The fall of the ruble can raise the Russian economy. The question is how deep and how fast The source of the current problems of the world economy can be represented as the following scheme. Large banks and financial companies of leading Western countries and, above all, the United States over the past 7-8 years has created a whole pyramid of new financial instruments-derivative securities. When she collapsed, these banks suffered huge losses and sharply reduced the volume of lending.

Dmitry Volchek: In the 71st year of his life in Los Angeles, one of the greatest jazz trumpeters, the famous Freddy Hubbard, died. The word is the host of the program "Dzage at Free" to Dmitry Savitsky. Dmitry Savitsky: Miles Daveis had only two real opponents - Clifon Brown and Freddy Hubbard. Brown died in a car accident in June 1956; Hubbard survived Miles for 17 years.

The program is conducted by Dmitry Volchek. The Radio Liberty correspondent in Kyiv Vladimir Ivakhnenko takes part. Dmitry Volchek: Today, Gazprom has formed a headquarters to turn off the gas to Ukraine if it does not pay for its debts until January 1, 2009. In Moscow, Russian-Ukrainian gas negotiations continue. In the near future, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko may also go to the Russian capital.

The program is conducted by Sergey Tarasov. The Radio Liberty correspondent in Istanbul Elena Solntseva takes part. Sergey Tarasov: On the eve of the New Year holidays in Turkey, the traditional “lottery fever” ends. People buy tickets in crowds - this year the prize fund of the New Year's lottery is $ 17 million. The name of the winner, as always, will be announced on New Year's Eve - in the first minutes of 2009.

The last days of the old year set a special tone and the new Americans meet the new 2009 year in different ways. Some hope to improve the economic situation and wait for the first steps of the new president. Others are preparing for the worst. A resident of New York Tina expects the following development of events: “Everything will go to dust. George Bush spent trillions to war in Iraq. I do not envy Obama’s barracks, I don’t know how he will get out of the situation. Banks are also closed.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev appointed Major General Musa Musa Musov as chief inspector of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. It is reported by ITAR-TASS with reference to the press service of the president. Prior to this appointment, Medov held the post of Minister of Internal Affairs of Ingushetia.

The international human rights organization "Reporters without borders" reports that in 2008 62 journalists, blogger and an employee of the media died due to their professional activities. This indicator is lower than in 2007. However, human rights activists associate this with the fact that tough repressions in a number of regions forced many journalists to change their profession.

The analytical company OVUM called the outgoing year - the year of smartphones. Smartphones are mobile phones equipped with an operating system that can download applications and specially adapted for working on a mobile Internet. In 2008, smartphones became hits of sales in mobile markets of developed countries. Models such as the iPhone 3G, Google G1 and Nokia N97 are not toys, but a normal working tool.

Irina Lagunina: New Year is inexorably approaching. Such a common holiday for everyone. And so special. Each country meets him in its own way, and sometimes not without quirks. The report of our correspondent in Istanbul Elena Solntseva. Elena Solntseva: “Armed and very dangerous” - such mysterious ads on the eve of the New Year holidays appeared on Istanbul streets.

Unlike the last march of disagreements, the final opposition rally in Moscow was peacefully About 100 people gathered on Monday evening around the monument to Alexander Griboedov with posters and flags of various opposition organizations. One could see the forbidden National-Bolshevik party, and “other Russia”, and the united civil front-in general, everyone who took part in the marshmalls of the disagreements.

Gazprom has formed a headquarters to turn off gas to Ukraine in the United States, there are a protest against Israeli hostilities in the Gaza Strip today. One of the greatest jazz trumpeters Freddie Hubbard died in Los Angeles

Oleg Kusov: In the Moscow Studio Radio Liberty - journalist and historian Dmitry Shusharin, publicist, writer, doctor of law sciences Ilya Rasolov and head of the Georgian Youth Public Organization "Lazara" Johni Kvratshelia. Happy New Year's holidays! And I expected today to talk about such a serious problem of the outgoing year as Russian-Georgian relations. Well, it’s no secret that for both countries the situation in both domestic and foreign policy after August 2008 has changed a lot.

The St. Petersburg publishing house Ivan Limbach published a new edition of Miron Petrovsky, who had already become the popular book, “Master and City: Kyiv contexts of Mikhail Bulgakov”. This is not a guide. In memorable places. In the center of thought of Miron Petrovsky is the birth of an artist from the spirit of the city. Like all the books of the Limbakh publishing house, the book “Master and City” is gracefully designed.

In the east of China, the largest "cemetery" of dinosaurs in the world was discovered. According to the Chinese press, during the excavations that began in the province of Shandun in March this year, 7,600 fossilized bones have already been extracted. In addition, the remains of the largest dilute dinosaur - 9 meters long were discovered.

On Monday, the Supreme Court of Serbia approved the sentences to the killers of the former prime minister of the country Zoran Dvinzhich in 2003. Former fighters of the Special Forces detachment Milorad Ulek, nicknamed Legia and Zvezdan Yovanovich, nicknamed Snakes, were sentenced to 40 years in May 2007. The investigation established that Ulekke acted as the organizer, and Jovanovich was the direct executor of the murder of the Serbian Prime Minister in March 2003.