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Main news of May 19

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RUSSIA * A Moscow court on Tuesday sentenced the head of a construction firm to 10 years in prison for defrauding home buyers of a total of $38 million in the... 19.05.2009, Sputnik International

2009-05-19T18:02+0000

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Main news of May 19

18:02 GMT 19.05.2009

RUSSIA

* A Moscow court on Tuesday sentenced the head of a construction firm to 10 years in prison for defrauding home buyers of a total of $38 million in the Russian capital alone

* A candidate for mayor in the southern Russian city of Kislovodsk, who was wounded in an assassination attempt earlier on Tuesday, is in stable condition, a doctor at the local hospital said

* The Russian authorities should help resolve the dispute between the Alfa Group, VimpelCom and Norway's Telenor, which holds 29.9% in VimpelCom, the Russian prime minister said

* There are no problems with the sale of Tor-M2 and Buk-M2 air defense systems to Belarus, with only technical issues under discussion, the head of the Russian state-run arms exporter said

* Russia will deploy fewer personnel at military bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia than previously planned, a first deputy defense minister said

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered the establishment of a special commission to counter attempts to falsify history to the detriment of Russia's interests, the Kremlin said

WORLD

* The atmosphere at the Geneva talks on the Caucasus situation was "predictably tough but frank," the head of the Russian delegation said

* The recently appointed U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan joined President Hamid Karzai on a trip Tuesday to the western province of Farah to meet with relatives of those killed during a recent U.S.-Taliban clash

* Georgia's foreign minister claimed on Tuesday that the UN Secretary General's draft report on the situation in the Caucasus region had been amended due to pressure from Russia

* Norway's prime minister told Russia's president on Tuesday that the countries have shared interests in the natural gas sphere, and should work together to boost their market share in Europe

* The speaker of the House of Commons announced on Tuesday his resignation over a scandal concerning inappropriate expense claims by British members of parliament

* A grain freighter with 17 crewmembers that was seized last month by Somali pirates was released on Tuesday, and is now on its way to Yemen, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said

* Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's chief of staff resigned on Tuesday in protest at plans by the leader of the former Soviet republic to run for reelection

* Forty countries have reported a total of 9,830 cases of A/H1N1 infection, known as swine flu, including 79 deaths, the World Health Organization said

* Ukraine's president has said he is confident that the "unprofessional" natural gas contracts signed with Russia earlier this year will soon be reviewed, as Ukraine will be unable to meet its obligations under the current terms

* The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters has decided to award the Abel Prize for 2009 to Russian-French mathematician Mikhail Gromov for "his revolutionary contributions to geometry", the prize committee said

* The UN General Secretary has submitted a draft report on the Caucasus region which makes no mention of Georgia's sovereignty over its former republic of Abkhazia, a spokesman for Russia's permanent representative said

BUSINESS

* Russia will propose including the South Stream gas pipeline to pump natural gas from Russia to the Balkans and onto Europe in a list of EU priority projects, a Gazprom deputy CEO said

* Russia wants to resume natural gas imports from Turkmenistan under existing contracts, a Gazprom deputy CEO said

* Azerbaijan plans to participate in developing oil fields in Cuba in line with a draft cooperation agreement, Azerbaijani Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfaz Garayev said

RELIGION

* With unemployment in Russia rising sharply amid the global economic crisis, the Russian Orthodox Church is celebrating the day of St. Job, who lost everything but was ultimately rewarded for his faith