LOCAL NEWS

CABINET ASSESSMENT SET TO YIELD MAJOR OVERHAUL

MOSCOW - What could become one of the biggest government reshuffles in post-Soviet history is brewing at the highest levels of the Cabinet. The goal is to streamline the work of government agencies and cut down on bureaucracy. Again.

The long-promised administrative reform announced by President Vladimir Putin last April could materialize within the next three months, leading to major reshuffling of government duties and even the disappearance of some ministries and state agencies, a high-ranking Cabinet source said Monday.

CHECHENS STRUGGLE WITH VOTE SPECIFICS

SLEPTSOVSKAYA, Ingushetia - Zina Amayeva's daughter Kheda was only 8 in 1994 when a mine exploded near her. She started to fear any noise, and the family had to flee its home in Grozny for the duration of the first war.

Kremlin's Moves Not Likely To Sway Vote

MOSCOW - The Russian government has closed a few checkpoints and withdrawn some troops from Chechnya as part of what political analysts say is an effort to shore up Chechen support ahead of next weekend's constitutional referendum.

The measures, however, will do little to sway the opinion of a war-weary public, and the draft constitution might end up getting approved in a vote riddled with the violations that tarnished the 1996 election of pro-Moscow President Doku Zavgayev, analysts said.

NATIONAL NEWS

DETAILED RING ROAD SCHEME ANNOUNCED

In a move that the Transport Ministry says will mean the relocation of thousands of city residents, the ministry's directorate responsible for overseeing the construction of the St. Petersburg Ring Road announced a detailed program on Monday to have at least half of the project completed in time to meet a 2005 deadline set by President Vladimir Putin.

The 154-kilometer Ring Road was begun in 1994, and is intended to reduce the volume of traffic in the city's downtown streets by as much as 50 percent. The construction, however, has been criticized for inefficiency and the slow pace of work. Charges of construction-regulation violations and embezzlement of funds have also been made.

BUDDHISTS SET FOR SUMMER CELEBRATION

Ole Nydahl looks more like an extreme-sports enthusiast than a Buddhist monk. Yet the tanned, hefty Dane is Europe's first lama.

Nydahl, who was responsible for bringing Tibetan Buddhism to St.

Lithuania Voices Concern Over Hooliganism

The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry expressed concern Monday about recent acts of hooliganism against Lithuanian diplomats and diplomatic missions in Russia. The move came after unidentified assailants sprayed Lithuanian Consul General in St. Petersburg Gintaras Ronkaitas with ketchup at the opening of an exhibition of photographs by Lithuanian photographer Antanas Sutkus on Friday.

LOCAL BUSINESS

RUSSIANS BACK EURO OVER IRAQ TENSIONS

MOSCOW - It only took two years for a new suitor to end Russians' monogamous love affair with the dollar.

On balance, Russians bought more euros than dollars in January for the first time since the euro's notes and coins became available Jan. 1, 2001, according to the latest Central Bank data.

While in gross terms, Russians bought more dollars from retail banks than euros in the month - $1.193 billion versus 701 million euros - they also sold more. The result is that 598 million euros made its way into the hands of the population, compared to just 438 million bucks.

Worried by the continued weakness of the greenback, which has lost more than 10 percent against the euro in recent months and 1.

NRB PINS ILYUSHIN HOPES ON AEROFLOT STAKE

VORONEZH, Central Russia - Many see little hope the stagnant aviation industry will ever get off the ground, but at least one bank is betting big on it.

MINISTRY LOOKING TO SPLIT UP GAZPROM

In the latest draft of plans to liberalize the country's gas market, the Economic Development and Trade Ministry has proposed both to split up Gazprom and allow oil companies to sell their gas abroad, Vedomosti reported Monday.

The ministry said Gazprom's transportation business should be completely separate from its other activities.

IN BRIEF

Export Duties Hiked

MOSCOW (Prime-Tass) - Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov signed a ruling Saturday to hike oil-export duties to $40.3 per metric ton from $25.

OPINION

DESPITE THE SNUBS, BRITAIN WILL STAY WITH U.S.

Gee, thanks, guys. What an odd way Americans have of rewarding Tony Blair. Every day, the British public receives stirring and uplifting news of preparations at the front. The Tornadoes are off to the Persian Gulf. Special Air Service commandoes are rootling the western desert of Iraq.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ... THE EU IS OFFERING A NEW DEAL

THE reshuffling of Russia's security agencies and the machinations in the UN over the looming war in Iraq monopolized the attention of the media last week, meaning that an important development in Russia's relations with Europe went virtually unnoticed.

WORLD

New-Look Zenit Grabs First Win of Season Over Saturn

A moment of intuitive communication between a Czech and a Russian sealed a 2-1 Zenit win over Saturn-REN TV Ramenskoye in what was otherwise an ugly encounter in the first game of the season at the Petrovsky Stadium on Saturday.

Without looking up on a fast break in the 61st minute, newly signed midfielder Radek Sirl produced a defense-splitting pass to Alexander Kerzhakov, who beat a final defender and produced a sublime finish past Saturn keeper Valery Chizhov with the outside of his left foot.