It is assumed that Mikhail Babich will be replaced by Nikolai Aidinov as chairman of the government of the Chechen Republic. This was reported to Interfax by an informed source in Grozny. According to the source, the corresponding decision will be announced in the coming days. A native of Grozny, Aidinov currently serves as the Chechen government's representative to the Russian government.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell presented audio recordings and photographs at a meeting of the UN Security Council, which, according to him, confirm that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. The Council meeting is broadcast live by CNN. All materials presented at the meeting are US intelligence data. According to Powell, Iraq hides weapons of mass destruction and evacuates weapons in advance from those sites that UN inspectors are supposed to inspect.

Tommy Frank. Photo from the site www.centcom.mil The Pentagon began an official investigation against the head of the Central Command of the US Army, General Tommy Franks. As CNN is, it is still unknown how serious the charges against the general are. “I am aware of the investigation and cooperate with it,” the Franks' written statement said. According to CNN sources, several accusations may be against the head of the US Army Central Command.

In Luhansk, gas exploded in one of the apartments of a multi-storey building. According to RIA Novosti, a 30-year-old man was injured. In serious condition, he was sent to the burn center of the regional hospital. The explosion destroyed the wall connecting the two apartments. In 30 apartments of the house, as well as in a neighboring house and a grocery store, windows flew out. According to preliminary data, the explosion occurred due to a gas leak.

Popular Czech singer Karel Gott is ready to take part in the presidential elections. This is reported by RIA "Novosti" with reference to the statement of the head of the initiative group, the famous singer Alyosha Brihta. Karel Gott will take part in the presidential elections if direct presidential elections are introduced. In accordance with the current Constitution of the Czech Republic, the president is now elected at a general meeting of both houses of the country's parliament.

On the night of February 5, special forces of the Ministry of Defense killed 22-year-old Isa Dzhantaev in Argun, Interfax reports. According to Colonel Nikolai Baranov, head of the press service of the Joint Group of Forces in the North Caucasus, the militant resisted arrest and was killed. According to the OGV, he was an active member of illegal armed groups and the closest henchman of Movsar Barayev, who was directly involved in the hostage-taking in the theater center.

Representatives of Kuwait said on Tuesday that the northern regions of the country could be closed from February 15. These areas border Iraq, and according to Reuters, Kuwait intends to conduct military exercises there. "After this date (February 15 - Ed.), no one will be able to enter these areas without official permission from the military," a spokesman for the country's defense ministry said.

In Primorsky Krai, 6 students did not return from a trip to the taiga. As RIA Novosti was informed on Wednesday in the regional search and rescue service, the students went on a hike to the waterfalls in the Lazovsky district of Primorye. They were supposed to return home on February 3. Relatives waited for them until February 4 and on Wednesday turned to rescuers for help.

The Commons email filtering system prevented MPs from discussing the passage of the Sexual Offenses Act. The system was installed after parliamentarians began to complain about the huge amount of pornographic spam and letters containing obscene language. The system now blocks excerpts from the new bill sent to MPs. In addition, she did not miss the document on the issue of censorship.

An accident occurred at the Oktyabr cannery in the village of Krasny, 30 km from Tiraspol, RIA Novosti reports. 500 liters of ammonia got into the atmosphere from the pipeline of the refrigerator. According to the operational duty headquarters of civil protection of Pridnestrovie, there are no victims or injured. Firefighters managed to localize the ammonia cloud in 45 minutes. A commission has been set up to investigate the causes of the accident.

In the village of Severskaya, Krasnodar Territory, students of one of the schools printed counterfeit rubles. According to RIA Novosti, the students used ordinary computer equipment for this. They were detained while trying to buy groceries with the printed money. The juvenile detainees were charged under article 186 part 1 "Manufacture or sale of counterfeit money or securities."

Argentine Hurricane division goalkeeper Sergio Schulmeister has died by suicide. According to RIA Novosti, the players of his team called the police after Schulmeister did not come to training. Police found the 25-year-old goalkeeper in the kitchen of his home. He was dead. The police declined to comment on the incident until the end of the investigation.

Late Tuesday evening Dynamo Kyiv decided to close the "cases" of Vladislav Vashchuk and Dmitry Sychev, ITAR-TASS reports. Delegations of the leadership of Spartak and Dynamo met in Zurich with the UEFA commission. The Russian club managed to keep Vashchuk, having paid monetary compensation. As soon as the money reaches Dynamo's account, Spartak will immediately receive Vashchuk's transfer certificate.

In Donetsk, Rostov region, a release of ammonia from the cooling unit occurred at the Pamir-1 refrigerated warehouse. According to RIA Novosti, 3 people were poisoned as a result. The release occurred the day before at about noon. As a result of technological damage, about 300 kg of ammonia spilled out, which then spread in the form of a cloud in the air over an area of ​​500 square meters. meters. The population was evacuated from nearby houses.

The UN Security Council "gave the go-ahead" for a six-month stay in Côte d'Ivoire of the French Armed Forces and granted them the right to use force if necessary, reports AFP. A similar authorization was issued by the Armed Forces of the League of West African Countries. Force is allowed to be used in order to ensure the safety of the population in the face of the threat of violence and to maintain the legal regime, states Resolution 1464.