Анна Пигарёва - Новости из прошлого на английском языке. ВЫПУСК №5

LONDON – Buckingham Palace said an administrative mistake led to a Russian trainee butler working illegally in the royal household.

Buckingham Palace failed to apply for the correct work permit when it hired Igor Golovanov, 32, in 2006, a spokesman for Queen Elizabeth’s official residence said. Golovanov was fired when the mistake was discovered.

The spokesman said Thursday that Golovanov will be recommended for reemployment if he can obtain the correct permit and it is determined that he represents no security threat.

Golovanov has lived in Britain since 2000 and has a residency permit. (AP) 3 3 «The Moscow Times» 2008 год

An official at Mikhail Prokhorov’s Onexim Group denied Sunday that the billionaire was close to buying the legendary Villa Leopolda on the French Riviera.

French newspaper Nice-Matin reported Saturday that Prokhorov would soon pay 496 million euros ($729 million) for the villa, which is owned by the widow of banker Edmond Safra. The newspaper did not say where it got the information.

Villa Leopolda is located in Ville-franche-sur-Mer, a French Mediterranean seaside resort between Nice and Monte Carlo, and is named after Belgian King Leopold II, who built the house at the start of the 20th century.

Onexim deputy CEO Sergei Chernitsyn said Sunday that the Nice-Matin report was not true. «The rumors may be connected with the activities of the Onexim division dealing with luxury real estate.» Chernitsyn said by telephone.

He added, «Mr. Prokhorov will not make any business in France until the Courchevel incident is settled and the French authorities give him an official apology.»

Prokhorov, whom Forbes ranks the sixth-richest man in Russia with an estimated fortune of $19.5 billion, last year announced that he was splitting from longtime business partner Vladimir Potanin after he and 25 other people were taken in for questioning at his hotel in the French ski resort of Courchevel over a suspected prostitution ring.

Prokhorov was released without charge after a few days. He has denied any wrongdoing and has demanded that the French authorities close the case.

Villa Leopolda was at one time owned by Fiat magnate Giovanni Agnelli, Agence France Presse reported.

Safra is said to have hosted U.S. President Ronald Reagan and crooner Frank Sinatra at the villa, the BBC reported. (Bloomberg, MT) 4 4 «The Moscow Times» 2008 год

CHANDIGARH, India – At least 123 people, mostly women and children, were crushed to death in a stampede at a temple in northern India on Sunday, police said.

Iron railings around the Hindu temple in the state of Himachal Pradesh broke, causing panic, with people trampling over falling women and children, they said.

«As of now we have 123 people dead, including more than 40 children,» Daljit Singh Manilas, a police officer said.

«The injured have been taken to two places, and the toll could be more as we are awaiting news from other hospitals,» Manhas added. He said at least 45 women were among the dead.

Children were among the first to fall to the ground and were trampled by pilgrims running to safety as their parents tried to save them, police officers said.

Thousands of worshippers had gathered at the temple in Bilaspur district to pray to a Hindu goddess during an annual festival.

More than 3,000 people were trying to get into the temple at the same time when part of the iron railing broke, officials said. Most of the worshippers were from the neighboring state of Punjab, they said. Television pictures showed people being carried on stretchers to a hospital, many writhing in pain. Stampedes at temples are not uncommon in India where thousands of people gather to pray during festivals. 5 5 «The Moscow Times» 2008 год

WASHINGTON – Bulgaria has sent its remaining highly enriched uranium to Russia for safeguarding from terrorist or other potential misuse.

More than 6 kilograms of the spent fuel were received Thursday at a Russian nuclear facility, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration announced. A first shipment of 16.92 kilograms of fresh uranium fuel was sent to Russia in December 2003.

«With this shipment there is no more highly enriched uranium in Bulgaria,» said Brian Wilkes, a spokesman for the U.S. agency, which was established in 2001. «Bulgaria now joins Latvia in clearing out all Soviet-era dangerous nuclear fuel.»