Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the decision of the US President Bill Clinton to postpone the deployment of the national missile defense system will lead to strengthening strategic stability and security around the world. The statement widespread by the president’s press service notes that the decision was made by the American leader on the basis of “deep analysis”, with “taking into account the opinions of the US allies and partners”.

The French automotive company “Peugeot” recalls almost forty -one cars of its popular model “Peugeot 206” - due to problems in the operation of airbags. Earlier, the media reported on cases when the pillows installed on the Peugeot 206 were filled with air for no reason. In recent years, many well -known automobile companies responded their cars - due to constructive shortcomings discovered on them.

In Amsterdam on Friday evening, in the CLM aircraft chassis compartment, which arrived from Moscow, the mechanics found the body of a dead person. According to preliminary data, he died of a lack of oxygen and hypothermia. A passport of a Russian citizen was found in the pocket of the deceased. According to police representatives, a person who made his way aboard the aircraft most likely planned his journey in advance, as he was warmly dressed.

The Japanese authorities began today to evacuate all the inhabitants of the island of Miyakedzima in connection with the danger of eruption of the volcano on Mount Oyama. The population of the island is about 800 people. As a result of the last eruption of Oyama in 1983, several hundred houses were destroyed.

The representative of the US Secretary of State in the Balkans Robert Frowik said that the inhabitants of Kosovo should be able to participate in the upcoming universal elections in Yugoslavia. At the same time, Frowic noted the complexity of the situation due to the fact that Kosovo, which is officially considered the Serbian province, is now under the control of the UN Provisional Administration.

Foreign ministers of the European Union countries are discussing today in the city of Evian on Lake Geneva, the role of the EU in the settlement of the Middle Eastern problem. According to Chris Patten, the head of the EU department for foreign affairs, the meeting participants will also discuss issues of restructuring the foreign and defense policy of the Union.

Hasin Raduev, North Caucasus: The Chairman of the Parliament of Chechnya Ruslan Alikhadzhiev was detained in the district center of Shali on May 17. At night, his house was surrounded by soldiers and armored vehicles. Together with Alikhadzhiev, five more people were taken away - his relatives. They returned home on the second day. According to their stories, they were presumably contained in the city of Argun.

The Palestinian court sentenced the Hamas activist Mahmud Abu Hanud to 12 years in prison for organizing militarized groups and supplying their weapons and beeps. This was stated by Reiter agency Palestinian Prosecutor General Khalid El Kidra. The lawyers of Abu Hanuda refused to recognize the court decision, saying that the entire meeting lasted no more than three hours. Abu Hanud, whom Israel considers guilty of terrorist acts, was able to break out of the Israeli cordon last week.

Dmitry Volchek talks to the deputy of the State Duma of Russia, Deputy Chairman of the ATP faction Viktor Pokhmelkin. The statements of Boris Berezovsky, made by him yesterday in Poland, are discussed. Boris Berezovsky, in particular, called the State Council created by President Vladimir Putin and criticized the presidential reforms of the federal government.

World Bank President James Wolfenson expressed support to the economic plans of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Yesterday, in an interview with journalists in Washington, Wolfenson welcomed Putin's tasks to combat corruption and reform legal and financial systems.

The results of the preliminary report on the causes of the disaster of the French supersonic Airliner "Concord". The host of the Liberty Live program Andrey Sharry: A metal plate in size of 43 by 3 centimeters, in an incomprehensible way, fell into the runway of the Parisian Airport "Charles de Gaulle", most likely, served as the cause of the death of the Concord supersonic liner and 113 deaths. The "Concord" of the French airline "Air France" crashed on July 25 in the northern suburbs of Paris.

In the capital of Chechnya, Grozny was an attack on the unit of the internal troops. During the special operation near the Russian armored personnel carrier, a landmine was blown up. There are no victims. In the district center of Shali, two Russian commanders officers - deputy chief of staff and chief of communications were wounded in a shootout. Chechen fighters fired at Russian troops after the command of the commandant’s office was blown up on a landmine.

Foreign Ministers of the European Union countries began today in the French city of Evian an unofficial meeting, which discusses the role of the EU in resolving in the Middle East and the Balkans. Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, the head of the German Foreign Ministry, Yoshka Fisher, said that the European Union should use its influence to solve the problem of Eastern Jerusalem. Fisher noted, however, that the main decisions should make the participants in the negotiations.

Two cars were set on fire in Athens, one of which belongs to the Turkish Embassy. No one was injured. According to the Greek police, the Black Star Anarchist group, who stated that he protest against the arrest of one of the ultralene activists, took responsibility for the terrorist attack. A similar incident in Athens is already the fourth in recent weeks.

The presidents of 12 countries of South America signed a declaration on Friday in the Brazilian capital, which calls for economic integration and development of democracy in the region. The document adopted on the final day of the first summit of the heads of South American states sets the task to create a free trade zone on the continent by 2002, whose population is 340 million people. The declaration contains a requirement of the need to "strict observance" of the principles of democracy.