The official euro rate Breaks at 44 rubles - the first time in history

In the euro - a new record. During the trading on the MICEX its course for the first time exceeded 44 in the ruble. The Russian national currency and basket has become even closer to the maximum allowed the Bank of Russia - before it even 3 rubles, said Interfax.

Trading on MICEX calculations "Now the euro has begun a transaction at a price of 44 rubles. In the following minutes at a session of the calculations "tomorrow" for the euro was the deal at 44.4375 rubles. Nevertheless, most of the morning deals on the euro held near the level of 43.85 rubles, 10 cents above the value of rate and a 22 cent above the closing Tuesday.

As a result, the Central Bank of Russia set the official exchange rate for tomorrow, 29 January, at 33.2155 rubles to the dollar (21.76 cent). The official euro rate for tomorrow - 44.0305 rubles for one euro (31.82 cent).

The growth of the euro against the Russian continued to strengthen against the euro to the dollar. The single currency in Europe worth 1.3252 dollars on Wednesday morning, compared with 1.3160 on Tuesday evening. And experts think the euro will continue to rise on expectations that the European central bank will refrain from lowering interest rates from the current 2% at the next meeting, scheduled for February 5. And this is one more argument in favor of a strong euro.

It should be noted that the dollar rose to 33.8 ruble, the euro - up to 45.05 rubles on MICEX bid calculations "tomorrow" about 15:40 on Wednesday. Thus, both the American and European currency reached an historic high levels of the ruble.

Given that the Russian market follows the trends of the West, where the euro continues to push the dollar, it can be assumed that the European currency will continue its heroic climb to the top if the Russian participants have enough rubles to play in the currency market.

Recall that last week the Central Bank announced that the upper limit of the range of fluctuations basket (operational indicator CBR, $ 0.55 and EUR 0,45) is at the level of 41 rubles, which corresponds to mark 36 rubles to the dollar at the rate 1.3 U.S. for the euro. It is easy to calculate that, based on these assumptions, the rate of the euro is allowed up to 47 rubles. And if the euro will not cost 1.3 dollars, and above, as now, the upper limit for the euro to the ruble will move into a big party.

Meanwhile, the dollar and could add a little bit. Trading on MICEX dollar payments "tomorrow" started at 33 rubles, 5-7 minutes later, the dollar rose to 33,1-33,15 ruble - it is about 10-15 cents above the previous day's closing level and the current official exchange rate of the dollar.

Bivalyutnaya basket in the early trades of 38 rubles to 20 cents above the previous evening trading day. Thus a landmark in the 41 ruble to a level which the Central Bank has recently allowed it to get up, became even closer.

Berlin-Mitte: Die neue USA-Botschaft am Pariser Platz - 1.1.

Alexander Ovechkin made a masquerade before "Match all NHL stars"

Russian forwards Alexander Ovechkin (Washington) and Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh) were among the winners of competitions at the skill, traditionally held the day before "Match all of the stars of NHL.

The best player league last season Ovechkin the second year in a row, won one of the most spectacular species of the first day of "Star weekend - the competition for the most beautiful shot. The last attempt, he resorted to the assistance compatriot - Malkin borrowed attacker "Washington" to , and put him hat and sunglasses. As such, Ovechkin, leading washer with two clubs, reached the gates and scored a goal in the second attempt. Among the fans determined the winner, he won 42.8 percent of votes and ahead of another Russian - Alexei Kovalev of Montreal. "

Malkin became the best in the competition for accuracy throws. In the preliminary round 4, he struck a target and in the finals, where his rival was attacking "Ottawa" Dani Hitli - three.

Competition for the most powerful shot wins Slovak defender Boston Zdeno Hara, sent washer to aim at a speed of 105.4 miles per hour (about 170 km / h). In passing, he broke the record NHL, owned Elu Ayefreytu and components 105.2 miles per hour.

Among the best performers shootout was the captain of "Phoenix" Shane Doan, a forward "Edmonton" Andrew Kolyano to compete for speed skating, transmits information to a curious

As the program closes the first day of the "match of the young stars of the team league newcomers with the score 9:5, and the best in this meeting was considered to be forward" Boston "Blake Wheeler, 4 washers.

Russian producers of gold record speed. In 2009, investors can double its buying

While global gold production in 2008 fell by 4% in Russia production for the first time in several years has increased by about 12% to 5.88 million ounces. Some producers are even more impressive, says RBC daily.

