AN UPDATE ON THE EDUCATION REFORMS
Izvestia, August 30, 2001, p. 2
The State Council met yesterday to discuss the planned reorganization of the system of education. The meeting advised the Cabinet to do some more work on its plans of the reforms and take recommendations of the State Council into consideration.
RUSSIAN PROGRAMMER FACES TRIAL IN AMERICA
Izvestia, August 30, 2001, p. 3
The first hearing in the case against Russian programmer Dmitry Sklyarov begins today at the federal district court in San Jose, California. Sklyarov is charged with writing a program which the FBI says enables illegal copying of books sold via Internet.
The programmer may draw up to five years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
A "RADIOACTIVE SCAM" UNCOVERED
Tribuna, August 30, 2001, p. 1
Shipping raw uranium to be processed in Sverdlovsk region, foreign partners from Britain, the Netherlands, and Germany deliberately understated the declared value of the container at customs, from $2-6,000 each to $400.
The facility in the Urals received tens of thousands of such containers from Europe over the last six years, and the budget was thus swindled out of almost $1 million.
AN UPDATE ON VALENTIN MOISEEV’S CASE
Moskovsky Komsomolets, August 30, 2001, p. 2
On August 14, the Moscow Municipal Court reconsidered the matter of Valentin Moiseev, ex-deputy director of the Asian Department of the Foreign Ministry accused of espionage for South Korea and sentenced him to 4.5 years imprisonment (less than the mildest term stipulated by this article). Two years ago Moiseev had drawn 12 years imprisonment. Prosecution was content. Moiseev and his lawyers were not and submitted a complaint.
These days the situation is a mirror image of the previous one. The Military Prosecutor General’s Office demands a stiffer sentence, while Moiseev is content. His lawyer Yuri Gervis fears that a new trial may well sentence his client to 12 years behind bars again.
These days, “spies” are either acquitted by court or sentenced to minimal imprisonment terms, and prosecutors want the balance shifted their way.
Another spying scientist has been allegedly found in Krasnoyarsk. Counterintelligence says the man (he is not to be identified for the time being) sold some classified data to an Asian state for at least $1 million. The suspect is currently abroad, which has prevented his arrest.
ALL ELECTIONS THROUGHOUT CIS WILL BE IDENTICAL NOW
Moskovsky Komsomolets, August 30, 2001, p. 2
Deputies of the CIS Parliamentary Assembly have adopted a document standardizing electoral procedures across the Commonwealth.
AIRCRAFT-MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WILL BECOME STATE SUPPORTED
Rossiiskaya Gazeta, August 30, 2001, p. 2
The state will support the aircraft-manufacturing industry operating through Ilyushin Finance and the Financial Leasing Company. In 2001, these companies will receive 3 billion rubles for construction of planes; and between 1 billion and 2.2 billion in 2002.
Acting on behalf of the government, these companies will order planes from manufacturers and rent them to airlines with the option to sell.
