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Afghanistan"s parliament voted on Saturday...

Afghanistan"s parliament voted on Saturday to reject most of the nominees put forward by President Hamid Karzai to serve in his new Cabinet.

A Proton-M carrier rocket bearing three...

A Proton-M carrier rocket bearing three Glonass satellites was launched from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan early on Tuesday, a spokesman for the Space Forces said.

A Russian Orthodox priest who carried out...

A Russian Orthodox priest who carried out missionary work among immigrants from ex-Soviet republics received over a dozen death threats before his murder on Thursday, a Russian paper said.

A total of 38 people died and 55 were injured...

A total of 38 people died and 55 were injured as two buses collided in northern Peru, the Rossiya 24 TV channel reported.

A U.S. senator has urged U.S. Secretary...

A U.S. senator has urged U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to impose a ban on visas for 60 Russian officials and other individuals in a $230 million corruption case that lead to the death of a Moscow anti-corruption lawyer, the U.S. Helsinki Commission website said.

BUSINESS

China"s fourth space center, Wenchang, will...

China"s fourth space center, Wenchang, will be put into service between 2014 and 2015, not in 2013 as it was previously announced, the CCTV channel reported on Tuesday.

China"s Wang Meng has set a new Olympic...

China"s Wang Meng has set a new Olympic record in the women"s 500 meters short-track speed skating event at Vancouver Games.

Cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Maxim Surayev...

Cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Maxim Surayev on Thursday moved through an airlock on the International Space Station to start the first spacewalk of 2010.

Evo Morales, Bolivia"s socialist president...

Evo Morales, Bolivia"s socialist president, said the blockbuster movie Avatar was an inspiration in the fight against capitalism and efforts to protect the environment, Latin American media reported on Tuesday.

Former owners of the defunct Russian oil...

Former owners of the defunct Russian oil company Yukos have won a crucial ruling in The Hague allowing them to seek $100 billion in damages from the Russian government, The Financial Times reported.

French naval shipbuilder DCNS said on Thursday...

French naval shipbuilder DCNS said on Thursday it expected to receive a final answer from Russia soon on buying a Mistral-class helicopter carrier.

German biathlete Magdalena Neuner won the...

German biathlete Magdalena Neuner won the 10 km pursuit at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver on Tuesday, avenging Anastasia Kuzmina"s victory in the sprint event three days earlier.

Hundreds of alarmed people called a Moscow...

Hundreds of alarmed people called a Moscow psychiatric institute following two terrorist attacks in the Moscow subway, a spokesman for the institute said on Tuesday.

If Moscow buys a Mistral-class helicopter...

If Moscow buys a Mistral-class helicopter carrier from France, it will be used principally as an amphibious command ship, a Russian Defense Ministry source said on Friday.

LUKoil will invest $4.5 billion in Iraq"s...

LUKoil will invest $4.5 billion in Iraq"s West Qurna-2 within the next three to five years, the head of Russia"s largest independent crude producer said on Thursday.

MOSCOW, April 29 (RIA Novosti) - Struggling...

MOSCOW, April 29 (RIA Novosti) - Struggling English Premier League side Newcastle United have made enquiries into the possibility of signing Dynamo Moscow defender Denis Kolodin, a Russian paper said on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, August 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russia"s...

MOSCOW, August 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russia"s Kruzenshtern sailing ship is taking part in a nautical festival in the Dutch port of Delfzijl a month ahead of her voyage round the world, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, August 31 (RIA Novosti) - Russia...

MOSCOW, August 31 (RIA Novosti) - Russia plans to conduct its first manned flight around the Moon in 2011-2012, the president of a leading spacecraft company said Thursday.

MOSCOW, August 3 (RIA Novosti) - Russia"s...

MOSCOW, August 3 (RIA Novosti) - Russia"s Reserve Fund declined 4.9% to 2.811 trillion rubles ($89.9 billion) while the National Welfare Fund grew 1.6% to 2.859 trillion rubles ($91.5 billion) in July, the Finance Ministry said on Monday.

MOSCOW, December 9 (RIA Novosti) - The operator...

