Prime Minister of Macedonia Lyubcho Georgievsky stated that the West has unacceptable requirements to the Macedonian government, achieving the settlement of the conflict with the Albanians. The mediators of the US and the European Union, James Pardyu and Francois Leotar, are continuing attempts to lead the negotiations between the Slavic and Albanian leaders of Macedonia.

The new president of the Russian Olympic Committee today Leonid Tyagachev, who previously held the post of vice president of this organization, was elected today. In addition, Tyakachev headed the skiing Federation and was the personal coach of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Leading Marina Katys In 2002, in the Republic of Komi it is planned to allocate another - the seventh - the area for the fall of the separating parts of the missiles. There are already six districts on the territory of the republic, including four large ones, where the first steps of missiles launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, located in the neighboring Arkhangelsk region, fall.

Representatives of Russian human rights organizations today held a picket in Moscow at the Building of the French Embassy - as part of the campaign for the end of the war in Chechnya. Human rights activists urge an international investigation of violations of human rights and war crimes on the territory of the Chechen Republic.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Urban condemned the buying up of Hungarian agricultural land by Austrian farmers. Urban said that this practice is illegal and the Hungarian government will do everything to prevent further purchase of land. According to Urban, a quarter of agricultural land in the western regions of Hungary was in the hands of the Austrian farmers. Hungarian law does not allow foreigners to buy or inherit agricultural land in Hungary.

On the island of Sicily, the sixth day continues the eruption of the Etna volcano. Lava flows came close to the restaurant and a small hotel on the slopes of the mountain. The staff had to be evacuated. The eruption is accompanied by numerous underground shocks by force up to four points on the Richter scale.

US President George Bush said he did not intend to abandon plans to create a new missile defense system. He also confirmed again that the United States did not agree with the Kyoto Protocol on the fight against global warming. Bush made this statement in an interview with the BBC television channel on the eve of the Summit of the Big Eight, which opens in Genoa.

Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian human rights activists called on the presidents of Russia and Ukraine Vladimir Putin and Leonid Kuchm to refrain from visits to Belarus - to the presidential elections in this country, scheduled for September 9. The Moscow Helsinki Group, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Ukrainian Committee of Helsinki-90 believe that Putin and Kuchma’s planned trip to Vitebsk in late July can be perceived by Belarusian voters as support for one of the candidates.

Maria Persanova, Moscow: On Tuesday, an exhibition "Russian America. Imperial Russia and New Worlds" opened in the State Historical Museum in Moscow. The exhibits of the exhibition were provided by the State Historical Museum itself, the archive of the foreign policy of the Russian Empire, the California historical reserve Fort Ross and the Cathedral of St. Michael, located in Alaska. Since 1999, the exhibition traveled to the USA: Trenton, St. Louis, Charlotte.

Konstantin Simis: The death penalty is, if not the most ancient, then, in any case, one of the oldest punishments that humanity uses throughout history. But to this day there are disputes between opponents and supporters of the death penalty. Disputes that were conducted in the XXVP century. Dina Kaminskaya: Moreover, these disputes continue, despite the fact that in the vast majority of democratic countries the death penalty has already been canceled.

In Rome, a two -day meeting of foreign ministers of the Big Seven countries and Russia opened on Wednesday, which discusses the agenda of the upcoming summit in Genoa. According to reports, the main topic of the first day of the summit is US plans for creating a new missile defense system, as well as a crisis in Macedonia and the Middle East. The Summit of the "Big Seven" opens in Genoa on Friday. The police take unprecedented security measures. The city center is completely cordoned off.

The European Union urged Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to pay more attention to human rights and democratic freedoms. The recommendation was made in Brussels, where representatives of these Central Asian republics were negotiating with the EU leadership. The EU believes that economic reforms in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan should develop in parallel with the democratization process. At the same time, both countries should eliminate barriers that impede foreign investments and trade.

Israel sends additional tank and infantry units to the western coast of Jordan, where in recent days, intenseness has sharply increased. According to the representative of the Israeli government, Israel does not plan to invade the areas controlled by the authorities of the Palestinian autonomy, but is ready to respond to any surprise. The Israeli radio reported that the Cabinet of Ministers today is discussing measures that should be taken in connection with the escalation of violence.

The US authorities said that the audit conducted at the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed more than 180 mobile computers - laptops. At least one of them contained secret information. In addition, it turned out that over the past 11 years, more than 450 rifle weapons have disappeared from the FBI. This message appeared on the eve of the meeting of one of the US Senate Committees, which considers the problems of ensuring internal security at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The program is maintained by Andrei Sharogradsky. Radio Liberty correspondents participate: in Bonn - Evgeny Bovkun, and in Rome - Irina is worthwhile. Leading final information hour Andrei Sharogradsky: At the end of this week, in the Italian city of Genoa, the next summit of the Big Seven countries and Russia opens. Despite the security emergency measures on Monday, a terrorist attack occurred. As a result of the explosion of the bomb laid in the envelope, the policeman was seriously injured.