The Central Intelligence Directorate of the United States recognized that by order of the agency’s leadership, at least two videos of interrogations of suspects in involvement in terrorism were destroyed, BBC reports. The CIA officially does not report on the content of the records, confirming only the fact of their destruction.

The human rights organization "International Amnesty" criticizes the Russian authorities for non -compliance with international legal standards in the preparation of a new court over Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Plato Lebedev, Echo Moscow reports. Human rights activists are concerned that they want to spend the process over the former leaders of the Yukos in Chita - thousands of kilometers from Moscow, where their lawyers and relatives live.

Deputies of the Ukrainian parliament are discussing candidates for the post of vice-speakers of the Verkhovna Rada. The newly elected speaker, a member of the pro -presidential party “Our Ukraine - People’s Self -Defense” Arseniy Yatsenyuk, hopes that the decision will be made today. “The good news is that there are no bad news,” Yatsenyuk said about discussions in the Rada.

During the visit of Vladimir Putin to Minsk, it is not planned to sign a constitutional act, which will proclaim the creation of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, Echo of Moscow reports. “This absolute is not true,” said Dmitry Peskov, First Deputy Spokesman of the President. According to Boris Gryzlov, during this visit the budget of the Union State will be approved.

** President of the Russian Federation and his administration ** President of the Russian Federation V. Putin - He accepted in his residence of the Governor of the Chukchi Autonomous Okrug of the R. Abramovich . During the meeting, the issues of further socio-economic development of Chukotka were discussed. - He held a telephone conversation with the head of the Palestinian National Administration M.

The number of victims of the gas explosion at the coal mine in the province of Shanxi (Northern China) reached 105 people, Rosbalt reports. There were 120 people in the face. Of these, only 15 miners managed to get to the surface on their own or with the help of rescuers.

According to BBC News , researchers from the IBM company have developed a technology that allows you to use not copper wires, but light beams to use supercomputers. In the new technology, electrical signals are converted into light pulses using the so-called Silicon Mach-Zehnder Electro-Optic Modulator) and connect the supercomputer processors.

Actor Nikolai Karachentsov fell into intensive care after an epileptic seizure, Komsomolskaya Pravda reports. Recently, an actor who still suffers from the consequences of the 2005 car accident has undergone another operation. After the discharge, Karachentsov felt good and even chaired the jury of the Andrei Mironov acting festival in the jury. However, on Thursday afternoon the actor became bad on Thursday afternoon.

Ex-mayor of Vladivostok left in custody On Thursday, the Leninsky District Court of Vladivostok at the request of the investigation to extend the term of detention of the mayor of the city Vladimir Nikolaev . According to the lawyer of the ex-mayor, the date of the beginning of the hearing on the merits of the criminal case of the disgraced mayor has not yet been determined, but will take place "approximately December 24-25.

During his visit to Italy, Dalai Lama suggested that a woman could become his successor, reports Lenta.ru . The religious leader also considers the possibility of a referendum among Buddhists to abolish the institution of rebellious Dalai-Lam and choose a successor during life. All these steps are taken by the Dalai Lama in order to exclude the influence of China, who does not recognize the authority of the llama on Tibetan spiritual traditions.

The Russian People's Democratic Union approved the decision of its leader, ex-Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov to run for president of Russia in the elections on March 2, 2008, Gazeta.Ru reports with reference to RIA Novosti. Now they need to go through the procedure to nominate the candidacy of the ex-Prime Minister with an initiative group, which will gather on Saturday.

The criminal case under the article “Murder” was instituted upon the death of the managing director of VTB Oleg Zhukovsky, news agencies reported. The body of the official was found in his private house, located in the horticultural partnership of the village of Mitkino, Odintsovo district. Zhukovsky was found dead in his own pool with tied arms and legs. Previously, the investigation considered suicide the main version of Zhukovsky’s death.

Today in the apparatus of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, an idea initiated by the People’s Deputy, a member of the our Ukraine -People’s Self -Defense faction, Yuri Lutsenko, about the expression of distrust to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Alexander Medvedko, the UNIAN agency reports The presentation was signed by over 180 people's deputies of the NO -SS factions and the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko.

The Central Election Commission of Georgia registered three more politicians as presidential candidates in the elections on January 5, news-group reports. All three candidates are supported by members of the CEC unanimously. Today, the elections were registered: Levan Gachechiladze, put forward by the political movement "Freedom", David Gamkrelidze from the New Right party and Shalva Natelashvili, which is nominated by the "Labor Party of Georgia".

Sources, surrounded by President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, informed Ekhu Moscow that during a visit to Minsk, Russian President Vladimir Putin, a constitutional act that proclaims the union state would be signed. The visit will be held on December 13-14. The constitutional act, according to the Echo of Moscow radio station, is already ready.