Since January 1, 2014, Latvia officially joined the Eurozone. It became the eighteenth member of the group uniting the EU country, the official currency of which is the euro, the Russian BBC service reports. The former Republic of the USSR recently managed to get out of the financial crisis and become the most rapidly developing EU economy, the agency notes. A month ago, the Prime Minister of Latvia Valdis Dombrovskis assured that the republic is ready to introduce the European currency.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, on December 31 and January 1, about 4 million Russians went to the streets, RIA Novosti reports. In total, more than 8 thousand events took place in the country. The celebration of the New Year as a whole took place without serious violations, the department notes. So, 784 events were held in the Far Eastern Federal District.

On Wednesday, January 1, the famous writer and public figure Daniil Granin turns 95 years old, RIA Novosti reports. The writer was congratulated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting that Granin enjoys "a high, well-deserved authority as a courageous, strong-strong person who has passed the fiery roads of the Great Patriotic War. As an outstanding writer and publicist, a real Russian intellectual and ascendant," ITAR-TASS reports.

In the capital of the Western Pakistani Province of Belujan, the city of Kvetta, a terrorist-suicide bomb, crashed into a bus into a bus with Iran with shine pilgrims, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the Dawn Pakistani newspaper. The attack occurred in the urban district of Akhtarabad. At least three people died, about 30 were injured. Among the wounded are women, children and five policemen. At least 46 passengers were on the bus. After the explosion, the bus caught fire.

The Palestinian Ambassador to the Czech Republic Jamal al-Jamal was seriously wounded during the explosion in his residence in Prague, located in the Sukhodol region, in the sixth district of the Czech capital. He was taken to a military hospital shortly after noon, reports Radio Prague . The 56-year-old diplomat received burns and wounds of the lower and upper extremities and was immersed in artificial sleep.

The crew and passengers of the Russian research vessel "Academician of Shokalsky", which is on December 25 in the icy captivity off the coast of the Antarctic, so far cannot be evacuated. They planned to take people out by helicopter , but due to the worsening of the weather, he cannot fly out of the Chinese ship Xue Long ("Xuelun" or "Snow Dragon"). The rescue surgery is postponed until weather conditions are improved, which should be expected no earlier than the next day.

New Year's Eve in France became, as the country's Minister of Internal Affairs, Manuel Waltz, one of the most difficult periods for law enforcement forces. Three people were killed during the night and 1067 cars were burned, ITAR-TASS reports. In addition, in the east of the country, in Alsace, one person died from a random explosion of the firecracker, which he held in his hands.

By the beginning of the New Year, international organizations traditionally collected data on the victims of the last year to journalists in different countries and called the most dangerous for them. 70 journalists were killed in 2013 because of their professional activities or directly during work, the non-governmental organization "Committee for the Protection of Journalists" , based in New York, calculated. Most of the media employees - 29 people - died in Syria, where there is a civil war.

The Kiev police receive appeals of citizens regarding the holding of protest in the central part of the Ukrainian capital, according to a statement by the Department of Public Security of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, published on the website of the department on Wednesday. "Only over the past day, the Chevchenkovsky district administration of the capital has registered 17 reports on the illegal actions of the protesters.

The police found and interviewed the parents of a five -year -old girl who fell into whom, after a contusion, received as a result of the fireplace explosion in her hand in the east of Moscow, Interfax reports.

The Government of the PRC expressed a “serious concern” of several demonstrators at the headquarters of the garrison of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA), stationed in the special administrative district of Syangan (Hong Kong). About this, as ITAR-TASS reports, said the official representative of the Chancellery for Hong Kong and Macau at the State Council of the PRC.

The head of the UN peacekeeping mission, Hilde Johnson, said that the Government of South Sudan and the rebels still have a chance to save the country, but the situation is on a critical point, after which the chance can be missed. The international official called on the conflicting parties to immediately stop military operations and sit down at the negotiating table, the BBC British broadcasting corporation reports.

With the onset of 2014, the chairmanship of the G8 passed to Russia. It is assumed that the 40th summit of the heads of state and governments of the "Big Eight" will be held in Sochi on June 4 and 5. The last time such a meeting was held in the Russian Federation seven years ago in St. Petersburg. In connection with the beginning of the Russian chairmanship in the G8, the country's President Vladimir Putin spoke about the goals of the upcoming summit.

"Federal Passenger Company" (FPK), "Daughter" of Russian Railways, announced that she would not increase tariffs for the transportation of passengers in the cars "Coupe", "SV" and "Lux" in 2014. Last year, tariffs for the transportation of passengers did not increase in the CV cars. In the "coupe" and "luxury" tariffs in 2011-2013. increased by 5% annually. In general and reserved seats, tariffs from January 1 will increase by 4.2%from January 1.

The number of victims as a result of two New Year's terrorist attacks in Volgograd increased to 64 people. 45 injured during terrorist attacks in Volgograd are still in Volgograd hospitals, another 19 people are treated in capital's hospitals, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the regional government. Earlier, the press service of the regional government clarified that those who applied complain about damage to the hearing organs. 34 people died as a result of explosions.