The failed terrorist accuses the crew of letting him be drunk on board The Russian, because of whom the Czech fighter-interceptor fighters rose into the sky, and the Aeroflot plane, which made the Moscow-Surich flight, was forced to make an emergency landing, was released from Pankrats Prague Prison. By the decision of the Prague-6 district court, Yevgeny Dogaev, detained on December 28 at the Prague Airport Ruzhin on suspicion of terrorism, was released from custody on Thursday.

In the Latvian city of Alsung, a boarding house burned for pensioners disabled, ”Radio Liberty correspondent reports. According to preliminary data, at least 26 people died. The fire occurred at night. The fire covered the entire room, the wooden roof collapsed. More than 40 people were saved from the burning building. The reasons for the fire are clarified. It could occur due to damage to the wiring or using a faulty heating device.

In Chechnya, there are events dedicated to the victims of the deportation of the Chechen people in 1944. Over 13 years of deportation to Siberia and Central Asia, more than a third of the population of Chechnya were killed. By the end of this year, the authorities of the republic plan to build a memorial dedicated to the victims of the Stalinist repressions in Grozny.

At the world championship in Sapporo (Japan), the first set of awards in the biathlon was played: the participants competed in sprint (one jumping jump and a pursuit of 7.5 km). The top three prize -winners made up: 1. Hannah Mannin (Finland), 2. Magnus Moan (Norway), 3. Bjorn Kirkheisen (Germany). Thus, the Finnish team received the second gold medal of the day. And for Mannin, a three -time owner of the World Cup, this was the first reward in the world championships.

In the Gudermes district of Chechnya, five policemen were killed as a result of the explosion on the basis of one of the departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to the representative of the Chechnya Ministry of Internal Affairs, investigators are currently working at the scene of the explosion. The causes and consequences of the explosion are clarified.

Great Britain is negotiating with the United States - on the placement of elements of American missile defense on its territory. The representative of the British Prime Minister Tony Blair said in an interview with the journal "Economist" that negotiations are still at an early stage, but Blair himself is supporting the creation of a missile for the USST for the United States and Europe. Washington also proposed Poland and the Czech Republic to place the OPs system elements in these countries.

In Moscow today, the commemoration of those killed a year ago will be held at the collapse of the roof of the Basmann market. Close 66 dead will come to the place of the tragedy, most of whom are citizens of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as three Russians. The investigation in the case continues. According to preliminary data, the disaster occurred due to improper operation of the building.

In Sapporo (Japan) at the ski championship of the world, the Russian team won the first medal. In the men's sprint relay, Nikolai Morilov and Vasily Rochev showed the second result. Gold medals - the Italians Christiano Dorji and Renato Pasini, bronze - among athletes from the Czech Republic of Milan Spela and Dushan Kozishek.

Vitaly Portnikov: In the Kiev studio Radio Liberty - People's Deputy of Ukraine David Zhvani. We will talk about urgent problems in the Ukrainian policy of today, and about the new trends that take place in it, and of course, about Russian-Ukrainian relations, how much this topic is always relevant for Ukrainian politics, as well as Russia, including. But let's start with the current question of the latter, I would say, days, hours.

In the United States, a soldier was sentenced to 100 years in prison for raping an Iraqi girl and killing her and her family. The military court issued a verdict on the punishment of the 24-year-old Cortez, who found himself guilty of rape and murders committed in March last year in the Iraqi city of El Mammudy. Earlier in this case, another soldier was sentenced to 90 years in prison. Three more are waiting for court decisions.

The ton of explosives was found by the Egyptian security forces in a cache near the border with the gas sector. This happened during the inspection of the area where the recently the police detained three Palestinians, who, according to the police, were preparing an attack on Israeli tourists visiting the Sinai.

Three clubs representing post -Soviet football at 1/16 UEFA Cup held retaliatory matches in foreign fields.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine believes that statements made on Wednesday in Sevastopol Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov are aimed at undermining good -neighborly relations between Ukraine and Russia. Famous by the scandalous anti-Ukrainian statements, Yuri Luzhkov opened in Sevastopol the cultural and business center "House of Moscow". Speaking on this occasion at the rally, the Moscow mayor turned to his favorite topic.

On the football fields of Europe, the 1/16 finals of the UEFA Cup was held.