Israel and Russia pretend they didn't quarrel Yesterday, the Israeli and Russian authorities denied reports of a deep crisis in bilateral relations. “We do not notice any signs of deterioration,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko. Deputy Minister of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Saltanov arrived in Israel for negotiations.

When Italians want to describe a heavy smoker, they say that he “smokes like a Turk.” Turks are Turks, but they, Italians, are not timid: in Italy smoking is considered a sign of masculinity, an attribute of a conqueror of hearts. Many people cannot sip espresso coffee, almost the national drink, without lighting a cigarette.

Bush found a new workaholic for national security US President George W. Bush nominated 51-year-old Michael Chertoff (pictured) for the post of Secretary of Homeland Security. If confirmed by the Senate, Michael Chertoff will head the body, created immediately after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 and uniting 180 thousand agents from 22 different departments. The first head of the ministry, Tom Ridge, announced his resignation in early December.

The first lady of the United States selected toilets for the inauguration The United States is preparing for the inauguration of newly elected President George W. Bush, which is scheduled for January 20. Despite talk of increased security measures, this is first and foremost a big holiday: parades, fireworks, balls and candlelit dinners.

The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized the provisions of the US State Department report on manifestations of anti-Semitism in the world as it relates to Russia.

A hunt for KGB agents has begun in Lithuania. The country's President Valdas Adamkus declared the new scandal that has unfolded in the country a "witch hunt". The President expressed regret that even after the adoption of the law on lustration of persons who collaborated with the KGB in 2000, the Lithuanians “failed to close another sore page of history.” Lithuanian media reported that the Vice-Speaker of the Seimas, Alfredas Pekeliūnas, was enrolled in the KGB reserve in the 80s.

The fate of the fundamental law of the European Union is placed in the hands of its members Yesterday in Strasbourg the European Parliament supported the draft constitution of the European Union. 500 MEPs voted in favor, 137 were against, and 40 abstained. The EU Constitution was signed by heads of government in Rome on October 29, 2004. And yesterday's verdict of the European parliamentarians is a pure formality.

The President of Latvia will come to Moscow for Victory Day celebrations Yesterday, Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga delighted the Russian leadership by making a sensational statement that she accepted Vladimir Putin's invitation to come to Moscow to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany.

Former foreign agents demand financial assistance from the CIA America has been gripped by an orgy of litigiousness. Even former American spies are joining the long line of plaintiffs. To sue the CIA for unfulfilled promises. An example was set a few years ago by the Israeli Andrzej Kilczynski. He claimed to have worked for the CIA from 1985 to 1991. And, according to him, he led the Americans to Jonathan Pollard, a spy for Israel, who later received a life sentence.

Extremist group defeated in Germany Yesterday, a large police action took place in five German federal states aimed at Islamists active there. Since the pre-dawn hours, about 700 agents of the criminal police and other intelligence agencies conducted searches in dozens of apartments, mosques, offices in Berlin, Bonn, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Freiburg and other cities. The organizer of the action is the Bavarian criminal police, whose partners are detectives from neighboring federal states.