Russian toy manufacturers will be asked to maintain uniformity On the eve of the next boom in Christmas sales, Russian officials hastened to protect the rights of a mythical, but nonetheless fundamental hero of all New Year's fairy tales. The initiator of putting things in order on the shelves selling New Year's paraphernalia was the government of the Vologda region - the region where Veliky Ustyug - the official residence of the Russian Father Frost - is located.

The dollar experienced a rapid decline last week The dollar to euro exchange rate last Friday crossed the psychological limit of 1.3 dollars per euro - the fall stopped at 1.31 (last Thursday at the end of trading in New York the euro was 1.29 dollars). The last time the US currency was so cheap on the world market was in March last year. Its exchange rate also fell in Russia - to 26.4 rubles. per dollar - this is the level the dollar was in the second half of November 1999.

The State Duma completely left the tax on diamond mining in the regions The state met the government of Yakutia halfway in order to gain control over the Yakut diamond company ALROSA in exchange. Last Friday, the State Duma adopted in the second and third readings a law according to which the tax on the extraction of natural diamonds will be fully received into their budgets by three regions - the Perm Territory, the Arkhangelsk Region and Yakutia.

CLUBS "Onegin@tochka.ru" . Directed by Mikhail Krylov. Starring Mikhail Krylov, Galina Kashkovskaya, Pavel Sborshchikov. A new version of the sensational play “Pushkin@Onegin.ru” a couple of years ago, the directors of which (graduates of Pyotr Fomenko’s Workshop) tried to present Pushkin’s novel as topical as it was for the poet’s contemporaries. At the club “Ikra” , 20.00. Hiram Bullock (guitar, vocals), Frank Gravis (bass), Jeremy Gaddie (drums).

Tomorrow the Russian team will play a key match on the way to the semi-finals The Russian national volleyball team is very close to the defining matches of the World Volleyball Championship taking place in Japan. Zoran Gajic's team will only be satisfied with a win in tomorrow's match with the Poles, after which they will need to get the better of the World Cup hosts.

How to make the energy future bright "The world's leading policymakers need to change the future of energy decisively and urgently," said Claude Mandil, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), as he launched the World Energy Outlook 2006 in early November. This extensive research document shows that if the global energy industry continues on current trends, the energy supply of the future will be, as Mr.

Air transit fees will decrease starting in 2010 Russia has softened its position regarding the fees it charges foreign airlines for transit flights over its territory (the total amount of these funds is estimated at $300-350 million annually). The authorities of the European Union, as is known, insist on the elimination of this financial mechanism, which in our country “supplements” the system of payment for air navigation support that is common in world practice.

It was decided to revoke the law on lifelong benefits for ex-governors of St. Petersburg The St. Petersburg governor was denied social guarantees. A bill providing for serious lifelong benefits for Valentina Matvienko after the expiration of her term of office, introduced a few days ago to the local legislative assembly by United Russia deputy Igor Mikhailov, was unexpectedly withdrawn by the author himself.

The State Duma allocated an additional 34.9 billion rubles to the Federal Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund State Duma deputies tried to save the Federal Compulsory Health Insurance Fund from new shocks next year. Last Friday, during the second reading of the draft budget of the Federal Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund for 2007, they voted for an additional allocation of 34.0 billion rubles. to provide free medicines to Russian beneficiaries.

“Europe must speak with one voice and without false modesty” German Chancellor Angela Merkel, delivering a keynote speech on the principles of her foreign policy at the Berlin Center for European Future Issues in early November. Alfred von Oppenheim, promised: in the spring of 2007, the European Union will adopt an “Energy Action Plan”. Since Germany will preside over the EU during this period, the energy action plan is among Berlin's main priorities.

Search for polonium-210 in central London The death of Alexander Litvinenko , who died of an “unexplained” illness in a London hospital, caused an incredible commotion in the UK, and throughout Europe. On Friday, British health watchdog Professor Roger Cox said tests on Litvinenko's urine revealed traces of residual radiation, most likely caused by polonium-210, a substance that produces alpha radiation.

October 24 -- November 24, 2006 “Politicians Through the Eyes of the Media,” a joint project of Vremya Novostei and the Medialogia company, are ratings of the political figures most actively discussed in the Russian media.

German Foreign Policy Society expert Frank Umbach answers questions from Energy Europe Discussions about what the common energy policy of the European Union should be are in full swing.

A figure skater from the Land of the Rising Sun brought an award to Russia for the first time Four medals - two silver and the same number of bronze - were won by Russian figure skaters at the Grand Prix stage in Moscow. The best results were shown by dancers Oksana Domnina - Maxim Shabalin, as well as sports couple Maria Petrova - Alexey Tikhonov. The bronze medalists of the Moscow tournament were Ilya Klimkin and series debutants Yuko Kawaguchi - Alexander Smirnov.

TENNIS. December 1--3. Davis Cup. Final. Russia - Argentina. Moscow. The Russian national team under the leadership of captain Shamil Tarpishchev has an excellent chance to repeat the success of four years ago, when our tennis players defeated the French in the Davis Cup final in Paris. The hero of the meeting at the Bercy sports complex was Mikhail Youzhny, who won a strong-willed victory over Paul-Henri Mathieu in the decisive match.