English scientists believe that at present on our planet there are about a billion smokers . Diseases that are directly or indirectly related to smoking, every year take three and a half million lives. Twenty years later, the total mortality from such diseases will reach ten million and exceed the number of HIV victims. Approximately 85 percent of these fatal outcomes will have to develop countries where the level of consumption of tobacco products is growing rapidly.

In the capital of Somalia - Mogadisho - the armed group burst into the building of the representative office of the humanitarian organization "Doctors without borders" today. According to representatives of the organization, at least 10 local residents who were in the building were killed. Several employees of "doctors without borders" and the UN mission were taken hostage. The property of the humanitarian organization is looted. Other details are still unknown.

The Prime Minister of Vietnam Fan Van Khai called for the expansion of economic ties with Israel. During today's meeting with the delegation of Israeli industrialists, the head of the Vietnamese government called on Israel to assist his country in the development of information technology and modernization of the key industry of Vietnam - Agriculture. Previously, Khana pursued a strictly pro -Arab policy and participated in the economic boycott of the Jewish state. AFP-77

The International Organization “Reporters Without Borders” calls on the Ukrainian authorities to put an end to repressions against journalists. In a letter, the new Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Yuri Smirnov notes that the pressure on journalists publishing critical materials about the activities of the authorities has recently increased. Dozens of cases of attacks on media representatives have been recorded.

Marina Timasheva, Moscow: On March 9th, a concert will be held in the Moscow Concert Hall named after Tchaikovsky, dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the formation of a unique musical education, which is called the Terem Quartet. The Petersburg “Terem Quartet” is a four musicians and their instruments: Andrei Konstantinov (Domra), Andrei Smirnov (Bayan), Mikhail Dzyudze (Balalaika-Contrabas), Igor Ponomarenko (Domra-Alt).

In Jerusalem, another explosion occurred this afternoon. The explosive device worked in a regular bus; According to incoming information, at least two people were injured. Other details are still unknown. The first explosion occurred in the morning - near one of the city trading centers. According to Radio Liberty correspondent, 5 people were injured. The extremist group "Islamic Jihad", whose representative called Reuters, took responsibility for the first terrorist attack.

In the village of Abatsky, the Tyumen region, one woman died today and 34 people were injured when the roof collapsed in the House of Culture. According to the Radio Liberty correspondent, most of the victims are children. 29 wounded are hospitalized; Four children are in intensive care. The reasons for the tragedy have not yet been established.

In Jerusalem, another terrorist attack is committed. This morning, during the peak hours, in the industrial zone of talpiot near the shopping center, a machine filled with explosives exploded. According to the correspondent of Radio Liberty, 5 people were injured. The extremist group "Islamic Jihad", whose representative called the Reuters agency, took responsibility for the terrorist attack.

Azerbaijan advocates the placement of NATO bases on its territory - as opposed to the military presence of Russia in neighboring Armenia. This was stated on Monday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Vilayat Guliev. Representatives of the Azerbaijani leadership repeatedly accused Moscow of providing military assistance to Armenia, with which Azerbaijan has extremely tense relations - because of the problem of Nagorno -Karabakh.

Israeli troops blocked the city of Hevron on the western bank of the Jordan - after the Palestinian sniper killed a 10 -month Jewish girl there on Monday and seriously wounded her father. According to the Israeli radio, the evacuation of Jewish settlers from Hebron began. About 500 Jews and several tens of thousands of Palestinians live in the city. According to the Israeli military, a group of Jewish settlers tried to break into the Arab quarter to avenge the murder.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell said that Washington has advocated the territorial integrity of Macedonia and supports the struggle of the Macedonian authorities against the Albanian rebels. According to Powell, the conflict is far from the end - despite the statements of the leadership of Macedonia about the successful attack of government forces in the northern regions of the country.

In connection with the epidemic of foot and mouth disease in Europe, since today in Russia there is a ban on the import of meat and dairy products from the EU countries, Eastern Europe and the Baltic states. The intersection of the Russian border is toughened. All vehicles should be disinfected. Part of the border checkpoints will be closed due to a lack of funds for the equipment of disinfectment barriers.

In the city of Cherepovets, the Vologda region, 13 activists of the local public movement "Pensioner" were declared a hunger strike. They demand to adopt a local law according to which women and men who have worked in production for 35 and 40 years could receive the title of “labor veteran” and benefits. According to the leader of the movement of Tamara Baulina, the participants of the action will continue the hunger strike until the heads of the regional administration meet with them.

Evgeny Bovkun, Bonn: After a four -year pause, the German government resumed the transportation of radioactive waste of nuclear power plants in its territory. The special purpose train under the abbreviated name "Castor" is lucky for the spent nuclear rods from the processing factory in France to the intermediate storage of Gorleben in Lower Saxony. Today, after a short stop in the Reynland Pfalz, he slowly crawls to the destination under the protection of tens of thousands of police officers.

Vladimir Ivakhnenko, Kiev: The Pechersky District Court of Kyiv decided to free the former Deputy Prime Minister, one of the leaders of the Ukrainian opposition, Yulia Tymoshenko. For more than five hours, journalists and deputies of the Ukrainian parliament expected a court decision in the case of Yulia Tymoshenko. Lawyers demanded the release of their client in connection with the deterioration of her state of health.