Nobel Prize winner in literature dies in Cairo World-famous writer Naguib Mahfouz (pictured) died yesterday in Cairo - the city where he was born 94 years ago and whose life, using the example of the joys and troubles of the family of an Egyptian merchant, he described in the famous “Cairo Trilogy”. Published in the 1950s, in 1988 it brought Mahfouz the title of the first and so far only Nobel Prize laureate in literature in the Arab world.

Irkutsk governor overestimated 11% of Verkhnechonskneftegaz The governor of the Irkutsk region, Alexander Tishanin, named his price for an 11 percent stake in Verkhnechonskneftegaz, which is hanging on the balance sheet of the East Siberian Gas Company (owned on a parity basis by the regional administration and TNK-BP). According to him, unnamed Irkutsk experts valued the shares at $140 million, that is, almost twice the initial price at the previous auction, the results of which were cancelled.

Rules for continuing the crisis in the alcohol market have been approved The state machine in Russia is not able to quickly respond to crises that it itself generates. Reforms approved by federal laws and already in force must be adjusted retroactively to avoid catastrophic consequences. But it also takes too much time for the authorities to put out man-made administrative “fires”.

Following the mini-tsunami, a tornado is expected in the Sea of ​​Azov All yesterday in the Sea of ​​Azov, in the water area surrounding the Dolgaya Spit near the city of Yeisk, the search continued for a 51-year-old tourist from the Voronezh region, who was carried out to sea by a strong wave that hit this strip of land late the night before.

Celebrating Dmitry Likhachev's 100th birthday is more upsetting than pleasing The atmosphere at the press conference on the occasion of the upcoming 100th anniversary of the birth of the great cultural historian and public figure Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev on November 28 was alarming. Due to poor health, the Chairman of the International Charitable Foundation named after D.S. was unable to attend. Likhachev writer Daniil Granin.

The creation of the world's largest aluminum company may be hindered by SUAL's IPO The British Financial Times published yesterday some details of the agreement on the proposed merger of the Russian companies RUSAL and SUAL, which intend to annex the alumina assets of the private Swiss group Glencore, located in Ireland, Italy, Sweden and Jamaica. The Financial Times reports that the companies signed a tripartite memorandum last Friday outlining the terms of the merger.

The Ukrainian President is being deprived of his most valuable asset Yesterday, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted amendments to its regulations, significantly narrowing the presidential powers of Viktor Yushchenko. From now on, the president is deprived of the right to unilaterally cancel government decisions.

One of the largest management companies on the Russian market, Alfa Capital, is merging with Alfa Capital Partners, a company specializing in direct investment. The transformation of the structures included in Alfa Group is carried out with the aim of more efficient management. However, according to the newspaper, the reform of both companies is due to shareholders’ dissatisfaction with the quality of management of Alfa Capital’s top managers.

The famous Russian illusionist and magician Igor Kio died yesterday in a Moscow hospital at the age of 63. He belonged to a famous circus family - his father, the founder of the dynasty, Emil Keogh, was called the “wizard of the 20th century.” Igor Kio took to the stage early - already at the age of five he took part in performances, and at 15, when he had to replace his ill father, he began a solo career. During the Soviet years, he was incredibly popular, giving 500-600 performances a year.

The new special representative of the UN Secretary General for the Georgian-Abkhaz settlement, Jean Arnault, recently visited Sukhumi for the first time. There he became convinced that the situation in the negotiation process was critical - Abkhazia was insisting on the withdrawal of Georgian forces from the Kodori Gorge, the only region of the self-proclaimed republic controlled by Tbilisi.

"Dnepr" fell due to "undetected thermal insulation defect" Yesterday, an interdepartmental commission announced the cause of the fall of the Dnepr launch vehicle, which collapsed shortly after launch on July 27 this year. The official conclusions almost completely coincided with the data of recent preliminary leaks to the press.

CLUBS Ark latin funk project. The young but already famous Dutch jazz player Jeroen Vrolijk (drums), winner of the North Sea Jazz Festival in 2002, who has recently successfully mixed Afro-Cuban musical styles with traditional jazz styles, plays with the Arkady Ovrutsky Trio (bass guitar). "Le Club" , 20.30. Marinka Nikolay (Amsterdam).

Chronicle of sporting events In the upcoming season, the Golden State team will be coached by Don Nelson, who has returned to the club after 11 and a half years, instead of the fired Mike Montgomery.

Premiere of Mozart's opera at the Innsbruck Early Music Festival The Belgian René Jacobs, formerly a skilled countertenor and now a revered authentic conductor, is the soul and engine of the Innsbruck Festival. This year, for Mozart’s anniversary, the star maestro chose the “opera of operas” “Don Giovanni” as the completion of his Mozart studies.

Another southern cyclone again made adjustments to the weather of European Russia. It rose from the southern regions of Ukraine and over the past 24 hours was marked by heavy rains in the central regions of Russia, including in the Moscow region. The atmospheric front of this cyclone affected the western and northern territories. Today the cyclone will remain the rightful master of the weather in central Russia.