NEWS

Tatarstan Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Culture Zilya Valeyeva congratulated journalists, publishers, typographers, and veterans of press on the Day of Russian Press.

The 28th International Chaliapin Opera Festival will take place from 8 to 22 February in Kazan. About 40 performers from the USA, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Austria, Greece, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Lithuania and other countries as well as Russia’s biggest theatres including the Mariinsky and Bolshoy theatres will gather in the Tatarstan capital to take part in the festival.

The cost of the minimum set of foodstuffs included in the minimum of subsistence in Russia made 2,131 rubles per person a month, Rosstat or the Federal State Statistics Service reports. The cheapest minimum set of foodstuffs among the Russia regions is in Tatarstan (1,736 rubles), the Ulyanovsk Region (1747 rubles), the Tambov Region (1765 rubles).

The current champion of Dakar marathon rally in trucks rating Firdaus Kabirov achieved his second victory in Dakar-2010 stages. January 11, on the 9th stage of the rally, Kabirov managed to surpass his team fellow and the general rating leader Vladimir Chagin.

January 11, Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev signed a law of the Republic of Tatarstan on introduction of amendments to the Law of the Republic of Tatarstan ‘On education’.

Oil and gas condensate recovery in Russian in 2009 increased 1.2 percent versus 2008, totalling 494.228 million tonnes, or 9.925 million barrels a day. The data was presented by Interfax that cited a situation report by Russia’s fuel and energy industry central dispatching department. In December, Russia produced 42.494 million tonnes of oil. The average daily rate last year totalled 10.048 million barrels a day.

Rosneft in 2009 extracted 116.286 million tonnes of oil, Lukoil 92.179 million tonnes, TNK-BP Holding 70.236 million tonnes, Surgutneftegaz 59.634 million tonnes, Gazprom Neft 29.880 million tonnes, Tatneft 26.107 million tonnes (2.216 million in December), Slavneft 18.894 million tonnes, and Rusneft 12.688 million tonnes.

All the production divisions of automaker Kamaz have today commenced operations under the January 2010 production plan, reports the company’s press service.

The auto plant has relaunched its main conveyer line. As the other main procurement, mechanical processing and assembly divisions, it will operate until the end of the month four days a week. Over the 12 working days, a total of 1,785 trucks and chassis are to be assembled.

The commissioning and shipment of ready-made products, vehicles and chassis for special vehicles, will under the January production plan be completed on 29 January. The Kamaz body press plant will operate in the first working days of February, to provide a stock.

In the list of The World's Best Club Coach 2009 published on Friday by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics are two names familiar to the Russian audience – Guus Hiddink and Kurban Berdyev.

The latter, who made a splash with his Rubin tenure in 2009 both in Russia and in Europe, took 11th position in the IFFHS list, which is officially recognized by FIFA.

Dutchman Hiddink – who, in addition to coaching the Russian national team, reached the Champions League semis with Chelsea – is seventh in the ranking.

Participants of the International Rally Dakar-2010 met with the Chile President Michelle Bachelet who visited the camp where the rally’s participants were having a break. The head of Chile expressed admiration for courage and fortitude of the participants of the most prestigious automarathon in the world. Michelle Bachelet was also interested in Russian trucks KAMAZ who are in the lead for the second year running.

The rally participants from 50 countries have left behind a half of the route which made 4,500 km. As many as 135 teams already went out of the competitions due to technical breakages and traumas. The eighth leg of the competition Antofagasta-Copiano 568 km long started on January 11. The finish and honouring ceremony will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina on January 17.

President of the Republic of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev congratulated Orthodox fellow citizens on the Nativity of Christ