In Iraq, the UN experts today examined the private house for the first time - in search of weapons of mass destruction. The building belongs to the group of the Iranian opposition that enjoys the support of Baghdad. The group is opposed to the regime in Iran, with which Iraq waged war in the eighties. The head of the UN Commission on the disarmament of Iraq Hans Blix said yesterday that Baghdad should provide more assistance to international experts.

In the Tver Court of Moscow, today a preparatory hearing is planned for a number of claims of the victims and relatives of those who died during the liberation of hostages captured by a group of armed Chechens in the theater center on Dubrovka. The claims for compensation for moral and material damage were presented to the Moscow government. We are talking about tens of millions of dollars.

A special commission has been created in the German parliament, which has to figure out whether the country's leaders were really lying on the eve of the October elections, opposition parties are accused of the government of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of deliberately hiding from voters a difficult situation in the country's economy. Lies helped the Social Democrats and win the elections "green", the opposition says.

The state television of Turkmenistan uses the methods of Stalin's times, - the organization on security and cooperation in Europe believes. The OSCE sharply criticized, in its expression, a “television court” over suspects of involvement in a recent attempt on President Saparmurat Niyazov. According to one of the leaders of the OSCE, Freimut Douve, the programs were no different from the public trials of the 30s in the Soviet Union.

Assistant to the President of Russia Sergey Yastrzhembsky said that the OSCE mission will be able to resume work in Chechnya - if its mandate is changed. The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Igor Ivanov today announced his intention in the near future to negotiate with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the current chairman of the OSCE, about the forms of interaction on settlement in Chechnya.

The Prime Minister of Serbia Zoran Dvinzhich considers it necessary to convene an international conference on the problem of Kosovo. Kosovo, he said, remains a source of instability in the Balkans. The status of Kosovo, officially considered part of Serbia, is not determined, and local Albanians continue to insist on the independence of the region from Serbia.

In Melbourne, the open championship of Australia in tennis continues. Today, Russian Marat Safin, sown under the 3rd number, won the Spaniard Alberto Montagnes in the 2nd circle, and Mikhail Yuzhny defeated the Australian Joseph Siriani. In women, Elena Bovina prevailed over Italian Rita Grande, Anastasia Myskina won the Swiss Emmanuel Gaglardi, and Alina Zhidkova lost Tamarin Tanasugarn from Thailand.

On the western coast of Jordan and in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army destroyed more than 10 houses belonging to the militants of Palestinian groups. Under the city of Hevron, in particular, the house of a terrorist-self-altitude was demolished, who blew himself in Jerusalem in April last year. Then six Israelis died. In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli soldiers captured the Palestinian who tried to penetrate the Jewish settlement.

Seventeen -year -old John Malvo, accused in the case of the so -called "Washington sniper", may be sentenced to death - as an adult. At the preliminary hearings held in the state of Virginia, the judge announced that justice has a common evidence to accuse the young man of pre -commercial murders and a conspiracy to commit an attack.

Today in the program: - The Russian press celebrates its 300th anniversary. - The first days of January replenished the list of dead journalists. - The results of the year of the past: how many times and who attacked journalists? - How are the investigations undergoing, and why are there no results?

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg agreed to consider complaints filed by residents of Chechnya about the actions of the Russian military. The representative of the court said that six claims were accepted. They are talking, in particular, about extrajudicial reprisals and the use of torture. Another 100 claims are studied.

German scientists recommend women during pregnancy and breastfeeding either to completely abandon potato chips and fried potatoes, or to sharply limit their consumption. Fritz Zorgel and his colleagues, professor of the Nuremberg Institute of the Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research, and his colleagues claim that acrylamide contained in these products is a great danger for a developing embryo and a newborn child.

Now it is clear to everyone who won the December elections to the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg. "Party of the Embassy." Vadim Tyulpanov, leader of the United Russia faction, was elected head of the meeting. 28 parliamentarians spoke for him. Only 19 deputies supported much more convenient for the governor Vladimir Yakovlev, the former speaker Sergei Tarasov. The demonstrative exclusion for the schismatic activity from the ranks of United Russia and the head of the St.

Venezuela’s exit from the crisis is being discussed in New York by the President of this country Hugo Chavez and the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. In Venezuela, a nationwide strike has been ongoing for a month and a half with a demand for the resignation of Chavez and holding early elections. The country - one of the largest oil exporters - is experiencing an acute shortage of fuel and food.

In the Tver court of Moscow, on Thursday, consideration of the claims of the victims and relatives of the victims during the terrorist attack in the theater center on Dubrovka began. The court refused to satisfy a number of petitions of the lawyer of the victims. The lawyer asked to call Irina Hakamad and Dr. Leonid Roshal as witnesses of the State Duma, as well as attract video materials shot by television companies during Dubrovka events.