train will connect Bryansk with Moscow and St. Petersburg starting July 29. Brief. (7)

Moscow authorities Friday decided to hold the first open Moscow International Backgammon Tournament on Dec. 21 this year. Brief. (7)

The North-Caucasian District Military Court on Friday sentenced Colonel Yury Budanov to 10 years in prison. The court also stripped him of his rank and all decorations. He was declared guilty of abusing power and abducting and killing Chechen woman Elza Kungayeva. A story comments on the verdict. (8, Kommersant, 1, 3, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, 3,Vremya MN, 1, 2, Zhizn, 2, Trud, 3, Komsomolskaya Pravda, 5)

About 10 transplantation operations are performed in Russia every year. This figure is expected to soon increase, with a draft bill allowing such operations will be considered by the State Duma in September. The organs will be used irrespective of the will of the dead donor of their relatives. Izvestia offers several controversial views on the issue, focusing on the church's one. (9)

Kommersant
www.kommersant.ru

A government decree leveling customs fees paid by legal entities and individuals importing used cars into Russia that took effect on Friday caused backups of vehicles on the Russia-Polish border and a six kilometer-long line of cars at the Polish customs checkpoint Bezledy. A story describes the situation. (1,2, Vremya MN, 1, Trud, 3)

Konstantin Sukhenko, member of the Political Council at the St. Petersburg branch of United Russia and head of the faction under the same name in the city Legislative Assembly, on Thursday nominated himself as a candidate claiming the post of St. Petersburg governor without agreement from the party's leadership. Sukhenko was excluded from the party on Friday on charges of failing to observe the party's Charter. A story comments on his statement at a news conference. (1, 2)

The City Court of Vyborg (Leningrad region) on Friday ruled illegal the election of Damir Shadayev as Federation Council deputy. Shadayev failed to inform deputies about his political career prior to his election. A story examines the court's decision. (2)

The Sverdlovsk Regional Election Commission on Friday accepted documents from the first three officials claming the seat of the local governor. The present governor, Eduard Rossel, is viewed as the likely claimant. The elections are scheduled for Sept. 7. A story looks at the first three candidates. (2)

The European Human Rights Court in Strasbourg made two verdicts on Russian cases in one day, an unprecedented case. A story examines the cases, focusing on court decisions. (4)

A big political scandal has erupted in Lithuania, where the Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis stated that he has signed a decree sacking seven diplomats. A brief reveals the essence of the scandal. (4)

A story describes how Moscow's Komsomolskaya Ploshchad will change its looks on the occasion of Railway Day to be marked on Aug 3. (4)

A major renovation project of Pervaya Tverskaya-Yamskaya Ulitsa (in the center of Moscow) began on Friday. For an entire month the street will be closed every day to public transport from 10pm till 6am. Brief. (4)

Sibneft on Friday announced its intention to pay $1 billion in intermediate dividends for the first 6 months of this year. This news has made the value of Sibneft securities skyrocket, going up in price by 18 percent. A story asks what analysts think about this. (5)

U.S. Undersecretary of State Alan Larsen is preparing an American-Russian energy summit (it will take place in St. Petersburg this fall). In an interview he speaks about his recent negotiations with Economic Development Minister German Gref and Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Kudrin. (5)

The U.S. Air Force on July 24 officially stated that it intends to withdraw $1 billion in orders from the Boeing company for launching satellites into orbit and to pass them over to Lockheed Martin. Boeing has been punished for illegal use of Lockheed Martin's secret documents. A story comments on the decision. (5)

The re-distribution of coal assets of the Pechora basin (Komi Republic) has entered a concluding stage. The Komi administration on Friday announced that it has proposed to Severstalresurs (part of Severstal-Group) to take over the management of the Inta-Ugol company producing coal. Severstalresurs stated its intention to take part in the privatization of 60 percent of state-controlled shares of Inta-Ugol. (5)

The oil giants Royal Dutch/Shell, Exxon Mobil and BP have no intentions of investing in Iraq unless the political situation stabilizes there. Iraqi authorities stated that this will happen not earlier than in 1 1/2 years. A story comments on their statement, concluding that high oil prices will remain until 2004. (5)

