In Belarus, presidential elections are held today. According to the Central Election Commission, by noon, by local time, more than 40 percent of voters took part in them - taking into account early voting. The current President Alexander Lukashenko, chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic Vladimir Goncharik and the leader of the liberal democratic party Sergey Gaidukevich apply for the post of head of state.

At least seven people were killed and several dozen - wounded today as a result of terrorist attacks in Israel and in the Palestinian territories. In the city of Nakharia in the north of Israel, a terrorist-self-killer blew up a bomb near the railway station, killing three Israelis and wounding more than seventy. The extremist group "Hamas" took responsibility. A few hours later, another terrorist-samobitan blew himself in a car at a busy intersection near the city of Natany.

In Moscow, at the building of the Belarusian embassy, the public Russian organization "Revolutionary-Connection Association" conducted a picket today against the election of Alexander Lukashenko by the President of Belarus. " The co -chair of the association Boris Stomakhin told reporters that his supporters were opposed to the dictatorship of Lukashenko.

Pope John Pavel the Second expressed the hope that his upcoming visit to Armenia and Kazakhstan will contribute to an ecumenical dialogue. He performed on Sunday before the pilgrims gathered at the papal summer residence near Rome. According to the head of the Roman Catholic Church, the development of dialogue with other faiths is still a priority for him. The Roman pontiff will visit Armenia and Kazakhstan at the end of September.

At least four people were killed and more than 20 were wounded today as a result of a terrorist attack in the city of Nacharia in the north of Israel. According to the Israeli radio, the terrorist-self-killer blew up a bomb at the railway station. On the western coast of Jordan, two Israeli were killed this morning and three were injured. Palestinians fired at a minibus, which took teachers to the school of one of the Jewish settlements.

US Secretary of Defense Donald Ramsfeld stated that it is “impossible to predict” whether negotiations with Russia on the issue of missile defense will end before the end of this year. In an interview with the Fox channel, Ramsfeld indicated that US President George Bush could decide on the exit from the software agreement from 1972, if negotiations with Russia will not lead to anything.

Andrey Sharry: Radio Liberty opens a new political season. "Face to face. The leader answers reporters." Guest of the Moscow Studio Radio Liberty - Boris Nemtsov, leader of the Union of Right Forces. Hello, Boris Efimovich. Are you ready to become president? Boris Nemtsov: Yes, I somehow did not think about it. I am ready to ensure that in 2003 our party took 100 seats in parliament. I am ready for the Union of Right Forces in 2004 to nominate its presidential candidate.

South Korea called on Sunday the DPRK as soon as possible to resume negotiations with the United States. South Korean Foreign Minister Khan Saint Su said Pyongyang should respond to the US offer - to start a dialogue again, which was suspended after the administration of George Bush came to power. North Korea has not yet responded to this statement. On September 15, in Seoul - after a six -month break - negotiations between two Korean states at the level of ministers should resume.

In Nizhny Novgorod, the largest sandwich in Russia has been prepared. The length of the sandwich, which was made on Saturday on the territory of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair, was almost 12 meters, the width was almost one and a half. The organizers of the action hope that the Nizhny Novgorod sandwich will be included in the Guinness Book of Records.

The tanker, transporting more than 5 and a half thousand tons of oil, sank as a result of a fire in the northern part of the Persian Gulf. Representatives of the US Navy said the tanker transported Iraqi oil in violation of the international sanctions regime against Baghdad. It is still unknown - under what flag he made a flight. The tanker team - among which five Iraqis - was saved by the American military sailors.

The responsible secretary of the Committee of the Russian soldiers' mothers Valentina Melnikova believes that about 30 thousand Russian troops "are annually undergoing beatings and oppression by colleagues and commanders." According to the Interfax agency, Melnikova said that over the past year, 15 thousand soldiers and their parents appealed to the committee with complaints. However, according to her assessment, in fact, "those who suffer from non -state relations" are twice as much.

In the final of the U.S. Open Tennis Championship, the American Vinus Williams won two sets of her sister Serena in two sets - 6: 2 6: 4. Prior to this, the final of a large tennis tournament was played between the sisters 117 years ago. In 1884, in Wimbledon, Mod Watson won her sister Lilian. In the men's tournament today there are American Pit Sampros and Australian Leiton Huguit.

The Russian law enforcement agencies managed to establish the whereabouts of three especially dangerous criminals who fled on September 5 from the investigative isolator of the Butyr prison. They were sentenced to life imprisonment for committing especially serious crimes. According to Alexander Volkov, First Deputy Head of the Moscow Punishment Department, several witnesses saw them yesterday in the Dmitrovsky and Sergius-Posad districts of the Moscow Region.

In Belarus, the main opponent of Alexander Lukashenko in the presidential election, a single candidate from a wide civil coalition Vladimir Goncharik called on citizens of the republic to overcome fear and come to the elections. He stated that he intended to go to people who want to gather in Oktyabrskaya Square in Minsk tonight and there, until the morning, to wait for information about the voting results. According to Goncharik, military equipment has already been pulled into Minsk.

In the west of Serbia, investigators removed 26 bodies from mass burial near Lake Perucetz on Sunday. According to local media reports, the remains allegedly belong to the Kosovo Albanians killed in 1999. This is the fifth mass burial discovered in Serbia after the fall of the regime of Slobodan Milosevich last year.