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Main news of January 23

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RUSSIA * Russian space agency Roscosmos must take responsibility for the operational shortcomings of the Glonass satellite navigation system, Sergei... 23.01.2008, Sputnik International

2008-01-23T19:09+0000

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Main news of January 23

19:09 GMT 23.01.2008

RUSSIA

* Russian space agency Roscosmos must take responsibility for the operational shortcomings of the Glonass satellite navigation system, Sergei Ivanov, a first deputy prime minister, said

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said:

* Russia condemns Israel's moves to block vital fuel and food supplies to the Gaza Strip

- Russia rejects European Union presidency holder Slovenia's assessment of the dispute surrounding the British Council in Russia;

- Russia is concerned over NATO's expansion, which is aimed at building up its military potential around Russian borders rather than strengthening European security;

- Russia has never declared its readiness to recognize the sovereignty of ex-Soviet breakaway provinces if Kosovo's independence is declared;

- setting a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq could help stabilize the situation in the country;

- trips by foreign journalists to Russia's North Caucasus republic of Chechnya are still unsafe, although the situation has improved in the region.

* The result of Russia's March 2 presidential elections will not affect Russia's policy regarding NATO, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's pan-European cooperation department said

* Russia's Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said that Russia was a safe haven for investors and the country's economy remained stable amid slumping global stock markets

* Russia will participate in the International Monetary Fund's initiative to deal with the consequences of the current turmoil in the global financial markets, the finance minister said

* Russia has taken measures to secure the release of assets seized in France over a claim filed by Swiss trading firm Noga, the Finance Ministry said

* Russian news agency RIA Novosti will appeal against the decision to freeze its account in France following a claim by the Swiss trading firm Noga

* The death toll in Russia from alcohol poisoning in the first eleven months of 2007 totaled 19,031, a 28.1 % decrease from 2006, the National Alcohol Association (NAA) said

* Russia's industrial production rose 6.5% in December and 6.3% in 2007, year on year, the Federal Statistics Service said

WORLD

* Political and business leaders from more than 80 countries started annual talks in the Swiss Alps amid fears that U.S. economic problems could spark a global recession

* Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the new nuclear program resolution agreed on Tuesday by the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany is a mistake, according to national TV

* The United States supports Ukrainian policy aimed at NATO and EU membership, the U.S. secretary of state said at a meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in Davos, Switzerland

* Thousands of Palestinians made their way from the Gaza Strip into Egypt after militants partially destroyed a wall on the Gaza-Egypt border

* Abkhazia opened fire on two Georgian naval vessels that entered the unrecognized republic's territorial waters, the spokesman for Abkhazia's president said, but Georgia denied the incident

* The world's first space travel agency, Virgin Galactic, which will launch passenger space flights from next year, opened in the United States

BUSINESS

* The Russian Trading System (RTS) index gained 1.83% during Wednesday morning's trade to 2,003.65 points, regaining losses sustained in the past two days on negative data from world markets

* VTB, Russia's second-largest bank, plans to place over $1 billion in Eurobonds during the first quarter of 2008, a senior bank executive said

* Russia's aluminum giant RusAl is considering shifting its $9bln initial public offering from the London Stock Exchange to Hong Kong, a leading British financial newspaper said

* Sugar production in Russia in 2007 dropped 1.1% year on year, to about 3 million metric tons, the Russian union of sugar producers said