* The third round of comprehensive Russia-U.S. talks
on a new strategic arms reduction pact opened in Geneva, a
Russian diplomat told RIA Novosti
* Political tensions in Iran are rising, with senior
figures in the Islamic Republic considering whether to depose
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, an Arabic-language TV
channel said
* Belarus and the EU are laying the groundwork to develop
good relations, with Minsk committed to this goal, the
Belarusian president said
* Russia will face a wave of A/H1N1 influenza cases in
November, the head of the Russian Academy of Sciences'
Influenza Research Institute, Oleg Kiselyov, said
* Gazprom Neft may make a decision to increase its
investment program for the year by up to $300 million in the
third quarter of 2009, the head of the oil arm of Russian
energy giant Gazprom, Alexander Dyukov, said
* Poor infrastructure is being cited as the biggest
barrier to Russia creating its own "Las Vegas" in special
gaming zones, a spokesman for one of Moscow's largest casino
chains said
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