CHRISTMAS RALLY FINISHED IN VLADIVOSTOK

The rally that started in the westernmost point of Europe - Roca Cape - on 24 December finished in Vladivostok on 7 January.

The trek from Catholic to East Orthodox Christmas under the name of U-tech Audi Transcontinent Challenge was done by 4 Audi Allroad Quattro 2.5 TDI serial vehicles. Their only additional equipment was fuel system heater by Eberspacher. Organizers were Audi Russia, Yukos and Alexey Vasiliev, pilot of the Russian team YUKOS-GT. During their journey, the team made stopovers in Moscow, Samara, Yekaterinsburg, Novosibirsk and Irkutsk. Part of their route passed in China's territory. The final destination of the two-week-long trek became Vladivostok, where the team arrived by East Orthodox Christmas. Total travel distance exceeded 14,000 km.

A grand ceremony was held at Korabelnaya waterfront, where the motorists handed to Vladivostok officials a souvenir from the city hall of Portuguese city Sitra and poured water taken from the Atlantic to the Golden Horn Bay. Then a press conference was held at the Ocean Cinema, where the pilots answered numerous questions.

By words of Audi Russia top executive Oscar Akhmedov, their trek was not a PR action. The concept of the rally was to explore the state of Russian roads and to make a symbolic link between the two parts of one continent - Europe and Asia, between two oceans - Atlantic and Pacific, between two religions - Catholicism and East Orthodox Church. Team captain Alexey Vasiliev added that a new motor oil variety - U-TECH produced by Yukos - was tried during the trek and showed performance features up to the world-known brands.

Audi automobiles passed a trial for endurance: the drivers noted its excellent technical properties, reliability and convenience for user. - Yury ROGOV.

ICE BRIDGE ACROSS AMUR TO CHINA OPENED

A bridge on ice across the Amur River opened between Blagoveshchensk and Heihe on 8 January.

As spokesman for the city administration informs, a decision was made by the Russian-Chinese commission upon investigating the condition of ice. Its thickness on Amur is about 60 cm, which is sufficient even for freight automobiles. - Yulia PROKHOROVA.

CHINESE WILLING SET UP FREE TRADE ZONE IN BLAGOVESHCHENSK

Xinhua news agency reported that the city hall of Heihe, located on the border with Russia, would like to set up a Chinese-Russian free trade zone in neighbouring Russian city Blagoveshchensk.

By Xinhua's data, its total area will be 30 square kilometers. In the future, Heihe authorities plan to construct an international airport and bridge across the Amur.

Heihe has close trade relationships with the Russian Far East. Russian tourists come here on shopping tours through Blagoveshchensk. - Yulia PROKHOROVA.

2,500 UNITS OF FIREARMS SEIZED DURING VIKHR-ANTITERROR DRAGNET

As spokesman for the Interior Affairs Ministry's office in the Far Eastern Federal District informs, police solved 3,117 crimes, of which 2,053 immediately on the scene, during a large-scale preventive dragnet under the name "Vikhr-Antiterror" started on 18 December.

707 searched criminals were detained, 2,603 units of firearms, about 100,000 rounds of ammunition, 326 kg of narcotic substances were seized. - Yury ROGOV.