#6
ORT Review
www.ortv.ru
Compiled by Luba Schwartzman (luba7@bu.edu)
Research fellow at the Institute for the Study of Conflict, Ideology and Policy
at Boston University
HEADLINES,
Wednesday, November 28, 2001
- The Commission on Customs Policy has decided to review the increase in customs tax on import cars before it goes into effect. The planned tax would have increased the most for cars 7 years old and older.
- Dmitry Pivovarov, a St. Petersburg resident who fought for the Chechens, has been detained in Makhachkala. Three years ago he had converted to Islam; he was then trained by Arab mercenaries in Chechen military camps. Pivovarov took part in the August 1999 attack on Dagestan.
- Chechen security service officers are investigating a mass murder in Argun. Last night, bandits stormed into the house of senior citizen Razman Ekhmiev and killed him, his wife, daughter, and two sons.
- A large operation is being conducted near the Chechen settlement of Bachi-Yurt. According to certain information, field commander Khattab may be hiding out there.
- Work on the Kursk nuclear submarine continues on the dock in Roslyakovo. Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the members of the lifting operation. He declared that the Kursk tragedy has demonstrated the need for new safety and rescue systems and higher standards for naval vessels. He also asserted that the lifting of the Kursk was not only the government's duty, but also its moral obligation.
- The Russian humanitarian center in Kabul will become operational in the next few days.
- The Russian cabinet met today to discuss the 161-million-ruble investment program submitted by the Railways Ministry. Railways Minister Nikolai Aksenenko was called in from his vacation to participate in the meeting. Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov introduced the program as part of the natural monopolies reforms. Investment into the energy and natural gas sectors will be discussed in December.
- The Russian State Duma discussed pension reform and approved a three-bill package of court reforms at today's session.
- The congress of the Russian Red Cross Society has opened in Moscow. The Russian Red Cross was formed in 1867. Representatives declared that now is the moment when the world needs them -- not only to help refugees and send humanitarian supplies, but also to help those who are right around them.
- The presidents of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) nations are arriving to Moscow for the upcoming (30 November) anniversary summit of the CIS. Aleksandr Lukashenko was the first to arrive. He will meet with President Putin and Prime Minister Kasyanov to discuss the problems facing the Russian-Belarus Agreement.
- The Congress of Russia's largest union organization -- the Federation of Independent Labor Unions -- has opened today. President Putin met with delegates this morning and reminded them that they have a lot of influence with the government and with society. About 1,000 delegates have gathered. They represent the 38 million members of the organization.
- The parliament of the Republic of Buryatia had appointed Yuro Skuratov as the Federation Council representative, but the local prosecutor's office announced that there were violations in the voting, and the parliamentarians cancelled the decision. Skuratov will turn to the courts to settle the issue.
- The Russian military leadership has denied reports about night-time bombings of Georgia's border regions.