MOSCOW, May 22 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow Interbank Currency Exchange suspended trading for one hour at 6:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. GMT) Monday after falling more than 8.5% in one day, the exchange said.
"MICEX interrupted trading in shares... in accordance with trading regulations after the stock index calculated in the previous hour plunged 8.5% against the opening level," MICEX said.
By total value of trading in 2005 ($925 bln), MICEX is the largest exchange in Russia, the CIS and Eastern Europe.