Japanese authorities Friday decided to punish the HSBC Holdings PLC's company for breaching stock trading rules. They will be excluded from trading for three days as a punishment. A story reveals the essence of the measure. (5)

Vneshtorgbank intends to get rid of some of its affiliates abroad. This is envisaged by the bank's program of reorganizing its bank network abroad. Brief. (6)

Gazprom has no plans to raise gas tariffs in the Kaliningrad region up to the end of this year. This agreement was reached during talks between Gazprom head Alexei Miller and Kaliningrad regional governor Vladimir Yegorov. Brief. (6)

The Sibir aviation company has failed to receive permission from Chinese aviation authorities to open regular summer flights from Irkutsk to Dalyan. Brief. (6)

The Swiss pharmaceutical Roche Holding has announced the purchase of American Igen International biotechnological company for $1.42 billion in stocks and cash. The brief looks at the deal. (6)

An Ice-Fili shareholders extraordinary meeting on Friday elected new Director-General Yury Klimov, who represents the interests of the Russian General Bank and NIKoil that together control 52 percent of the company's stock. Brief. (6)

AvtoVAZ has begun to pay out 2002 dividends at 17 rubles per privileged share and 5 rubles per ordinary share. A brief mentions some obstacles to this process. (6)



Rossiiskaya Gazeta
www.rg.ru

A woman who was seriously injured in July 5 terrorist act at Tushino died in a Moscow hospital in the early hours of Friday. The woman became the 15th victim of the attack. Another 19 injured people remain hospitalized. (2)

A graduating student who was granted a Golden Imperial Consumer Society Student's Certificate worth150,000 rubles at his school graduation ceremony this June has no idea of either how or where to get the money. A story offers some information about Golden Imperial founder Alexander Konin, saying that it is quite likely that the company resembles the MMM company whose pyramid scheme deceived thousand of Russians. (3)

Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov on Wednesday said that, despite media reports, it has not been proved that the recent murders of young women in Moscow were the work of a single serial killer. The serial character of the murders has not been confirmed. A story provides the evidence cited by the minister. (4, 11)

President Vladimir Putin has given assurances that Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Russia will be able to create a single economic zone. Putin made the statements at his meeting on Friday with high-level representatives from each of the countries. A story describes the meeting. (4)

Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, has arrived in Irkutsk to inspect in person the environmental situation at Lake Baikal. A story describes the problems in detail, focusing on environmentalists' warning about a possible catastrophe linked to the construction of the Angarsk-Nakhodka oil pipeline. (4)

Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov arrived in Krasnoyarsk Friday where he made a statement radically differing from his earlier pronouncements about the situation around the Yukos company. Mironov stated in part that the conflict between the Prosecutor General's Office and Yukos will not negatively affect Russia's investment attractiveness. (4)

A story comments on the recent American operation that left both of Saddam Hussein's sons dead. In view of this, the story asks what right did the United States have to perform this deliberate murder? The point is that Washington has not declared war on Iraq, and Saddam's sons have not committed any crime either against the United States or against any other country. (5)

A presidential decree on the public council to invest state pension funds is printed in full. (6)

A story examines in detail the fate of the national currencies of the CIS countries and the Baltics over the past 10 years. (9)

In interviews, high-ranking General Staff official Viktor Kozhushko and Labor Minister Alexander Pochinok share their views on the new civilian alternative to military service, saying how and where to get the appropriate documents. (10)

The World Health Organization's recent report that has named Russia as the world leader in suicide rates has shocked the country. The number of suicides among children and teenagers is constantly on the rise. In an interview Tatyana Dmitriyeva, Director of the Serbsky State Research Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry, comments on the issue. (12)

Nezavisimaya Gazeta
www.ng.ru

Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov on Friday gave support to Yukos, saying that the situation around the company does not help the country's image and harms investor sentiment. A story comments on Kasyanov's pronouncements, noting that world markets trusts Yukos head Mikhail Khodorkovsky more than law-enforcement officials. (1,3)

The commander of Russia's paratroop forces, Commander Georgy Shpak, who plans to quit the army this year, intends to run for a seat in the State Duma. He has already received several proposals from political parties to represent their interests during the elections. A story examines his army career and his political plans. (1,2)

