The Main Military Prosecutor's Office brought charges against the former Deputy Minister of Finance of Russia, now Chairman of the Board of Directors of Severnaya Neft OJSC Andrei Vavilov. As sources close to the investigation confirmed to Interfax, he is charged with abuse of power, resulting in grave consequences - Article 286, part 3, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. This article provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of up to 10 years.

Former FBI agent Robert Hanssen made his first appearance today in US District Court in Alexandria. As expected, he pleaded not guilty to charges of spying for Soviet and Russian intelligence. According to those present in the courtroom, Hanssen, who appeared there for only a few minutes, looked pale and emaciated, RIA Novosti reports. In court, Hanssen was officially read a list of 21 charges, fourteen of which could result in the death penalty.

According to estimates by the Federal Tax Police Service (FSNP) of Russia, the monthly outflow of capital from the country amounts to 1-1.5 billion dollars. The head of the FSNP, Mikhail Fradkov, stated this in an interview with Nezavisimaya Gazeta . The head of the Federal Tax Service also noted that the process of laundering money obtained illegally in Russia is closely related to the outflow of capital abroad. This is the specificity of the Russian economy, he added.

Religious persecution has intensified in China in the past year. In particular, they targeted Tibetan Buddhists, Xinjiang Muslims, as well as followers of the Falun Gong religious movement. This is stated in the report of the British human rights organization Amnesty International, reports Agence France-Presse.

Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense Alexei Arbatov from the Yabloko faction turned to doctors for help. On Thursday afternoon, a helicopter was fired at over the territory of Ingushetia, on which Alexey Arbatov and his committee colleague Evgeny Zelenov from the Regions of Russia group were returning from Chechnya through Ingushetia to Moscow.

As Press-Tsentr.ru writes, in one of the Swiss clinics a place is being prepared for a high-ranking official from Russia. The article claims that this person is Andrei Vavilov, who intends to go to Switzerland for long-term treatment. On May 28, the Main Military Prosecutor's Office brought charges against Andrei Vavilov, the former Deputy Minister of Finance of Russia, now the Chairman of the Board of Directors of OJSC Severnaya Neft.

The Primorsky Regional Court today postponed the decision on the case of removing Sergei Darkin from the second round of elections for the governor of Primorye until the morning of June 1. The reason for postponing the meeting was the end of the judges' working day. During today's four-hour meeting, it was possible to listen to the arguments of all parties and at the same time consider several complaints against Darkin, including accusations against him of bribing voters.

In Vladivostok on Thursday morning, a session of the Primorsky Territory court began in the case of Sergei Darkin , who won the first round of gubernatorial elections . Opponents of the businessman , who previously announced his good relations with Governor Yevgeny Nazdratenko , are demanding that Darkin be removed from the second round.

The Taliban, who control most of Afghanistan, have decided to ban women from driving. In particular, this applies to foreign female staff of international humanitarian organizations working in the country. As the French television company France-2 reports today, the representative offices of these organizations have received a corresponding letter. Its authors explain the ban by the need to respect local traditions and protect nature.

Presidents Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko took part today in the ceremony of laying the first stone for the foundation of the new building of the Russian Embassy in Belarus. As the President of Russia emphasized, speaking to those gathered, the solid foundation of friendship, cooperation, and development of relations between the two states are the historical roots and commonality of culture, languages, and the common future of our peoples.

As an ITAR-TASS correspondent was told today at the headquarters of the federal forces group in the North Caucasus, as a result of missile strikes from Mi-24 helicopters, a militant camp was destroyed and several scattered groups of extremists were liquidated. Over the past 24 hours, Mi-24 helicopters were involved in five operations to escort columns of federal troops in the Argun Gorge, in the Vedeno and Itum-Kalinsky regions of Chechnya.

In the US state of Texas, a parachutist died during a group jump. He was hit by the propeller blades of a plane flying nearby. The tragedy occurred when the last, 30th parachutist to jump, Michel Thibodeau, separated from the plane, preparing to form a single figure in the air, and fell under the propeller blades of the second plane, AP reports. Representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigating the incident call this case unprecedented.

Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, who is actively involved in beekeeping, personally developed a new type of hive for his bees. The Moscow mayor shared the know-how of the new hive with the delegation of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, Interfax reports, calling the mayor’s new development a revolution in beekeeping. According to Yuri Luzhkov himself, unlike traditional ones, his hives are round in shape and resemble a tree trunk.

Vladimir Putin signed a decree awarding Rem Vyakhirev the Order of Merit for the Fatherland. It is not yet known what degree this order is, but it is likely that we are talking about an order of the second or third degree. “This order is awarded to Rem Ivanovich not for his anniversary, as is usually the case, but for his merits, for his work for the country and Gazprom,” the president said a day after Vyakhirev’s resignation.

Unknown criminals tried to blow up the Russian Embassy in Minsk. According to the first data, there were two attackers, and so far they have not been arrested, NTV reports According to the Belarusian authorities, on the night between Wednesday and Thursday, these criminals threw a grenade into the embassy territory. The grenade exploded and as a result the stone fence of the building was damaged.