British students from the University of Newkasl have developed new cigarettes, cigarette butts from which they quickly dissolve and do not pollute the environment. Cigarette butts from new cigarettes dissolve after the first rain, while ordinary cigarette filters are required for years to completely decompose. New filters are made of natural materials, which contributes to the rapid decay process, RIA Novosti reports.

The very warm relations between Israel and the United States were noticeably cooled after information appeared that the General Director of the Israeli Ministry of Defense Amos Yaron sold to China weapons systems without warning the Americans.

On Friday, the head coach of the Russian youth team, Sergei Gersonsky, called the composition of the national team, which will fly to the United States on December 18 to participate in the World Cup. The youth championship of the world will be held from December 25 to January 4 at American Grand Forms and Tif River Falls.

The prosecutor's office of the great Hovgorod completed the investigation in the case of the suspect, twice threatening to blow up the city synagogue, the prosecutor of the city Andrei Efimov told the Interfax agency. He noted that the court of the great Hovgorod will begin to consider this case on December 20.

Usama Ben Laden called on Islamic groups on the Arabian Peninsula to strike the Saudi monarchy and indicates objects: oil wells in the Persian Gulf and Iraq. The leader of the International Terrorist Group wants the price of a barrel of oil to reach at least $ 100 in order to kneel the entire West, the Italian La Stampa writes (translation on the website inopressa.ru ).

On Friday, the head of the personnel department of Yukos, the Yukos’s personnel department was detained by the Russian Prosecutor General of Russia for 48 hours, a source close to the board of the company Yukos told the oil and oil information. The night before, Zakharov was forced to interrogate, which lasted until late in the evening. “We do not know what quality it will be interrogated in, in what case and on what grounds,” the source in the company added.

More and more new oligarchs appear in Russia, using the country's vessels and power services signing multimillion -dollar bills that select control packages of shares and bankrupt industrial giants. Previously, this was called "unfriendly absorptions", now - an economic terror. Now this type of business is more profitable for weapons or drug trafficking. It brings from 250 to 1000 percent of profit. Or, according to experts, about 30 billion dollars a year.

On Sunday, Russia plans to sell the pearl of the Yukos oil giant at the auction , once the most profitable, well-known and effective private company. And if the auction will take place, it will most likely win it, the Open -free state gas monster Gazprom, writes The New York Times (translation on the website inopressa.ru ).

On Thursday, the France Parliament adopted in the first reading an article of the bill aimed at combating relapse. This article allows judges to oblige people guilty of sexual crimes sentenced to five or more years of prison, after release, wear an electronic bracelet on their hand. According to the article, pedophiles and sexual maniacs can be obliged to wear a bracelet for 20 years, and criminals - 30 years. The decision will be made by the court to enforce the punishment.

The State Duma on Friday rejected the amendments on the introduction of articles on responsibility for the application of torture in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. With the necessary 226 votes, the decision to reject this bill in the first reading was supported by 376 deputies who voted against and abstained.

The presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych states that Leonid Kuchma invited him to file a resignation after the decision of the Verkhovna Rada about the expression of distrust of the government, but he refused. “I think that Leonid Danilovich (Kuchma) simply did not fully recognize me when I made this proposal.

President Leonid Kuchma invited the Verkhovna Rada to send Ukrainian peacekeepers to the Israeli-Syrian conflict zone for the participation of Ukraine in the UN forces to observe the disconnection of the Israeli and Syrian troops, RIA Novosti reports. The press service of the parliament said that the corresponding bill has already been registered in the Verkhovna Rada. The draft law does not involve the participation of peacekeepers in hostilities.

Businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili was elected on Friday the President of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Georgia. Representatives of the NOC elected B. Patarkatsishvili unanimously after the three other candidates for this position refused to participate in the elections. The Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia insists on the issuance of B.

Karl de Gyukht will begin his visit to Russia on December 21 by visiting the brewery of the Moscow Region. “The minister will arrive in Russia on December 21, and on the same day he will go to one of the beer plants near Moscow,” RIA Novosti told Belgium in Moscow. The diplomat noted that the main part of the working visit by de Gyhta to Moscow is scheduled for December 22.

The ruling in Israel Party "Likud" and the largest opposition party "Avoda" reached an agreement on the formation of the government. Israeli radio reported on Friday that the socialists would receive eight portfolios in it. Negotiations on the accession of Avoda to the ruling coalition were launched at the suggestion of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon after his government lost the majority in the Knesset.