In Stockholm, armed criminals stole on Friday from the National Museum of Sweden Self -portrait Rembrandt and two paintings by Renoir. The raiders disappeared from the crime scene on the motor boat. The cost of stolen paintings is $ 30 million.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Pskotalin and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Iraq Mohamed Said Assahhaf discussed yesterday in Baghdad the possibilities of bilateral cooperation. Details of negotiations are not given. Pretalin arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday with a direct flight from Minsk. He expressed hope for the possibility of organizing regular weekly air offices between Iraq and Belarus.

Last night, a meeting of the presidents of Russia and Ukraine Vladimir Putin and Leonid Kuchma took place. Putin and Kuchma discussed the problems of bilateral relations. Details of negotiations are not reported. Today, the presidents of Russia and Ukraine will meet with representatives of business circles of both countries, will take part in events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Goalro plan, after which they will make a joint trip to St. Petersburg.

Mr. Petrov from Moscow sent his words "new Soviet anthem." "New Soviet anthem" is his words. The union indestructible by the star was covered, And the mocked monster has long been burnt, The people in wordless cattle have turned, And forever young Zyuganov leader revived. Other words are composed in the Zyuganovsky camp: We love and appreciate our native nature, We all protect Russia alone. We will protect all the wealth of the people And we will not allow you to plunder the country.

President of Macedonia Boris Trikovsky called yesterday the buffer zone between Serbia and Kosovo was the main source of instability in the Balkans. Foreign Ministers of Macedonia and Bosnia Srdyan Kerim and Yadranko Pralich called on the Serbs and Albanians Kosovo to start negotiations in order to prevent the increase in tension in the Pereshevo buffer zone.

The main witness at the hearing in the President of the Philippines Joseph Estrada confirmed that the head of state has a secret bank account for millions of dollars. With these testimonies, the vice-president of one of the Philippine banks Clarissa Okampo made these testimonies today. According to her, Joseph Estra in her presence opened an account in the bank in the name of Jose Velard, on which 10 million dollars were immediately laid.

The representative of the administration of the current US President Bill Clinton accused yesterday the newly elected president of the country George Bush of striking the trust in the American economy. Clinton adviser to economic issues, Jin, stated that Bush’s allegations of the allegedly occurring in the United States, slowing down the pace of economic development, lead to excessive nervousness in the markets.

In Riga on Friday, two people died and somewhat injured when the floors of all five floors of the house collapsed into the store hall on the ground floor. Residents of the house where repair work was going on were previously evicted.

The newly elected US President George Bush proposed the candidacy of Senator John Eshcroft for the post of Minister of Justice. In the past, Ashcroft twice was the governor of Missouri. A Christian Christian Ashcroft is an active supporter of the introduction of a ban on abortion in the United States.

Akhmed Zavgaev said yesterday that he refused to take the place of the representative of the Chechen Republic in the Federation Council. He was appointed to this post on Wednesday by order of the head of the Chechen administration Akhmad Kadyrov. Akhmed Zavgaev also excluded the possibility of returning to the Chechen policy of his brother, Doku Zavgaev, who was the head of the pro-Russian government of Chechnya in 1995-1996.

In Primorye, protests continues with a demand to establish heat supply and pay salary debts. Teachers of Ussuriysk conduct an indefinite strike. 15 schools are not working in the city. Doctors of the Central Hospital Kavalerovo announced today a one -day warning strike. Lifters in Vladivostok continue for two weeks a hunger strike with a demand - to increase the salary.

Yesterday, in the clashes between the Israelis and Palestinians, three people died. To the north of Jerusalem was shot by an Israeli. In a shootout on the west coast of Jordan, the Palestinian died. Another Palestinian was killed at a checkpoint in the gas sector. Thus, the total number of victims of the last exacerbation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict reached 351 people.

In the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the information and copyright programs of the regional state television and radio company "Arctic" still do not aired. For the first time in 30 years, residents of the district did not see the program in the Nenets language. The reason is the conflict of the team with the acting general director of the company Evgeny Kiselev, who was appointed by order from Moscow. The building exhibits security, journalists are not allowed to workplaces.

The district court of Kyiv banned from tomorrow to hold protests in the central squares and at the administrative buildings of the city. The court, therefore, satisfied the request of the Kyiv administration, who believes that the protests will lead to riots on the eve of the New Year holidays. In the central square of Kyiv, the second week is defeated by the tent town of participants in the anti -presidential action.

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Russian Jews yesterday on the beginning of the Hanukkah holiday. At the celebrations in the Jewish Commun Center in Maryina Grove, the Russian leader was awarded the Hanouled minora (candlestick). Accepting a gift, Putin said that the light and the good that the minor radiates will illuminate and the Kremlin Putin emphasized that the Hanukkah symbolizes the moral values necessary to strengthen society.