The demonstration of supporters of the restoration of the monarchy in Iraq was held in front of the Baghdad hotel Palestine. According to reports here, its participants chanted slogans in support of constitutional monarchical rule as "the best way of the revival of the country." "Prince Ali is the hope of Iraq!" - It was written on the banners that the monarchists raised. We are talking about the only formally legitimate heir to the Baghdad throne Ash Sharif Ali Ben Al-Hussein.

The creators of 20 full -length feature films, representing 13 countries, will wir the struggle for the Golden Palm Branch - the main award of the 56th International Film Festival in Cannes. Cannes film forum is often called the most prestigious and representative of events of this kind. The festival on the embankment Croazette invariably collects many stars of the first magnitude, and sometimes lights up new stars in the cinematic sky.

In Moscow on Wednesday, an explosion occurred in one of the residential buildings in the afternoon. According to sources in the Central Internal Affairs Directorate of the capital, the explosion thundered in one of the apartments of the house at 24 Boytsova Street. According to sources in the Central Internal Affairs Directorate, a balloon apparatus exploded in a 3-room apartment, then a fire occurred. Repair work was carried out in the apartment.

Seven people were killed, eight were injured in two traffic accidents (accidents) in the Alma-Ata region of Kazakhstan. Last Tuesday, as a result of a collision of two foreign cars, four passengers were killed, including a one -year -old baby. The incident occurred on the 108th km of the Alma-Ata-Bishkek highway, Interfax reports. The driver of the Mercedes car lost control and made a collision with the Audi-100 car. Both drivers and two more passengers are hospitalized.

By four years in prison, a former traffic police officer Stanislav Lyubichev was sentenced to Wednesday in Kislovodsk, with the help of which terrorists in the summer of 1999 delivered 6 tons of hexogen to Moscow. Lyubichev was found guilty under Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (bribe), while the court acquitted it under Article 285 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (abuse of authority).

In the Russian State Library in the framework of the eighth All -Russian festival "Orthodoxy on television and radio broadcasting" the constituent conference of the Club of Orthodox television and radio journalists was held today, RIA Novosti reports. It will include journalists from different regions of Russia, creating materials on topics of religion and morality, clergy, representatives of spiritual, educational funds, cultural figures.

Professors of the Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology of the Saratov State Agrarian University named after N.I. Vavilov (SGAU) believe that they managed to solve the riddle of cancer. For the first time in science, a direct method of detecting malignant blood cells - leukocytes with chromosomal mutations circulating in blood vessels of cattle - was developed.

The film "Matrix: Reloading", which is released on the screens on May 16, can be the most significant premiere among films of category R (denoting films, which children under 17 are allowed only in the presence of parents). Representatives of Warner Brothers are sure that they will be able to break the weekend record in category R, ​​set in 2001 by Hannibal ($ 58 million).

In the village of ATMIS Nizhnelomovsky district of the Penza region, the fact of infection of the anthrax was recorded. Everything was discovered by accident: K. pensioners fell ill with a heifer, and the owners did not seek help for two days, and when they asked the veterinarian to come to them, he advised him not to do anything before he examines the cattle.

The Supreme Court of Russia on Wednesday will return to the consideration of the case of Viktor Tikhonov, one of the accused of organizing an attempt on the governor of the Kemerovo region Aman Tuleyev. The cassation instance will revise the previously made decision by the new composition of judges. On August 2, 2002, the Novosibirsk Regional Court sentenced Viktor Tikhonov for preparations for the attempt for 4 years in prison .

The first batch of Russian vodka was sold to united Arab emirates. It was sent by the state enterprise "Soyuzlodimport", which disposes of trademarks on popular Russian vodka on behalf of the state. According to Interfax, the company entered into a distribution agreement with Al Maidan Alco Fze located in Fujira. The first batch of vodka for the UAE was produced at the Chernogolovsky plant of alcohol products.

17 foreign hostages stolen two months ago were released in Algeria. This was reported on Wednesday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria, Sweden and Germany, reports Reuters. Among the liberated - 10 Austrians, 6 Germans and the Swede. They were free due to a special action held by Algerian special services. The Austrian Foreign Minister refused to inform any details for this liberation action, saying only that all the released are still in Algeria.

In the Czech Republic, the unknown threatens to poison with cyanide food in public catering places, in particular, in restaurants, as well as in hospitals, if he is not paid 300 million kroons (about 11 million US dollars). According to the press secretary of the police presidium, Blanca Kosinova, on May 9 this year, the unknown person told the police on the phone that he "placed" two ampoules with cyanide in the capital of Prague-2.

In Russia, at present, 21% of conscripts have already been replaced by military personnel undergoing contract. This was announced by the deputy chief of the Office of the Main Organizational and Mobilization Administration of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, Major General Vladimir Konstantinov at a "round table" dedicated to the transition to a new system of completing the Armed Forces.

The year of correctional labor with the deduction of 10% of the salary - such a decision was issued to the Sreda of the World Court of Naberezhnye Chelnov in relation to a resident of the city who killed a swan. According to the investigator of the interregional environmental prosecutor's office, Vadim Popov, a citizen of Kuznetsov shot a bird on the shore of Kama. The attacker was detained at the crime scene, his weapon from which the swan was killed.