The dilapidated house in the very center of Baku. Many of its inhabitants, who have no TVs and the ability to buy newspapers, today unexpectedly learned that the President of Russia had come to their city. They heard almost nothing about Vladimir Putin, but they are sure that he will help solve their problems. There are several hundred refugees like them, refugees from Karabakh, only in the area of ​​the Azerbaijani capital.

International organizations, apparently, decided to come close to the "diagnosis of the Balkan syndrome", because of which Europe will fever for a week. Today in Brussels two meetings on this problem will be held at once: in the headquarters of NATO and the European Union.

Russian scientists have developed the technology of "demilitarization" of anti -personnel mines, the Military Parade magazine reports. After in 1996, Russia ratified the Geneva Convention on the restriction of the use and reduction of anti -personnel minute reserves, the Russian army faced the problem of a safe, inexpensive and environmentally friendly method of destroying this type of weapons.

The ceremony of taking office of President Ghana John Kufuor gathered in the capital of the country the entire political elite of West Africa. The personnel of the official chronicle demonstrate the arrival at the triumph of President Nigeria, as well as the leaders of the Senegal, Burkina-Faso. The main guest of the ceremony was former President Ghana Jerry Rolings. He seized power in 1979 as a result of a military coup.

The match of the tennis "Star" at the international tournament in Sydney ended with the first defeat of the Williams sisters since August 1999. Already in the first circle they got more than the only couple that capable of withstanding √ Martin Hingis and Monica Selesh, who beat them with a score of 6: 4, 3: 6, 7: 6. At the same time, the four best tennis players in the world, the winner of the large helmet tournaments were on the court.

According to Echo of Moscow with reference to ITAR-TASS, Algeria President Abdelaziz Butflik sent a telegram to President Vladimir Putin today, in which he expressed his condolences in connection with the murder of four Russians near the Algerian city of Annaba.

Jan Torp did not succumb to the temptation to strengthen his position at the 800-meter at the World Cup, which will take place in Japan. Its main goal is to "drown" the achievements of the Dutch opponent √ Peter Hugenbanda √ at a 200-meter. At the Olympic Games, Torp at this distance finished the second, following the Dutchman. In Japan, the schedule is compiled in such a way that the swims at these two distances will take place one after another, so the torp had to choose.

Representatives of the Kursk prosecutor's office today announced the end of the investigation in the case of Vasily Aleinikov, who is accused of attacking the former vice-governor of Kursk Sergey Maksachev. NTV with reference to Interfax reports that Aleinikov is accused under three articles of the Criminal Code, and soon his case will be submitted to the court.

The storm carried not only snow, but also the sand raised in the Gobi desert. 32 people died, at least 14 missing. The area is cut off from the outside world √ Earth covers the meter layer of snow. The strongest snowfalls and snow drills, which fell on the Chinese province of inner Mongolia, were killed, at least 32 lives, another 14 people are considered missing, reports AFP.

“In the forest near the city of Annabs, the bodies of six, not four people were found,” the Algerian newspaper Le Matin reports today, “they were all citizens of Russia who worked at one of the fertilizer production enterprises” According to Le Matin, which refers to unnamed "local sources", "residents of Russia, most likely, died due to the attack of Islamic terrorists." "A few months ago, near the scene, extremists committed another murder: they broke into a cafe and cut off the head of a

Today in Kaluga the next espionage trial will continue, the accused of which is the employee of the Institute of the United States and Canada, who lives in Obninsk. According to the NTV television company with reference to ITAR-TASS, the investigation in the case of Sutyagin was carried out since October 1999. In the Kaluga Regional Court, they refrain from comments, referring to the closed nature of the process.

Tonight in the northeast of the capital, an accident occurred on the heating main. 73 buildings were left without heat. According to the city administration, the cause of the accident was damage to the pipeline at the intersection of Altufevsky highway with Khachaturian Street. The emergency left residential buildings without heat, as well as several kindergartens and schools. By morning, the heat supply of some objects was restored.

A Clinton Clinton, who will soon leave the White House, does not want to take a cat with him named Soks. Now Bill and Hillary are looking for reliable hands in which the animal could be conveyed. The main contender is considered by President Betty Kurry. Sox √ the cat of the daughter of Clintons Chelsea, but he also cannot return to the mistress, since she studies at the University of Stanford. Sox has a chosenly lived in the White House since 1993.

Chuck Norris plans to leave the Cool Walker television series, which has been going on eight seasons. The last two -hour series with the participation of Norris will be shown on CBS in May. "The responsibilities of the executive producer and the need to play the main role do not leave me free time at all," said the 60 -year -old actor in an interview with Los Angeles Times, adding that from any situation we must try to leave the winner.

The International Committee for Protection of Journalists, based in New York, appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin calling for the investigation of the murder of Novaya Gazeta journalist Igor Domnikov, who was brutally beaten at the entrance of his house and died in the hospital two months later, without contrary to consciousness.