The Public Opinion Fund on Friday published its approval rating of Russia's oligarchs. The last time such a rating was conducted was three years ago. Since then the seven most influential wealthy people have undergone considerable change. One change is that Yukos head Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been added to the oligarchic clan. A story examines the rating, focusing on how the public and the elite perceive the notion "oligarch". (1,2)

Italy's Ambassador to Russia Gianfranco Facco Bonetti examines five major trends set by his country during its presidency of the European Union. The focus is boosting Italy's economic ties with Russia. (2)

People's Party leader Gennady Raikov's decision to run independently in the upcoming parliamentary elections has made the United Russia party and its leader Boris Gryzlov very nervous. They do not conceal their indignation at the activities of the People's Party and threaten to take measures that would put them at loggerheads with their former allies. (1,2)

The International Monetary Fund, which up until recently was viewed by Russia as a kind of world government, is losing mush of its authority. Russia has not had need for IMF credits for several years now, and six other countries have decided not to use IMF loans next year. A story comments on the IMF's position today, focusing on the viewpoints of three economists. (3)

The transportation of railway passenger continues to be a loss-making enterprise despite the fact that railway ticket prices were raised by 5 percent on June 11 and by another 10 percent on July 11. Deputy Railways Minister Vladimir Yakunin at a news conference on Friday singled out the ministry's crack down on lack of profitability as a priority task. (3)

The ASM-Holding has made public figures for the development of the domestic automobile sector in the first six months of this year. A story gives facts and figures illustrating the sector's poor results, saying that foreign producers that have come to work in Russia have so far failed to meet their expectations. (3)

The newspaper offers a list of best lobbyists in June 2003, with a commentary by Sergei Turanov, an expert from the Agency for Economic News. (5)

Moscow's garrison military court on Friday sentenced the Defense Ministry's former chief financier, General Georgy Oleinik, to 5 years in prison. He was found guilty of abusing power. He was also stripped of his military rank, honorary titles and state awards. (8)



The case on the extradition to Russia of Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov's emissary Akhmed Zakayev has taken up a sensational turn. The main witness for the prosecution Duk-Vakha Dashuyev has given up his former testimony. A story gives details. (8)

In an interview on the anniversary of the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine, lawyer Boris Kuznetsov asserts that investigators' conclusions about the Kursk disaster do not correspond to the circumstances of the accident. (11)

Krasnaya Zvezda

In an interview to mark Navy Day on July 27, the Navy's Chief Commander Vladimir Kuroyedov shares his view on the fate of the domestic ship-building sector, the prospects for the navy in the future and the size of the fleet in the coming years. (1,2)

Vice president of the League of Assistance to Defense Enterprises and president of the Technokomplex research and production center Givi Dzhandzhgava states that more than 40 percent of enterprises in the defense area are bankrupt. He examines reasons behind the situation. (1)

Trud
www.trud.ru

A story describes how Chechen police are controlling the so-called anti-terror operation in the republic. Slightly more than one year has passed since Russia's Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov, signed an order creating territorial police stations in Chechnya. (4)

In an interview, diet specialist Valery Sergeyev gives recommendations about what vegetables, berries and fruit it's better to eat today and which of them should be preserved for winter. He also suggests what drinks are preferable in hot weather. (3)

The United Russia Party is conducting an unusual campaign, giving out special inserts for the new Russian passports, on which people can put down their nationalities. A story describes this political act, saying how it came about. (2)

Komsomolskaya Pravda
www.kp.ru

Moscow police has arrested Belarussian Grigory Panov on suspicion of committing four murders in the city. A story gives details. (2)

A feature story highlights a female sea-lion named Liza, a star in the Tin-Tin circus, who gave birth during a performance. (4)

Builders in Ulyanovsk have begun construction of a 10,000-seater sports palace with artificial ice. A story describes the aims of the project that was initiated by Governor Vladimir Shamanov. (4)

The intelligence committees of both houses of the U.S. Congress on Thursday published a joint report saying why three major special services of the United States failed to notice preparation for the Sept. 11 attacks. (5)

Tatyana Akimova, the lawyer representing Alexei Pichugin, head of the 4th department of internal economic security of the Yukos oil company, has stated that criminal investigators had used illegal methods of questioning her client. The latter was accused of organizing the murder of a married couple who disappeared last year. (5)