Low culture level is main obstacle for modernization - Surkov.

SELIGER, July 29 (Itar-Tass) --Low level of culture is the main
obstacle of the Russian society's modernization, head of the presidential
administration Vladislav Surkov said as he visited the Seliger-2010 youth
forum.
"Things that happen in our yards or houses prove the lack of respect
to the place where we live: a toothpick or a butt on the floor does not
add to the order," he said. "A drive for changes, new technologies and
high level of services begin with everyday culture, from the house where
we live."
The participants in the forum presented their social projects to
improve every-day life. Some projects were devoted to fighting gambling
clubs and to the ban to sell alcoholic drinks to youngsters.
"Those who choose to have a business with narcotic drugs or gambling
should realise the high risks involved," Surkov said. "I fully support
your ideas, and we shall assist your plans."
The Seliger-2010 closed on July 28.


.World's population up, Russia's down - American experts.

WASHINGTON, July 29 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia's population in 2009 made
about 142 million. By 2925, it is expected to go down to 133 million, by
2050 - to 117 million, the US Population Reference Bureau said in its
report, which was presented on Wednesday.
As the world's population grows, Russia's population will be
declining, the experts forecast. The world's population in 2009 made 6.8
billion, and by 2025 it will make up to 8.1 billion, and a quarter of a
century later - up to 9.4 billion.
Africa's population will be growing most quickly. By 2050, it will
double to reach 2.1 billion. Asia's population makes 4.2 billion now, and
may add 1.3 billion by 2050.
The growth will depend mostly on demographic situations in two
countries - India /1.2 billion now, 1.7 billion by 2050/ and China /1.3
billion and 1.4 billion respectively/.
Europe will be "most likely the first region ever where the population
will decline long-term due to low birth level, first of all in Eastern
Europe and Russia," the research said. Presently, there are 738 Europeans,
and by 2050 there may remain only 702 million.
As for the United States of America, the present population makes 310
million. By 2050, it may grow to 399 million, or 423 million, or even 458
million, which will depend on the immigration processes.
The experts believe that by 2050 the USA will be the only 'first
world' country among the world's top ten leaders in population.
Present-day leaders are: China, India, the USA, Indonesia /235
million/, Brazil /193 million/, Pakistan /185 million/, Bangladesh /164
million/, Nigeria /158 million/, Russia and Japan /127 million/. American
experts forecast that by 2050 the same countries will keep first eight
positions, though the order may change, while the two last positions will
be taken by Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.


.Russia indignant at Estonia's support of Nazism-promoting events.

MOSCOW, July 29 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia's Foreign Ministry is indignant
at the support of Estonian authorities for events promoting Nazism crimes,
the ministry's spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said commenting on information
in media that on July 31 there would be a forum of former Waffen-SS
division legionaries in Estonia's north east. At the same time, the
authorities rejected an application from anti-fascist organisations to
have a parallel event.
"Estonia's support for the events which promote the Nazism crimes,
arouses indignation," he said. "Such actions may not be qualified other
than desecration of the victims of Nazism and of those who died for the
liberation of Europe from Nazism."
"We rely on international and corresponding organisations to comment
on the situation in Estonia," Nesterenko said.


.Tajikistan labour migrants to transfer more money - National Bank.

DUSHENBE, July 29 (Itar-Tass) -- The amount of money Tajikistan's
labour migrants transfer from abroad has been growing against the previous
year.
From beginning of January, the growth made 24.7 percent reaching 868.8
million dollars, or 39.2 percent of the country's GDP, the bank's Chairman
Sharif Rakhimzoda told reporters.
"Over 2009, the world financial crisis reduced the amount of money we
got by almost 30 percent," he said. "About 90 percent of our labour
migrants work in Russia."
The official statistics reports that over 700,000 labour migrants
leave Tajikistan, while independent experts claim that every fifth Tajik,
which is about 1.5 million, travels abroad to find work.
"In the current situation we may forecast the amount of money
transferred by them over this year may grow by 30 percent at least," he
said.
-0-kar


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