Cuba to elect municipal authorities on Sunday.

HAVANA, April 25 (Itar-Tass) -- Cuba will elect municipal authorities
on Sunday. More than 34,000 contenders will vie 15,093 seats in local
self-governments.
In those districts, where neither of the contenders scores more than
50 percent of the vote, runoff elections will be held on May 2.
Cuba elects local authorities every 30 months. Cuba, with its
population of 11 million, has 8.4 million eligible voters.
Previous elections featured high voter turnout, and this time the
turnout is expected to be high as well.

.Police probes into shooting by policeman in Moscow.

MOSCOW, April 25 (Itar-Tass) -- Moscow police is probing into an
incident when a policeman opened fire from non-lethal gun in a residential
area in Moscow, a spokesman for the Moscow police administration told
Itar-Tass on Saturday.
According to the spokesman, the incident occurred in Moscow's Eastern
administrative district late on Saturday. "On his way home, a uniformed
private security officer rebuked a group of youngsters who were drinking
beer, and they insulted him in reply. The policeman took out his traumatic
gun and shot to the earth, hurting no one," the spokesman said.
Participants in the conflict were taken to the nearest police station.
Investigation was underway.
The spokesman refuted media reports alleging the policemen was drunk
and shot from his service gun.

.Turkmenistan marks Akhal-Teke Horse Day.

ASHGABAT, April 25 (Itar-Tass) -- Turkmenistan marks the Akhal-Teke
Horse Day on Sunday.
The national festival is traditionally marked on the last Sunday of
April, when the final stage of the "breed champion" contest is held.
Throughout the previous week, the country hosted numerous exhibitions,
sports events and concerts dedicated to the festival. A specialized
international conference was attended by scientists and horse-breeders
from 18 world nations.
"Akhal-Teke horses are remarkable for their grace and elegance, they
are Turkmenistan's pride and heritage, a symbol of happiness and
prosperity," Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said in his
greeting message.
On Saturday, the Turkmen president, who is the author of the book The
Akhal-Teke Horse, Our Pride and Glory, demonstrated his equestrian skills
at the open-air circus in Ashgabat.
According to official statistics, Akhal-Teke population is more than
2,000 horses. The biggest stud farm located outside the capital city of
Ashgabat is a must see for all top-level visitors.

.Russian humanitarian aid arrives in quake-hit China.

BEIJING, April 25 (Itar-Tass) -- The first Russian aircraft with
humanitarian aid to the victims of a recent devastating earthquake in
China landed in the administrative centre of the Sichuan province,
Chengdu, on Sunday, the Russian embassy in Beijing told Itar-Tass.
The Russian humanitarian aide will go to the county of Yushu, a
Tibetan area in Qinghai's south, hit by the magnitude 7.1 quake on April
14.
According to the embassy, the Il-76 aircraft has brought 40 tons of
aid, including tents, blankets, diesel electric plants. Another aircraft
with medicines and medical equipment is expected to fly to China soon.
The Chinese earthquake claimed 2,203 human lives and injured more than
12,000, rescuers said on Saturday.

.Russia's Dementyeva defeats US Mattek-Sands in Fed Cup semifinals.

NEW YORK, April 25 (Itar-Tass) -- Elena Dementyeva of Russia defeated
Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday and evened
up the United State-Russia matchup in the Fed Cup semifinals.
Earlier on Saturday, Russia's Alla Kudryavtseva was defeated by
Melanie Oudin 3-6, 3-6.
Dementieva and Mattek-Sands are scheduled to play both singles and
doubles matches on Sunday, and Kudryavtseva and Oudin will play singles.
The team winning at least three out of five matches will play against
the winner in the second semifinals (Italy vs the Czech republic). The
finals will be played in November.
-0-ras