Pope knocked down at Christmas Mass.

VATICAN CITY, December 25 (Itar-Tass) -- Pope Benedict XVI was knocked
down as he was going to begin Christmas eve Mass on Thursday by a woman
who jumped the barriers in St. Peter's Basilica.
The 82-year-old pope quickly got up and was unhurt, said Vatican
spokesman, the Rev. Ciro Benedettini.
"During the procession an unstable person jumped a barrier and knocked
down the Holy Father," Benedettini told the Associated Press by telephone.
"(The pope) quickly got up and continued the procession."
Footage aired on Italy's RAI state TV showed a woman dressed in a red
jumper vaulting over the wooden barriers and rushing to the pope.
Benedettini said she also knocked down Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, who
was taken to hospital for a check up.
After the incident, Benedict, flanked by bodyguards, resumed his walk
to the basilica's main altar to start the Mass. The pope made no reference
to the incident as the service started.

.Fewer Russians mark Roman Catholic Xmas.

MOSCOW, December 25 (Itar-Tass) -- The number of Russians who mark the
Roman Catholic Christmas on December 25 is gradually declining and fell
four-fold in the past five years, according to an opinion poll.
The Yuri Levada poll said only four percent of believers in Russia
where the Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on January 7 will mark the
Roman Catholic Christmas.
In 2008 there were six percent of them down from 16 percent in 2004.
According to Federal Registration Service, there are 250 Catholic
communities and organizations in Russia.
New Roman Catholic envoy to Moscow Archbishop Paolo Pezzi is
conducting the Christmas Mass this night in the main Catholic Cathedral in
Malaya Gruzinskaya Street. The Mass will go in turns in the Russian and
Polish languages on Friday, and in the Korean and Spanish languages on
Sunday.
The Russian Orthodox Church marks Christmas by the Julian calendar on
January 7, which is December 25 by the Gregorian calendar.


.Thai boxing champion killed in Moscow.

MOSCOW, December 25 (Itar-Tass) -- Thai boxing champion Muslim
Abdullayev was shot dead at a Moscow stadium late on Thursday.
The body of 27-year old Abdullayev was found at Nauka Stadium in
southwestern Moscow with a gunshot in the head, police said.
Abdullayev was a resident of the settlement of Botayurt in Dagestan,
North Caucasus.


.Russia to cut transport police.

MOSCOW, December 25 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian Interior ministry will
mostly cut its transport division and police units at sensitive objects to
fulfill the presidential decree that ordered to cut the national police
force 20 percent by 2012.
"Transport police and interior bodies at sensitive objects will be
optimized," Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev said on Thursday, adding
"the move naturally does not cancel the task of ensuring security of
passenger transportation, protection of public order at railway stations
and airports, and sensitive objects".
The minister said territorial interior bodies, transport police and
units at sensitive objects "often fulfilled common tasks". "Following the
decree we shall unite them and create a single command body," he said,
adding existing linear units that guard transport infrastructure objects
will continue to operate.
"Citizens have to be sure of personal safety in transport, in closed
residential settlements, therefore the tasks will continue to be fulfilled
in full volume. Potential fears that no security will be ensured at air,
rail, and water transport have no grounds," Nurgaliyev said.
The presidential decree followed a series of scandals in Russian
police linked to major abuse of office and several killings.
"The presidential decree aims first and foremost at increasing police
efficiency in protecting the citizens, as well as the prestige of interior
bodies. That can be achieved by employing competent and high-moral
people," Nurgaliyev said.
"It is of major importance for us who serves in police and how
honestly and professionally the officers fulfill their duties. The key
issue that worries the population of the country is (the quality of)
police personnel. The presidential decree aims at improving the
situation," the minister said.
-0-nec