An unknown person seized the Beijing office of the news agency Reuters , threatening to detonate a bomb. Agency employees were taken hostage by the terrorist. On the morning of March 12, a man dressed in black entered the office building. The attacker was carrying a black bag with wires sticking out of it. The terrorist announced that there was a bomb in the bag, saying that his action was a protest against corruption in the Chinese government.

Nokia shares fall 25 1 min. ... telecommunications The mobile communications industry is showing signs of recovery. According to a study released yesterday by the authoritative American research company Gartner Dataquest, 423 million cell phones were sold last year - 6% more than in 2001. However, market participants did not have time to rejoice at the positive trend. Yesterday, the largest handset manufacturer Nokia announced that its sales would be lower than expected.

Dzidra Ritenbergs has died 421 1 min. ... obituary The famous Soviet actress Dzidra Ritenbergs died in Riga at the age of 75. Dzidra Ritenbergs was born in a country that in the Soviet Union was called bourgeois Latvia. And she took her first steps on stage in Soviet Latvia: in 1948 she graduated from the studio at the Latvian Art Theater named after Rainis. She played at the Liepaja Theater, then at the same Rainis Theater. But it was the cinema that made her famous throughout the country.

On March 12, unknown criminals staged a pogrom at the North Caucasus State Technological University. An investigation has been launched. According to RIA-Novosti , at night a group of young people broke into the 5th building of the university. The raiders beat and tied up the watchman, and then knocked out the glass blocks of the wall that separated the classrooms on the 4th floor, where computer equipment is stored.

business and government 225 2 minutes. ... As the Rosbalt agency reported yesterday, the prosecutor's office of the Komi Republic, on behalf of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation, began checking the legality of the actions of officials who decided on an additional issue of shares of JSC Bauxit Timan. According to the Prosecutor General's Office, after the placement of shares, the republic may lose a blocking stake in this company.

Amnesty International report 46 2 minutes. ... human rights Yesterday, respected human rights organization Amnesty International published its 2002 report. It is almost for the first time that the presence of political prisoners in the CIS countries is indicated. According to Amnesty International, these are the leaders of the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan party, Mukhtar Ablyazov and Galymzhan Zhakiyanov, convicted last year.

33 23 min. ... Issuer Last transaction Change (%) Prev.

carried out by Lipetsk workers 22 2 minutes. ... protest Yesterday in Lipetsk there was a rally of tractor plant workers demanding payment of wages, which have been delayed at the enterprise for seven months. The workers made their way to the director's office under the cameras of television cameramen from the central television channel.

— I would not call what is happening an act of restitution, since the collection of the Bremen 71 1 min. ... — I would not call what is happening an act of restitution, since the collection of the Bremen Kunsthalle is not among the transferred values ​​as compensatory restitution to Germany. 362 graphic works and 2 paintings were transported to the USSR as personal trophies.

On March 12, the Russian Ministry of Antimonopoly Policy and Entrepreneurship Support ( MAP ) issued a positive opinion on the petition of the oil company Rosneft, which sought permission to purchase shares of Severnaya Neft OJSC. This was announced by Deputy Head of MAP Anatoly Golomolzin, reports PRIME-TASS . The cost of the upcoming transaction is estimated at $600 million. Now it must be approved by the board of directors of Rosneft.

The United States supports the pipeline construction project in Russia, in particular, the oil pipeline to Murmansk, US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said on March 12. According to Mr. Abraham, on the American side “there is great interest in increasing Russian oil supplies” through the projected deep-water port in Murmansk. In addition, the head of the Ministry of Energy noted that the US government welcomes investment from American companies in Russian enterprises.

WOMAN'S LOOK 60 5 minutes. ... Under the rays of the sun, which is not only shining, but also starting to warm up little by little, it may seem that you are melting like snow, having forgotten to quench your thirst with something cool and life-giving. Men at such times, as a rule, use a classic remedy - beer.

“I’m happy to work with such a master.” How many times, watching his films, have 99 1 min. ... Yesterday in Moscow, at the Pushkinsky cinema, the premiere of Eldar Ryazanov’s film “The Key to the Bedroom” took place. Before the premiere, the leading actor SERGEY MAKOVETSKY answered questions from ANDREY PLAKHOV. — A new role is your debut with Eldar Ryazanov. “I’m happy to work with such a master.” How many times, while watching his films, did I catch myself wanting to star in him.

to the Yuzhno-Russkoye field 68 3 min. ... As Kommersant learned, Zapsibgazprom will become the general contractor for the development of the Yuzhno-Russkoye oil and gas field. The company plans to begin development of the sites this year. Due to this, Gazprom can increase annual gas production to 530 billion cubic meters. However, it is still unknown whether the gas concern will finance gas production on its own, or whether it will prefer to attract investors.

What is the president counting on? 16 2 minutes. ... direct speech What is the president counting on? Mikhail Amosov, chairman of the St. Petersburg branch of the Yabloko party: “I think this decision is due to the fact that Governor Yakovlev’s term of office is ending and the president is preparing the ground for his replacement.