BEHIND THE PUPPETS IS A REAL CONFLICT.

The celebrated Russiangovernment case against NTV’s "Puppets" television programfor satirizing Yeltsin and other government leaders grew out ofa longstanding personal conflict between NTV president Igor Malashenkoand members of Yeltsin’s entourage. Earlier this year, NTV waslinked to a financial scandal involving Yeltsin’s personal securityservice. Malashenko, immediately after Yeltsin appointed him politicaldirector of Ostankino television, had said he counted himselfamong the president’s opponents. In comments about the case, foreignminister Kozyrev told Moscow’s Echo radio July 19 he would have"preferred" that the puppet showing him appear "youngerlike himself, more sympathetic like himself, and more attractiveto women, just like the original."

Interior Ministry: 60 Percent of Foreign Businessmen are "Swindlers."