The Iraq army began to increase its combat readiness. This is stated in the Pentagon statement. According to the American military department, the Iraq Air Force increased the number of training sorties. Over the past few days, military planes have repeatedly invaded the zone forbidden for flights. The Pentagon also has intelligence, that in Iraq, contrary to international sanctions, the latest equipment for Soviet -made MiG aircraft is supplied.

Yesterday late in the evening in Moscow time in Bologna, the semifinal fights of the final of the four basketball Euroleague were held in Bologna. The Greek "Panatinaikos" defeated last year's winner of the Euroleague Israeli "Maccabi" - 83:75 (27:23, 17:21, 18:13, 21:18), and the Italian "Kinder" did not let his compatriots from Beneton - 90:82 (23:26, 16:15, 24:22, 27:19). The Greeks of the Victory was brought by the Yugoslav Acts Bodirog, who scored 26 points.

Two magnificent goals performed by Ray Parlor and Freddy Jungberg allowed Arsenal on the field of the Millennium Cardiff Stadium to win the England Cup in the final match against his fellow countrymen from Chelsea. In the 70th minute of the London derby, the parlor with a cannon blow to the “nine” takes “the gunners” forward, and less than 10 minutes later, Jungberg takes an almost 50-meter jerk through the entire field and replays the Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Kudichchini.

Boris Mikhailov, head coach of the Russian national team, in an interview with ITAR-TASS, explained the “heavy draw” in a match with a team of Ukraine at three Swedish cities in the three Swedish cities. Giveled the match of the first round of the second stage 0: 2 and 1: 3, his wards still managed to achieve the final account 3: 3 and retained the chances of access to the quarterfinals.

In Nigeria, a local airline liner crashed, reports Reuters. 76 people were on board. As the local authorities stated, two people survived. In addition, as a result of the fall of the aircraft, 46 people who were on the ground were killed on a residential area. The BAC 1-11-500 plane collapsed onto the city of Kano in a densely populated area, the disasters and airport employees say. Thus, the preliminary number of the dead amounted to 122 people.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made a new plan of peaceful settlement in the Middle East. According to Haaretz , the details of the plan will be presented by US President George Bush during the visit of Sharon to the United States. The main idea of ​​the new plan of the Israeli Cabinet of Ministers is to create a "buffer zone" around the entire border of Israel. Terrorists, therefore, will not be able to penetrate the Israeli territory.

The unemployment rate in the United States in April reached the highest level over the past 8 years and amounted to 6 percent, reports NTV-International . As the economists say, this indicator, although sad, does not contradict the data on economic growth in the United States this year. Unemployment is the so -called lagging factor. It is usually a reflection of the situation in the economy that was half a year ago, and six months ago in the United States there was a decline.

The Palestinian authorities agree to the "any formula" of the deployment of international peacekeeping forces in the Middle East, including exclusively American. This was announced today by Yasir Arafat at a meeting in Ramallach with 15 diplomats representing the countries of the European Union, French diplomatic sources said.

A rally in support of the leader of the French Nationalist Party, candidate for president of France, Jean-Mari Le Pen, organized by the LDPR, was held on Saturday in Moscow, Interfax reports. From 250 to 300 people took part in the action. Several citizens of France permanently residing in Moscow also came to the rally.

The terrorist, who today captured hostages at the Marmara Istanbul Hotel, fought against the federal Russian troops in Chechnya. This was announced today by the Turkish news agency Anatolia, the brother of the criminal Isa Yyldyrym. The terrorist himself, the Turks of the Chechen origin, Mustafa Yildirim, during the capture of hostages, announced that he was opposing the Russian military campaign in Chechnya and Israeli actions in the Palestinian territories.

“Carolina” and “Montreal”, which knocked out of the NHL playoffs, respectively, “New Jersey” and “Boston”, began to sort things out among themselves. In the first match of the series, “Hurricanes” managed to use the advantage of their site and cool the ardor of “Canadians” a little claiming this season for the role of non -overthrows of the authorities √ 2: 0.

Russian skaters Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze were the best at the Salt Lake City Olympic Games, according to the French judge Mari-Ren Le Gun. She again stated this in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Le Tan, published on Saturday. “I thought so at the time of the judge of the couples, and did not change my opinion,” Le Gun emphasized. - The public and the press saw only Sikharulidze’s mistake in the performance of a double axel, but the arbitrary program lasts 4.5 minutes.

The Society of the Blind USA sued the government with a demand to change the form of dollar banknotes so that the blind could recognize their dignity to the touch. The society proposes to produce bills of different sizes or make corrugated inscriptions on banknotes. The lawsuit was filed on the eve of one of Washington’s ships, reports New York Post .

The attack of unknown vandals underwent monument to the heroes of the front and rear, established in the center of Ivanov. The letters are stolen from the marble pits of the pedestal, RIA Novosti reports. This is the second act of vandalism committed in relation to this monument. In 2001, letters made of non -ferrous metal were also stolen, and some marble slabs were stolen or split. Recovery work on the monument to the heroes of the front and rear ended only on April 30, 2002.

The Accounts Chamber in May will summarize the verification of the activities of the Russian Presidential Affairs Management. This was reported to "Interfax" the head of the Accounts Chamber Sergei Stepashin. He also noted that in May preliminary results of re -checking the expenditure of funds when restoring the Yakut city of Lensk will be summed up.