  The recently assembled laser-beam detectors of gravitational waves are
approaching the planned level of sensitivity. In the coming 1 - 2 years, we may
be observing the rare but powerful events of inspiral and merger of binary
stellar-mass black holes. More likely, we will have to wait for a few years
longer, until the advanced detectors become operational. Their sensitivity will
be sufficient to meet the most cautious evaluations of the strength and event
rates of astrophysical sources of gravitational waves. The experimental and
theoretical work related to the space-based laser-beam detectors is also
actively pursued. The current gravitational wave research is broad and
interesting. Experimental innovations, source modelling, methods of data
analysis, theoretical issues of principle are being studied and developed at
the same time. The race for direct detection of relatively high-frequency waves
is accompanied by vigorous efforts to discover the very low-frequency relic
gravitational waves through the measurements of the cosmic microwave background
radiation. In this update, we will touch upon each of these directions of
research, including the recent data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy
Probe (WMAP).