MOSCOW, December 9 (RIA Novosti) - The operator of the Gazprom-led Shtokman gas condensate project in the Russian section of the Barents Sea asked on Tuesday for tax exemptions as a precondition for investing in the development of shelf deposits.

MOSCOW, January 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia"s...

MOSCOW, January 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia"s annual nanotechnology production must reach at least 1 trillion rubles ($41 billion) by 2015, Russia"s science and education minister said on Thursday. Following a government session on nanotechnology development in Russia, Andrei Fursenko said the figure was attainable, if ambitious, and could be achieved if the industry received the necessary legal backing for its development, including a development program to run until 2015, as well as further financial support by the government. The nanotechnology development program forecasts that Russia"s annual output in the sector will reach 900 billion rubles by 2015, and the share of Russian nanotechnology produce in different sectors should be no less than 3% of the world hi-tech market. Fursenko said his ministry was working with a consumer rights regulator on research into the health safety of products and materials related to nanotechnology production. He also said the issue of proprietary rights in the sector had been resolved in principle, and established in the Civil Code, but that a number of laws still had to be adopted. Fursenko said that the rights to the results of nanotechnology research in most cases should belong to research and development entities even if budget funds have been used.

MOSCOW, January 2 (RIA Novosti) - Two people...

MOSCOW, January 2 (RIA Novosti) - Two people were killed and four injured when over 40 cars collided in Germany"s southwest near the city of Freiburg due to heavy fog, the DPA news agency reported citing local police.

MOSCOW, July 13 (RIA Novosti) - Bulgaria...

MOSCOW, July 13 (RIA Novosti) - Bulgaria has put two major energy projects with Russia on hold until the country"s new prime minister-designate Boiko Borisov has carried out a review of outstanding projects, a business daily said on Monday.

MOSCOW, July 30 (RIA Novosti) - Dynamo Moscow...

MOSCOW, July 30 (RIA Novosti) - Dynamo Moscow got off to a perfect start in their first Champions League campaign, scoring an early goal and shutting out Celtic to win 1-0 in Glasgow.

MOSCOW, June 19 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian...

MOSCOW, June 19 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian launch vehicle will be sunk in the Pacific Ocean Monday evening after being undocked from the world"s sole orbital station earlier in the day, a Mission Control official said.

MOSCOW, November 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russian...

MOSCOW, November 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russian state corporations have outlived their usefulness, have no future and should be reorganized and later privatized, the Russian president said on Thursday.

MOSCOW, October 29 (RIA Novosti) - An official...

MOSCOW, October 29 (RIA Novosti) - An official offer on a contract extension for the Russian national team"s Dutch trainer Guus Hiddink will be made after the World Cup qualifiers, the Russian Football Union president said on Thursday.

MOSCOW, October 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russia"s...

MOSCOW, October 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russia"s largest independent oil producer LUKoil said on Thursday its net profit calculated under Russian Accounting Standards fell 92%, quarter-on-quarter, in July-September 2009 to 1.76 billion rubles ($59 million).

MOSCOW, October 6 (RIA Novosti) - Russia...

MOSCOW, October 6 (RIA Novosti) - Russia plans to launch a cargo spaceship to the International Space Station from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on October 15, a Mission Control official said on Tuesday.

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator...

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Pyotr Goncharov) - It will take more than two or three years to fight drug trafficking from Afghanistan, according to a joint report of the World Bank and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime published recently.

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator...

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Tatyana Sinitsyna) - Four Baltic nations - Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland - have decided to build a powerful nuclear plant together.

MOSCOW, (RIA Novosti sports commentator...

MOSCOW, (RIA Novosti sports commentator Mikhail Smirnov) -- Formula 1 is coming to Moscow again, or rather, one of its teams is.

MOSCOW, September 14 (RIA Novosti) - France"s...

MOSCOW, September 14 (RIA Novosti) - France"s GDF Suez will by the end of October become a shareholder in the company building the Nord Stream gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea, Gazrpom"s deputy CEO said on Monday.

MOSCOW, September 14 (RIA Novosti) - Venezuela...