On Wednesday, "Polimetall announced production results for the year 2008: in the past year, the company produced 285 thousand ounces of gold (up 15% compared to 2007) and 17.2 million ounces of silver (up 8%), exceeding its projections of the same made in October 2008. Sales of the company rose to 281 thousand ounces of gold (+20%) and 17.7 million ounces of silver (+9%). Revenues reached a record in history "Polimetalla" 500 million dollars, rising in 2008 to 62%. In 2009, the company expects to boost gold production to 280-300 thousand ounces of silver production to have 17-18 million ounces.

Companies helped that the crisis of precious metals are hedge instruments, which ensures a steady demand for them, said Stanislav Fomenko of IC "Veles Capital". "At the end of the year has an additional demand from investors looking for safe investment," - he said.

Thus, if the November quotes silver dropped below 9 dollars per ounce, now reach 11.25 dollars. Restored and the value of gold: the price per ounce in November dropped below 720 dollars, and now has about 850. This did not prevent either the continued reduction in the cost of most commodities, nor the sharp strengthening of the dollar.

HSBC metals analyst Jim Steel connects buy gold with the continuing fall in major stock indexes that compels investors look for less risky assets. Gold bought as an asset of refuge "- quoting his words" Prime-TASS news agency. " As an investor advocates and the Bank of Russia. The proportion of gold in its gold reserves in 2008 rose from 2,52 to 3,4% in volume totaled 16.7 million ounces (an increase of 15,7%), while only in December 2008 increased by 300 thousand ounces .

Production gains "Polimetalla" is not unique, and yet at the beginning of last year, predicted that gold production in Russia will grow for the first time in several years. According to the Union Russia in January-November domestic refineries produced more than 5.43 million ounces of gold, which is 11.1% more than in the corresponding period of 2007. However, the Union expects that production on the basis of the entire year will grow by 12% to 5.88 million ounces.

But in Russia's gold and the situation is not entirely straightforward. "At the end of 2009, gold production in Russia could be on the same level or even slightly , if not " ", - said the source of RBC daily in the industry. - The fact is that the extraction of gold ore to be profitable, while" "rather have a social function of employment."

On the world market situation is still much black. According to analysis of Gold Field Mineral Services (GFMS), the global gold production in 2008 declined by 4%, to about 2112 tons. The most significant decline occurred in South Africa (minus 14%), as well as in Australia and Indonesia. In addition to Russia among the largest producers of gold, the increase could also boast of China (+3%).

In doing so, experts GFMS noted in 2008, significantly (by 11% to 2380 tons) dropped a demand for the metal from the jewelry industry, but this decline was partially offset by growth in investment in gold. In 2009, buying gold for investment purposes, according to forecasts GFMS, can grow almost doubled, to 400 tons.

Egypt has invited the Israeli and Palestinian organizations in separate talks

Egypt has invited representatives of the authorities of the Palestinian Authority and Israel to hold separate meetings on 22 January, to discuss the Egyptian initiative to achieve a sustainable ceasefire, said NEWSru Israel with reference to the Egyptian agency MENA.

"Egypt has invited the Israeli and Palestinian organizations to hold separate meetings with the Egyptian side in Cairo on Thursday," - MENA quoted unnamed sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt.

Meanwhile, yet unknown whether the Palestinian and Israeli sides invitations to a new round of talks brokered by Egypt.

Recall last Sunday in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh has been an international emergency summit on the situation in the Gaza Strip, under the chairmanship of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Late in the evening of January 17, Israel had unilaterally ceased hostilities in the Gaza Strip, completing a three-week operation against Palestinian militants, which claimed the lives of 1.3, thousands of Palestinians (in the Palestinian data) and 13 Israelis.

In the middle of the next day and Hamas, along with other Palestinian factions declared a ceasefire. But despite this, in part, Israeli troops are still in the Palestinian enclave and retain the right to respond to Palestinian attacks, and the shelling of Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip continued for some time after the announcement of Hamas on a cease-fire.

How many will continue the ceasefire, it is not clear. Hamas said that "gives the week" for Israel to withdraw troops from Gaza. The government of Israel acting unilaterally and make clear that the army was ready at any moment to cause new strikes against terrorists. Egyptian mediators, seem to aspire to, it was agreed that "" (calm) for a period of six months, writes NEWSru Israel.

Prior began the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip. As of the morning on 19 January in Gaza remain divisions of reservists. Units returned to Israeli territory, remain at bases near the border.

