On Monday, a helicopter with four crew members and 22 hunters, including two Americans and a Canadian, disappeared in the southeast of Kyrgyzstan. This was reported by the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the country, reports Gazeta.ru with reference to the Associated Press. The helicopter was sent on Monday morning to pick up hunters caught in a snowstorm in the mountains in central Kyrgyzstan.

In Samara on Sunday, five people died as a result of a minibus accident, Interfax was told in the press service of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the Volga Federal District. The car accident occurred at about 14.00 Moscow time on the southern bridge across the Samara River in the Zheleznodorozhny district of the city. The 32-year-old GAZelle minibus driver lost control and ran into the bridge railings.

Serious violations at polling stations and territories adjacent to them during the presidential elections in Russia have not been registered. This was stated on Monday by Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev at a conference call with the heads of internal affairs bodies of the constituent entities, RIA Novosti was told in the Information and Public Relations Department of the ministry.

Old man from the site glazunov.pereplet.ru In the Rostov region, more than 60 voters whose age exceeding 100 years took part in the President of the Russian Federation. As the chairman of the regional election committee Sergei Yusov noted at a press conference, "all the longitudors of the region are quite politically active." It is reported by RIA "Novosti". He said that this part of the population of the Don did not invite members of election commissions to the house, but voted in the plots.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on Monday confirmed the information about the death of a Ukrainian as a result of a terrorist attack in Madrid. As the head of the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Markinya Lubkivsky, told reporters, the body of a 57-year-old citizen of Ukraine was identified, RIA Novosti reports.

Three servicemen were killed and 12 wounded as a result of an explosion in Chechnya, a source in the Joint Group of Forces in the North Caucasus told RIA Novosti. "On Sunday at 12:30 pm, an unidentified device exploded near the village of Alleroy (Kurchaloevsky district), while following a Ural car with servicemen of the Russian Defense Ministry," the agency's interlocutor said. According to him, as a result of the explosion, three soldiers were killed and twelve were injured.

President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili presented an ultimatum to the leader of Adzharia Aslan Abashidze - within 24 hours to ensure the freedom of movement of the head of the Georgian state on the territory of the autonomy, RIA Novosti reports.

The European Commission has developed a project to ensure the safety of children on the Internet, reports the BBC. The project is designed for four years (2005-2008), and its estimated cost will be more than 50 million euros. The implementation of the program will require the approval of the governments of the countries belonging to the EU.

The Moscow Arbitration Court has set April 14 to consider the issue of the legality of the settlement agreement between the Russian Federal Property Fund (RFFI) and Volna CJSC and the recovery of damages in connection with the irrevocable shares of Apatit OJSC. According to RIA Novosti, on Monday the court held preliminary hearings on the case. CJSC "Volna" in July 1994 won the purchase of a 20% stake in "Apatit" at an investment competition, pledging to invest about $283 million in it.

According to J'son & Partners, the Russian audience of Internet users grew by 40% in 2003. The weekly audience grew by 1.5 million users and now makes up 5% of the population over 16 years old. The monthly audience, according to the company, is almost 10% of the adult population. Based on these data, J'son & Partners predicts a 35-40% increase in the Internet audience in 2004 (thus, according to the company's estimates, the monthly audience by the end of 2004 will be 15 million people).

Law enforcement officers of Tatarstan detained a former deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, previously repeatedly convicted businessman from Kazan, Sergei Shashurin. As Interfax was informed on Monday at the press center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the republic, Shashurin is suspected of committing a crime under Art.

Vladimir Putin at about 00.30 Moscow time arrived at his election headquarters, which is located directly opposite the Kremlin - at 5 Red Square, RIA Novosti reports. Around midnight, guests began to arrive at the headquarters. In particular, as the agency's correspondent reports, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov and State Duma Chairman Boris Gryzlov are already at the headquarters.

In the fourth district of St. Petersburg in the elections to the Legislative Assembly of the city, the majority of voters voted "Against all candidates." In second place is United Russia's candidate Meshcheryakov. These are preliminary data received after data processing from 9 out of 33 districts of the district, the correspondent of Graney.Ru reports. For presidential elections in St. Petersburg, data from 60.55 percent of polling stations have been processed.

As a REGNUM correspondent was informed in the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Dagestan, on Monday at 8.40 in Khasavyurt (Dagestan) an improvised explosive device was found on the side of the road not far from one of the city's schools along Mamedbekyurtovskaya Street. It was covered from the eyes of passers-by with a metal basin and was equipped with an electric detonator.

The Cheryomushkinsky Court of Moscow sentenced Elena Yudaeva, an instructor at Transvaal Park, to 1.5 years in prison on probation, RIA Novosti was told in court.