* Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Russia was ready to conclude a separate agreement with Ukraine on its Black Sea Fleet navigation facilities

// Jan. 18, 2006 - 05:22 GMT

MOSCOW, January 18 (RIA Novosti) – The parliament of Kazakhstan unanimously approved Wednesday the president's nomination for the post of prime minister.

// Jan. 18, 2006 - 05:59 GMT

The Russian winter tightened its grip on the capital this week sending temperatures down below minus 25 Celsius after weeks of relatively mild weather. Even before the long-expected Epiphany frosts finally set in officials began to panic, remembering the sinister warnings of Russia's notorious energy chief about possible power cuts if temperatures plummeted that low.

// Jan. 18, 2006 - 06:31 GMT

MOSCOW, January 18 (RIA Novosti) – The prosecution in the trial of two ethnic Chechens and a Moscow notary accused of killing Forbes Russia Editor Paul Klebnikov will start to present evidence Wednesday when the trial resumes behind closed doors at the Moscow City Court after a six-day adjournment.

// Jan. 18, 2006 - 06:50 GMT

MOSCOW, January 18 (RIA Novosti) – France's foreign minister will fly into Moscow Wednesday to discuss the escalating dispute around Iran's nuclear programs with his Russian counterpart.

// Jan. 18, 2006 - 07:17 GMT

TOKYO, January 18 (RIA Novosti)-The Russian government is considering allocating 500 million rubles ($17.7 million) to efforts to prevent the spread of bird flu, the finance minister said Wednesday.

// Jan. 18, 2006 - 07:22 GMT

MOSCOW, January 18 (RIA Novosti) – Police in Moscow have discovered a large arms-cache in the west of the city, a source in the law enforcement bodies said Tuesday.

// Jan. 18, 2006 - 07:40 GMT

TOKYO, January 18 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is drafting proposals to pay back early its debt to the Paris Club of Creditor Nations, the finance minister said Wednesday.

// Jan. 18, 2006 - 08:04 GMT

TOKYO, January 18 (RIA Novosti, Andrei Fesyun) – Japan has signaled its support for the Russian agenda of a meeting of finance ministers from the Group of Eight industrialized nations that will be held next month, the Russian finance minister said Wednesday.

// Jan. 18, 2006 - 08:31 GMT

Russia said it was buying a British robot submarine of the type that last year helped rescue seven of its sailors stranded on the seabed.

// Jan. 18, 2006 - 08:38 GMT