Virgin Galactic has for the first time demonstrated to the public a ship for space tourists called SpaceShipTwo, reports the Associated Press . It is reported that the first test flights will begin in 2010. Full-fledged excursions at altitudes of up to 110 kilometers will begin no earlier than 2011. The new spacecraft, which is more than 18 meters long, is built from lightweight composite materials. Up to eight people can be on board the aircraft: six passengers and two pilots.

The capital of Germany, Berlin, ranked last in terms of welfare and economic development among all 16 federal states of Germany, Welt reports, citing data from a study conducted by specialists from the Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft ("New Social Market Economy" - INSM) association. Almost 20 percent of Berlin residents depend on government assistance in one form or another. 14 percent are unemployed (the national average is 7.8 percent).

When the ministers of justice of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus agreed that in the official documents of both states Belarus would henceforth be called the Republic of Belarus, they made not one, but two decisions. One is political and legal, and it is entirely within the competence of statesmen. But another solution is historical and philological, offering some kind of renewal, some kind of enrichment of the language.

The Kuibyshevsky District Court of Omsk decided to take into custody the former general director of PKF SMU-1 KPD LLC, Yuri Zaborovsky, who is accused of defrauding more than 400 private co-investors in housing construction. This is stated in a statement from the Internal Affairs Directorate for the Omsk Region.

07.12.2009, 19:24:25 version Print | PDA/PDA Evo Morales. Photo ©AFP Socialism with an Indian face Evo Morales triumphantly defeated his political opponents Evo Morales announced his victory in the presidential elections without waiting for the publication of preliminary voting results. No one tried to refute these hasty statements - there was no doubt about his victory even before the start of the elections.

On the morning of December 7, seven tents were erected near the Latvian government building in Riga, in which citizens of the republic were settling, protesting against “social genocide,” reports Mixnews . The tents are covered with plastic film to protect their occupants from the rain. Thermos with hot drinks and bottles of water are laid out near the makeshift tent city, but there is no food - the protesters are on a hunger strike.

Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov made another deal in the New York real estate market. According to The New York Times , with the help of a mortgage loan, Kasparov bought a penthouse worth $3.4 million. According to the publication, to purchase a home with an area of ​​162 square meters, Kasparov took out a mortgage loan in the amount of $1.250 million. In addition, he received a 10 percent discount upon closing the deal.

In Saratov, 6 million 100 thousand rubles were stolen from Russian Post collectors. agency reported this on December 7 The Interfax . A specially equipped Gazelle transported money intended for social payments. The exact amount of money is not specified. When the car arrived at the post office on Samara Proezd, it turned out that five bags with money worth more than six million were missing. The driver and two collectors transporting the money themselves contacted the police.

On December 7 , Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko expressed dissatisfaction with the coverage of events in the country by the central television channels of Ukraine, reports the Ukrainian News agency .

Australian banana farmers have threatened to boycott chewing gum maker Wrigley. This was reported by The Sydney Morning Herald. About 800 Australian companies have been outraged by a Wrigley commercial. In it, bananas, along with popcorn, donuts and coffee, are presented as a product whose consumption leads to the development of dental caries. According to Australian Bananas representative David Chenu, the video does not take into account the beneficial properties of bananas.

07.12.2009, 18:27:58 version Print | PDA/PDA Amanda Knox. Photo ©AFP Murder by Exchange American student in Italy sentenced to 26 years in prison for murder of neighbor A jury in Italy put an end to the high-profile murder of a young British student, Meredith Kercher, who came to Perugia on an exchange and was stabbed to death in the house where she lived with another student, American Amanda Knox.

Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych addressed the people of the country, in which he spoke about what, from his point of view, distinguishes him from his main competitor, Yulia Tymoshenko , reports the Ukrainian News agency . According to the leader of the Party of Regions, Tymoshenko's policy, unlike his own, is confrontational and provokes political and economic crises. “Like 5 years ago, she is going to continue to fight, not build.

In the Philippines, about three thousand armed supporters of the Ampatuan clan in the province of Maguindana fled after the Philippine authorities declared martial law, reports Agence France-Presse . There were several exchanges of fire between guerrillas supporting the accused mastermind of the massacre, Andal Ampatuan Jr., and the police. The latest armed clash occurred on Sunday evening in the municipality of Datu Unsay, Maguindanao province, where Ampatuan Jr. is mayor.

More than five hundred people in the northwestern United States have filed child abuse lawsuits against Jesuit priests, the Associated Press reports . The severity of the crimes accused of the Jesuits varies from lawsuit to lawsuit, and the allegations span several decades. The lawsuits are all directed against the Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus, which includes Jesuits from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Russian forward of the NHL club Detroit Red Wings Pavel Datsyuk scored a goal in the regular season match against the New York Rangers. This game took place on the night of December 6-7 in New York and ended in a victory for Detroit with a score of 3:1. Datsyuk scored for the seventh time this season, the NHL official website reports. The hosts' forward Brian Boyle opened the scoring in the Rangers - Red Wings match in the first period.