The Bank of Russia praised the employee running its official telegram channel for his resilience after he reassured readers during the collapse of the ruble exchange rate. A representative of the Central Bank told the publication Podem that the chief financial regulator is proud of his employee. “We had no doubt that our SMM specialists are the best, the most persistent and the most competent. We are always proud and appreciative!” — the Central Bank told reporters.

Before the New Year, prices for mayonnaise and mayonnaise sauces will rise sharply in Russia due to rising oil prices. The Kommersant newspaper writes about this with reference to a letter from one of the largest manufacturers on the Russian market. The mayonnaise manufacturer Essen Production AG, which is known for its Makheev brand products, notified retailers of an upcoming price increase from December 15.

The man lived for free in Chinese hotels for almost a year: he planted dead cockroaches and used condoms in the rooms, and then demanded that the money for his stay be returned to him. This was reported by the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post (SCMP). The 21-year-old man, surnamed Jiang, went on a trip to China last September using money he had saved for his studies, SCMP reported. From November 2023, he decided to deceive hotel employees in order to stay in them for free.

The creator of Gravity Falls, Alex Hirsch, responded on his page on the social network X (formerly Twitter) to an article by The Atlantic magazine that scripts from films, TV series and animated series were used to train artificial intelligence. “Oh, how cool, they are stealing episodes of Gravity Falls to train the AI. Hypothetical question: is it possible to encode a virus into a TV show script? For no particular reason,” Hirsch wrote.

Syrian opposition forces entered Syria's second largest city, Aleppo, for the first time in eight years. The fighting on the approaches to the city lasted about two days. The Associated Press reports this. The SkyNews Arabia TV channel clarifies that fighters from the Islamic group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham have entered Aleppo. This is the first attack by opposition forces on the city, which has been under government control since 2016.

A former nursery worker described as "one of Australia's worst pedophiles", 47-year-old Ashley Paul Griffith, has been jailed for life for sexually abusing 73 children. This was reported by the BBC and The Guardian . According to the BBC, the man admitted to 307 crimes committed in kindergartens in the Australian state of Queensland and abroad between 2003 and 2022. His victims were children aged from one to seven years, mostly girls from three to five years old.

The civil conflict in Vietnam in the mid-20th century grew into a confrontation between two systems: the USSR and China supported the socialists led by Ho Chi Minh, and the USA and Great Britain were forces loyal to the colonial French authorities. At first, the United States did not directly intervene in the conflict and provided the allies with financial and military assistance, but this was not enough, and in 1965 the United States decided to send its troops to Vietnam.

The head of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency (FMBA), Veronika Skvortsova, said at the session of the Congress of Young Scientists “Youth in Science: Building a Technological Future” that people under the age of 60 will soon be considered youth. Interfax reports this. “If we take the WHO classification, then a young person is up to 45 years old, I think so, taking into account the increase in life expectancy, soon it will be up to 60.

Ukrainian travel companies offer foreigners for a symbolic sum to visit Kyiv and see in real life the destruction from the war with Russia. Some tourists book special and more expensive tours to the war zone. The Straits Times writes about this. The War Tours company offers its clients to visit Kyiv and the Kyiv region with a guide. For example, clients can book a one-day tour to Kyiv for 150 euros per person. If a tourist wants to go to Irpen or Bucha, it will cost 250 euros for one day.

A car fell from a collapsed bridge in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. There were three people in the car, all of them died. Local police believe that the Google Maps service was involved in the accident because it did not warn the driver about the bridge collapse. The BBC reports this. According to police, the car fell into the Ramganga river in Badaun district on November 24 around 10 am. Two brothers and their friend were traveling in it to a wedding.

A 37-year-old railway worker is suspected of raping an electric train passenger in the Orenburg region, the Investigative Committee for Transport reports . According to the Investigative Committee, on the night of November 27, a drunken railway employee attacked a woman in an electric train car at the Mednogorsk station in the Orenburg region. The 37-year-old railway worker hit the passenger several times and then raped her, the press release said. They cut off half of my tongue. It was cancer.

In the UK, a case has begun against a spy network that included Bulgarian citizens. They are accused of spying for Russia, in particular of persecuting investigative journalist Hristo Grozev, who collaborated with Alexei Navalny and worked with him on the investigation into his poisoning. This was reported by the BBC and The Guardian . The Guardian writes that the network included Bizer Dzhambazov, Orlin Rusev, Katrin Ivanova, Vanya Gaberova and Tihomir Ivanchev.

Omsk scientists, together with colleagues from the Neftekhim experimental plant, have developed glow-in-the-dark paving stones. According to them, paving stones are highly durable and resistant to frost. RIA Novosti writes about this with reference to the press service of the university. It is reported that high-strength paving stones are intended for sidewalks, pedestrian roads, squares and gardening areas.

British oncologists have launched a clinical trial of a device that can detect skin cancer by chemical fumes released by the tumor. This was stated in a press release on the Bournemouth University website. Cancerous areas of the skin emit volatile organic compounds, scientists explain. During a preliminary study, they were able to identify biomarkers that are most likely associated with skin cancer. Scientists have also created a sensor that can capture these vapors.

The Russians on board the expedition ship SH Diana of the Swan Hellenic cruise company have gone on a hunger strike. Passengers are unhappy that the company refused to fully reimburse them for a canceled trip to Antarctica, which did not take place due to engine failure. The Times writes about this. 170 passengers went on board the ship for a 20-day cruise.