Somali pirates liberated the Danish ship, on board of which there are 11 Russians. The CEC Future dry cargo was captured in early November in the Gulf of Aden. The head of the Clipper Projects Sudger company told AFP that ransom was paid for the release. In this environment, a parachute pirate was dropped by a container with money. Having recounted the banknotes, the criminals the next day rolled up from the dry cargo and sailed on their boat in an unknown direction.

On December 29, 2008, Vladimir Putin signed a decree according to which the Ministry of Defense received the right to independently manage and sell, if necessary, the property and land plots of its military units and enterprises, Vedomosti writes. The military department also has the right to seize surplus property, including land, and evaluate it.

Russians began to refuse to plan large purchases. According to the study of the Levada Center, a few months ago, about half of the respondents planned at the end of 2008 or the first half of 2009 any of the large expenses. Most often planned to purchase furniture/household appliances - 32% of respondents. But, for example, the acquisition of a car was in the plans of 13% of respondents, housing from 7% of respondents, training in paid educational institutions - in 10% of respondents.

The State Duma Budget Committee approved the estimates of budgetary funds in 2009. The estimate applies exclusively the monetary content of the State Duma itself. It was decided to abandon 335.7 million rubles, thereby saving 5.7% of the funds. Thus, the state will spend 5536 million rubles on the lower house of parliament. That approximately 200 million rubles. more than last year, but 336 million rubles. Less provided in the budget, write “Vedomosti”.

In Moscow today, at the 92nd year of her life, the conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Russia Veronika Dudarov died. This was announced by the director of the orchestra Alexander Mashkovich, reports RBC . Farewell to Dudarova will be held on January 19, 200. In the large hall of the conservatory. Veronika Dudarova was born on December 5, 1916. In Baku, she received primary musical education at a music school for gifted children at the Baku Conservatory. In 1944 V.

President of Poland Lech Kachinsky will not fly today in Kyiv for gas summit. This was officially announced by the representative of his office Marius Handzlik, Prime-Tass reports. The president of Poland in Kyiv will be represented by his adviser Mikhal Kaminsky, and the government will be the Minister of Foreign Affairs Radoslav Sikorsky, who arrived at Ukraine on a visit on Thursday.

The Union of Alcoholic Products (SPAP) predicts that in 2009, the volume of counterfeit strong alcohol for the first time exceeds the fraction of the legal: the volume of fake alcohol will grow to 65%. Now the level of counterfeit strong alcohol is about 30%, the newspaper writes.

The main investigative department of the Investigative Committee under the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation is investigated a criminal case against the chairman of the Committee of Advertising, Information and Registration of the city of Moscow. This was reported by the press service of the SCP of the Russian Federation.

** President of the Russian Federation and his administration ** President of the Russian Federation D. Medvedev - He made changes in the composition of the Council for the implementation of priority national projects and demographic policies, including his plenipotentiary representative in the Urals Federal District N. Vinnichenko instead of the president’s plenipotentiary in the Urals Federal District P. Latyshev.

So far, attention is drawn to the events in the gas sector, they do not notice in Washington that Russia is the main threat to Russia, - writes in the comment of Forbes the consultant of the Democratic Party Douglas E. Schon. (Poln. Translation on Inopressa.ru ). As proof, the author of the article cites words from an interview with Medvedev, where the Russian president notes that his country “if necessary” can also apply military force.

Yesterday, TNK-BP announced the composition of the board of directors, the re-election of which the British and Russian shareholders of the company agreed in September after a long conflict. The main intrigue was the candidates of three independent directors ( so far they did not exist in TNK-BP). They must perform the functions of arbitration intermediaries when resolving disputes between shareholders.

The son of the Chairman of the State Duma Boris Gryzlov, 29-year-old Dmitry Gryzlov, will run for municipal deputies of St. Petersburg, the St. Petersburg edition of ZakS.ru reported. It is noteworthy that, according to the publication, Gryzlov Jr. goes as a self-nominated person. The elections of deputies of 108 municipal councils will be held on March 1. Dmitry Gryzlov decided to run for the 74th municipal district of the city (bearing the name "St. George"), in the Frunze district.

The State Duma eventually the discussion rejected the bill "On the Northern Reindeer Hurry" in the first reading, the correspondent "Polit.ru" Lev Fainberg reports. The document was entered on 01.07.02 deputies V.N. Pivenko, N.L. Piskun, V.M. Tylin, V.P. Markov, V.N. Basygyshov, I.K. Cherneshenko, the new edition received on 04/29/03, today it was supported by only 98 deputies with the necessary 226 votes.

Qatar and Mauritania suspended diplomatic relations with Israel, reports Reuters. This decision was made in protest against the military operation in the gas sector. Recall that yesterday Venezuela broke out diplomatic relations with Israel in protest against surgery in the Gaza Strip.

The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs reports that on the morning of January 16, as a result of a shot, carried out from the territory of South Ossetia, a police officer of the Kvemo Kartli region was killed. According to the same message, the incident occurred at the administrative border, on the territory Knolevi, adjacent to the police department of the village. Knovel is located southwest of Tskhinvali.