Russia, as Vladimir Putin said yesterday, can still “fully return” to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), but only if its partners also ratify and begin to implement the treaty. In the meantime, Moscow intends to introduce a moratorium on December 12 on the CFE Treaty, signed 17 years ago during Soviet times. The reason is that the treaty is outdated, and Western countries have never ratified its adapted version, developed back in 1999.

The President of Ukraine proposed closing a dangerous mine Ukraine is counting the victims of the third methane explosion in the past two weeks. Another tragedy occurred on the evening of December 2 at the ominous Zasyadko mine : five miners were killed and 66 were injured. The day before - on December 1 - a similar explosion injured 50 people.

Women and children at the New European Theater Festival The penultimate performances of the NET festival - "Angel" and "Monastery" (created respectively by the Dutchman Paul Selwyn Norton and the Norwegian Jo Stromgren) - can be classified as both drama (but a drama where movement matters more than words) and modern dance (but such a dance, where the actual “dances” are one, two, too many).

Venezuelans did not agree to a third term for Chavez The charismatic leader of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez - Comandante Cha - suffered an unexpected and most painful defeat as president of the country. The majority of Venezuelans did not support his proposed constitutional amendments in Sunday's referendum , thereby calling into question his right to speak on behalf of the entire people.

The Federal Tax Service uses clearing markets of migrants to check Russian traders The start of checks on migrants in the markets did not have the best impact on those for whose benefit, it would seem, measures to regulate retail markets were introduced. It was not so much migrants without Russian citizenship who had curtailed trade in advance who came under additional control, but rather the few Russians who remained in food and clothing markets.

Several employees of LUKOIL's subsidiary LUKOIL Overseas, which is involved in the company's foreign projects, were detained in Libya at the end of last week. Vremya Novostey learned about this yesterday from unofficial sources. In addition, local authorities seized the property of the company's representative office. Oil workers, as far as sources know, are suspected of industrial espionage.

Russia will not abandon protective duties on the export of unprocessed wood Russia appears to be changing some of its economic priorities. In particular, the intention to quickly join the World Trade Organization, repeatedly declared by officials, seems to be no longer so relevant.

Over the European territory of Russia there is a confrontation between two atmospheric vortices - an Atlantic cyclone from the west and an anticyclone. The cyclone will bring precipitation and thaws to most areas of European Russia, with the exception of the Volga region. In the central regions on Tuesday, with the approach of the atmospheric fronts of the Atlantic cyclone, it will become warmer again, and precipitation of varying intensity will occur.

The political crisis in Belgium is deepening following the failure of the Flemish Christian Democrats, the winner of the June 10 elections, to form a government. On Saturday, King Albert II accepted the resignation of Yves Leterme, to whom he himself handed the mandate to form a new cabinet six months ago. The failed prime minister explained his step by disagreements among potential coalition partners. “The country and its people need a strong and energetic government.

The Ministry of Finance confirmed the right to free use of groundwater in private lands Summer residents and owners of private houses, even in the driest regions of Russia, are not in danger of thirst: the Ministry of Finance has officially clarified that drawing water from domestic wells is not subject to water tax. We are talking only about wells and boreholes located directly on private property.

Another criminal case was opened against Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Storchak The Investigative Committee of the Prosecutor's Office (SKP) of the Russian Federation opened a new criminal case against Deputy Minister of Finance of Russia Sergei Storchak, who was arrested in mid-November on charges of attempting to steal $43 million from the state budget. The official was suspected, in addition to the previous charge, of abuse of power .

Politicians and political scientists on the results of parliamentary elections Vremya Novostei correspondent Ksenia VERETENNIKOVA asked politicians and political scientists to evaluate the results and consequences of the Duma elections.

Paleontologists report their discoveries in children's books New discoveries by British and American paleontologists may cause a lot of trouble for workers in natural science museums. It is possible that the skeletons of some dinosaurs, often the highlight of the exhibition, will have to be adjusted, and it is certainly worth changing the images of the duck-billed hadrosaur everywhere.

Proposals from the United Democrats from the Moscow City Duma made it into the budget On Wednesday, the Moscow City Duma will finally outline city revenues and expenses for next year.

And the ambulance is faster First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev spoke yesterday at a plenary meeting of the State Duma with a report on the responsible area of ​​work entrusted to him by the head of state - the implementation of national projects. This is not the first time that one of the main candidates for successor to the president comes to the lower house of parliament to report on national projects. And deputies usually take these meetings more than seriously.