MOSCOW, September 14 (RIA Novosti) - Venezuela and a consortium of Russian oil companies intend to invest $20 billion into the development of the Junin 6 oil deposit in the Orinoco River Basin, the Venezuelan oil and energy minister said.

Newly crowned Russian champions Rubin Kazan...

Newly crowned Russian champions Rubin Kazan will seek revenge when they host Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday evening in the Champions League, and could even seal their spot in the last 16.

Olympic attention moved from Canada to the...

Olympic attention moved from Canada to the former Soviet republic of Georgia as luger Nodar Kumaritashvili was buried in his hometown of Bakuriani.

One of the U.S"s largest coffee chains Dunkin"...

One of the U.S"s largest coffee chains Dunkin" Donuts has re-entered the Russian market and has plans for expansion, the company"s franchisee for Russia and Ukraine said on Wednesday.

Over 8 million of Chileans are entitled...

Over 8 million of Chileans are entitled to cast their ballots in a second round of presidential elections on Sunday.

Police detained over 50 people on Moscow"s...

Police detained over 50 people on Moscow"s Triumph Square for an attempt to hold a protest rally, a law enforcement source said on Thursday.

Police will use video cameras to monitor...

Police will use video cameras to monitor the entire high-speed rail route from Moscow to St. Petersburg in northwest Russia, following a recent bomb attack, which killed 27 passengers, a police official said on Sunday.

Pumping of Russian natural gas to Europe...

Pumping of Russian natural gas to Europe via the Baltic Nord Stream pipeline will start in September 2011, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

(Recasts lead, adds paragraphs 4, 5)

Reigning Olympic champions Sweden confidently...

Reigning Olympic champions Sweden confidently defeated Belarus 4-2 at the 2010 Olympic Games in Canada"s Vancouver.

RIA Novosti has joined the world"s largest...

RIA Novosti has joined the world"s largest financial information network, BT Radianz Shared Market Infrastructure, the news agency"s director general said on Tuesday.

Rian.ru will show a live broadcast of the...

Rian.ru will show a live broadcast of the grandiose military parade on Red Square dedicated to the 65th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II on May 9 at 10.00 a.m. Moscow time (06:00 GMT).

Rubin Kazan defender Cristian Ansaldi is...

Rubin Kazan defender Cristian Ansaldi is to join Manchester City, reports in both Russia and England suggest.

RUSSIA

Russia and Belarus have signed an array...

Russia and Belarus have signed an array of agreements on crude oil deliveries and uninterrupted transits to Europe, a Russian deputy prime minister said on Wednesday.

Russia could build a satellite for the detection...

Russia could build a satellite for the detection and tracking of submarines from space, a defense industry spokesman said on Thursday.

Russia has rowed back on plans to take part...

Russia has rowed back on plans to take part in the construction of a canal across Nicaragua, linking the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, saying it needs to reassess current financial conditions before making a final decision.

Russia is continuing talks with Belarus...

Russia is continuing talks with Belarus on oil deliveries to the ex-Soviet republic in 2010, with oil transit across the Belarusian territory provided in full, an aide to Russia"s energy minister said on Sunday.

Russia may undertake the large-scale resettlement...

Russia may undertake the large-scale resettlement of residents of single-industry towns in a bid to tackle high unemployment in the country"s depressed regions, a business daily said on Thursday.

Russian and Polish clerics have agreed to...

Russian and Polish clerics have agreed to draw up a document on the reconciliation of the two nations in a bid to put an end to long-standing tensions in Russian-Polish relations, a press-secretary of the Polish Catholic Bishops Conference has said.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will meet...

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will meet country"s Paralympic athletes and hand over state awards to champions of the Games during a ceremony in Kremlin on Friday.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on...

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Tuesday unveiled a new package of anti-crisis measures aimed at doubling state support for small and medium business to 23 billion rubles ($780 million) in 2010.

Russian Tu-95MS Bear strategic bombers have...

Russian Tu-95MS Bear strategic bombers have completed a series of efficiency drills, an Air Force spokesman said on Friday.

Russia"s branch of the Swiss food giant...

Russia"s branch of the Swiss food giant Nestle has not been officially notified by the Russian consumer rights watchdog of a ban on some its baby food imports, a company manager said.

