Explosions in the mountains escalated the conflict between Tbilisi and Moscow The energy crisis between Russia and Georgia has already led to the most serious political consequences. Yesterday, answering a question from a Vremya Novostey correspondent, Russian Ambassador to Georgia Vladimir Chkhikvishvili said that work on a framework interstate treaty on friendship, cooperation and mutual security should be temporarily postponed.

Iraqi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Fawzi al-Hariri (pictured) yesterday managed to escape death twice, if not three times. The terrorists targeted a shopping area in Camp Sara, a Christian neighborhood of Baghdad. First, a car bomb exploded next to the minister's motorcade, which corresponded to the scenario of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005 in Beirut.

Ramzan Kadyrov has reached the age of President of Chechnya Exactly three years ago, presidential elections were held in Chechnya, which was won by Akhmat-haji Kadyrov. During the election campaign, the creators of one of Kadyrov’s strong rivals came up with a campaign poster with a portrait of their candidate and the slogan: “October 5 is the birthday of the new one.” The candidate's birthday coincided with the voting date.

American diplomats will go to hot spots US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced a large-scale and radical shake-up of the work of the institution entrusted to her. More than a hundred diplomats who were preparing themselves for work in Europe will receive assignments to the Middle East, Southeast Asia and other hot spots. It is there, according to Ms. Rice, that new challenges to American interests are brewing - terrorism, drug smuggling, dangerous diseases.

The government discussed spending on air navigation and nuclear energy The Russian air navigation system requires immediate modernization. According to the head of the relevant federal service, Alexander Neradko, this does not require any extra costs: the concept for the development of air navigation until 2025, which was discussed by the Russian government yesterday, provides for total expenses of 156 billion rubles.

The Vremya Novostey newspaper decided to find out from representatives of the Georgian creative intelligentsia living and working in Moscow how they assess the acute crisis in relations between Russia and Georgia and how to prevent the confrontation between the authorities of the two countries from escalating into a confrontation between the peoples. Ilya LEZHAVA, vice-rector of the Moscow Architectural Institute: - In my opinion, a very unsightly pre-election PR campaign is unfolding before us.

Foreigners will enter the Russian aviation industry through the hands of the president Yesterday, the State Duma, in the second reading, adopted amendments to the law limiting the participation of foreigners in Russian aircraft manufacturing enterprises. The amendments give the President of Russia the authority to authorize (or not to authorize) in each case specifically significant foreign investments in the domestic aviation industry.

Eni postpones deal with Gazprom again Italy's largest oil and gas company took advantage of the scandal that erupted around the Sakhalin-2 project. Eni Chief Executive Officer Paolo Scaroni, speaking before Italian senators yesterday, noted that he was in no hurry to conclude a deal with Gazprom. “Obviously, when we see the problems of our colleagues who have worked in Russia so far, we want to study our cooperation more carefully,” he said. Mr.

Cavaco Silva became president Cavaco Silva has become the new president of Portugal. In Sunday's elections, the former prime minister, who was supported by the right-wing Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the far-right People's Party (PP), received 50.6% of the vote. Five left-wing candidates together received 49.4% of the votes. They only needed 60 thousand votes to continue fighting in the second round.

Lukashenko needs Russia's support The main topic of today's negotiations between Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko in St. Petersburg will be the draft constitutional act of the union state. This issue has been discussed for many years, but it has not been possible to achieve a common vision of the integration model. Nevertheless, in the last six months the negotiation process on the union constitution has intensified.

Harvard professors look for ways to grow our economy Foreign experts should help Russia make a qualitative leap in economic development. The Center for Strategic Research, at the suggestion of the chairman of the board of the foundation, German Gref, ordered the famous Harvard professor Michael Porter to prepare a strategy for increasing Russia's competitiveness. “I want to show you the gap between the Russian and global economies,” the professor promised.

Russians will not get to Kuwait's fields soon Kuwait will delay allowing foreign, including Russian, oil companies to develop its large fields in the north. According to the constitution of the emirate, the issue of large-scale involvement of foreigners in oil production is under the jurisdiction of parliament. Kuwaiti Energy Minister Sheikh Ahmad Fahd al-Sabah told Vremya Novostey (read interview dated December 27, 2005 ) that the problem will be resolved in the first quarter of 2006.

Swedish academics were amazed by photographic prowess Roger Kornberg, an American from Stanford University, received the 2006 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Thus, another dynasty of laureates was formed in Nobel history: his father Arthur Kornberg shared the award in the field of physiology and medicine with Severo Ochoa in 1959.

Yesterday, a Bucharest court dropped all charges against 58-year-old Valentin Ceausescu and ordered the return of property requisitioned in 1989 to him. Valentin is the eldest son of Romanian dictators Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu, who were executed in 1989. His younger brother Niku and sister Zoe were convicted of financial abuse after the December 1989 coup (Nika was initially accused of genocide, and Zoe of economic destruction). They spent some time in custody.

Russian fleet in Syria spooks shadow British government The new leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron (pictured), has a completely “wrong” biography for these times. He is a Caucasian male of Anglo-Saxon descent and belongs to the cream of the English establishment. Born into a wealthy family, he studied at the most prestigious private school in the world, Eton, from which, according to tradition, all members of the royal family graduate.