15 years ago, on May 1, 2004, the largest single enlargement of the European Union in history took place. 10 states became its new members: Hungary, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Estonia. Two more countries, Bulgaria and Romania, joined the EU only in 2007.

95 years ago, May 1, 1924, an outstanding Russian writer Viktor Astafiev was born. In his works - a merciless soldier's look at the Great Patriotic War. The writer never compromised with the authorities and told the truth about the war, which absolutely did not coincide with the official, "general" history.

Armed clashes in Karakas. Photo from Twitter @aaberwick Venezuelan dictator Nicholas Maduro said that the "coup" in the country had failed, CNN reports . "I want to congratulate you for a tough, loyal and bold position, with which you led the defeat of a small group that tried to fill Venezuela with violence," the dictator said. He accused of the “right wing” of the Party “Narodnaya Volya” in the coupling, which includes temporary President Juan Guydo and his associate Leopoldo Lopez.

HIV tests. Photo: aids.ru The Ministry of Health proposed prohibiting the denial of HIV infection. The corresponding bill was published on the portal of draft regulatory legal acts. It is proposed to supplement the Law "On the Prevention of the spread of HIV infection" with the new article 4.1.

Detention of MP Maxim Reznik. Photo: T.ME/MAXIMREZNIK In St. Petersburg on Nevsky Prospekt, the police harshly dispersed the agreed procession "Free Petersburg - Free Elections!", The Grana correspondent reports. According to the OWD-Info, 68 people were detained. There are people injured. The police attacked a peaceful procession, grabbed the participants, beat them and led them to the autozaki.

Gavin Williamson. Photo: gov.uk British Prime Minister Teresa May fired the Minister of Defense Gavin Williamson in connection with a leak of secret data. In a letter to Williamson, who quotes the BBC, May clarifies that we are talking about a meeting of the National Security Council on April 23. It was decided to allow the Chinese corporation Huawei to develop in the country the fifth -generation mobile communication network 5G.

Julian Assange in court. Photo: News.Sky.com The Royal Court in the London Boro Sauturk sentenced the founder of Wikileaks Julian Assange by 50 weeks of prison for violation of the rules for the bail in 2012, when he took refuge at Ecuador's embassy. It is reported by Sky News. The judge told Assange: "It is difficult to imagine a more serious example of this crime." According to the judge, Assange, hiding at the embassy, ​​deliberately "deprived himself of reach", while remaining in Britain.

Vladimir Putin. Hard video Vladimir Putin signed a law on Runet isolation. The document is published on the official Internet portal of legal information. The law enters into force on November 1, with the exception of certain provisions: on the obligations of state bodies, municipal and state institutions to ensure interaction with citizens in accordance with the standards of cryptographic protection adopted in Russia, as well as on the national domain names system.

Ilya Milstein It happens like this: a person feels that he is born for a certain field, and all the time seeks to go through it, but nothing comes of it. Either fate opposes, or a person is mistaken, believing that he unraveled the secret of purpose. For example, Mikhail Babich still does not specify a career as a governor, governor, and satrap.

When Nevsky was already cleaned in St. Petersburg from Oser’s opponents and shoved the detainees from the autozaks, an atmosphere of insanity reigned in Moscow on Krasnaya Presny - rather a festive one than a protest. The column of orthodox communists was followed by anarchists, socialists with a dream of a minimum salary of 300 rubles per hour, vegans with slogans in defense of animals, fighters with the styling of mental illness.

Russian passports. Photo: Grani.ru Vladimir Putin simplified the procedure for providing Russian citizenship to Ukrainians - natives of Crimea and immigrants from the Donbass. The corresponding decree is published on the Kremlin website.