Rain disrupted athletes' starts at the World Championships A heavy downpour that erupted in the skies of the Finnish capital radically disrupted the schedule of starts in the evening program of the fourth day of the World Athletics Championships. The final discus competition with the participation of Russian Natalya Sadova, who did not have time to make her first throw before the rain, was interrupted just before it began. The girls' 100m hurdles preliminary races also had to be postponed.

Vladimir REDKIN, senior consultant at the Center for Fiscal Policy, explained to Vremya Novostei what is the difference between tax collection plans and budget planning: — When we talk about plans for tax collection, we are talking about the figures that are sent to the territorial tax authorities. Formally, this is not a normal way of doing work, because the tax authority’s job is to check tax reporting, monitor whether anyone is evading their duties, and whether taxes are being paid in full.

Luzhkov allowed Abramovich to build a new stadium Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov signed a decree on the construction of a new international-level football stadium in the capital. The football arena with a capacity of up to 50 thousand spectators will be located near the Botanical Garden metro station. The construction of the sports facility with the assistance of the Russian Football Union will be the National Football Academy Foundation, a non-profit organization created by Roman Abramovich.

It has not yet been possible to introduce local self-government in Russia On Tuesday, Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Northwestern Federal District Ilya Klebanov, at a meeting with representatives of the executive authorities of the regions of the northwestern region, categorically stated that discussions about postponing the start of local government reform must be stopped.

Doctors expect a pandemic no earlier than 2007 This year, the bird flu that suddenly broke out in Russia does not pose any danger to humans, the National Influenza Center of the World Health Organization is confident. Yesterday, the director of the National Center, Oleg Kiselev, said at a press conference in St.

On August 15, the unrecognized republic of Abkhazia will begin major military exercises. At least 5 thousand military and reservists will participate in them. How do they react to this in Tbilisi? The special representative of the President of Georgia for the settlement in Abkhazia, Irakli ALASANIA, told Vremya Novostei about this. — Recently, military maneuvers have been regularly held in Abkhazia; this year they are already the fourth. And all this is financed by Russian finances.

A drug policeman is accused of kidnapping a businessman On suspicion of extortion and kidnapping of the vice-president of the National Professional Golf Association of Russia Igor Lantsov, operatives of the capital's department for combating organized crime detained two people - crime boss Adlan Batukaev and police captain Alexander Bondar. As the Vremya Novostei correspondent was told at the Central Internal Affairs Directorate, the crime committed on February 19, 2005 was carefully planned.

This spring, the Russian Military Leaders Club held a presentation. The event was held, as they say, with pomp. The military-political elite, dominated by ministers and multi-star generals, gathered at the President Hotel. Many then considered the action to be a one-time event, dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Victory. However, it seems that the “club of generals” has entered the socio-political life of the country seriously and for a long time.

The IAEA is in no hurry to quarrel with Iran Yesterday in Vienna, the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) met for an emergency meeting. The day before yesterday, Iran, contrary to requests from the international community, resumed uranium processing at the nuclear center in Isfahan. This work was frozen" in November 2004 by agreement with the "European trio" - Great Britain, France and Germany.

A decade and a half ago, the American sculptor and artist Jim SANBORN posed a riddle not to anyone, but to the CIA itself. On a monument called “Kryptos” (from Greek “hidden”), which he erected in the courtyard of the main US intelligence agency, Sanborn carved four coded fragments. CIA codebreakers coped with three of them, but the fourth, the shortest, of only 97 characters, was not given to either professionals or ordinary mystery lovers.

About Poland, Poles and the imperial bureaucracy Young Russians are being beaten in Warsaw; in Moscow, a Polish embassy employee is hospitalized with a concussion after being attacked by hooligans. The press and politicians of both countries are practicing their politically incorrect wit. Our relations with Poland, to put it mildly, are not very brilliant. Largely due to the fact that we always lived side by side, often fought, and sometimes conquered each other.

Lithuania has begun bankruptcy proceedings for a subsidiary of Ingosstrakh The Insurance Supervision Commission (ISC) of Lithuania has begun the bankruptcy process of Ingosstrakh's subsidiary, JSC INGO Baltic, “due to the insufficiency of its authorized capital and inability to fulfill its obligations,” noted a representative of the office of the supervisory authority.

The Ministry of Finance redistributed alcohol money throughout Russia “We have completed a very important stage,” Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin told reporters yesterday following the results of a regular meeting of the working group on improving interbudgetary relations. At the meeting, a methodology for the distribution of interbudgetary transfers was approved, which will come into effect next year.

"House of Flying Daggers" on Moscow screens In 859, China's once prosperous Tang dynasty was in decline. The government, mired in corruption, had difficulty coping with the flaring up pockets of resistance, and the revolution gained strength.

British Prime Minister ready to close mosques Islamic preachers in Britain who call for jihad face a real threat of trial or deportation. These measures are included in the government's new counter-terrorism plan. Tough new laws proposed by Prime Minister Tony Blair focus on preventing incitement to terrorist attacks. Mosques that contain calls for violence may be allowed to close. The first person to lose his nerve at this prospect was the odious Islamist Omar Bakri Muhammad (pictured) .