* President Vladimir Putin said that state-controlled Rosneft oil company would manage regional producer Udmurtneft, recently sold to leading Chinese oil producer Sinopec

// Jun. 22, 2006 - 04:29 GMT

MOSCOW, June 22 (RIA Novosti) – Russia's government will discuss pre-term payment of the country's debt to the Paris Club of creditor nations at a meeting Thursday, a Cabinet source said.

// Jun. 22, 2006 - 05:10 GMT

LONDON, June 22 (RIA Novosti) – A two-day conference for companies from Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan planning to make initial public offerings in the next 18 months opens in London Thursday.

// Jun. 22, 2006 - 06:01 GMT

MOSCOW, June 22 (RIA Novosti) – Russia's Foreign Ministry said Thursday it had no new information on the fate of four diplomats kidnapped in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, almost three weeks ago.

// Jun. 22, 2006 - 06:04 GMT

MOSCOW, June 22 (RIA Novosti) – Russia's gold and foreign currency reserves decreased by $1.9 billion, to $246 billion as of June 16, from $247.9 billion a week earlier, the Central Bank of Russia said Thursday.

// Jun. 22, 2006 - 06:38 GMT

MOSCOW, June 22 (RIA Novosti) – Russia's newest investment index will open Thursday at 570.93 points, up 0.8% on the previous day's trading, following Wednesday evening's sessions on major world trading floors.

// Jun. 22, 2006 - 06:45 GMT

Russian uranium export monopoly Tekhsnabexport and the Russian-Kazakh-Kyrgyz uranium mining venture Zarechnoye signed a contract on Thursday, June 22, which presupposes supplies of $1 billion worth of uranium between now and 2022.

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

Ukraine, who needs to defeat Tunisia on Friday to be certain of reaching the last 16 of the World Cup, cannot afford any complacency against its Group H opponents. A draw is likely to be enough for Ukraine, but captain Andriy Shevchenko said his team would be going for victory.

// Jun. 22, 2006 - 07:21 GMT

KIEV, June 22 (RIA Novosti) – A Ukrainian government commission has approved an investment proposal by Russian holding Metalloinvest and Ukraine's Smart Group to complete construction of an iron-ore enrichment plant, the country's state property fund said Thursday.

// Jun. 22, 2006 - 07:29 GMT

Russian prosecutors said they have completed the investigation into a killing of a special correspondent for a nationwide television network. Reportedly, the man had been attacked by a 19-year-old, whom the journalist had sexually assaulted earlier.

// Jun. 22, 2006 - 07:31 GMT