* President Vladimir Putin congratulated Russian automotive industry workers on their professional holiday, the Kremlin press office said
* Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said:
- A second network of centrifuges launched by Iran to enrich uranium complied with the non-proliferation treaty and was part of its nuclear research program
- Iran sees no reason for suspending its uranium enrichment work
- Tehran welcomes Russia's position on the peaceful settlement of the Iran nuclear issue
* Russia's participation in the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will help Russian companies enter Asian markets, said Andrei Kasyanenko, head of the international cooperation section at the Russian Finance Ministry's department of international financial relations, state debt and state financial assets
* Maria Sharapova won her fifth title this year at the $600,000 Linz Open WTA women's singles final in Austria Sunday after beating fellow Russian Nadezhda Petrova 7-5, 6-2.
