After coming to power, the new leaders of Georgia immediately announced their intention to intensify the resolution of the issues of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. To implement this task, the country introduced the post of State Minister for Conflict Resolution, which was occupied by the famous public figure Georgy KHAINDRAVA. The new minister answered questions from his own correspondent for the Vremya Novostei newspaper in Tbilisi, Mikhail VIGNANSKY.

This year the Mariinsky Festival was to be divided between the French and Italians. But there was simply an epidemic of injuries at the Paris Opera, and Roberto Bolle became the first famous guest performer at the festival. The Italian, who danced premier roles at both La Scala and Covent Garden, performed the role of des Grieux in Manon. Preparing to perform at the Sunday gala concert that closed the festival, Roberto BOLLE gave an interview to Ekaterina BELYAEVA.

Yesterday in Omsk, the Swedish-Finnish company Skanska, which is building a new Ice Palace, drove the first pile. The ice palace, where the Omsk HC Avangard will hold its matches, is designed to accommodate 10 thousand spectators. It is expected that it will go into operation at the end of 2005. The total cost of the new sports facility is $100 million. Olesya KOMAROVA Tyson will meet with the Russian boxer The famous American boxer Mike Tyson may enter the ring again this October.

How the government tried not to interfere with business operations Among the priorities outlined by Vladimir Putin at the beginning of his first term, building relations between business and government was not the least important. Unlike oligarchic structures, which were prescribed “equidistance,” medium and small businesses were promised all kinds of support.

The men's clubs of the "Big Three" of Russian basketball - CSKA, Kazan UNICS and Ural Great from Perm - successfully held important matches of European cup tournaments. The greatest attention was focused on the meeting of the second stage of the ULEB Euroleague between the army team and the Croatian “Cibona” in Moscow. The hosts won not without difficulty - 68:61 and, together with the Spanish Tau, lead the table in Group D.

President Roh Moo-hyun faces early resignation Today in South Korea, the parliamentary opposition will begin the procedure for removing President Roh Moo-hyun from power in the National Assembly. MPs from the Grand National Party and the Millennium Democrats accuse the president, who has earned the nickname Cool But, of violating voting rights.

Magomed Khambiev did not serve, did not support and did not meet The former commander of the National Guard of Ichkeria, General Magomed Khambiev, whose surrender to the official Chechen authorities was announced with pomp on March 8, yesterday confirmed his intention to take the path of correction. “If my help is needed, I will provide full support to Kadyrov and will serve honestly, as I did honestly when I was Minister of Defense under Maskhadov and Dudayev,” Mr.

Governors won elections before voting In terms of predictability, the gubernatorial elections, which will be held on March 14, are quite comparable to the presidential ones. Of the ten regions, only three - Arkhangelsk, Ryazan and Voronezh regions - remain minimally intrigued two days before the elections.

A popular performer will go to Eurovision from Russia Despite the competition of unknown musical talents announced several months ago by Channel One, a highly promoted performer will again represent Russia at Eurovision 2004.

Explosions in Madrid recalled the terrorist attacks in New York Early yesterday morning, Spain experienced the bloodiest terrorist attack in its history - about 200 dead, more than 1,200 wounded. Chilling reports from Madrid were reminiscent of the 2001 terrorist attacks. At 7.39 am, three explosions occurred in an electric train that approached the platform of Madrid's Atocha station. Almost simultaneously, four more bombs exploded in another train, located half a kilometer from the station.

OPEC allowed to produce as much oil as it wanted The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has finally recognized world oil prices as too high. For this, oil prices in America had to approach almost $40 per barrel. Now, according to the head of the cartel, Indonesian Purnomo Yusgiantoro, the actual volume of oil production by the cartel will exceed the established quotas until the quotes drop to at least $28 per barrel.

The remains of Maria Feodorovna will be reburied in St. Petersburg Russia and Denmark have determined the date for the reburial of the ashes of the mother of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Maria Feodorovna, who has been resting in Copenhagen for the past 75 years. As reported yesterday by the Danish Ambassador to Russia Lars Wissing, the remains of Maria Feodorovna, nee Princess Dagmara of Denmark, will be buried on September 26, 2004 in the Peter and Paul Cathedral of St.

How the President dealt with the oligarchs February 28, 2000 became a landmark day for big business. On this day, future President Vladimir Putin sent a “black mark” to those who are commonly called oligarchs. At a meeting with his confidants, he uttered historical words: “We must exclude the possibility of someone clinging to power and using it for their own purposes.

In Kyiv, a week after his sixty-sixth birthday, Bronislav Nikolaevich Brondukov died. He was born in the village of Dubava, Kyiv region, graduated from a construction college in Kyiv, worked as a foreman at a construction site, then at the Arsenal plant, played in an amateur theater, where he was noticed by the rector of the Karpenko-Kary Theater Institute.

From the beginning of the next half of the year, the largest European importer of natural gas from Russia, joint stock company Ruhrgas, will officially be called E.on--Ruhrgas. As is known, this gas company from Essen, which has been cooperating with the Russian gas industry for more than three decades, was “adopted” by Europe’s largest energy concern, E.on, in February 2003.