Press Review

		Izvestia Kommersant Vedomosti Vedomosti. Companies and Markets Nezavisimaya Gazeta Komsomolskaya Pravda Moskovsky Komsomolets

Izvestia
www.izvestia.ru

In Braunchweig, Germany investigators have analyzed flight records from the two planes crushed over Germany last week killing 71 people. The data leaves no doubt that Swiss air traffic control officers are responsible. The officer on duty did not contact the Boeing-757 jet and tried to avoid the collision by giving last minute orders to the Tu-154 passenger plane. (1, Kommersant 4, Vremya Novostei 3, Rossiyskaya Gazeta 2)

In the Russian capital peace courts have been operating since July 2001. They were designed to take care of minor cases, relieving the work of general courts. It appears, however, that the money allocated for establishment of the new court system (some 50 million rubles so far) has been misappropriated. Also, none of the district peace courts are 100 square meters in size as required by law. (1, Vremya Novostei 3)

In Brisbane, Australia on Sunday the World Sociological Congress opened. A special section "The Russian Forum" will address the internal and external problems of Russia. Izvestia interviewed a conference participant -- director of the Institute for Complex Sociological Research Mikhail Gorshkov -- who spoke about the recent findings of researchers, sociologists and polling services in Russia. (1,3)

Izvestia interviewed Toehisa Kodzuki, the head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Russian Department. He was asked about the present situation in the bilateral relations and about the "staff revolution" in the Japanese Foreign Ministry, where many new appointments have been made -- including the new Ambassador to Russia Mr Issey Nomuru. (1,7)

On Sunday in Aktau, Kazakhstan an informal meeting of Russian and Central Asian leaders ended timed to Nursultan Nazarbayev's 62nd birthday. Turkmenistan leader Saparamurat Niyazov did not come to the meeting because he did not want to participate in a discussion of the Eurasian gas alliance in which Russia and Kazakhstan are the principal participants. The leaders also addressed the issue of a transportation corridor on which Russia has signed agreements with Iran and India. (2, Kommersant 6, Vremya Novostei 1,2, Rossiyskaya Gazeta 1,2)

On Friday the experts council -- established at the Ministry for Industry, Science and Technology to determine the most profitable innovation technological projects -- held its first meeting. The council will consider proposals and select those that promise at least 500 percent return on capital investments within five years. (2)

On Monday the Moscow City Arbitration Court will hold its first hearing on reversing its decision to liquidate the Moscow Independent Broadcasting Corporation (MNVK) that owns the TV6 TV channel which is currently occupied by the TVS television company. Oligarch Boris Berezovsky, and MNVK majority shareholder, is behind the Court appeal. (2)

America's Independence Day was celebrated in Kuskovo park in Moscow on Saturday. Russian guests accounted for more than a half of the gathering. (2, Kommersant 14)

On Monday the Nerpa ship-repairing plant will start an operation to dismantle six winged missiles from the Kursk submarine lifted from the bottom of the Barents sea last year. The missiles were damaged with the wreck so unloading them requires special safety measures. (2)

On Sunday a riot occurred at the residence of the Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat, whose security services protested against the dismissal of their chief Jabril Radjub. (2, Kommersant 6)

The case of the National Bolshevik party leader writer Eduard Limonov will be considered on Monday at a closed hearing in Saratov. The radical writer is charged with purchasing arms, terrorism and calls aimed at overthrowing the existing order in the country. Part of the evidence is found in the party's newspaper Limonka that the Press Ministry now wants to close. (3, Vremya Novostei 3)

On Sunday the Nenetsky Autonomous district Governor Vladimir Butov stated that he would pay a visit to the Prosecutor General if he has time. On June 27 the Nenetsky district prosecutor flied a criminal lawsuit against the Governor -- charging him with misappropriation of state funds. This judicial process was later cancelled. (Brief, 3)

A criminal trial on charges of financial abuse has been initiated against Olga Cheburina, a former editor of the Krasny Tundrovik newspaper in Naryan Mar according to Interfax. The paper has become famous after a May press conference, in which its correspondent asked President Putin a question about criminal lawsuits against Governor Vladimir Butov. (Brief, 3)

The man who committed suicide on Friday at the presidential administration reception office was identified as Sergei Romashkin, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. (Brief,3, Moskovskiy Komsomolets 1)

A story asserts that Sunday's Rock Festival in Tushino aerodrome was nothing other than a gathering of drunken youths in a dirty field, despite the fact that some top rock groups such as Aquarium and Mashina Vremeni participated in the concert. (3)

Interviews are published with the grandchildren of famous Communist leaders -- Alexei Kosygin, Vyacheslav Nikonov, Victor Grishin and Mikhail Zimyanin. All grandchildren interviewed are adults now, and say that they loved and respected their grandfathers. (4)

