Raul Castro, temporarily acting President Cuba, for the first time after decades of hostility proposed to start a dialogue with the United States. Raul Castro declared this on Saturday during the parade on the occasion of his brother Fidel and the 50th anniversary of the revolution. The Cuban leader himself, who underwent surgery on the intestine in July, has never appeared in public since then.

In Afghanistan, the suicide bomb blew up next to the military A car of NATO forces. Three British troops were injured. As a result of the explosion, five random passers -by were also killed. On Sunday morning, the Taliban stated that they shot down in the south of Afghanistan A civilian helicopter captured by NATO forces. Command NATO has not yet confirmed this information.

At the stage of the World Cup in Beaver, screaming (USA), skiers competed in giant slalom. The best result in the sum of two attempts was shown by the Italian Massimiliano Blardon. The second place was taken by the Norwegian Axel Lund Svindal, and the third - the American Ted Ligeti.

In Bangladesh, dozens of people were wounded today as a result of police clashes with demonstrators. Protests organized by various political groups were held in different areas of the country. In the capital Bangladesh Dacke, about 20 thousand people tried to block transport highways, demanding reforms of electoral law.

In the Buinaksky district of Dagestan, a power line was restored, due to the cliff of which today about half a million people remained without light. 17 regions of the republic were de -energized - approximately 760 settlements. Their alternate connection continues. The cause of the accident was snowfall.

The Taliban claim that they shot down a civilian helicopter in the south of Afghanistan, reproached with NATO forces. The vitroot flew out on Saturday from Kandahar to the base of international forces in the province of Uruzgan. Soon the connection with him was lost. The representative of the Taliban movement said that the militants shot down a helicopter. It is still unknown how many people were on board. The NATO command did not confirm and did not refute the Taliban message.

The Russian team won the tennis "Davis Cup". On Sunday, in the fifth, decisive match of the Russian final tennis player Marat Safin in four sets beat Argentinean Jose Akasso. The Russian national team won the trophy for the second time - after Victories over the France team in 2002.

Tamara Lyalenkova: The theme of today's program - “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of the Murom” - only the uninitiated may seem archaic.

The former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochec has The second heart operation, the doctors said. Pinochet, which was 91 years old, was hospitalized with heart Attack on Sunday. The doctors did an operation for him, after which he was "in a serious but stable state." Opponents of the former dictator accuse him of numerous crimes. According to human rights activists, for 17 the years of the reign of Pinochet in the 70s and 80s died more than three thousand Human.

In Estertsund (Sweden), the first stage of the Biathlon World Cup ends with pursuit races. Women have already overcome a distance of 10 km with four fire lines. The first at the finish was the Norwegian Linda Terech, which was starting from the 6th place, and from this season, who performed under the surname Grobben. The winner of the sprint Polka Magdalena Guizon finished the third, missing the Swedish Anna-Karin Olofsson, who managed to rise to the podium from the 11th position.

The conclusion of the Israeli troops from the territory of Southern Lebanon is completed. Israel officially transferred powers to the UN troops, which are from now on the Lebanese part of the divided border village of Gazhar. These were the last Israeli units remaining on the Lebanese lands after the 34-day war in the summer of 2006.

A state of emergency was introduced in the Philippines - in connection with the floods and landslides caused by the Durian typhoon. According to the distinguished data, about 700 people became victims of disaster. Rescue work continues, the number of victims and victims, according to local authorities, may increase. Typhoon fell upon the Philippines on Thursday. Most of all were injured southeast of the capital of the country of Manila at the foot of the volcano Maion.

US Secretary of Defense Donald Ramsfeld proposed changing the tactics of the American military in Iraq. According to the New York Times, the head of the Pentagon two days before leaving this post sent a report to the White House, in which he admits that the actions of the American troops in Iraq are either ineffective or not fast enough. Ramsfeld suggests, in particular, to significantly reduce the American contingent in Iraq.

A truce between Israel and Palestine, a week Back, under threat. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that the army would no longer refrain from response, If the shelling of Israeli cities does not stop from the territory of Gaza. In turn, representatives of the radical Palestinian Islamic jihad groups struck the threat According to Israel, if he does not withdraw troops from the western bank of the Jordan River.

The presenter Ivan Tolstoy raises sharp, often painful, issues of the Russian cultural process: are the established stereotypes are true, are the assessments, are these entertaining and unfairly forgotten by certain cultural figures?