Seven children aged between two and five years were killed and three were hospitalized with serious injuries as a result of the road accident. The tragedy occurred on Thursday in the Canadian province of Quebec, 110 kilometers north of Montreal. The minibus in which the children were returning from an excursion skidded on a slippery road. He drove into the oncoming lane, where another car crashed into his side at high speed.

German publishing concern Bertelsmann AG announced the sale of its 50 percent stake in the European and Australian divisions of America OnLine Inc. for $8.25 billion. (AOL), RBC reports. According to AOL management, this is the German concern’s response to AOL’s decision to merge with Time Warner Inc. Now Bertelsmann needs the means to successfully compete with AOL. AOL will begin making payments to Bertelsmann in securities and cash after January 31, 2002.

The Russian Communist Youth Union (RCYU) has decided not to support the candidacy of Gennady Zyuganov in the presidential elections. One of the leaders of the Russian Komsomol, Igor Malyarov, announced this at a press conference. “The new generation of patriots will not vote for the leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation under any circumstances. Zyuganov is an outdated leader who needs to leave,” Malyarov told RIA Novosti journalists.

The leader of the National Basketball Association championship, the Los Angeles Lakers, had won 19 games in a row until Thursday. Phil Jackson's team was just one step away from achieving the second record in NBA history - 20 games without defeat. But last night the impressive streak ended with a match with Washington, co-owned by the great Michael Jordan, who, by the way, recently played under the leadership of Jackson.

A group of supporters of the "Russian" was detained in Smolensk national unity", which spread materials with direct calls to disrupt the upcoming elections President of Russia. From the group leader, citizen of Belarus, about 300 leaflets with the text were seized unconstitutional. The arrest was carried out during operational search activities aimed at ensuring the security of the preparation and organization of early elections of the President of the Russian Federation.

On the night from Thursday to Friday, at the 212th kilometer of the Oktyabrskaya Railway, two cars of the St. Petersburg-Babaevo passenger train derailed, RBC reports. As the press service of the Main Directorate for Civil Defense and Emergency Situations of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region told reporters, the carriages did not overturn, so no one was injured as a result of the accident.

The Ministry of Press, Television and Radio Broadcasting and Mass Communications today published a list of frequencies put up for the competition, which will take place on May 24. RIA Novosti reports this.

In 1999, at the World Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki, the Russian team set a record that cannot be surpassed: they won gold medals in all four types of the program. And although such a triumph is unlikely to be repeated at the upcoming championship in Nice, France, there is no doubt that this time our compatriots will compete for medals of all merits. On Thursday, the President of the Russian Figure Skating Federation Valentin Piseev announced the composition of our team.

The Russian government adopted a resolution on ensuring bailiffs with military weapons. RIA Novosti reports this with reference to the Department of the Bailiff Service (DSSP) Ministry of Justice. The resolution “On approval of standards for the provision of combat hand-held small arms and other weapons, ammunition and cartridges for them, special equipment, as well as radio communications for the Bailiff Service of the Ministry of Justice” was received by the DSSP on Thursday.

An X-ray of Raduev’s skull did not reveal any traces of surgical intervention, ITAR-TASS reports, citing a source in the FSB of the Russian Federation. No titanium plates were found in the terrorist's skull. Let us recall that over the past few years, reports have repeatedly come from Chechnya about five or six surgical operations that Raduev had to undergo after a bullet wound to the head.

Oscar statuettes have been stolen in a Los Angeles suburb. The loss was discovered at the warehouse of the transport company Roadway Express, where several boxes of figurines were delivered from Chicago. Academy of Motion Pictures officials announced the theft on Thursday. According to Reuters, a total of 40 figurines were stolen. However, the organizers of the ceremony have already reported that the statuettes at the academy’s disposal are quite enough to award all the laureates.

On Thursday, the explosion of the Okhta commercial center was prevented in St. Petersburg. An explosive device was discovered in the work area of ​​the business center by mechanics who came to work. The press center of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported this to RIA Novosti. Sappers called to the scene found out that the radio-controlled “hell machine” was assembled by hand.

A unique collection of jewelry was seized by MUR officers from two residents of the city of Petushki, Vladimir Region. Almost all the jewelry is the work of Faberge; they were stolen from the apartment of a Moscow collector. 45 antique items of historical and museum value were stolen from an apartment in Moscow on Novaya Basmannaya Street in November 1999.

Due to the large amount of work, the Moscow prosecutor's office will not have time to complete the investigation into the criminal case of falsification of signature sheets of a number of presidential candidates before March 26. The press service of the Moscow prosecutor's office reported this to RIA Novosti. The case was opened on February 28, 2000, and the investigation is still ongoing.

In the upcoming elections for governor of St. Petersburg in May The movement “Our Home is Russia” will support the candidacy of Valentina Matvienko. The leader of the NDR, Viktor Chernomyrdin, announced this to RIA Novosti reporters on Friday.