Canadian authorities refused to accept a Belarusian plane that was flying to Cuba on the grounds that members of the Belarusian government who were on the “black list” were on board. Officials risked it twice - because it is far from Cuba and refueling is required. Previously, Iceland agreed to accept the plane on the condition that people from the “black list” would not leave the plane.

The State Duma decided to return the article “Confiscation of property” to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. On Wednesday, deputies adopted amendments to a number of legislative acts of the Russian Federation in the first reading. The bill provides for the “forced transfer into state ownership” by a court decision of money, valuables and other property received as a result of a terrorist attack or intended to finance terrorism.

During a recent trip to Vilnius, I went to Lithuanian bookstores. With a large selection of literature (in Lithuanian, English, Russian languages), something in the assortment seemed unusual, sharply different from products on well-known Moscow shelves. On the shelves of Lithuanian stores there were no deposits of anti -Semitic, Xenophobic and militant anti -Western literature, which you come across even in the best book trade institutions in Moscow.

In the economy Time, back! April 20, 2006. Maxim Blanc In not so distant times, any report-both oral, and even more so, written-it was customary to flare quotes from the "classics of Marxism-Leninism", and ideally, references to the latest decisions of the party and government.

Until recently, the media was full of headlines about the possible sale of Kommersant. They say that the negotiations will be completed in the near future - either the Gazprom structure or Russian Railways may become the new owner. And today it became known that the Prof-Media media holding has agreed to sell its stake in the Komsomolskaya Pravda publishing house to the Gazprom-Media holding.

Another attack on a foreign student was carried out in St. Petersburg: Indian citizen Anjangi Kishori Kumara was injured. The young man was attacked last night, stabbed in the neck. On the eve of the attack, human rights activists sent an appeal to Valentina Matvienko, saying that the inaction of the authorities in relation to manifestations of nationalism was spoiling the image of the city on the eve of the G8 summit.

“We are the first, at least in Italy,” said Luca Corradi, who invented the El Quds jeans (the Arabic name for Jerusalem). The loose fit makes it easy to kneel, and the pockets should accommodate items such as watches, bracelets and glasses, which Muslims are required to remove before prayer. If the jeans are successful in Italy, they will be sold in other European countries. The model is already being sewn at a factory in Pakistan, which employs about 15 thousand people.

The court, which yesterday found Yukos lawyer Svetlana Bakhmina guilty, today announced a verdict that shocked not only the lawyers: “7 years in a maximum security colony.” Here’s the insult: such colonies for women simply do not exist in Russia. Later, the prosecutor reassured everyone: the judge made a mistake, the verdict says “general.” In any case, the court's verdict is very harsh. The defense's arguments, as usual, were not taken into account; moreover, no one bothered to answer them.

Yesterday, US Deputy Secretary of State Nicholas Burns demanded that all countries “cease all cooperation with Iran.” The statement was made after an international meeting of diplomats in Moscow, and many immediately accused Burns of blackmail ahead of the G8 summit. The Russian Foreign Ministry has already promptly responded today that each country “has the right to decide for itself with whom and how to cooperate,” and a high-ranking American official is certainly not a decree for us.

Remember how, when looking at old photographs, you always try to imagine what those people were thinking when they were taken. As if in reality, I see a future collective photo of the G8 leaders, smiling in donated blouses against the backdrop of the Bronze Horseman in St. Petersburg. Nice and pleasant people, almost infantry guarding the great sculpture. Here Bush stands, probably thinking how to answer the questions of the day: why did he lose everything he could to Putin?