145 1 min. ... "Vesti" 20.00 The main story is that a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, one of the leaders of the Liberal Russia party, Sergei Yushenkov, was killed in Moscow. The intonation is official. The presenter reports that “the deputy was shot at the entrance of his own house in Tushino.” Over the phone from the scene, the correspondent reports the latest details of the incident. The report further provides a brief biography of Sergei Yushenkov.

Actor Vladimir Zeldin congratulates her: 117 1 min. ... Actor Vladimir Zeldin congratulates her: — Alla Bayanova attracts the viewer with her individuality and unusual performance of romances. She is certainly a great master of her craft, she turns a song into a short story and makes the viewer empathize with the story being told. Bayanova conveys the meaning of the song to the viewer; you can always feel what she is singing about.

Iraqi General Ali Hassan al-Majid , known as "Chemical Ali", is likely still alive. This information was disseminated on April 18 by the British agency Sky News . According to him, Iraqi soldiers claim that they saw the general in his hometown of Almara a day after the report of his death appeared. More than 100 people witnessed Ali al-Majid and his closest associate get out of the car. Meanwhile, on April 8, 2003, the Pentagon confirmed information about the death of Chemical Ali.

Eastern Conference 92 4 min. ... The NBA regular season ended with unexpected victories for the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference and the San Antonio Spurs in the Western. However, in the playoffs, which begins tomorrow, other clubs are still considered favorites. Eastern Conference Detroit Pistons--Orlando Magic Many tend to attribute the Detroiters' victory in the East to the weakness of the conference as a whole.

The Bolshoi Theater joined the collective farm 93 1 min. ... On the new stage, the Bolshoi Theater today shows the premiere of Dmitry Shostakovich's ballet "The Bright Stream". After Comrade Stalin himself repressed this hilarious comedy from collective farm life in 1936, no one ever dared to stage the ballet. Choreographer Alexei Ratmansky broke the taboo.

The decree on the sale of Belarusian shares in the gas transportation and supply company Beltransgaz was signed on April 18 by Alexander Lukashenko . The company is valued at $500 million. The shares of the first issue of the open joint-stock company created instead of the unitary enterprise will be sold only for cash. After corporatization, Beltransgaz should become a joint Russian-Belarusian company. Russia's interests in the joint venture will be represented by Gazprom .

unscrupulous 20 2 minutes. ... Yesterday, the Expert and Forensic Service of the Southern Customs Administration (ECS YUTU) released data on the volume of supplies of false export products through southern Russian customs terminals. According to experts, today false exports account for about 60% of the total volume of exports of finished products, and the trend toward an increase in the number of speculative transactions continues.

67 1 min. ... Yesterday the government continued to engage in housing and communal services reform. The basis was adopted by the draft of the new Housing Code, which regulates all housing rights and obligations of citizens, their relationships with the authorities and service organizations in a market economy. The fact is that the socialist code adopted in 1984 is still in force. The new code consists of 132 articles, arranged in 11 sections.

US-British coalition forces released on April 18 more than 900 Iraqis captured during the operation in Iraq. All released Iraqis were identified by the American command as “civilians” captured during the fighting. Currently, the forces of the American-British coalition are holding captive 6 thousand 859 people captured during the battles in Iraq. In the southern Iraqi city of Umm Qasr, coalition forces are creating a tent city that can hold up to 24 thousand prisoners, AP reports.

Boston—Detroit 99:92. Cleveland—Toronto 96:86 ( Ilgauskas (Cleveland), 32 1 min. ... Boston--Detroit 99:92. Cleveland--Toronto 96:86 ( Ilgauskas (Cleveland), 9 points). Philadelphia--Washington 107:87. Indiana--New Jersey 90:83. Memphis--Minnesota 87:95. Milwaukee--Orlando 93:87. New Orleans--Atlanta 92:77. San Antonio--Dallas 72:93. Denver--Houston 84:89 ( Tskitishvili (Denver), 6). Sacramento--Utah 95:84 ( Kirilenko (Utah), 15). Seattle--Phoenix 84:70 ( Potapenko (Seattle), 4).

pension reform 18 2 minutes. ... Kommersant has obtained an agreed draft government decree that determines where and in what volumes management companies will be able to place pension savings. Based on these requirements, we can conclude that the government has played it safe: the investment portfolios of different management companies will be very similar. Market participants are confident that under such conditions it will be difficult for them to break the monopoly of the State Pension Fund.

telecommunications 51 2 minutes. ... AFK Sistema yesterday again became the owner of a controlling stake in Mobile Telesystems, currently the largest cellular company in Eastern Europe. According to analysts, the concentration of MTS shares in the hands of one structure, as well as the unprecedentedly low amount of the transaction, are unlikely to please the company's investors. Deutsche Telekom (DT) issued Sistema an option to acquire a 10% stake in MTS on March 13.

On the liquidation of unprofitable enterprises 26 2 minutes. ... Yesterday in Yekaterinburg a congress of the Sverdlovsk Regional Union of Industrialists (Employers) took place, at which the heads of enterprises summed up the results of 2002 and announced plans for 2003. Once again, businessmen raised problems with maintaining social and cultural facilities to Governor Rossel, who was also present at the meeting. The head of the Sverdlovsk region did not clearly answer this.

36 3 min. ...

Two Belgian doctors who returned from Iraq have announced their intention to sue the head of the US Central Command, General Tommy Franks, whom they accuse of war crimes. According to RIA Novosti , pediatrician Colet Mular and therapist Harry Devitte were on a business trip to Iraq from the non-governmental organization Doctors for the Third World.