The main objectives of "Operation Cast lead" Israel has announced the cessation of rocket attacks and arms smuggling into the Palestinian enclave. The first tasks of the Israeli authorities to see the weakening of the Hamas military means and the establishment of a "deterrent", the second - to obtain adequate guarantees from the United States, Egypt and European countries.

For 22 days the anti-terrorist operation "Cast lead" in the Gaza Strip, IDF (IDF) had eliminated hundreds of tunnels along the border of Egypt and the sector is almost completely destroyed the infrastructure of the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas, killed at least 500 fighters (and a few hundred fighters of other organizations ) and a number of leaders of the group, thousands of fighters were wounded. This loss of IDF: 10 killed, around 150 injured (of which about 10 were seriously injured).

At the same time, many publications in the Israeli media today draws attention to the fact that the declared goals before the anti-terrorist operation "Cast lead" had not been fully implemented, because Hamas has retained the ability to cause the rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli territory, and has at present day, hundreds of homemade rockets and dozens of missiles, "Grad". In doing so, yet it remains unclear how to ensure an end to the smuggling of weapons into Gaza and arms production in the sector.

Sami war, which had in January 2009 in Gaza, saying that the war was prepared much better than war with Hezbollah in summer 2006. The military noted that the operation "Cast lead was carefully planned and took place as planned. Emphasizes that this time, almost no problems with the army.

Meanwhile, leaders of the Israeli General Security Service and Military Intelligence believes that soon Hamas will try to "equal the score and give to another unpleasant surprise to Israel. According to estimates by Israeli secret services, "Hamas is able to within a few months' lull," to restore the system of tunnels along the border of Gaza and Egypt and the resumption of arms smuggling.

Israel Attacks Gaza - Palestine

The ten novelists have sold most in 2008

Our track record is the only one to take account of sales of each author, for all its titles, all editions combined. Other rankings include only the current editions, also called "large." Everyone knows that the format pocket is increasingly appreciated by the French. Moreover, except for Muriel Barbery, whose best-seller The elegance of the hedgehog is not in paperback, the format at an affordable price in the global sales often exceeds that of the classical format (Bernard Werber and Guillaume Musso, in particular, are very big sellers pocket, with 3 to 4 books sold in this format). Our ranking also takes into account the sale via the Internet and through book clubs, figures that are far from negligible. We can therefore say that this is the only classification to reflect exactly what the French buy and read.

What did the 2008 vintage? "Marc Levy remains number one, but is followed closely by Guillaume Musso," said Alice Cousin Crespel, marketing analyst at the research firm GfK, which we have made this list. She added: "Katherine Pancole made a grand entrance and took the sixth place, just behind Amelie Nothomb, a regular at the ranking." A godsend for Albin Michel: Pancole Nothomb and belong to this publishing house, which has ordered two other authors among the ten novelists who sell more books, Bernard Werber and ric-Emmanuel Schmitt. Note that Maxime Chattam also author by Albin Michel, arrived in ninth place last year, rate this year the tenth place for a few thousand copies.

The big sellers help small

The other surprise winners of the 2008 compared to the previous edition, the "millionaires" (those who are over a million copies sold) increased from two to four. Levy and Musso, millionaires in 2007 and 2008, were joined by Vargas and Gavalda.

And the crisis in? It seems to drag on our ten successful novelists. In 2008, they have indeed passed 8.4 million units against 7.8 million in 2007. Their weight in the edition is still higher (96.5 million euros against 84.5 million).

Alone Marc Levy performs 17.7 million euros of Business Anna Gavalda reached 15.4 million and Guillaume Musso exceeds 13 million. This means that these birds have turnovers that many SMEs dream to achieve. Obviously, these are not in the pockets of the perpetrators, far from it: a third goes to booksellers, about half is spent on printing, distribution and distribution. It remains for the novelist between 12 and 14% (according to the terms of the contract with his publisher) of the price of the book edition (and much less when it is a paperback edition).

authors of best-sellers allow big houses do their job of editor, ie also to publish books that sell less, and are sometimes published at a loss. In the economy very special book, the big sellers indirectly help the youngsters. Sometimes a successful novelist makes virtually live alone a small publishing house. Two publishers are proud a candle to their favorite author: Viviane Hamy and Le Dilettante which the bulk of sales is due to Fred Vargas and Anna Gavalda.