In the Iraqi city of Samarra, the militants on Wednesday in the morning blew up two miners of the famous Shiite shrine - Al -Askari mosque, the AR Agency said with reference to representatives of the country's police. According to reports, as a result of the explosion, both minarets are seriously damaged. One of the leaders of the Iraqi Shiites Salekh Khaidari called the explosion "a criminal act that enhances religious streaks," reports Reuters.

The President and General Director of the Scandinavian holding of Teliasonera Anders Igel leaves his post. There are two reasons for his care at once. The first is the unsatisfactory financial results of the first quarter. The second is a protracted conflict with the Russian Alfa Group about the shares of the Turkish mobile operator Turkcell.

Russia carries multi-billion dollar losses due to the ineffective work of ports, said First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, speaking on Wednesday at a conference on the problems of marine activity of Russia until 2020. Ivanov claims that the shortcomings of the industry management in the post -Soviet years led to the fact that Russia "almost did not have its own fleet" - today only a third of domestic goods are transported under the Russian flag.

The Estonian prosecutor’s office claims that the 20-year-old Russian citizen Dmitry Ganin, who died during street riots in Tallinn on April 27, took part in the plugging of stores, Interfax reports with reference to the Estonian media.

In the Saratov region, a local resident killed the grandson of his cohabitant. According to the investigation, the 62-year-old detainee lived in a civil marriage with a 69-year-old resident of the village of Malya Ozerki, the grandmother of the murdered boy.

The American millionaire Douglas Tompkins is trying to save the planet, buying land in different parts of the world. Recently, he acquired land in the south of Chile and in Argentina. Douglas Tomkins, who is now 64 years old, was one of the first investors in the world in environmental projects. Thirty years ago, he began with a small production of clothing for active sports North Face, launched in San Francisco for his own savings of 5 thousand dollars.

In Ukraine, criminal liability is introduced for violation of radiation safety rules in the Chernobyl zone, where an accident at the nuclear power plant occurred in 1986, Nestor Shufrich Minister for Emergency Situations told reporters on Wednesday. "For the export of any items, regardless of whether they are radiation -polluted, without appropriate permits, is criminal liability with deprivation of liberty up to three years.

In Ukraine, in the Beregovsky district of the Transcarpathian region on Wednesday night, three border violators were detained, who used a deltaplane for cigarette smuggling. At about 4 a.m., employees of the Mukachevsky border detachment in the village of Yanush, Beregovsky district, "heard a suspicious noise on top," Interfax reports.

In Crimea, the All -Ukrainian action for the reunification of Ukraine with Russia started. It was announced about its beginning last Tuesday during the solemn procession in the center of the Crimean capital of Simferopol, dedicated to Russia Day. More than 3 thousand people took part in the procession.

The Government of Jordan again recognized Theophilus III by the legitimate Primate of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church, thereby canceling his recent decree on the recall of the legal recognition of the Patriarch.

In the UK, the Ministry of the Interior proposes to introduce voluntary chemical castration for pedophiles and rapists in order to prevent the commission of new crimes. The Minister of the Interior John Reed announced on Wednesday. Sexual criminals will offer injections of special drugs that suppress libido. This measure is mainly directed against maniacs, the victims of which were young children.

The nominees for most individual prizes of the National Hockey League of the past season became known. Evgeny Malkin, Jordan Staal (both - Pittsburgh) and Paul Shtysna (Colorado) apply to the prize to the prize to the prize as the best beginner ("Calder Trophy"). The title of the best defender (Norris Trophy), according to RTR-SPORT , nominated NIKLAS LIDSTROM (Detroit), Scott Nidermeier and Chris Pringer (both-Anahaim).

Russia and the EU this year will not be able to sign a new strategic agreement - Shokhin This year, Russia and the EU will not be able to sign a new strategic agreement, said the head of the RSPP Alexander Shokhin. “There are no chances,” he answered the journalists' question whether it is possible to reach the agreement before the end of the year. The validity of the partnership and cooperation agreement (ATP), which regulates the cooperation of Russia and the EU, expires on December 1, 2007.

Participants in the International Economic Forum, held last weekend in St. Petersburg (the most interesting quotes from articles on the Summit gives the headlines.ru website), became witnesses to the full presentation of possible successors of Vladimir Putin: Sergey Ivanov and Dmitry Medvedev.

Conducting a rock festival "Invasion" in August 2007 in the Ryazan region was canceled. This, according to RIA "New Region", officially stated by the Governor of the Ryazan Region Georgy Shpak at the next meeting of the Presidium of the Political Council of the Ryazan Regional Branch of the All -Russian Political Party "United Russia".