Industry agency chief to become head of AvtoVAZ carmaker

MOSCOW, September 6 (RIA Novosti) – Boris Alyoshin, who heads Russia's Federal Agency for Industry, will become president of the country's largest automaker AvtoVAZ [RTS: AVAZ], a source in the agency said Thursday.

// Sep. 06, 2007 - 05:08 GMT

Renowned Italian tenor Pavarotti dies aged 71

MOSCOW, September 6 (RIA Novosti) – Italian opera legend Luciano Pavarotti died early Thursday at the age of 71, Italian news agency AGR reported.

// Sep. 06, 2007 - 05:40 GMT

RUXX investment index set to open 1.10% up

MOSCOW, September 6 (RIA Novosti) – Russia's investment index will open Thursday at 762.96 points, up 1.10% following Wednesday evening's sessions on major world trading floors.

// Sep. 06, 2007 - 05:55 GMT

Banks' correspondent accounts with CBR rise 4.7%

MOSCOW, September 6 (RIA Novosti) – Credit institutions' balances on correspondent accounts with the Russian Central Bank totaled 420.2 billion rubles ($16.4 billion at the current exchange rates) at the beginning of the business day, up 4.7% from Wednesday, the CBR said Thursday.

// Sep. 06, 2007 - 06:04 GMT

UN development body says Russian economy to grow 6.4% in 2007

GENEVA, September 6 (RIA Novosti) – Russia's economy is projected to expand 6.4% in 2007, down from 6.7% in 2006, according to experts at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

// Sep. 06, 2007 - 06:22 GMT

Russian gold and currency reserves up $2.2 bln in week

MOSCOW, September 6 (RIA Novosti) – Russia's gold and foreign currency reserves increased by $2.2 billion, to $416 billion, in the week of August 24 – August 31, the Central Bank of Russia said Thursday.

// Sep. 06, 2007 - 06:32 GMT

Estonia has no evidence of Kremlin involvement in cyber attacks

TALLINN, September 6 (RIA Novosti) - Estonia's defense minister admitted Thursday he had no evidence that cyber attacks, which hit Estonian government computers in April-May, were carried out by official Russian government agencies. 

// Sep. 06, 2007 - 07:05 GMT

Russian Proton-M rocket with Japanese satellite crashes on launch

MOSCOW, September 6 (RIA Novosti) – A Russian Proton-M booster rocket carrying a Japanese communications satellite exploded shortly after lift-off early Thursday, a space agency spokesman said.

// Sep. 06, 2007 - 07:05 GMT

Russian opera singer auctions family collection to support funds

MOSCOW, September 6 (RIA Novosti) – Galina Vishnevskaya, a famous Russian opera singer and the wife of deceased cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, plans to auction off the family's collection of Russian art to maintain her charitable foundations.

// Sep. 06, 2007 - 07:22 GMT

Pipe blast cuts off gas supplies to four North Caucasus towns

NALCHIK, September 4 (RIA Novosti) – Gas supplies to four towns in the republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, in Russia's North Caucasus region, have been cut off due to a pipe explosion, the republic's police source said.

// Sep. 06, 2007 - 07:41 GMT