The 18-year-old Muscovite Vera Zvonareva defeated the world-famous American tennis star Vinus Williams and reached a quarter of the final of the French Open Championship in tennis. The sensational victory over the third racket of the world was won after three sets with a score of 2: 6, 6: 2, 6: 4. Vinus Williams is the owner of four championship titles of the Big Slam tournaments.

The leaders of the Big Eight countries began negotiations in the French resort city of Evian. Before the negotiations, the presidents of the United States and France - George Bush and Jacques Shirak - appeared in front of the press, demonstrating their readiness to normalize relations affected by the war in Iraq. The leaders of many developing countries also came to Evian.

Israel weakens the blockade of the Palestinian territories on the west coast of the Jordan and in the Gaza Strip. The corresponding decision of the Israeli government enters into force from today. According to the Israeli command, 15 and thousand Palestinians are allowed to return to work in Israel. On Saturday, the head of the Palestinian government, Mahmoud Abbas, expressed the hope that within 20 days he would get the armistice from the leaders of extremist groups to observe.

In Baghdad, two US troops were wounded and two Iraqis were killed as a result of the incident near the Sunni mosque. A grenade from the crowd was thrown into the American armored personnel carrier and at the same time the soldiers opened fire from small arms. Also on Sunday from mortars, the American base was fired near the Iraqi capital. One soldier is easily wounded. The forces of the coalition believe that the attacks are made by supporters of the overthrown regime.

In Myanmar, a new campaign began to suppress a democratic opposition. The military junta closed branches of the opposition party, whose leader is the Nobel Laureate of the World Aun San Su Sui - and another 18 activists were detained. The arrests were made yesterday, after clashes of supporters and opponents of the junta occurred in the north of the country, during which 4 people were killed and 50 were injured.

In Iraq today, weapons collection centers are opened by the population. Correspondents of the France Press agency, who visited several centers in the middle of the day, did not notice, however, no weapened weapons. The last three days in Iraq on the radio the appeal of the coalition forces to residents has been transmitted - to return the weapons that fell into their hands after the fall of the regime of Saddam Hussein.

About three thousand schoolchildren were removed from the Bangladesh from passing final exams for using cheat sheets - despite the strict ban on the authorities. During the exams in the audiences, there are police officers, and the violators are threatened by punishment - up to imprisonment. This year, more than 600 thousand high school students pass exams in Bangladesh, according to the results of which they are credited to universities.

In Russia, from today, export duties on raw oil are significantly reduced. Now the export of each ton of oil costs $ 26 and 80 cents, while earlier the customs rate was $ 40 and 30 cents. The corresponding government decree was adopted in May of this year.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder called on his colleagues on the Social Democratic Party to accept the package of reforms necessary to stimulate the German economy. Speaking at the SDPG emergency conference in Berlin, Schroeder said that it was necessary to show courage in a revision of the strategy. Schroeder threatens to resign if the Social Democrats do not agree to reduce social expenses.

The Chinese cargo ship sank off the North coast of the Danish island of Burnholm, faced with a Cyprus vessel. According to the Danish authorities, no one was injured, all 27 members of the crew of the victim’s crashing ship were saved. Environmental damage is not recorded. The Cyprus ship was able to continue swimming.

Israel weakened the blockade of the Palestinian territories. According to the Palestinian authorities, only for today, about three and a half thousand Palestinians entered Etz from the Gaza sector from the Gaza sector. In total, at least 25 thousand Palestinians entitled to work in Israel will be able to return to jobs. However, the Israeli military emphasizes that the army remains on the western coast of Jordan and in the gas sector.

The UK, France and the UN called on the ruling military junta of Burma to immediately free the leader of the democratic opposition Aun San Su Su Ji and 18 activists of her party arrested on Saturday. The Nobel Prize Laureate Aun San Su Su Ji is placed under house arrest in Rangun. The arrests were made in the north of the country after clashes of supporters and opponents of the junta, during which 4 people died and 50 were injured.

The author of the program Alexander Genis Alexander Genis: The 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg is the rare anniversary that the whole planet celebrates. This is a holiday of the city, which gave the world not only rich, but also very specific, namely Petersburg culture. In this program, we will try to isolate the basic parameters of this phenomenon in an interview with Solomon Volkov.

In China today - for the first time in recent years - no one died from atypical pneumonia. Two new cases of disease are registered. In total, in China, 332 people became victims of atypical pneumonia, over 5 thousand are infected. In Hong Kong, today another 3 people took the disease.

In St. Petersburg, a meeting of the presidents of Russia and the USA - Vladimir Putin and George Bush will be held today. The American president arrived in the city on Saturday night to take part in the ends on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg. Yesterday, speaking in the Polish city of Krakow, Bush said that the United States tend to restore good relations with Europe, worsening from the war in Iraq.