Russia on Wednesday celebrates the memorable date - the day of the heroes of the Fatherland . This holiday is new, it appeared in 2007, when President Vladimir Putin amended the Federal Law "On Days of Military Glory and Memorial Dates of Russia". Until 1917 on December 9 (November 26 according to the old style), the holiday of St. George Cavaliers was celebrated in Russia. On this day in 1769, Catherine II established the Order of St. George the Victorious.

Two troops of the naval forces of Japan’s self -defense forces were missing as a result of the accident of the patrol helicopter. He sank in the East Chinese Sea off the coast of the Southern Japanese Island of Kyusu, the country's Ministry of Defense reports. On board the SH-60J helicopter, which made a training flight the night before, there were four people. Two of them were found and pulled out of the water rescuers of safety management at sea.

The Russian Academy of Education at the meeting on the eve of the meeting confirmed that a single state examination in the Russian schools in the future can be held at two levels. According to Viktor Bolotov, Vice President of RAO, the former head of Rosobrnadzor, the Academy is working out this issue.

The newspaper NG-Religi has published today an interview with the main rabbi of Moscow, the chairman of the Rabbinsky CIS Court of the CIS Pinhas Goldschmidt. As noted in the publication, his second position from the point of view of the Jewish tradition is of particular importance.

The European Football Union (UEFA) on Wednesday confirmed that the Moscow CSKA will not be expelled from the Champions League drawing after the two players of the army club were suspected of anti -doping services. This was reported by the British television channel Sky Sports .

In Russia, the birth rate is growing and mortality decreases. This was reported by the Minister of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation Tatyana Golikova on Wednesday at the "parliamentary hour" in the State Duma. “Over 10 months of 2009, 1 million 475 thousand children were born, which is 40 thousand 556 more than in the same period of 2008 (then 1 million 434 thousand children were born),” Golikova said.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia said that the owner of a car, who is put into scraps according to the state program, which will begin to operate in 2010, will have to pay for its disposal on its own. The exact prices for this service will be set at the regional level, however, the amount of the recycling fee should not exceed 3 thousand rubles per one bypassing vehicle, Bfm.ru business portal reports.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev submitted to the Federation Council “In order to protect the interests of Russia”, to grant the supreme commander the right to independently make a decision on the operational use of the Armed Forces abroad. According to the newspaper Kommersant , the Council of People's Commissars is ready to give such a permit already at the next meeting on December 16. Meanwhile, experts warn that if the proposal is approved, it will conflict with the constitution.

In China, a new technology for combating pornography on the Internet has been developed. For each new site of this content, which the user will report, the authorities will pay reward, reports the weblanet with reference to the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph .

Yesterday, the Committee of Automobile Producers of the European Business Association (AEB) published data on the sales of new cars in Russia in January-November. According to AEB, they decreased by 50% (to 1.3 million cars), and in November - by 46% (up to 105 thousand cars). According to the results of 11 months, the Russian LADA became the best -selling brand, the Chevrolet brand took the second place, the third - Ford, writes the newspaper Kommersant .

The Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin proved the work of Russian artists of the XIX century. In mid -December, in Moscow an exhibition will open with reproductions of paintings by Serov, Ivanov and Surikov, where the "father of the peoples" painted "nudity" with his own hand and left malicious comments. One of the most interesting exhibits is the reproduction of a portrait of the naked old man Valentin Serov.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin signed an order by which he approved the program of privatization of federal property for 2010 and the main directions of privatization of federal property for 2011 and 2012. The text of the order is posted on the government website, reports ITAR-TASS. The program provides that in 2010-2012, a privatization of federal state unitary enterprises that do not ensure the performance of state functions of the Russian Federation will be carried out.

In the Saratov region, investigators began to investigate the murder of 15 years ago. The initiator of the criminal case was the husband of the alleged killer, who, after many years, revealed a terrible secret. Primary evidence on the murder of a woman in the Rtishchevsky district of the Saratov region has already been collected, reports REGNUM with reference to the regional investigative department.

In the Krasnodar Territory, a businessman who was engaged in the construction business was killed. The victim of the killers in the city of Yeisk was the general director of LLC Druzhba. This company is operating in the field of construction, Interfax reports with reference to the press service of the investigative department at the prosecutor's office of the Krasnodar Territory.

In the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the requirements for the resignation of the Governor of the Perm Territory Oleg Chirkunov are sounded in connection with a fire in Perm, who claimed their lives, according to the latest data, 125 people. At a meeting of the lower house on Wednesday, the Fair Russia faction and the deputy chairman of the Duma, the leader of the LDPR faction Vladimir Zhirinovsky demanded to call Chirkunov to the State Duma, hear his report and resign.