Lyubov Kezina wants to make vocational schools prestigious The head of the capital's education department, Lyubov Kezina, proposes to radically change the system of the capital's vocational schools, most of which are now proudly called colleges, although they still train car mechanics and cooks. Yesterday, at a meeting of the city government, she presented her colleagues with a new vocational education program, the most notable point of which is the “estimate” for its implementation.

Scientists have identified the likely culprit of mass obesity Americans have found a new excuse for obese people. Researchers from the University of California have suggested that people gain weight not of their own free will, but because of a hormone called ghrelin. It is produced by the cells of the stomach walls and signals the brain that the time has come when it is time to eat.

Militants take revenge on America for Iraqi sovereignty The United States has transferred power in Iraq to the Iraqi interim government, but American soldiers continue to die in that country. Yesterday three Marines were blown up by a mine in Baghdad. But another tragedy shocked America much more: militants shot and killed an American hostage, Junior Sergeant Keith Maupin.

Today in the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court the verdict in the case of Valery Suladze will be announced. Former Deputy Governor-General Alexander Lebed is accused of abuse of power, resulting in damage to the regional budget in the amount of 120 million rubles, and receiving a bribe of 860 thousand dollars. The prosecution demands that Valery Suladze be sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Sheremetyevo reduces charters Sheremetyevo Airport decided to punish two airlines for non-compliance with flight schedules. From July 1, charter flights of the Yakutia and Kavminvodyavia companies from Sheremetyevo will be reduced or moved to inconvenient night times.

Opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila" on CD Before the ambitious premiere of Glinka’s opera Ruslan and Lyudmila, which took place at the Bolshoi Theater last year, its musical director and chief conductor of the theater, Alexander Vedernikov, explained: “We want to convey to the public, first of all, the music - corrected and supplemented, with its spirit, style and edgy modernity." Meanwhile, this promising idea then turned out to be burdened with a somewhat controversial stage decision, the first

Moscow schoolchildren do not want to get involved in politics Schoolchildren, who are now 15-17 years old, will have to vote in the next presidential elections. Special correspondent for the Vremya Novostey newspaper Yaroslav GOLOTYUK decided to ask Moscow high school students about their attitude to politics and electoral law. And at the same time, understand what today’s youth policy is at the level of existing parties.

Johannes Rau gave up the chair to Horst Köhler This week in Germany is marked by a change of presidents. Social Democrat Johannes Rau solemnly resigned as president last night in Berlin. This popular politician was called “Brother John” for his selfless devotion to the Bible and its spiritual values. After his election as president in May 1999, he promised to become a spokesman for the interests of not only Germans, but also all foreigners living in Germany.

Political scientists have figured out how to make Russia great and fair The leaders of the National Strategy Council (SNS), Joseph Diskin and Valery Khomyakov, managed to harness the horse of paternalism to the same cart with the tremulous doe of liberalism. Yesterday they presented to journalists an improved and expanded version of the SNA report entitled “National Agenda and National Strategy.” As Mr. Diskin explained, the initial version of this document was analyzed by regional experts.

The Orthodox Church has taken up the task of saving youth Yesterday in Saratov a two-day congress of Orthodox youth ended, held under the motto “Youth for the spiritual health of Russia.” The congress was held on the initiative of Bishop Longin of Saratov and Volsk, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' and with the support of the government of the Saratov region.

The speaker of the Moscow City Duma talks about taxes, roads, land and housing The work that has begun on the state budget has once again aggravated the contradictions between the federal center and the constituent entities of the federation. Moscow once again became the mouthpiece of the offended donor regions. Yuri Luzhkov, who has long never missed an opportunity to publicly criticize the state’s fiscal policy, this year was even forced to postpone the consideration of the city budget.

The Russian women's handball team played a series of three friendly matches with the South Korean national team in Tolyatti and lost in all of them - 30:34, 26:33 and 23:36. With each match, the advantage of the guests became more and more obvious. According to our data, after the conflict between head coach Evgeniy Trefilov and a number of handball players from his club “Lada” (Togliatti), the base for the national team, the main team of the country has some difficulties.

Today a meeting of the Mixed Control Commission on the Georgian-Ossetian settlement opens in Moscow. The atmosphere is tense. The Moscow round of JCC negotiations and the visit of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to Moscow scheduled for July 2-4 may turn out to be the last opportunity to prevent new bloodshed. Tbilisi believes that South Ossetia has long ago turned into a republic along the highway.

Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Georgy KHAINDRAVA, in an interview with the correspondent of the Vremya Novostei newspaper Mikhail VIGNANSKY, clarified Tbilisi’s position at the upcoming Moscow negotiations. --What does official Tbilisi want to offer? - All our complaints are related to smuggling. For us to remove our roadblocks, we only need to allow us to have representatives of the financial police in the tunnel at the Roki Pass. Let it be together with the peacekeepers.

Watch from July 1 on Moscow screens "Spider-Man 2" (USA, 2004, Sam Raimi). The film is being released in Russia simultaneously with America, and the results of the premiere weekend will become known only next week.