* Russian President Vladimir Putin, currently on a working visit to Germany, said:

// Oct. 12, 2006 - 05:02 GMT

Chechnya's Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov has said he did not order the murder of Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian journalist who wrote articles alleging he was behind brutal rights abuses.

// Oct. 12, 2006 - 05:32 GMT

Two late goals gave Russia a 2–0 victory over Estonia to kick start their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

// Oct. 12, 2006 - 05:36 GMT

Maria Sharapova, playing her first match since winning the U.S. Open, has beaten fellow Russian Ekaterina Bychkova 6–4, 7–5 to reach the quarterfinals at the Kremlin Cup.

// Oct. 12, 2006 - 05:48 GMT

Internet postings are calling on Russian nationalists to kill government critics – death lists that underscore the dangers journalists and rights activists face in Russia.

// Oct. 12, 2006 - 05:53 GMT

TBILISI, October 12 (RIA Novosti) – United Nations military observers will resume patrols in the upper part of the Kodori Gorge in the breakaway republic of Abkhazia in Georgia for the first time since the summer of 2003, a Georgian official said Thursday.

// Oct. 12, 2006 - 06:44 GMT

MOSCOW, October 12 (RIA Novosti) – Tsentrtelecom, an inter-regional telecom provider, said Thursday its net profit in the first six months of 2006, calculated to international accounting standards, totaled 220 million rubles ($8.2 million), against a net loss of 164 million ($6.09 million) last year.

// Oct. 12, 2006 - 06:47 GMT

MOSCOW, October 12 (RIA Novosti) – Russia's investment index will open Thursday at 660.97 points, up 0.16% on the previous day's trading, following Wednesday evening's sessions on major world trading floors.

// Oct. 12, 2006 - 06:52 GMT

President Vladimir Putin was rebuffed on Wednesday in his desire for a bigger Russian stake in aerospace firm EADS as he ended a two-day visit to Germany. Putin replied with a speech to German business leaders, saying he failed to understand the "nervousness about Russia investing abroad".

// Oct. 12, 2006 - 06:57 GMT

Internet postings are calling on Russian nationalists to kill government critics – death lists that underscore the dangers journalists and rights activists face in Russia.

// Oct. 12, 2006 - 07:03 GMT