At the age of 85, the famous Italian film actor Massimo Jitti, one of the most memorable representatives of the school of neorealism, died in the Roman clinic today. For 60 years of film work, he starred in more than a hundred films, was a favorite actor of such masters as Roberto Rossellini, Lukino Visconti, Ettore Shy, Pierre Paisolini, ITAR-TASS reports.

To create affairs of mercy urged Russians on the eve of the Nativity of Christ Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II . In his Christmas Epistle, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church reminded of the love of Christ, in which thousands of people need - those who have not yet gained God, who are tired and desperate in this world, got lost on his dangerous bursts.

Eleven people died from hypothermia over the past day in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Thus, the total number of victims of the unusually cold weather established in the northern regions of India reached 150. According to the India Meteorology Department, a cold front was the reason for a sharp decrease in temperature, which fell on India from the Himalayas, RIA Novosti reports.

Strong alcoholic drinks and beer rise in price this year, experts say, commenting on the increase in excise taxes in the Russian Federation from January 1, 2003. According to the chairman of the board of the National Alcohol Association (NAA), Pavel Shapkin, since the beginning of this year, excise tax on vodka, liquidation products, and ethyl alcohol have increased by 15% compared to last year.

President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev congratulated the Orthodox citizens of the country on the holiday of the Nativity of Christ .

The British government intends to seek the introduction of a mandatory 5-year imprisonment for everyone who will have illegal firearms. This was announced today by the head of the British Ministry of Internal Affairs David Blankette. According to him, this measure is the result of an “unacceptable increase in the number of crimes using firearms”. “We will not tolerate this on the streets of our cities,” he emphasized.

Russian President Vladimir Putin today called by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II and congratulated him on the upcoming holiday of the Nativity of Christ , which the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates on January 7 (December 25 according to the Julian calendar ).

The headquarters of the Armed Forces of France said that as a result of the battles between the French troops and rebels, who attacked two checkpoints of the peacekeeping contingent in Duukue (West Cote-D'Ivoir), the attackers suffered "heavy" losses. Four French soldiers were injured. About 70 rebels, with the support of mortars from today morning, until the beginning of the afternoon, subjected to fierce attacks French checkpoints simultaneously from two different directions.

The ex-Prime Minister, a member of the Sejm of Lithuania Rolandas Paxas, was elected the new president of Lithuania, the main election commission of the republic said. According to preliminary data on the results of the second round of elections received in the election commander, from all 2015 polling stations, 54.35% of voters who took part in the vote voted for the current President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus - 44.63% voted.

Oil prices have somewhat decreased today on world commodity exchanges in connection with the readiness of Russia and Saudi Arabia to maintain their stability , ITAR-TASS reports. The price of a barrel on the London International Oil Exchange fell in the first three hours of trading by 19 cents, dropping to a level of $ 30.58.

The Christmas worship in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which was headed by the Bishop of Petropavlovsky and Kamchatka Ignatius, is first broadcast on the screen on a screen of 4 by 6 meters, installed above the entrance to the local church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

Russia and Saudi Arabia are ready to act together in order to reduce oil price to a reasonable limit. The agreement on this was reached in negotiations in the Riyad of the Minister of Energy of Russia Igor Yusufov and the Saudi Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources Ali al-Nuime.

The south of Kamchatka remains in the power of a powerful cyclone, raging over Primorye and Sakhalin, a storm warning is valid. This was reported today in the Kamchatka Hydrometeorological Center. Strong snowfalls are not recorded, however, through the entire territory of the region, blizzards and a stormy wind are noted. In Ust-Bolshertsky district of the region, its speed reaches 32 meters per second. On the cape, a shovel, in the extreme south of the peninsula, is 41 meters per second.

In Moscow, the theft of the harvesting machine was committed. About the disappearance of a universal harvesting machine to the police on Monday evening, the foreman of Hephaestu LLC reported. According to him, the car was stolen by unknown from house N 7 on Bolshaya Cheremushkinskaya Street. According to the source in the capital's Central Internal Affairs Directorate, the amount of damage amounted to 390 thousand rubles, Interfax reports.

The leadership of Juventus agreed to extend contracts with his stars Edgar Davids and Alessandro del Pierrot. Davids, with whom Juventus had recently agreed to part, will remain in Turin until 2006. The current agreement with Del Pierrot expires only a year and a half, but the "old Signora" took care in advance so that the football player extend it until 2008, offering him the opportunity to earn 16 million pounds during this time.