Unified Energy Systems (UES) and oil company Yukos have signed a memorandum on cooperation and restructuring of the energy industry. Yukos intends to participate in a tender of the privatization of three UES regional daughter companies and is ready to provide an investment of $200 million. (6)

At the talks arranged by Irkutsk Governor Boris Govorin the directors of the new aluminum plant Alucom-Taishet and of the Irkutskenergo power system finally reached an agreement after their controversy about supplying energy to the plant. The plant should be in operation in 2003. (6)

Last week information agencies communicated that a criminal suit was filed against the Ingeocom directors Vladimir Zaitsev and Konstantin Rudyak -- who are charged with misappropriation of state money at the construction of the Atrium mall at the Kursk train station shopping center. Law enforcement bodies have not confirmed the information, and the alleged suspects say that the false information was thrown in by competitors. (6)

Afghanistan vice president Abdul Kadir was shot dead in Kabul on Saturday. A story asserts that this is evidence that neither Americans nor Hamid Karzai's government can really control the situation in the republic. (7, Kommersant 5, Vremya Novostei 1, Rossiyskaya Gazeta 4)

Extensive material is published on the corruption of the head of the Russian football Union Vyacheslav Koloskov, a football official for 23 years. A story asserts that Koloskov is responsible for the corruption of football as a sport with umpires getting huge bribes for their work at important matches. (9)

Kommersant
www.kommersant.ru

Today's meeting of the Russian football union will appoint a new chief coach of the national team to replace Oleg Ruminsev. It will very likely be Valery Gazzayev who will also continue working as the chief coach of TsSKA. (1, 15, Rossiyskaya Gazeta 1,7, Moskovskiy Komsomolets 1)

On Sunday afternoon President Putin visited Ulyanovsk on his way from Aktau, Kazakhstan, something regional authorities did not expect. The President went to see objects that are viewed as potential threats to the population -- the dam the separates a part of the city from the Volga river and an old bridge across the river that is to be replaced by a bridge under construction. Both objects require considerable investment from the federal budget, which Ulyanovsk Governor has requested of Putin. The Russian President also visited Lenin's memorial in the city. (2)

Sunday night President Putin arrived in Saransk, the capital of the republic of Mordovia, where he is expected to visit the children's camp and to conduct a meeting with the heads of Volga regions on Monday. (2, Moskovskiy Komsomolets 1)

The Federation Council speaker Sergei Mironov flew to Ekaterinburg on Sunday where he plans to visit the Ural Expo Arms exhibition and two defense industry enterprises. (2)

On Saturday in Moscow the Russian Party of Social Democracy, headed by Samara Governor Constantin Titov and perestroika's main ideologist Alexander Yakovlev, ceased to exist. Members of the dissolved party will join the social democratic party of Russia. (3)

The Moscow City Court held hearings on the case of a ten-man gang. The gang was found guilty of 12 murders as well as several robberies. Six defendants received prison got ranging from 6 to 25 years and two were acquitted. (3)

On Sunday, fire broke at the Ukraine mine in the Donetsk region that is owned by Selivugol holding. The explosion resulted from a gas explosion. 33 miners died in the catastrophe. A story gives a list of catastrophes in the Ukrainian coal mining industry. (7)

Last week Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov signed a resolution that gives the rights to the Stolichnaya brand name to the state owned distillery Soyuzplodimport. (9, 10)

On Friday the Moscow City Arbitration Court's ruling returned the printing house Izvestia to the presidential property department from its previous owner -- the Izvestia newspaper. The presidential administration intends to print books by Russian classical writers at Izvestia -- the new company's director told Kommersant. (11)

Vedomosti
www.vedomosti.ru

Norilsk Nickel intends to supplement its two main businesses -- nickel and platinum-group metals mining -- with gold mining. It wishes to do this on a huge scale reaching 100 tons a year. The first step in this plan will be the purchase of a controlling package in the Polyus gold mining company stock from the Adygeya republic President Hazret Sovmen. (A1)

The Central Bank published a preliminary report on the country's cash flow for the first half of 2002. Despite great expectations the balance still appeared to be negative -- revealing that the private sector still exports more money from Russia than it brings into the country. (A1)

The Sibneft oil company is accumulating debts very rapidly. In the past half a year it has borrowed a total of 1 billion dollars. Analysts believe that it is doing this in preparation for the purchase of state-owned Slavneft stock. (A1)

Alfa Bank President Pyotr Aven spoke about his bank's competition with MDM-Bank over control of the Nuclear Power Ministry's funds that amounts to several billion dollars a year. Mr. Aven denied that the competition was lost to the MDM-bank and shared his views on conditions for fair competition in banking. (A2)

On Monday, the government commission on external trade protection will pass new rules on goods import by individual shuttle traders. These new rules will make shuttle trading unprofitable, as they will stipulate that starting October 2002 a cargo of up to 50 kilograms may be imported duty free only by a passenger who travels with this cargo. Today some cargo companies are masking their business as shuttle trade, thus achieving considerable savings in customs duties. (A3)

