Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, answering questions from journalists working in the media of the Volga Federal District, said that the system of officials declaring their expenses, if introduced, will lead to increased corruption. The head of state, therefore, opposed introducing the practice of declaring expenses. Instead, he called on tax authorities to more strictly control the income of government employees.

The first criminal in the history of the country convicted of bribery has been convicted in Great Britain. The first British bribe-taker was 22-year-old court clerk Munir Yakub Patel, who received six years in prison for abuse of office and accepting a bribe. Bribery did not appear in the United Kingdom today, but until 2011 there was no corresponding article in the country’s criminal legislation, and such crimes were considered within the framework of legislation aimed at combating corruption.

Since January 2012, Portugal has temporarily suspended the activities of its embassies in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. This step is connected with the difficult financial situation of the country - in order to save money. According to the Portuguese Foreign Ministry, the embassies of this country will also be closed in Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kenya and Malta.

Ethiopian army units crossed the border and invaded Somalia. reports this from eyewitnesses of what is happening The BBC . According to sources on the scene, at least 20 trucks carrying military personnel crossed the border into Somalia. According to unconfirmed reports, Ethiopian army personnel have been spotted in the town of Gurel and the surrounding area of ​​Beledweyne, located in central Somalia. Meanwhile, the Ethiopian authorities deny the invasion of the neighboring country.

In Kabul, the prosecutor of the Afghan Anti-Drug Tribunal, Khoja Mohammad Ibrahim, was killed at the gates of his home. According to the press secretary of the 101st Asmai police zone, which is responsible for maintaining order in Kabul, Heshmatullah Stanakzai, this murder has all the signs of a contract killing. reports this RIA Novosti .

Who will receive the greatest reward when moving to a new position in 2011? Where are top managers paid the most? And who will receive the greatest reward when moving to a new position in 2011? You will find answers to these questions in the next annual Forbes salary ranking. The results of the expert survey turned out to be quite unexpected: according to headhunters, managers will receive the maximum rewards when moving within holdings.

In response to media publications about the decision of the Moscow authorities to build the world's largest Ferris Wheel in the capital, the city's chief architect Alexander Kuzmin said that such an object is not included in the Moscow development plan. reports this Interfax . In other words, the capital’s authorities are not going to build a 220-meter-high Ferris Wheel either in Gorky Park, or in the southwest of Moscow, or on Vernadsky Avenue.

The administration of US President Barack Obama plans to introduce additional sanctions against Iran in the near future. Among others, new restrictions will affect businesses related to the petrochemical industry of the Islamic Republic. reports this RIA Novosti . Until now, sanctions against Iran have prohibited US companies from doing business with Iranian partners.

The largest shareholders of the Lithuanian commercial bank Snoras, Vladimir Antonov and Raimondas Baranauskas, issued an official statement in which they stated that the actions taken by the National Bank of Lithuania in relation to the credit institution are fundamentally at odds with the methods and generally accepted rules of civilized business in democratic countries and the norms of a market economy. reports this RIA Novosti .

Tahrir Square in central Cairo is once again in the grip of demonstrators. After serious clashes between protesters and police last night, hundreds of people continue to remain in the square. They build barricades, collect stones from the pavement, and stock up on vinegar, onions and soda to ward off tear gas. “We will not leave the square until we feel that we have stopped being deceived! - say the participants of the action.

The United Russia party intends to send its representatives to Transnistria to monitor the progress of the presidential elections in this unrecognized republic. Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky stated this at a press conference in Tiraspol. According to the State Duma deputy, the list of the delegation of the party in power for the elections in Transnistria has already been approved. It will include only deputies of the lower house of the Russian parliament.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, at a meeting with representatives of the Muslim clergy in Ufa, said that 1 billion rubles will be allocated for the training of specialists in the history and culture of Islam in Russia in the next three years. reports this RIA Novosti . According to Medvedev, the state previously paid attention to the development of religious diversity in Russia and will continue to do so.

In the Turkish capital Istanbul, as a result of a large-scale police operation, 17 people were arrested and accused of producing counterfeit Russian rubles. More than six thousand counterfeit banknotes with a face value of five thousand rubles with a total value of about $1 million were seized from counterfeiters. According to representatives of the Istanbul police, the batch of counterfeit money was intended for transportation to Russia.

In Syria, the first attack by opposition armed forces was launched on a facility in the country's capital. At least two rocket-propelled grenade shells were fired at the ruling Baath Party building in Damascus on Saturday, according to Reuters. Immediately after the incident, the area was cordoned off by police and firefighters. There were no reports of dead or injured.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the law on the ratification of the agreement between the Russian Federation and Finland on the lease of the Russian part of the Saimaa Canal and the adjacent territory and on navigation through this canal. reports this RIA Novosti . The law in question was adopted by the State Duma on November 1 and approved by the Federation Council on November 9, 2011.