The upcoming US presidential and congressional elections will be the most costly in American history, costing a record amount approaching $4 billion. This was reported to RIA Novosti by the non-governmental "Center for Responsible Politics" in Washington, which has been keeping statistics on the total costs of elections in the United States for many years.

Theo wa gog. Portrait from the site www.vriesart.nl In Amsterdam, the Dutch director Theo Van Gogh, known as a critical attitude to Islamic customs, was killed. According to AR, Van Gogh - the artist’s cousin - was shot in the very center of the city. Several shots at point blank were made in the director. In addition, he was inflicted on several stab wounds.

In Smolensk, the prosecutor's office has completed the investigation into the kidnapping of the first vice-president of Lukoil, Sergei Kukura. On Tuesday, the defendants and victims were announced the completion of the investigative actions, RIA Novosti reports with reference to Alexei Markov, deputy prosecutor of the Smolensk region. According to him, two defendants - Igor Ryabokon and Yury Statsenko - have been charged with kidnapping.

Viktor Yushchenko is ready for a real live debate with Viktor Yanukovych, the protagonist of the government. According to the Podrobnosti online edition, Yushchenko's press service reported this. In particular, Yushchenko leaves unchanged his position regarding his readiness to become a participant in TV debates and declares that the main conditions must be met: live broadcast, unbiased presenter and equal opportunities for candidates.

The Zyuzinsky Court of Moscow dismissed the claim of the National Bolshevik Party against the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, lawyer Sergei Belyak told RIA Novosti. According to the defender, the plaintiffs intend to appeal this decision to the Moscow City Court. The court issued an unlawful and unreasonable decision, Belyak said.

Over the past 47 million years, dolphins have developed to unprecedented sizes for other animals. The new, most extensive study of the fossil remains of these marine residents set its goal to describe the dynamics of the corresponding evolutionary development. Indirectly, this can help find the answer to the question of how people themselves have become so "brainwashed." As you know, dolphins are capable of many "intellectual exploits" inaccessible to other animals.

Volvo bus. Photo from the site http://transport.kuban.info In the Tver region, a bus with children rolled over. This was announced on Tuesday morning by RIA "Novosti" a source in the Main Directorate of Civil Defense and Emergencies of St. Petersburg. The accident occurred at the 253rd kilometer of the Moscow -Petersburg highway (Tver region) at 5.30 Moscow time. According to preliminary data, one child died, eight were injured.

A convoy of peacekeepers with humanitarian cargo was detained by the Georgian police near the village of Ergneti in South Ossetia, Gazeta.ru reports citing Interfax.

US Congress. Photo from the site correspondent. Computer models used by the leading American television companies to forecast the information picture of the day during voting in the US presidential election on Tuesday show that the outcome of the race for the White House between George Bush and John Kerry will be decided in just a few key states.

Deputies of the Moscow City Duma are preparing a draft City Code of Administrative Offenses. It is supposed to include articles on punishments for begging, the imposition of goods and services, inappropriate propaganda of religious teachings and violation of public order during public events, Ekho Moskvy reports.

More than 2,000 students came to a rally in Kyiv on Tuesday. They demanded fair elections for the country's president, ITAR-TASS reports. The action is held under the slogan "Don't let your choice be stolen". Students demand to immediately announce the final results of the 1st round, which took place on Sunday. On Kontraktova Square, where the rally is taking place, students from Kyiv universities continue to arrive.

The Kelley Blue Book, an American motoring guide, did on its website a little research on the political preferences of American drivers . After interviewing about 2,500 motorists, Kelley Blue Book revealed the following patterns. Those who drive the cars of the "Big Three" (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler) sympathize with Bush. Kerry will be supported by drivers of Hyundai, Toyota, Subaru and other foreign cars. Owners of large SUVs and full-size pickup trucks will vote for Bush.

Sheikh Zayd Ben Sultan An-Nahjan. Photo from USA Today On Tuesday, the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayd Ben Sultan An-Nahjan, died. He was 86 years old. It is reported by USA Today with reference to the television of Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Zayid led the state for more than 30 years - from the moment of its creation. He played one of the leading roles in the process of uniting the seven states of the Persian Gulf into the federation.

The Communist Party of Ukraine calls on its supporters to vote against everyone in the second round of the presidential election. This was stated today by the leader of the Ukrainian Communists Petro Symonenko, Ekho Moskvy reports. At the same time, Simonenko recalled that the official policy of the Communists would be announced on November 4 at the plenum of the party's Central Committee.

Photo NASA from the site www.spaceref.com The discovery in 2003 of three "naked" galaxies - that is, not shrouded in a "fur coat" - Galo from dark matter - caused a great revitalization among astrophysicists and initiated immediate attempts to find other similar objects. However, new detailed studies of isolated galaxies in the X -ray range did not lead to confirmation of the new theory, according to which galaxies can form or evolve many fundamentally different methods.