#2
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,
Monday, November 26, 2001

- Investigators from the General Prosecutor's office conducted a search of the campaign office of Mikhail Nikolaev, the incumbent in the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic presidential election. Officers also visited the hotel where members of the campaign staff who have arrived from Moscow are living. The investigators refused to give any information to the media and confiscated all video footage of the event. Also today, the Sakha Supreme Court resumed, and once again postponed, the review of Nikolaev's registration for a third term. Nikolaev's council has asked for a new judge, since the husband and the son of the current judge work in the prosecutor's office. The election is scheduled for 23 December.

- The Moscow Arbitration Court did not overrule the decision to liquidate the MNVK (Moscow Independent Broadcasting Corporation), which broadcasts on TV-6. The claim against TV-6 was made by the Pension Fund "Lukoil-Garant." According to the legislation, TV-6 will have a month to appeal today's verdict.

- New witnesses have testified against Chechen terrorist Salman Raduev at the trial in Makhachkala. Russian General Prosecutor Vladimir Ustinov is expected to return to the city tomorrow to preside over the trial.

- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new law on inheritance, expanding the number of those who qualify to great grandparents, uncles, aunts, first cousins, stepchildren, nieces and nephews of the deceased.

- President Putin also signed the Land Code, which was approved by the State Duma in September and by the Federation Council on October 10th.

- President Putin met with Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin, who reported on the implementation of this year's budget and on the government's and Central Bank's preparations for bank reform.

- A man who had been imprisoned and enslaved for 11 years was freed during a special operation in Chechnya.

- A group of over a hundred armed mercenaries heading for the Georgian-Russian borders was captured in the Sharo-Argun Gorge.

- Russia will be one of the first nations to reestablish its diplomatic mission to Afghanistan. Twelve military-transport Il-76 airplanes carrying personnel, humanitarian supplies and materials for reconstructing the embassy complex landed on the Bagram air base last night and early this morning. The complex will include a humanitarian center and a hospital. President Putin officially expressed his gratitude to the crews of the Il-76s. A special working group of the Russian Foreign Ministry has began preparations for the opening of the embassy.

- A special traveling exhibit of Claude Monet's work has arrived in Moscow.

- Russia has made a bid to host the World EXPO-2010. Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref is positive that Russia will prove worthy of the honor. Preliminary estimates of the cost of the construction projects -- including a new expo center, two tram-lines, a new train station, and a highway across Europe -- is $2 billion. Five other nations are competing for EXPO-2010.

- President Putin chaired a cabinet meeting in the Kremlin today. The agenda included the 2002 budget, the new Civil Code, the inheritance law and events in Afghanistan.

- Many of Russia's correction facilities are preparing for the upcoming amnesty.

- Sixteen Russian sailors from the South Korean Freighter Royal were rescued in the Pacific Ocean.