News Pope and Russian Orthodox Patriarch May Meet Within a Year ROME (AP) - A groundbreaking meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and the Russian Orthodox patriarch of Moscow could take place within a year, a senior Vatican cardinal said Thursday, according to the news agency of the Italian Bishops conference.

News Heat Returns With Giant Tortoises By Nathalie Cooper Moscow has experienced quite a cool down in June since May's record-breaking heat wave. May 2007 has proved to be the hottest, with temperatures soaring above 30 degrees. Five high temperature records were reached between May 23 and 30, with the highest temperature of 33.2 degrees recorded on May 28.

News British Council Branch May Be Shut MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian authorities have demanded that Britain remove a branch of the British Council cultural center from a consular building in the city of Yekaterinburg, a Russian newspaper and a diplomatic source said on Thursday.

News Venezuela to Buy Russian Subs By Adam Klesczewski Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is expected to finalize a deal on buying up to nine Russian submarines during a visit here later this month, AFP reported, citing the Russian business daily Kommersant.

News Austrian Police Arrests Russian Space Official MOSCOW (RIA Novosti, AP) - A Russian national detained by Austrian police on allegations of spying is an employee of the Russian Space Agency, an agency's spokesman said Thursday.

News Russian Commandos Convicted In Absentia ROSTOV-ON-DON (AP) - A military court on Thursday convicted four soldiers of the murders of six civilians in Chechnya, a verdict that followed two previous acquittals and the disappearance of three of the defendants.

News Israel Willing to Return Russian Holy Property MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) - Israel has agreed in principle to return historical Russian church assets in Jerusalem that it bought from Soviet authorities in a mock deal 40 years ago, Russia's foreign minister said Thursday.

News Booze Blamed for Early Deaths of Young Men PARIS (AFP) - Alcohol is to blame in 43 percent of deaths among Russian men aged 25-54, with consumption of industrial alcohol, cleaning agents, perfume and other hazardous concoctions playing a key role, according to a study published on Saturday in The Lancet.

News Record Russian Art Sale LONDON (RIA Novosti) - A series of auctions featuring imperial and avant-garde art from Russia kicked off in London this week with Sotheby's holding its largest-ever Russian sale and Christie's setting a new price record for an individual lot.

National Ingushetia President Murat Zyazikov: Peaceful Caucasus is Key to Strong Russia By Tatyana Gantimurova Two weeks ago, Vladimir Putin held yet another meeting with Murat Zyazikov, the president of Ingushetia, the smallest republic in the North Caucasus. Analysts point out that the Russian head of state meets with Zyazikov more often than with leaders of any other republic or Federation member in South Russia. What is the reason for this?

News Kyrgyz PM Hospitalized in Turkey after Poisoning ANKARA (AFP) - Kyrgyz Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev has been hospitalized at an elite military hospital here after he was poisoned by an unknown substance last month, Turkish and Kyrgyz officials said Thursday.

News Turkmenbashi’s Statue Pulled Down The statue of Turkmenistan's Great Turkmenbashi (leader of the Turkmens) standing by the Karakul plant in the city of Turkmenabad (formerly Chardzhou) has been pulled down. So far it is not known who ordered the dismantling or why. One point, however, is clear: No one would have dared to remove the statue of the ex-president without the permission of the authorities.

World Beirut Mourns Bomb Victims BEIRUT (AP) - Tens of thousands bade farewell Thursday to victims of a powerful car bombing that killed prominent anti-Syrian legislator Walid Eido and nine other people.

World China Frees 217 Slaves SHANGHAI (AP) - Police in central China have rescued 217 people, including 29 children, who had been forced to work as slaves at brick kilns, official media reported Thursday.

World Baron Rothschild dies at 98 PARIS (AP) - Baron Guy de Rothschild, patriarch of the French banking empire, has died, his family announced Thursday. He was 98.