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Main News of October 1

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A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours 01.10.2012, Sputnik International

2012-10-01T20:36+0000

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Main News of October 1

20:36 GMT 01.10.2012

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

WORLD

* The opposition coalition, headed by billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili, is leading the parliamentary elections in Georgia, exit polls indicate.

* Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem called on the opposition to come to the negotiating table, adding that it was critical for neighboring countries to end their support for the opposition.

* Iran's envoy to Moscow Seyyed Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi reaffirmed Tehran’s readiness to hold constructive talks with the six major world powers (P5+1), Mehr News Agency reported.

* The state and government administration in Belarus will be downsized by 25 to 30 percent, President Alexander Lukashenko said.

* The White House has confirmed an attempted cyberattack on its computer systems, but says no harm was done, according to media reports.

* U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft were deployed to the U.S. Futenma airbase in southern Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture despite strong public opposition, the Kyodo news agency reported.

* Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced the makeup of the new government that reshuffles 10 of 18 Cabinet positions.

* Ten people were killed and more than 60 were injured in a suicide bombing in the eastern Afghan city of Khost, Khaama Press reported.

RUSSIA

* Media claims concerning Russia’s involvement in the downing of a Turkish combat jet by Syrian air defense in June are utter nonsense, the Foreign Ministry said.

* Moscow's Tverskoi Court declared the film "Innocence of Muslims" extremist, the latest in a series of legal moves against it in Russia.

* Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev met with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to discuss the social media giant’s potential cooperation with Russia’s burgeoning innovation sector.

* The Russian military will appeal a court ruling that deemed combat jet flights over the city of Chelyabinsk illegal, a spokesman for the Central Military District said.

* Russia’s former finance minister and think-tank head Alexei Kudrin said he has refused to accept several offers to take up positions in the government because he continues to disagree with the current administration's policies.

* An imprisoned member of feminist punk group Pussy Riot fired her lawyers during an appeal hearing, sparking confusion and allegations from prosecutors that the move was meant to delay the proceedings.

* Residents of Domodedovo, a city south of Moscow near the country's biggest international airport, have announced the establishment of a Russian Democratic Republic and asked the EU for official recognition, the Russian Lawyers Association for Human Rights said.

* The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which has funded Russian non-governmental organizations, stoped its operations in Russia on Monday.

* Russian investigators have dropped the charges against Dagir Khasavov, a lawyer who warned last April of "bloodshed in Moscow" if Shariah law was not introduced in Russia, Khasavov’s lawyer Sergei Belyakov said.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

* Gazprom Marketing and Trading Singapore (GM&TS), part of Russian energy giant Gazprom, has signed a 20-year liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply contract with India’s GAIL, GM&TS said.

* BP’s Russian billionaire partners in TNK-BP have hired Rothschild Group to help organize a loan to buy the British oil major’s entire 50 percent stake in the joint venture, AAR spokesman Mikhail Loskutov said.

* Serbia expects Russian energy giant Gazprom to cut the price of natural gas supplies next year by a further 10 percent, Srbijagas CEO Dusan Bajatovic said.

* The business climate for Russian manufacturers improved in September, demonstrating the best overall performance since May, according to the latest HSBC Purchasing Managers' Index data published in the Markit Economics business survey.

* Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said that talks with a private investor interested in implementing the Belene nuclear power plant project should be halted until the results of a referendum on the project are made public, Sofia News Agency reported.

* Sberbank's CEO German Gref has been elected chairman of the board of directors at DenizBank, the press office of Russia’s largest state-owned lender said.

* PhosAgro, one of the world’s leading phosphate fertilizer producers, has signed a deal to buy a 20 percent state stake in apatite concentrate maker Apatit, PhosAgro said.

SPORTS

* The Russian city of Kaliningrad is to target hosting the Rugby World Cup, regional officials said.

* Zenit St. Petersburg’s €40 million midfielder Axel Witsel is to return to full training Tuesday, a day before Zenit host AC Milan in a crunch Champions League game, the team said.

* Two goals in three minutes from Luis Caballero was not enough for Krylya Sovetov to take all three points as the hosts drew 2-2 with FC Krasnodar in driving rain.

* Brazilian striker Danilo Neco’ second-half strike rescued a point as Alania Vladikavkaz drew 1-1 with Mordovia Saransk in a cagey relegation scrap between the two newly-promoted sides.

* Former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki is to be granted a wildcard for the Kremlin Cup tennis tournament in Moscow next month, organizers said.