The host of the St. Petersburg hour of the Liberty Live program Tatyana Valovich: The availability of education and its quality is how to combine these two criteria. The reform of higher education in St. Petersburg may become model for the whole of Russia. This is the topic of a conversation with our guest today, the rector of the St. Petersburg State University of Technology and Design, as well as the chairman of the Council of Rectors of Universities of St. Petersburg Viktor Romanov.

Representatives of Georgia and Abkhazia have signed a protocol today in Tbilisi on the withdrawal of Georgian units from the Kodor gorge by April 10. According to Radio Liberty correspondent, Abkhazia, in turn, pledged to withdraw armored vehicles and artillery from the gorge. In addition, an agreement was reached on the resumption of regular patrolling of the Kodor gorge by Russian peacekeepers and military observers of the UN.

Victoria Munblit, Tel Aviv: The 19-year-old Jerusalem policeman tomer Mordechai managed to prevent a terrorist attack in the capital at the cost of his own life. He stopped the car, which seemed suspicious to him, and began his inspection. Then the terrorist who was in the car activated explosives ... Meanwhile, there is an increase in radicalist sentiments among the Israelis. On the night of Monday on Tuesday, unknown people fired at a truck, in the cabin of which there were two Palestinians.

In Minsk, the police dispersed last night the participants of the unauthorized protest against the unification of Belarus and Russia. As the Interfax agency reports, one person was detained. The picket was organized by the “Young Front” movement, opposing the policy of the Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

In Novokuznetsk, as a result of the explosion of methane at the Antonovskaya mine, 9 people were injured, four of them in serious condition. More than 30 miners managers managed to raise to the surface unharmed.

Representatives of 57 countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference said that the struggle of the Palestinians against Israel is not a form of terrorism. At a meeting in the capital of Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, a draft final declaration was adopted today, which emphasizes the right of the Palestinian people to create an independent state. The organization of the Islamic Conference called on the UN countries - to give organized rebuff to any manifestations of terrorism.

The Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi begins an official visit to Russia today. In Sochi, Berlusconi meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Negotiations will continue on April 3 in Moscow. The signing of a joint statement and documents on bilateral technical cooperation is expected.

The President of Radio Free Europe - Radio Liberty Thomas Dain welcomed the start of the broadcasting of the new - North Caucasian radio service, which from April 3 will be aired in three languages - Avar, Chechen and Cherkess. Thomas Dain emphasized that the team of the North Caucasian service consists of highly professional journalists. Their task is to disseminate verified and balanced information in accordance with Western journalism standards and the Ethical Code of Radio Liberty.

The US State Department gave permission to the families of American diplomats in Jerusalem - to evacuate due to an unsafe environment. As the representative of the State Department, Philip Ricker, emphasized, evacuation is completely voluntary, and permission means that road expenses will be paid by the US authorities. In Jerusalem there is an American consulate. The US Embassy is in Tel Aviv.

In Chechnya, on the western outskirts of Grozny, a car with employees of the Republican Internal Affairs Directorate was blown up on a radio -controlled landmine. Six policemen were seriously injured. The car was thrown into the oncoming lane, where she collided with another car, with an explosive wave. His driver and passengers are hospitalized with severe injuries.

Yuri Zhigalkin, New York: The one who is considered Abu Zubeida (Zadyids) was arrested on Thursday as a result of a major operation of the Pakistani police in Fayzalabad and Lachore. Little is known about her details, but according to some information, the Pakistanis acted according to the information provided by the FBI, and the FBI and the CIA agents were first in the capture group.

The head of the Palestinian autonomy, Yasir Arafat, will not leave the Palestinian territories and will not go on exile, ”said Saab Erekate, a member of the Palestinian cabinet. Erekat thus commented on the words of the Prime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon that he would allow Arafat to leave, however, the Palestinian leader will not be able to return.

Presenter of the program "Topics" Peter Vail: The man of the Day of Radio Liberty on April 2, on the International Children's Book Day - the famous Russian children's writer Grigory Oster. He was born in 1947 in Odessa, moved to Moscow, where in 1975 he published his first book, in 1982 he graduated from the Literary Institute, the author of a large number of children's books.

According to Pavel Borodin to the St. Petersburg journalists "we had one country, and remained." Therefore, according to the Secretary of State of the Union of Russia and Belarus, "in the very near future the post -Soviet space will be restored, and we will again be a great and beautiful country." The first stage of this future association may be the emergence of the new capital of Russia and Belarus. Most of all, according to Pavel Borodin, it is Petersburg, and there are real initiatives.

The United States confirmed that Abu Zubeyida, arrested in Pakistan, is, apparently, a member of the leadership of the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization and the closest associate of Osama Bin Laden. Zubeids among another 60 people were detained last week during a special operation in the city of Lahor. Employees of the American special services participated in the operation. The Pakistani authorities agreed to the issuance of a US Tentor. On Monday, a new raid was held in Lachore.