The payment burden on Russians for loans and borrowings in 2024 increased to a maximum in four years, according to statistics from the Bank of Russia. The amount of interest accrued but not paid by Russian households on loans as of December 1, 2024 amounted to 607.8 billion rubles. The rate of accumulation of interest liabilities in 2024 has more than tripled. This is the interest that borrowers must pay in the next month from the reporting date to repay loans on schedule.

Macron delivers a message to the French armed forces. Screenshot from the broadcast French President Emmanuel Macron delivered his annual message to the armed forces on Monday evening, January 20. Noting that “the French army is the strongest in Europe,” he urged “not to stop there” and take into account the key changes in the nature and scale of military conflicts that have occurred in recent years.

Joe Biden's decree pardoning his relatives Before leaving the White House, Joe Biden, who resigned today, pardoned his relatives - brothers and sister, as well as their spouses for all non-violent crimes from January 1, 2014 to January 20, 2025. A pardon for crimes does not mean Biden will admit to any of them, the White House said, but it will ensure that members of Biden's family will not be prosecuted to "harm" him.

Employees of one of the Chelyabinsk factories received a salary for December that was 100 times higher than usual due to an accounting error. Komsomolskaya Pravda writes about this with reference to the workers. For example, one of the workers named Ivan (name changed) received a salary of 5 million rubles instead of the usual 50 thousand rubles. Someone, as the newspaper writes, received 8 million rubles. Some factory workers have already spent part of their unexpectedly large salaries.

Photo: Kremlin press service A fragment of Putin’s speech from a meeting with permanent members of the Security Council was published by the Kremlin press service. “We see statements by the newly elected US President and members of his team about the desire to restore direct contacts with Russia - interrupted through no fault of ours by the outgoing administration. We also hear his statements about the need to do everything to prevent a third world war.

Tiraspoltransgaz notified Moldovagaz of its consent to supply gas to Transnistria from the territory of Moldova, said the president of the unrecognized republic Vadim Krasnoselsky. The notification was sent on January 18, Krasnoselsky claims. But as of January 20, there is no response from Moldovagaz yet. Krasnoselsky claims that Tiraspoltransgaz guarantees payment for supplies. The energy crisis in Transnistria arose after Russia stopped supplying gas to Moldova from the beginning of 2025.

How loyalty became the main museum exhibit. About personnel changes at Pushkinsky Elizaveta Likhacheva during the press preview of Diderot's Salons exhibition. Photo: Irina Bujor / Kommersant On January 16, it became known that the director of the Pushkin Museum, Elizaveta Likhacheva, left her post. Olga Galaktionova, who previously held the position of manager of the ROSIZO museum and exhibition center (an ambiguous name in our realities), was appointed in her place.

Rapper Morgenstern* will be a “locomotive” in a series of arrests and confiscation of property from “slanderers” lurking behind the hill Rapper Morgenstern (Alisher Valeev). Photo: Sergey Karpukhin / TASS On January 18, the Savelovsky Court of Moscow, as part of a criminal case under Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code (evasion of duties provided for by the legislation on foreign agents), seized the property of rapper Alisher Morgenstern (Valeev) in the Istra region. And it's not cheap there.

Screenshot from video A criminal case was opened in Tuva after a video appeared on social networks in which contract soldiers were beaten before being sent to the Northern Military District. TASS writes that the investigation recorded cases of ill-treatment in military unit No. 55115, including the use of stun guns.

How to live without dreams, but with goals. Jim Hovhannisyan, a 16-year-old resident of Yerevan with spinal muscular atrophy, tells the story. Jim in his workshop room. Photo: Nata Brattell At first glance, Jim is an ordinary 16-year-old teenager. He loves the parrot Maya, likes to surf the Internet, hang out with friends, draw, cook, and used to really like to bake and make up stories.

Armenians, of course, are very lucky that Yervand Kochar was born into an Armenian family Ervand Kochar. Photo: collab.am Art has always been the victory of the minority over the majority. Yervand Kochar Yerevan is rich in monuments. On the Cascade, the most iconic place in the Armenian capital, “The Smoking Woman” by Fernando Botero is comfortably located.

What did Israel and Hamas agree on? Conversation with political scientist Arkady Dubnov Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire and the release of hostages. The deal was first announced by US President-elect Donald Trump, his words confirmed by Israeli and Arab media. According to them, Hamas undertakes to release 33 Israeli hostages, including children and IDF soldiers. In exchange, Israel must release several hundred Palestinian prisoners sentenced to up to life in prison.

Screenshot from video Three hostages whom Palestinian militants handed over to the Red Cross as part of an agreement with Israel were given “souvenirs” and “release certificates” by Hamas, Israeli media write . They published a video of women posing with the “gifts” they received. The paper bags with the group's symbols contained postcards with views of Gaza, maps of the enclave, as well as photographs of the girls during their time in captivity.

Why would the majority of society approve of a theoretical freezing of deposits? Photo: Alexey Malgavko / Kommersant Rosstat reports: social stratification is growing. Rich Russians receive 185,300 rubles a month, while the poorest receive only 11,900 rubles. The gap between these groups has reached 15.5 times and continues to grow. Let's remember these numbers. "ROMIR" explores.

Utility workers complained that “temperature swings” were preventing them from cleaning the city. Photo: Serafim Romanov / Novaya Gazeta Operational activities on the morning of January 20 took place in the administrations of the Central, Admiralteysky, Vasileostrovsky, Primorsky and Vyborg districts, Fontanka reported . According to the publication, security forces also came to ten addresses of management companies and to the office of the St. Petersburg Metro.