Lyubov Chizhova , Moscow: December 24 at the Russian State Humanitarian University will be held elections of the rector. This decision was made by the scientific council of the university. The former rector of the Russian State Humanitarian University Leonid Nevzlin, one of the co -owners of the Yukos oil company, was forced to resign after state pressure began on the management of the company.

In Moscow, in one of the military units last night, at least 13 soldiers were poisoned by the pairs of chlorine. According to the Interfax agency, 6 victims are hospitalized. The military were in a night outfit on the dining room, for cleaning and disinfection of which chlorine was used. As doctors suggest, soldiers used too much powder.

In Moscow, in the central office of the oil company Yukos, investigators of the prosecutor's office were sealing documents. According to Interfax agency, the Prosecutor General’s Office, this was done in the framework of a criminal case instituted in October by the Tomsk Regional Prosecutor's Office on the fact of tax evasion of a subsidiary of Yukos - Tomskneft.

The Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov announced that the Communists do not recognize the results of the elections to the State Duma and demand a new counting of votes manually. The preliminary results of the independent counting of about 20 percent of the voting protocols have already revealed an orientation of at least 3 and a half million ballots. According to the CPRF, Yabloko went to the Duma, gaining about 6 percent of the vote.

In Tver, a group of police officers suspected of robberies and extortion was detained. According to the investigation, over the past year, six employees of the patrol service extorted money from entrepreneurs, threatening them with reprisals. During the search in the apartments of the suspects, an unregistered weapon was found. Four policemen are placed in custody, two were released on a recognizance not to leave.

The UN does not intend to send staff to Iraq until a radical improvement in the field of security will occur in this country. This is stated in the report with which the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan made on Wednesday. According to Annan, the UN auxiliary mission will be stationed in Cyprus, from where international experts will make short -term trips to Iraq.

Irina Lagunina: Two strange, at first glance, information particles. First: New York Times received data from reconnaissance sources, from which it follows that the Iranian Shiite Group "Hezbollah" sent its, so -called "security forces" consisting of 9 dozen people. These forces are present in the country, but they do not take actions against American troops.

Vladimir Vedrashko , Prague: Today is the International Day of Protection of Human Rights. The Russian human rights movement enjoys well -deserved authority in the world. It directs to the international forums of its representatives, makes assessments of the state of human rights in Russia, openly addresses society with alternative information about the situation in the country and its individual regions.

The first 9 countries, including the United States, signed the UN Convention on the fight against corruption - immediately after its publication. The Convention was published on Tuesday in the Mexican city of Merida. She obliges the countries that have joined her to adopt a minimum set of laws to combat corruption. It also resolves the repatriation of national wealth exported by corrupt political leaders. The UN believes that the Convention will sign more than a hundred countries.

It is better to judge Georgia not by political actions, but by events from the world of literature and art. In these areas of spiritual life, Georgians have achieved significant results. Our regular author in Tbilisi Yuri Vachnadze talks about a modern Georgian translator and poet Vakhushti Kotetishvili. Vakhushti Kotetishvili: The art of translation is a special art. This is a great humane mission to be an intermediary between the cultures of peoples.

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalwo praised the negotiations with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Middle Eastern settlement. According to Shalom, the meeting held today in Geneva instills optimism. If the Palestinians do not put forward additional conditions, added a shawl, after a few days a meeting of the prime ministers of Israel and the Palestinian autonomy - Ariel Sharon and Ahmed Korea may take place.

In Elista, an unauthorized rally continued for more than two days with a demand for the abolition of elections to the State Duma and the parliament of the republic, as well as the resignation of President Kalmykia Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. Participants in the action claimed numerous violations during the vote.

In Rome today there is a meeting on financial assistance to Palestinian autonomy. Representatives of 14 countries and a number of international organizations arrived at the forum. On the Palestinian side, Foreign Minister Nabil Shaat and Minister of Finance Salim Fayad participate, Silvan Shalwan Shalwa from Israeli. Palestinian representatives said that autonomy needed a billion euros to maintain financial infrastructure and humanitarian projects, as well as to issue wages to officials.

The group stage of the Champions Football League ends. On Tuesday, teams of four groups played their last matches. In group “E”, the match between Glasgow Rand-Dere and Panatinaikos was important from a tournament point of view. Having won the guest victory - 3: 1, the Greek club received a place in the UEFA Cup. Participants in the 1/8 finals of the League of the Pione Pione were known in advance.

12 thousand people from 150 countries discuss the future of the Internet at the conference that opened today in Geneva. The serious disagreements between developed and developmental countries are reported, primarily on the Internet management. China, India, Brazil, South Africa and other countries achieve that the global network is deduced from the US control, where a special organization for domain names on the Internet is located.