President Had a telephone conversation with the President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan. During the conversation, the heads of state discussed current issues of bilateral relations, including issues of cooperation in the fuel and energy sector. An exchange of views on regional issues also took place. Held a working meeting with Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, during which plans for the government's legislative activities for the first half of 2004 were discussed.

Because of the incident with Zherdev, athletes are being returned to their units The command of the Moscow Military District (MMD) urgently decided to return professional athletes in military service to military units. Corresponding orders have been given to army sports clubs, “players” and athletes are being pulled up to the barracks.

Boris Aleshin inspected the Ulyanovsk aircraft plant Deputy Prime Minister Boris Aleshin yesterday found out at the Ulyanovsk aircraft plant "Aviastar-SP" why aircraft have not yet been built there, which, in accordance with the contractual obligations of the enterprise, should already be sent to China.

The priority task of military reform is to equip the Russian army and navy with modern weapons and military equipment (WME). Money for rearmament is directed by the state sometimes even to the detriment of social provisions. Over the past three years alone, costs for the development, purchase and repair of weapons and military equipment have more than tripled. Despite this, the effect is far from expected. No more than 20% of developments are implemented.

Recently, the pilgrimage of Czech football players, hockey players and coaches to Russia has acquired a truly wide scale. Until recently, Czech stars moved only to Western countries, but in the past year the main trade route ran to the east. Why suddenly such interest in our country and why has it become so attractive to Czechs who want to live like a European?

The draft state educational standard was approved The key document for the secondary general education system was approved yesterday by members of the joint board of the relevant ministry and the Russian Academy of Education. Experts have approved a new state standard that defines the minimum content of basic educational programs, the maximum volume of teaching load, requirements for the level of graduates’ training and duration of study.

The project promises to be profitable The regiment of Russian-Kazakh media has arrived. After “Russian Radio. Kazakhstan” and “ORT-Kazakhstan” began to function on the territory of Kazakhstan, the creation of the television project “NTV-Kazakhstan” was announced yesterday. On the Russian side, the NTV television company is taking part in it, which owns 20% of the new company. 80% of the shares in the new structure belong to Rauan Media Group, created by CJSC National Company Kazmunaigas.

US authorities protected airlines from claims from relatives At noon yesterday, the United States stopped accepting claims for compensation for relatives killed or injured during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Then 2,976 people died in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. A few days later, the US Congress created a fund to pay victims. It was promised that compensation would be generous and prompt.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky was left in Matrosskaya Tishina for another three months Yesterday, the Basmanny Court of Moscow nevertheless granted the request of the Prosecutor General's Office to extend the arrest period for the former head of the Yukos company, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, for another three months. He will now read the materials of his own criminal case (which is about 220 volumes) at least until March 25. It took federal judge Andrei Rasnovsky two whole days to issue this ruling.

Bankruptcies are getting better every year. There are fewer and fewer enterprises in Russia that require bankruptcy proceedings. As the head of the Federal Service for Financial Recovery (FSFR) Tatyana Trefilova told reporters yesterday, over the nine months of this year the number of bankruptcies decreased from 104 to 65 thousand. And all because now, according to Ms. Trefilova, financial recovery has become a priority for the state , and not the bankruptcy of enterprises.

In France, bandits and dogs are already celebrating Christmas Christmas for the French is the biggest and brightest holiday of the year. Lively pictures in the windows of large Parisian stores, garlands of lights on plane trees and chestnuts, Christmas trees that begin to be thrown into the trash immediately after Noel - the night of December 25th. And of course, special Christmas TV programs.

The head of the Federal Securities Commission of Russia, Igor Kostikov, was elected chairman of the Council of Heads of State Bodies for Regulating Securities Markets of the CIS Countries. This decision was made yesterday at the first meeting of the council established by the governments of the CIS countries on September 18.

Even in an advertising newsletter you can find a real diamond It’s time to open a diamond mine in the landfills of the Dutch town of Apeldoorn. Somewhere there, in garbage heaps, lie several dozen perfectly cut diamonds, indifferently thrown away by local residents. The culprit behind the “burial of diamonds” was the owner of a jewelry store, Johan de Boer. His business had recently turned 10 years old, and the jewelry dealer intended to celebrate this modest anniversary in style.

The best gallery in Moscow is ten years old Only an enemy of contemporary art can throw a stone at the XL gallery and its director Lena Selina. Others will not have a reason, and their hand will not rise. Gallery XL is something that is not only appreciated and loved, it is the real pride of everyone who is interested in, or at worst knows about the existence of living art.

Tour. Living classic Paul McCartney (but I'm still against concerts on Red Square !) and the current number one star - Robbie Williams. Plus the pleasant and long-awaited Massive Attack, Bjork and other nice people who are not possible to mention here.