Gazprom has prepared a bill that regulates the types of engines that work on natural gas and sets up quotas for the production of such engines. The carmakers, however, will hardly like interference into the natural gas monopoly in their business. (A3)

The pilot of an El Al Israel Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Moscow reported seeing a surface-to-air missile explosion on his route on Thursday as he flew over Ukraine. Ukraine denies the allegations, and it was decided that American anti-missile forces will provide arbitration on Tuesday, based on its registration system of all missile launches. (A3)

Vedomosti. Companies and Markets

On Friday Alexei Savatyugin of the RTS-Interfax indexing agency will be elected as the head of the Russian brokers union -- the National Association of stock market participants. (B1)

Insurance companies have divided themselves into two groups. There are those that are ready to pay the coverage on car insurance without a court ruling because they want to keep their clientele. Other companies would rather wait for a court's determination of the accident's guilt, which the new law stipulates. (B1)

At least half of all mobile phones in Russia were imported by questionable methods according to a story. Even official distributors are not free of illegal practices. Last week illegally imported Motorola cell phones were detected at the Euroset trading house, which operates 114 shops in Moscow. (B1)

On Friday the Severnaya Neft oil company started oil production from the deposit on Gamburtsev Swell in the Nenetsky autonomous district. This is ignoring the prohibition of the Ministry of Natural Resources that deprived the company of its license on this deposit. (B2)

Transneft has come up with an ambitious plan to boost the capacity of the Baltic pipeline system from its present-day 12 million tons a year to 50 million tons by the construction of a second line on the Kitishi-Yaroslavl pipeline. Analysts believe that Russia and Kazakhstan have enough oil to provide for this plan. (B2)

Sobinbank is buying the Russkaya insurance company from LUKoil. This year insurance business is in great demand. Almost all banks and investment funds have bought at least one such company, seemingly having exhausted all other means of attracting new money. (B3)

Nezavisimaya Gazeta
www.ng.ru

On Friday representatives of the media were invited to the Central Election Commission (TsIK), where they were briefed on a new law regulating the election coverage. Committee head Alexander Vishnyakov explained that now journalists may only quote news from information agencies, all other publications being considered improper "campaigning." (1,2)

Political experts commented on the recent scandal surrounding the state-owned Slavneft oil company. Two people both recently claimed to be the company's president. Analysts agreed that the scandal will have serious a political impact on Russia's image. (1,2)

A book written by Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov has recently appeared at the Moscow State University publishers. The book was prepared as a report for the State Council working group, led by Luzhkov himself, and contains plans for the transformation of Russia's system of power. The most ambitious part of this plan is a project to decentralize the political structure of Russia. (1,3)

At a meeting Friday the SPS and Yabloko parties joint committee agreed to back a single list of candidates at forty single-mandate constituencies during the 2003 parliamentary elections. An article comments on the meeting, saying that the decision amounted to no more than a PR stunt as both parties failed to agree on backing a single candidate for the president. (2)

Komsomolskaya Pravda
www.kp.ru

Komsomolskaya Pravda organized a hotline with Alexander Blagov, the chief of the Moscow Interior Department's Arms Licensing Bureau. Blagov was asked about rules regulating the purchase of hunting rifles and hand guns. According to official statistics, 388,000 Muscovites possess 432,000 firearms, including 179,000 gas pistols. ( 8,9)



In an interview, Moscow City Duma Speaker Vladimir Platonov expounds on the current situation regarding the city budget, the prospects of the City of Moscow's merger with the Moscow region and about St. Petersburg's ambitions to become Russia's second capital. (1,3)

Moskovsky Komsomolets
www.mk.ru

A story looks at the life of Moscow's oldest resident, 105-year-old Agrippina Podolyeva, who celebrated her birthday on Saturday. (1)

Moscow's Tatar population celebrated the Sabantui holiday in Izmailovo park on Sunday. At least 100,000 people attended the celebration, which featured national cuisine, dance and traditional wrestling. (1)

20-year-old Russian soldier Dmitry Kiselyov was killed when the walls of a ditch he was digging on orders from his division chief officer, collapsed. Military prosecutors have opened the case against the officer who sent eight soldiers to work as laborers at a cottage settlement construction site. (2)

Two women, a mother and a daughter, have been convicted for selling drugs in the Moscow suburb of Khimki, on the premises of a nursery school. Both were sentenced to three-and-a-half years in custody.(3)

The Nazi newspaper "Ya - Russkiy" (I am Russian) can be freely bought in Moscow, despite the fact that its content violates many laws, such as instigation to crime, vandalism and hooliganism. Moreover, skinheads who beat foreigners often go unpunished, because the Moscow police share their racist ideology. (4)