* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said:

// Oct. 04, 2006 - 04:30 GMT

MOSCOW, October 4 (RIA Novosti) – A third cargo plane with equipment for Russian combat engineers in Lebanon took off Wednesday from an air base outside Moscow, a senior Air Force official said.

// Oct. 04, 2006 - 05:11 GMT

Georgia has urged Russia to stop naval exercises near the countries' sea border, calling them a threat to regional peace and a violation of the United Nations charter.

// Oct. 04, 2006 - 05:22 GMT

U.S. Open champion Maria Sharapova has made herself available for Russia's Fed Cup team for the first time, the 19-year-old has said on her Web site.

// Oct. 04, 2006 - 05:25 GMT

The United States has urged Russia to lift sanctions it imposed on Georgia this week at the height of a dispute over the arrest in Tblisi of four Russian officers on charges of spying.

// Oct. 04, 2006 - 05:32 GMT

MOSCOW, October 4 (RIA Novosti) – Russia's civil aviation authority is planning to increase tariffs for air navigation services provided to foreign airlines from 2007, the head of the body said Wednesday.

// Oct. 04, 2006 - 05:47 GMT

Russia will orbit its Radioastron telescope by the end of 2008, says head of the Russian Physics Institute's Astro-Space Center.

// Oct. 04, 2006 - 06:14 GMT

MOSCOW, October 4 (RIA Novosti) – Severstal Avto [RTS: SVAV], a leading Russian carmaker, will launch production of Rexton all-terrain vehicles Wednesday in cooperation with South Korea's SsangYong automotive company.

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

Japanese scientists are interested in carrying out a range of scientific experiments in the Russian segment of the International Space Station.

// Oct. 04, 2006 - 06:46 GMT

BISHKEK, October 4 (RIA Novosti) – Russia's defense minister praised Wednesday military cooperation with Kyrgyzstan and said Russia will continue to develop a military base near the country's capital.

// Oct. 04, 2006 - 06:56 GMT