Russia"s car industry is gradually recovering...

Russia"s car industry is gradually recovering from the global financial crisis, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday in his annual address to the State Duma.

Russia"s Central Bank said on Thursday it...

Russia"s Central Bank said on Thursday it is ready to buy 30 metric tons (965,000 troy ounces) of gold at market prices from the country"s precious metals depositary Gokhran by the end of the year.

Russia"s largest independent oil producer...

Russia"s largest independent oil producer LUKoil won an auction on Saturday for a contract to develop one of Iraq"s largest oil fields.

Russia"s largest Internet company Yandex...

Russia"s largest Internet company Yandex may bid for the ICQ messenger, put up for sale by the U.S. company AOL, a respected business daily reported on Thursday.

Russia"s women curling team beat Sweden...

Russia"s women curling team beat Sweden 10-1 on the ninth day of the Olympics in Vancouver, handing the Swedes their first defeat after four wins in the round robin competition.

Russia was defeated 2:1 in overtime and...

Russia was defeated 2:1 in overtime and penalty shots by Slovakia during the Olympic men"s hockey preliminary in Group B.

Russia will send two more planes with 40...

Russia will send two more planes with 40 metric tons of humanitarian aid to quake-devastated Haiti, the emergencies ministry said on Sunday.

Somali pirates on Wednesday attacked and...

Somali pirates on Wednesday attacked and seized the Russian tanker Moskovsky Universitet in the Gulf of Aden, a Navy source said.

Students from earthquake-stricken Haiti...

Students from earthquake-stricken Haiti studying in Moscow are sick with worry for their relatives at home and are unsure if they will be able to continue studying.

The 12th day of the Olympics in Vancouver...

The 12th day of the Olympics in Vancouver was a good one for Russia as it took its third gold and fourth silver.

The Academician Fyodorov scientific research...

The Academician Fyodorov scientific research vessel has arrived at the Russian Antarctic outpost of Bellingshausen on a mission to set up a station for tracking the GLONASS navigation satellites, the Voice of Russia reported.

The flow of counterfeit goods to Russia...

The flow of counterfeit goods to Russia from China could increase following the creation of a customs union between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, a Russian customs official said on Thursday.

The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF)...

The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) declared on Monday gas prices should be pegged to oil prices, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said.

The Russian Defense Ministry dismissed on...

The Russian Defense Ministry dismissed on Wednesday media reports that it was planning to purchase a large number of armored vehicles from Italy.

The Russian government is set to return...

The Russian government is set to return for the first time during the crisis period a major bank it has rescued from bankruptcy, a business daily reported on Monday.

The Russian leadership is still considering...

The Russian leadership is still considering whether to buy a Mistral-class amphibious assault ship from France or to build a similar ship domestically, Russia"s top security official said Tuesday.

The Russian lower house of parliament, the...

The Russian lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has approved an additional plenary session on April 27 to ratify an agreement on prolonging the presence of the country"s Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine"s Crimea for another 25 years.

Twenty years ago, on January 31, 1990, some...

Twenty years ago, on January 31, 1990, some 5,000 people gathered in Moscow"s Pushkinskaya Square, waiting for the opening of a McDonald"s restaurant, the first to start working in the Soviet Union.

Ukraine"s WBC Heavyweight Champion Vitali...

Ukraine"s WBC Heavyweight Champion Vitali Klitschko said he wants David Haye of Britain to win in his title defense bout against mandatory challenger John Ruiz, the Telegraph reported.

U.S. investment in the Moscow Region increased...

U.S. investment in the Moscow Region increased 250%, year-on-year in 2009 to $200 million, the press office of the Moscow Region governor said on Wednesday.

U.S. Patriot missiles will be stationed...

U.S. Patriot missiles will be stationed in northern Poland about 60 miles (100 km) from the border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad rather than near Warsaw, the Polish defense minister said on Wednesday.

WORLD

Zenit St. Petersburg were beaten 3-2 by...

Zenit St. Petersburg were beaten 3-2 by Norwegian club Lillestrom during a pre-season friendly in southeast Spain"s La Manga on Friday.