diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
 *~
 log
-config/environment.rb
-config/database.yml
diff --git a/app/controllers/main_controller.rb b/app/controllers/main_controller.rb
--- a/app/controllers/main_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/main_controller.rb
@@ -163,7 +163,33 @@
     @user = User.find(session[:user_id])
   end
 
+  # announcement refreshing and hiding methods
+
+  def announcements
+    if params.has_key? 'recent'
+      prepare_announcements(params[:recent])
+    else
+      prepare_announcements
+    end
+    render(:partial => 'announcement', 
+           :collection => @announcements,
+           :locals => {:announcement_effect => true})
+  end
+
   protected
+
+  def prepare_announcements(recent=nil)
+    if Configuration.show_tasks_to?(@user)
+      @announcements = Announcement.find_published(true)
+    else
+      @announcements = Announcement.find_published
+    end
+    if recent!=nil
+      recent_id = recent.to_i
+      @announcements = @announcements.find_all { |a| a.id > recent_id }
+    end
+  end
+
   def prepare_list_information
     @problems = Problem.find_available_problems
     @prob_submissions = Array.new
@@ -176,11 +202,7 @@
         @prob_submissions << { :count => 0, :submission => nil }
       end
     end
-    if Configuration.show_tasks_to?(@user)
-      @announcements = Announcement.find_published(true)
-    else
-      @announcements = Announcement.find_published
-    end
+    prepare_announcements
   end
 
   def check_viewability
diff --git a/app/views/main/_announcement.html.haml b/app/views/main/_announcement.html.haml
--- a/app/views/main/_announcement.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/main/_announcement.html.haml
@@ -1,4 +1,17 @@
-.announcement
-  = markdown(announcement.body)
-  -#.pub-info
-  -#  %p= "#{announcement.author}, #{announcement.created_at}"
+.announcement{:id => "announcement-#{announcement.id}", :style => "#{'opacity: 0;' if (defined? announcement_effect) and announcement_effect }"}
+  -# .announcement-title
+  -#  .toggles
+  -#    %a{:href => '#', :onclick => "$(\"announcement-body-#{announcement.id}\").hide(); return false;"}
+  -#      [hide]
+  -#    %a{:href => '#', :onclick => "$(\"announcement-body-#{announcement.id}\").show(); return false;"}
+  -#      [show]
+  -#  Announcement Title
+  .announcement-body{:id => "announcement-body-#{announcement.id}"}
+    = markdown(announcement.body)
+    -#.pub-info
+    -#  %p= "#{announcement.author}, #{announcement.created_at}"
+  :javascript
+    Announcement.updateRecentId(#{announcement.id});
+  - if (defined? announcement_effect) and announcement_effect
+    :javascript
+      $("announcement-#{announcement.id}").appear();
diff --git a/app/views/main/list.html.haml b/app/views/main/list.html.haml
--- a/app/views/main/list.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/main/list.html.haml
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
+- content_for :head do
+  = javascript_include_tag :defaults
+  %script{:type => 'text/javascript', :src => '/javascripts/announcement_refresh.js'}
+
 = user_title_bar(@user)
 
 - if @announcements.length!=0
   .announcementbox
     %span{:class => 'title'}
       Announcements
-    = render :partial => 'announcement', :collection => @announcements
+    #announcementbox-body
+      = render :partial => 'announcement', :collection => @announcements
 
 - if Configuration.show_submitbox_to?(@user)
   .submitbox
@@ -14,7 +19,8 @@
 
 %hr/
 
-- if (Configuration.contest_mode) and (@user.site!=nil) and (@user.site.started!=true)
+- if (Configuration.contest_mode) and (@user.site!=nil)  |
+  and (@user.site.started!=true)
   %p=t 'main.start_soon'
 
 - if Configuration.show_tasks_to?(@user)
@@ -28,3 +34,6 @@
 
 %hr/
 
+:javascript
+  Announcement.registerRefreshEventTimer();
+
diff --git a/config/.gitignore b/config/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+environment.rb
+database.yml
+tasks.yml
+
diff --git a/public/javascripts/announcement_refresh.js b/public/javascripts/announcement_refresh.js
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/public/javascripts/announcement_refresh.js
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+
+var Announcement = {
+
+    mostRecentId: 0,
+
+    setMostRecentId: function(id) {
+	Announcement.mostRecentId = id;
+    },
+
+    updateRecentId: function(id) {
+	if(Announcement.mostRecentId < id)
+	    Announcement.mostRecentId = id;
+    },
+
+    refreshAnnouncement: function() {
+	var url = '/main/announcements';
+	new Ajax.Request(url, {
+	    method: 'get',
+	    parameters: { recent: Announcement.mostRecentId },
+	    onSuccess: function(transport) {
+		var announcementBody = 	$("announcementbox-body");
+		announcementBody.insert({ top: transport.responseText });
+	    }
+	});
+	Announcement.registerRefreshEventTimer();
+    },
+
+    registerRefreshEventTimer: function() {
+	setTimeout(function () {
+	    Announcement.refreshAnnouncement();
+	}, 30000);
+    }
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/public/stylesheets/application.css b/public/stylesheets/application.css
--- a/public/stylesheets/application.css
+++ b/public/stylesheets/application.css
@@ -237,10 +237,13 @@
     padding: 1px;
     padding-left: 10px;
     padding-right: 10px;
+    padding-top: 5px;
+    padding-bottom: 5px;
 }
 
-div.announcement p {
+.announcement p {
     font-size: 12px;
+    margin: 2px;
 }
 
 div.pub-info, div.pub-info p {
@@ -249,6 +252,16 @@
     font-size: 9px;
 }
 
+.announcement .toggles {
+    font-weight: normal;
+    float: right;
+    font-size: 80%;
+}
+
+.announcement .announcement-title {
+    font-weight: bold;
+}
+
 /******************
    Messages
 ******************/