The new members of the House of Representatives of the US Congress and senators took the oath, which marked the beginning of the work of the 111st composition of the American legislative body. However, the ceremony was overshadowed by a scandalous misunderstanding around Roland Berris , a senator from Illinois, who was supposed to replace the US President Barack Obama in the Senate chair, Interfax reports.

The Government of Pakistan recognized the only surviving after the attack on the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay) in November of the terrorist Pakistani citizen, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the Pakistani television channel Dawn News . The Indian CNNIBN television channel with reference to official sources in Pakistan confirmed this information.

The unknown explosive device worked in a garage near a residential building in the city of Karabulaka (Ingushetia), two people were killed, Interfax reports with reference to the headquarters of the temporary grouping of troops. "The explosion thundered in a garage near a five -story residential building on Askanov Street in Karabulak. As a result of the explosion, two people were killed, presumably manufacturing an explosive device," said the representative of the headquarters.

Sheikh Hasan Nasrullah, General Secretary of the Lebanese Hizballah, announced the possibility of joining the new military confrontation with Israel, ITAR-TASS reports. Speaking at a multi -thousandth rally, he did not exclude “any options” in response to the “continued bloody massacre in gas”, and called on the Islamic resistance fighters to be ready to open the “second front”.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated Orthodox Christians today, Christmas Christmas citizens with Christmas, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the Kremlin press service. “For many centuries, this holiday gives people the unlimited light of faith, hopes and love. He turns us to the enduring values ​​that underlie the entire Christian civilization and feed the Orthodox culture.

Israeli troops announced on Wednesday the first three -hour humanitarian truce in the gas sector. The fighting was unilaterally terminated until 16:00 local time (until 17:00 Moscow time), RIA Novosti reports with reference to Palestinian radio stations. Palestinians, many of whom did not go outside for a week, are in a hurry to use the hours of lull to replenish food supplies and other essential goods. Such a truce is planned to be carried out daily.

Five employees of the American private security company Blackwater, who are accused of killing 14 peaceful Iraqi citizens and applying gunshot wounds to 20 Iraqis, refused to find themselves guilty. The court session with their participation was held on Tuesday in the District Court of the American capital, ITAR-TASS reports. The sixth participant in the incident, also an employee of Blackwater, previously pleaded guilty and is currently actively cooperating with the investigation.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that "to resume gas supplies, Ukrainian consumers need to conclude a new Gazprom and Naftogaz contract at a market European price without discounts and benefits." This position was stated on January 7 during his telephone conversation with the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko, who took place on the initiative of the Ukrainian side, ITAR-TASS reports with reference to the press service of the Russian leader.

The costs of war in Iraq and Afghanistan this year may amount to $ 136 billion. With such an assessment, as ITAR-TASS reports, the US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates made in a letter sent to the Congressman-Democrat John Merte, who is in the House of Representatives for allocation for defense needs. According to the GateSv document, to continue military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2009 in 2009 (began on October 1, 2008 - approx.

Gazprom is forced to stop the supply of gas to the border with Ukraine, since the neighboring republic blocked all gas transport corridors for the transit of Russian gas to Europe. The corresponding proposal of the head of the gas monopoly Alexei Miller was supported by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at a bilateral meeting in the Konstantinovsky Palace in St. Petersburg, Interfax reports.

The leading stock markets in the European Union have completed their work as a strong drop in the main indices. Thus, optimism has disappeared from the exchanges about the prospects of the world economy in the new year, which reigned at six previous sessions in a row, ITAR-TASS reports. Now it has been replaced by the concern of investors regarding the difficulties in the US economy, where, according to the data common today, in December there was a powerful increase in unemployment.

The rich Russians who were depositors of the Bank Medici Austrian Bank may be among the Madoff Pyramid, interfax reports with reference to the International Herald Tribune . Bank Medici, who, due to financial losses a few days ago, was taken under the management of the Austrian government, invested in Bernard Madoff, who is accused by the US authorities of fraud, a total of $ 2.1 billion of customer money. Part of this amount belonged, according to the newspaper, the "Russian oligarchs".

Barack Obama intends to take an active part in the process of resolving in the Middle East immediately after taking office as president of the United States, which will be held on January 20. With this assumption, the future American leader spoke at a brief press conference on January 7, ITAR-TASS reports.

Having rummaged in their own archives, the journalists of The Times revealed the 10 most unusual finds in the stomachs of sharks, writes Inopressa . 1. In 1821, the newspaper told about the sailor, who unsuccessfully tried to catch fish for metal dollars instead of bait. "Four days later, at a distance of 300 miles, his comrades caught a shark and a dolphin, in the stomachs of which three hooks with dollars were discovered," the publication reports. 2.

Four people died as a result of a fire in a residential building in the center of Moscow. It is reported by ITAR-TASS with reference to the metropolitan administration of the Ministry of Emergencies. The fire is currently eliminated. The signal of the fire in the five -story building of the 19th century in the Krestovzdvizhensky lane entered the service "01" at 7.45. Within an hour, the fire was eliminated. “The fire in a three -room apartment was liquidated at 8.45.