Expert 400 forum to discuss key problems of Russian economy.

MOSCOW, October 15 (Itar-Tass) - Key problems of the Russian economy
will be in the focus of attention at the fifth forum of big business
Expert 400. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov will take part in
the forum, a source from the Russian government told Tass.

"This year the main aim of the forum is the working-out by
representatives of business and government authorities bodies of a plan of
concrete moves, the implementation of which will ensure high
competitiveness of the Russian economy and industry in the world economic
space in the post-crisis period," the source said.
According to him," modernization, the training of personnel, powerful
national finance, the involvement of land resources in the economy will
become strategic priorities of development in work on that plan".
The Russian government pays major attention to the social and economic
development of the country as well as to overcoming the aftermath of the
global financial crisis, where the manpower issue has become one of the
"painful" problems. That is why the problem of professional training and
re-training will be in the focus of attention at one of the round-table
discussions at the forum.
Besides, participants in the forum plan to discuss technical
regulation as "tools for updating the economy".
The yearly forum of big business has been held since 1995.

.Modified version of Progress blasts off from Baikonur.

MOSCOW, October 15 (Itar-Tass) - The third modified version of the
standard Russian Progress cargo craft, Progress M-03M, blasted off to the
International Space Station from the Baikonur launch pad at 05:15, Moscow
time, on Thursday, sources from the Russian Mission Control Centre told
Tass.
Three days later it will deliver on board the ISS about 2.5 tons of
cargo, including foodstuffs, water, fuel, equipment, as well as parcels
from families and presents for the crew of Roman Romanenko, Maxim Surayev,
Nicole Stott, Jeffrey Williams, Frank De Winne and Robert Thirsk.
Progress M-03M is expected to dock with the ISS at 05:41, Moscow time,
on October 18. The autonomous flight of the first two modified versions of
the Progress cargo craft took longer - from four to five days, because of
a need to "run in" new digital systems, sources from the Mission Control
Center said.

.Modified version of Progress put into calculated orbit.

MOSCOW, October 15 (Itar-Tass) - The third modified version of the
standard Russian Progress cargo craft, Progress M-03M, was successfully
put into calculated orbit at 05:24, Moscow time, on Thursday, sources from
the Russian Mission Control Centre told Tass.
At the altitude of about 200 kilometres, it separated from the Soyuz-U
launch vehicle and continued its flight to the International Space Station
along the planned trajectory.
The flight proceeds in a routine order, the sources said.

.Interior min does not rule out terrorist act behind Chisinau blast.

CHISINAU, October 15 (Itar-Tass) - Moldovan Interior Minister Victor
Catan did not rule out that the blast in central Chisinau late on
Wednesday could be a terrorist act.
Police, secret services and bomb experts keep working at the site.
According to early reports of experts, a ball grenade RG-42 went off late
on Wednesday in the central square of Chisinau where thousands of people
were celebrating City Day.
The grenade was left in a small box. Reports of eyewitnesses as well
as fragments removed from wounds of those injured in the blast testify to
that.
The very fact of bringing a grenade to the site of a public event is a
crime. Police refrain from saying whether they have any suspects.
According to experts, the powerful grenade did not explode in full force,
which explains that injuries received during the blast were not grave.
Apparently, it had been kept in a damp place for a long time and lost
much of its properties, they said.
The blast occurred at 22:30 (23:30, Moscow time), when a concert with
participation of singers from Russia, Romania, Moldova and other countries
was in progress in the central square.
According to latest reports, 26 people were injured. Most of them are
young people who received different leg wounds. Four of them have
moderately grave injuries, while others have just scratches and minor
injuries. Most injured were let home after they had received first aid.
-0-zhe/


.All-Russia congress of paramedical workers opens in Yekaterinburg.
15/10 Tass 15

YEKATERINBURG, October 15 (Itar-Tass) - Over 1,000 medics will take
part in the Third Congress of Paramedical Workers, which opens in
Yekaterinburg on Thursday, the information department of Sverdlovsk region'
s governor reported.
An exhibition of medical equipment and medicines will take place
within its framework. Pharmaceutical companies from many Russian regions,
including 20 companies from the Sverdlovsk region, will participate.
The congress will run till Friday. Russian Minister of Healthcare and
Social Development Tatyana Golikova as well as heads of regional
healthcare departments are expected to take part. The forum Youth for
Healthy Way of Life will also be held within its framework.
-0-zhe/