The latest: Russia-Iran Talks Over, No Progress Reached

01.03.2006
Russia-Iran Talks Over, No Progress Reached
Talks between Russian and Iranian negotiators on a Russian plan for joint uranium enrichment have ended with a “general” agreement but the proposal needs work, Iran’s chief negotiator has said.

01.03.2006
Belarus KGB Says Thwarted Opposition’s Bloody Coup Attempt
The head of the Belarus State Security Service, the KGB, said on Wednesday that his agency had prevented a planned coup attempt by pro-western opposition that included riots in the capital and terrorist attacks aimed to provoke mass uprising.

01.03.2006
US Woman Pleads Guilty in Adopted Russian Daughter Murder
An American woman has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for beating her adopted 2-year-old Russian daughter to death last July.

01.03.2006
Brasil Defeats Russia in Friendly Soccer Match
Brazil has warmed up for its World Cup defense by beating Russia 1-0 in dipping temperatures.

01.03.2006
US Website Claims Rights to Name of Russia’s New State Television Channel
RussiaToday.com website, established in 1996, is requesting that the newly launched Ria Novosti service “Russia Today TV” change its name prior to the G8 Summit to be held in St. Petersburg, Russia in July 2006.

01.03.2006
Iranian Delegation Arrives in Moscow for Nuclear Talks
An Iranian delegation has arrived in Moscow to negotiate the establishment of a joint uranium enrichment program in Russia.

01.03.2006
Russian Orthodox Church Denounces the Da Vinci Code Movie
The Russian Orthodox Church disapproves of plans to make a film adaptation of the American bestseller The Da Vinci Code.

01.03.2006
Blast Hits Central Russia Security Headquarters
An explosion tore through a provincial office of Russia’s state security service (FSB) on Wednesday. Two FSB employees have been injured due to casual handling of a stun grenade. A source in the low enforcement body called the blast “accident”.

01.03.2006
Ukrainian Man Wins $44M Court Case Against Volvo
Citizen of Ukraine Sergey Kovalenko has won a suit against Volvo concern and Viking Motors Ukrainian company at the total sum of $44 million.

01.03.2006
Russian Environmental Watchdog Says Foreign-Owned Sweets Factory Ruining More Than Just Teeth
Russia’s federal environmental agency Rosprirodnadzor has filed a case against Dutch-Italian-owned company Perfetti Van Melle demanding a court ordered demolition of the factory’s facilities in the Moscow region.

01.03.2006
Chechen Militant Linked to Al-Qaida Killed in Pakistan
Chechen gunman linked to al-Qaida has been killed in an attack of Pakistani security forces at a militant training camp.

01.03.2006
Russian Air Force Pilots to Fly Through Cave in China
A team of Russian pilots will reportedly fly fighter jets through a narrow cave in central China in a tourist stunt that will cost people up to 840 dollars to watch.

01.03.2006
Khodorkovsky’s Lawyer Shmidt Receives German Prize
Heinrich Böll Foundation has granted its Petra Kelly award to the Russian lawyer Yuri Shmidt. He is one of the lawyers of the jailed tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

01.03.2006
Russia Culls 1.35M Birds to Fight Bird Flu
Russia has destroyed 1.35 million domestic and wild birds since July 2005 to prevent the spread of the deadly bird flu virus, the country’s Emergencies Ministry reports.

01.03.2006
Dutch Hiddink to Head Russian Soccer Team — Official
PSV Eindhoven and Australia coach Guus Hiddink from the Netherlands will become the head coach of the Russian national soccer team, the president of the Russian Football Union said.

01.03.2006
Pope Drops “Patriarch” Title Possibly Insulting Russian Orthodox Church — Paper
Benedict XVI has dropped the title of “Patriarch of the Occident,” one of the many he holds as leader of the Roman Catholic Church, a paper has said, adding it could herald a clash with the Russian Orthodox Church.

01.03.2006
Mechanics Remove Grenade From Gas Tank After Russian Driver Complains of Car Malfunctions
A man from Moscow was driving his Audi for the whole day before mechanics removed a grenade installed in his car near the gasoline tank. It was found when he drove to a service center and complained that his car was rattling.

01.03.2006
Russian Tennis Star Petrova DeniesTennis Authorities Credit for Her Success
Russian tennis player Nadia Petrova has blamed the Russian tennis authorities for not contributing to the success of Russian players.

01.03.2006
Swan Dies of Bird Flu in Chechnya
A Russian scientific laboratory based in town of Vladimir has confirmed that a swan, found dead on a field in Chechnya, had H5N1 bird flu virus. Russian officials fear the virus could spread with the start of bird migrations in the spring and have said a vast swathe of southern Russia, part of the country’s farming heartland, is in immediate danger.

01.03.2006
Putin Condemns 1956 Soviet Crackdown in Hungary
Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged Moscow’s moral responsibility for the brutal Soviet suppression of the Hungarian uprising 50 years ago. Marking the anniversary of the crackdown he has visited Budapest.

01.03.2006
Russian Soccer Player Smertin May Return Home
Russian soccer player Alexei Smertin who plays with Chelsea club but is currently on loan at Charlton has said he had received an offer to return home. He added he could not say anything definitely.

01.03.2006
Russia Has 500,000 Illegal Weapons in Circulation — Expert
About 500,000 firearms and light military weapons are currently in illegal circulation in Russia, the director of the conventional weapons program at the Political Technologies Centre, Vadim Kozyulin said at a conference organized by a European institute in St. Petersburg. 50,000 of them belong to the Defense Ministry, he claims.

01.03.2006
Russia Aims to Build Two Nuclear Reactors Annually — Atomic Agency
Russia’s atomic agency is drafting an ambitious program to build two nuclear reactors a year to make nuclear power account for a quarter of the nation’s energy by 2030. Russia currently has 31 reactors at 10 nuclear power plants, accounting for 16-17 percent of the country’s electricity generation, and President Vladimir Putin has called for raising the share to 25%.

01.03.2006
Russian Rocket Fails to Launch Arab Satellite
A Russian-made rocket booster has malfunctioned during a launch, leaving an Arab telecommunications satellite below its intended Earth orbit and dealing a harsh blow to the commercial space industry.

01.03.2006
Russian FM to Host Hamas Delegation in Moscow
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said he will host a delegation of Palestinian militant group Hamas.