Kubinsky leader Raul Castro wished Barack Obama Barack Obama as president of the United States, ITAR-TASS reports. “It seems that this is a good person, I wish him good luck,” he said, answering the press questions during a visit to the Latin American Medicine School in a suburb of Cuba. Earlier, the head of the Cuban state has repeatedly expressed readiness for dialogue with the new US president to resolve bilateral contradictions.

According to the new calculations of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, the GDP of the Russian Federation in 2009 will decrease by 0.2%, instead of growth by 2.4% according to the previous forecast, Interfax reports with reference to a source in one of the departments of the financial and economic bloc.

The Latvian police came up with how to calculate the participants in the riots and pogroms that occurred in Old Riga on January 13. On Thursday, the police opened a special site on which the inhabitants of the Latvian capital are called upon to identify participants in the riots, whose photographs close -up are posted there. At the same time, the site will be constantly replenished with new photo and video materials, the police noted.

The defendants of the Chinese "Melamin scandal" Zhang Yuzyun and Gen Jespin were sentenced to death. Such a decision was made by the court of the city of Shijiazhuan in the province of Hebey on January 22. According to RIA Novosti , Zhang Yuzzyun is accused of manufacturing and selling Melamin to dairy companies, Geng Jipin - in the sale of infected milk.

The Japanese Corporation Sony said that according to the results of the financial year, she will incur losses of $ 2.9 billion. A net loss will be 1.7 billion. Sony incurred losses for the first time in the year in 14 years. The corporation says that the reason for this result was not only a reduction in demand for electronics against the background of a global economic crisis, but also the strengthening of the Japanese currency.

American scientists managed to solve the riddle of Antarctica. According to previous data, it seemed that the temperature on the continent decreases against the background of universal global warming. Now it is proven that this is not so, reports the website inopressa.ru with reference to The Guardian .

The new US President Barack Obama can come to Moscow in April, and the new Secretary of State of America Hillary Clinton can visit the capital in March. This was reported on January 22 by the Kommersant newspaper with reference to a source close to the US State Department. According to the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs of Senator-Democrat John Kerry, new opportunities are “opening up new opportunities” for a dialogue with Russia to reduce weapons.

The British Queen Elizabeth the second safely opposes the crisis. The crown belongs to 194,000 hectares of agricultural land, forests and parks. Their estimated cost exceeds 900 million pounds (700 million euros). According to Smiths Gore, these lands, despite the crisis, brought about 10% of the profit in real estate consulting company. In addition, Elizabeth II owns the famous Rigentle Park in the center of London.

The Israeli army is investigating reports on the illegal use of phosphorus ammunition during the three -week operation "Little Lead" in the gas sector directed against Palestinian militants, BBC British corporation reports. Earlier, human rights groups and the media reported that the Israeli army used artillery shells when shelling of Gaza, which included white phosphorus.

Head funds, managing the money of investors around the world lost 384 billion dollars last year, and the total value of assets in their management dropped to 1.5 trillion dollars with 1.9 trillion at a peak reached last summer, Interfax reports with reference to the Singapore Eurekaedge PTE study. A even more gloomy evaluation of hedge fund assets for the end of last year is offered by Bloomberg with reference to the data of Hedge Fund Research Inc.

The Japanese rescuers stopped the search for the JI Won No.1 vessel with a crew of 12 citizens of Russia, which disappeared near the island of Hokkaido. The fate of the sailors and the ship remains unknown. This was reported to ITAR-TASS in the Vladivostok marine rescue and coordination center (SKC). The operation was involved in the aviation of the Japanese side, but the searches did not give any results.

Barack Obama was re -offered on January 21 as a new US president, but now in the White House. The oath, as for the first time, was accepted by the chairman of the Supreme Court John Roberts. The procedure was held in the "cartographic room" of the White House. The television journalists and photographers, however, were not allowed there. The fact is that when Obama pronounces the oath a day earlier on the steps of the Capitol, a small mistake was made.

Timothy Gatener, proposed as Minister of Finance, spoke the day before before the American Congress. He had to apologize for non -payment of taxes in the amount of 34 thousand dollars, which he owed for the period from 2001 to 2004, when he worked at the International Monetary Fund. “These were careless mistakes, errors are eliminated, but unforgivable. I should have been more attentive,” Gaiter quoted the agency AR.

Families of the Palestinians, most affected by the Israeli military operation , will receive four thousand euros (5180 dollars of the United States) from the control sector of the GAMAM GAZ. According to ITAR-TASS, this was announced by the official representative of the Islamists Tahar al-Nun. 28.6 million euros (37 million US dollars) are allocated to residents of the coastal enclave. The distribution of funds will begin on Sunday.

The curious incident occurred in Canada. There, a 11-month-old child, playing with the phone, accidentally dialed number 911 and called the police to his home. Arriving law enforcement officers found a “very surprised” father of the baby inside, who, as it turned out, was growing hemp. The salvation service was puzzled by a call, in which the subscriber, without saying a word, hung up. Having established where the call was made from, the operators nevertheless transmitted the police signal.