In Rostov-on-Don, in the North Caucasus District Military Court on Wednesday, the trial on the "Ulman case" is held behind closed doors. Stanislav Zhidkov, presiding in the case, explained to the participants of the meeting that during the process it is planned to examine evidence containing state secrets, RIA Novosti reports. On Wednesday, two witnesses arrived at the court, and the prosecution requested to call them.

Explosion in the center of Baghdad. Photo by the Air Force. Two explosions thundered at once on Wednesday morning in Baghdad. In both cases, cars were blown up, driving suicide suicide bombers. As a result of the first explosion, which thundered near the Australian Embassy, ​​two people were killed, seven were injured. About this, as Reuters reports, the police and eyewitnesses reported. American units cordoned off the scene.

Kazan pensioners on Wednesday held a protest against preferential payments. In total, about 50 people take part in the action, who came out onto the roadway of the main street of Kazan - Tatarstan, RIA Novosti reports. According to the protesters, they oppose the abolition of benefits for payment of housing and communal services, demand that they return the right to free travel on public transport and increase pensions. Those gathered pass leaflets with these appeals to each other.

On Thursday, January 20, Moscow's Basmanny Court is to consider a complaint filed by the defense of Yukos shareholder Leonid Nevzlin against the illegal actions of Smirnov, an investigator for particularly important cases at the Prosecutor General's Office. This was reported to Gazeta.ru by Nevzlin's lawyer Dmitry Kharitonov.

In 2004, there was an upsurge of violence motivated by ethnic and religious hatred in Russia. This, according to the correspondent of Graney.Ru, is stated in the annual report of the information-analytical center "Sova". The center, for which the problems of xenophobia and nationalism are a priority, presented this report on Wednesday. According to its author, Galina Kozhevnikova, in 2004 there were reports of 44 cases of murder motivated by ethnic or religious hatred through the media alone.

Zakaria Zubeidi, leader of the Fatah-linked al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, a radical Palestinian group, said on Tuesday that his organization was suspending terrorist attacks on Israeli territory within the 1948 borders. Zubeidi noted that this decision was made in accordance with the order of the new head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), and was agreed with representatives of the leadership of the Committee of Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Prisons.

The cause of the Mi-8 helicopter crash in Kamchatka in November 2004 was the human factor. This was stated to journalists by the prosecutor of the Kamchatka transport prosecutor's office, Mikhail Simakhin, RIA Novosti reports.

Sergey Stepashin. Image from the site nns.ru Chairman of the Accounts Chamber of Russia Sergey Stepashin states that he is resigned. He announced this during his speech at a meeting of the Rodina faction on Tuesday, the new news writes. According to Stepashin himself, his departure is associated with the adoption of a new federal law, which amends the procedure for the formation of the County Chamber of Russia.

On Wednesday, the Moscow Arbitration Court dismissed the claim of OAO Yuganskneftegaz to invalidate the actions of the bailiff to seize part of Yugansk's property - 19 small boats, Gazeta.Ru reports citing AK&M. The decision to seize this property was signed on November 19, 2004 by a bailiff within the framework of consolidated enforcement proceedings to recover a tax debt from the Yukos oil company.

Astronomer from the University of Indiana ( Indiana University , USA) Liz Van Van Zee, who was studying small incorrect (in other words, irregular) galaxies during the Systematic Multiwavelength OF DWARF Systematic Multiwaveleng Galaxies and Evolution of Structure (systematic multiple -wolf disinhentated catalog of dwarf galaxies and the evolution of the structure, acronym - smudges - "spots") using a radio telescopes with a very large base (Very Large Array - VLA ) in New Mexico, unexpectedly

On Wednesday, the Moscow City Court upheld the decision of the Meshchansky District Court to extend the detention of the head of MFO Menatep, Platon Lebedev, until March 26, 2005, RIA Novosti reports. Thus, the court refused to allow the defense to satisfy the cassation appeal against the decision of the district court.

Eight schoolchildren have been hospitalized in Tatarstan after being poisoned by carbon monoxide while traveling in a minibus, Gazeta.Ru reports citing Interfax. According to the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Tatarstan, pupils of grades 9-11 went on Wednesday from the regional center of Cheremshany, accompanied by two teachers, to the Chemistry Olympiad in Chistopol. Children felt suffocation 10 km before Chistopol.

From February 1, all categories of beneficiaries of Tatarstan, pensioners, pupils, students and law enforcement officers will be provided with preferential travel in urban public transport. President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev told journalists about this on Wednesday following the results of meetings with members of the government, heads of cities and regions of the republic, Gazeta.Ru reports citing Interfax.

The Moscow authorities will pay the expenses of beneficiaries who use the transport of the Moscow region in the summer season. This was announced on Tuesday on the TVC channel by Moscow Vice Mayor Valery Shantsev. According to him, the administrations of Moscow and the Moscow region intend to conclude an agreement on the provision of mutual free travel for privileged categories of citizens.

Investigators of the Prosecutor General's Office have not been able to identify the killer suspected of killing Paul Khlebnikov, editor-in-chief of the Russian version of Forbes magazine, and Yan Sergunin, former Deputy Prime Minister of Chechnya, Vremya Novostey writes. It is not clear to the investigation what the real name of the Chechen detained by their Belarusian colleagues at the end of last year in Minsk is.