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Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov...

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov on Tuesday confirmed plans to launch a Soyuz carrier rocket from the Kourou space center in French Guiana later this year.

MOSCOW, March 14, (RIA Novosti, Olga Lipich)...

MOSCOW, March 14, (RIA Novosti, Olga Lipich) - Orthodox Christians will have a 40-day Lent, beginning March 14. Talking to RIA Novosti, people at the Moscow Patriarchate"s department of external church relations noted that seriously ill persons, pregnant women, nursing mothers, soldiers, people engaged in hard physical work and travelers were allowed not to observe Lent closely. A RIA Novosti opinion poll that involved 100 respondents shows that most Muscovites prefer not to fast. Only 18 percent of all respondents intend to observe Lent. Twenty-three percent of the pollees admitted that they were not well aware of what Lent was. Nonetheless, they plan to fast. Sixty-seven percent of all respondents know what Lent is. However, 80 percent of them do not want to fast. At the same time, seven percent of the pollees, who do not intend to fast, would like fasting relatives not to make them follow their example. Many respondents perceive Lent as some kind of a diet, explaining their desire to fast by its positive influence on their bodies. Talking to RIA Novosti, an official at the press center of the Russian Armed Forces" logistics-support service noted that Russian soldiers will not be entitled to any special diet during Lent. Fasting servicemen can give their meat to someone else, the press-center official noted. Each soldier is entitled to the maximum possible amount of calories in line with specific regulations, he added. Talking to RIA Novosti, Oleg Kovalev, chairman of the State Duma"s house-proceedings and work-organization committee, noted that the lower parliament house"s canteen stipulated Lenten fare for many years in a row. However, few deputies plan to closely observe Lent. Kovalev did admit that he will not closely observe Lent, explaining that he played tennis three times a week, and that it was pretty hard to eat lenten fare alone. Deputy State Duma Speakers Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Vyacheslav Volodin will fast, but not so closely. Deputy house speaker Georgy Boos will not fast, his spokesperson informed RIA Novosti. Mr. Boos, who is a believer, respects Orthodox Christian traditions. Still he is not going to observe Lent, she added. Valery Komissarov, chairman of the State Duma"s information-policy committee, believes that a respectful attitude toward people is more important than fasting. Instead of refraining from meat, we should not eat each other. This is the most important thing, Komissarov told RIA Novosti. Valery Draganov, chairman of the State Duma"s economic-policy, business and tourism committee, is not going to fast either. I am in perfect physical form. One must eat as much food as the body needs, Draganov told RIA Novosti. Sports and intellectual activity are all one needs to lead a healthy way of life, Draganov believes. Dmitry Rogozin, who heads the State Duma"s Rodina faction, plans to observe Lent closely, his spokesperson told RIA Novosti. Talking to RIA Novosti, State Duma deputy Nikolai Kharitonov (Communist Party of the Russian Federation faction) noted that he was trying to fast. Still this is not always possible, Kharitonov said. I travel all over Russia a lot; in some cases, I have to eat what they give me, he said.

A Peruvian surfer has taught his pet alpaca...

A Peruvian surfer has taught his pet alpaca to ride the waves, the Comercio newspaper said on its website on Wednesday.