In the summer of 2009, all courses for the training of motorists will have to switch to a new program prepared jointly by the traffic police and the Ministry of Education and Science, writes News Time. The new program involves a significant (from 30 to 50) an increase in the hours allotted for practical exercises, as well as a change in the driving classes themselves.

Ilya Karpyuk The State Duma today in the third reading adopted a bill on the abolition of electoral pledge in elections at all levels: from municipal to federal. Initially, the bill provided for the abolition of the pledge only at the federal level, but the amendments of the deputies of United Russia in the second reading were deprived of the opportunity to use the deposit to nominate parties and candidates at all levels.

The gas conflict between Russia and Ukraine has already brought Gazprom $ 1.5–2 billion in losses, but it can cost it even more. The Bulgarian company Bulgargaz wants to demand reimbursement of its losses from gas undergoing gas, estimated at 86 million euros, writes Independent Gazeta . Bulgargaz will achieve compensation in the form of additional gas volumes at a reduced price, the country's prime minister said.

The Simonovsky court of Moscow resumed the process in the case of the former vice president of the company "Yukos" Vasily Aleksanyan, the Kommersant newspaper reports. In early February 2008, the court was suspended in connection with the deterioration of the health of the defendant, who is sick with AIDS and cancer of the lymphatic system. The next meeting will be held on January 28. The judge requested medical certificates from the hospital number 60, in which Aleksanyan was treated.

Here is the new president United States The old president scolded United States What about us? - Well, the president Well, sown states But it's interesting all - condent United States YES. Prigov To the inauguration Grigory Vidoplyasov Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama! Sings Oklahoma, buzzes Alabama. Wyming is dancing, He waves his hands.

The Russian National Oil Consortium, created for the implementation of oil projects in Venezuela, will cooperate with the Cubapetroleo (Cupet) Cuban state company, Gazeta.ru reports with reference to ITAR-TASS.

Former Cuba leader Fidel Castro said in his essay, published by local media that the current Cuban leaders "must work regardless of a possible sharp deterioration in his well -being or even death." “Now I feel good, but I insist that no one should feel dependent on my periodic publications, the state of my health or on my possible death,” Castro “Russian News Service” reports.

Vladimir Sinitsin was appointed Deputy Director of OJSC Atomenergoprom, the Department of Public Relations and the Media of OJSC Atomenergoprom reports. The corresponding order was signed by the director of the company Vladimir Travin. Until now, V. Sinitsin served as director of the Department of the Nuclear Energy Industrial Complex of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom.

Today, the State Duma has approved the law on changing the procedure for registering candidates (lists of candidates) on the basis of a electoral pledge.

A member of the US Democratic Party Kirsten Gillibrand will become a Senator from New York, replacing Chief Secretary Hillary Clinton on this post, writes The Wall Street Journal. Clinton considered several candidates to the Senate place, including Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of ex-US President John Kennedy, who shot her candidacy for a vacant position.

Deputy Minister of Economic Development Andrei Klepach said that in January of this year, inflation will be about 2%, Finmarket reports. In addition, he confirmed the forecast for annual inflation of 13%. As for the prices of manufacturers, here the Ministry of Economic Development expects deflation. According to the results of 2008, inflation in Russia amounted to 13.3%, although initially inflation of 7%was laid in the budget-2008.

The shareholders of TNK-BP and the Russian Consortium "Alfa Group-Axess-Renov" (AAR) resumed the search for candidates for the post of head of the company, reports Finmarket. “We decided to resume the search, including because new candidates who were not at the end of last year may appear as a result of the crisis,” said a source close to shareholders.

A criminal case was sent to the court against the chief editor of the newspaper Labor Gatchina. The case was instituted under the article “Public calls for terrorist activity or public justification of terrorism,” the SCP website reported. The investigation established that the editor -in -chief of the Labor Gatchina newspaper Vladimir Leonov, under the pseudonym, V. Ksenofontov, posted in this newspaper the article “New Che Guevara?”.

The Western press still pays a lot of attention to the Russian-Ukrainian gas conflict. Russian and Ukrainian leaders accuse the Middle Antist Rosukrenergo of corruption, and she is not going to reconcile with the fact that she was supplanted from the business, writes The Financial Times (translation by Inopressa ).

The best film film of 2008 was recognized as the painting “Wild Field” directed by Mikhail Kalatosishvili. The winner was announced at the Golden Eagle Award ceremony of the National Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Russia, which took place today in Moscow, in the first pavilion of the Mosfilm film Concontcurate, Gazeta.ru reports with reference to ITAR-TASS.