Viktor Rezunkov: Today we are visiting the co -chair of the Union of Russian Writers, a member of the St. Petersburg Commission for Clogue Mikhail Kuraev. Today we will talk about history, about today's Russia and St. Petersburg, about the nature of the Russian authorities, about the phenomenon of St. Petersburg and a lot of many. Mikhail Nikolaevich, my first question.

Russian human rights defenders are concerned about the fate of a citizen of China Ma Hui, deported on Wednesday from Russia along with a young daughter. The UN Department of Refugees is recognized as in need of international protection, ”said Svetlana Gannushkina, chairman of the Civil Assistance Committee. The Russian Federal Migration Service said that the Chinese woman was denied refugee status, since she did not present in court any materials about the possible persecution in her homeland.

77% of Russian citizens believe that the funds of the state stabilization fund formed by revenues from oil export should be spent on social programs and investments in the economy. This is evidenced by the results of a sociological survey conducted in mid -March by the analytical center of Yuri Levada.

Japan and Chile signed a bilateral free trade agreement. It provides for a phased cancellation for 10 years of imported tariffs in relation to goods, which today account for more than 90% of the volume of mutual trade. For Japan, this is only a fifth free trade agreement - earlier they were signed with Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore and the Philippines. Chile has already concluded such agreements with more than 40 countries of the world, including the United States and the European Union.

The program is conducted by Victor Nechez. The Radio Liberty correspondent in London Natalya Golitsyna takes part. Victor Nechez: in London there is a group of employees of the Russian General Prosecutor General’s Office, headed by the Deputy Prosecutor General Alexander Zvyagintsev, who consult with their British colleagues in connection with the investigation of the poisoning of the FSB former Alexander Litvinenko.

The seventh club, which ahead of schedule in the playoffs of the Championship of the National Basketball Association, was Cleveland, which on Tuesday prevailed over Indiana - 105: 94. Earlier in the playoffs, Detroit, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, Utah and Phoenix were released.

A group of South Korean scientists from the National University in Seoul ( SNU ) announced the world's first cloning of two females of an endangered species of a wolf. Cloned wolves were born October 2005, but this achievement was published only now, since the researchers wanted to make sure that the animals are healthy and develop normally. According to scientists, the cloning of wolves is as difficult as cloning dogs.

The semifinalists decided in the men's waterpol tournament of the World Cup in Melbourne. The results of the quarterfinals: Serbia - Greece - 8: 3 Croatia - Russia - 13: 3 Spain - Italy - 7: 5 Hungary - Germany - 13: 6 On Friday in the semifinals, Spain play - Hungary, Serbia - Croatia.

Peter Vail and Sergey Dovlatov in the work on the release of the New American weekly. New York, 1981 Photo by N. Alvert The second is the second Air is the element of laughter. In laughter there is something unsteady, ephemeral, necessary, natural and inconspicuous. A joke, like a wind, picks up and carries you from a conversation. Like a flight in a dream, this movement has no goal - one pleasure. We all joked a lot before, moreover, we always joked.

The publishing house "Young Guard" published a book of Moscow critic Igor Zolotusky "From Griboedov to Solzhenitsyn: Russia and the intelligentsia." The collection included the essay of 2000-2005: Gogolian Mark Shagal, Tyutchev and Cosmos, Tolstoy Reads the Selected Places, George Bush and Fedor Dostoevsky, “The response of the literary prize of Alexander Solzhenitsyn” and others.

In the Melbourne at the World Cup, the quarter -final matches of the men's tournament are held today. The Russians lost to the Waterpolites of Croatia - 3:13 and dropped out of the struggle for medals.

At least three people died last night in combat clashes in South Vasiristan (northwest of Pakistan). According to the police, about 600 rebels fired at the city of Tank for several hours from mortars. On Monday, there were clashes of the local police with the alleged fighters, who tried to recruit suicide bombers in the city of Tank. Then one policeman and one militant died. Central Hall 54