Main news of December 27

RUSSIA

* Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hoped those responsible for the assassination of Pakistan's opposition leader Benazir Bhutto will be found and punished

* The growth in direct investment into Russia in 2007 amounted to 3.3% of the country's GDP, Russian President Vladimir Putin said

* Sergei Chemezov, the head of the Russian Technology state-run corporation, said:

- Russia and U.S. are to establish a joint venture in the Urals to manufacture spare parts for the Boeing Dreamliner

- Russia could export weaponry worth about $7.5 billion in 2008

* Russia is training a group of Greek military specialists to operate Tor-M1 air defense systems in service with the Hellenic Army, a senior military official said

* The number of Russian-made satellites in orbit this year has increased to 101, Anatoly Perminov, the head of the Russian Federal Space Agency said

* Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said:

- Russia is assisting Iran to strengthen the country's air defense

- Russia is unconcerned by delays over the dismantling of North Korea's nuclear installations

- Russia has no plans to drop construction of the East Siberia-Pacific Ocean oil pipeline

* Dmitry Medvedev endorsed by Putin as his successor is enjoying greater voter support than the president had in 2004, a Russian daily said citing an independent pollster

* A Moscow court remanded in custody three suspects in the 2006 murder of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya, a defense lawyer said

* A district court in Chita, in east Siberia, upheld a lower court's decision to extend the custody of ex-Yukos head, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a court official said

WORLD

* Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto died during surgery from injuries sustained in a suicide bomb attack, local TV channels said

* Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda began a four-day official visit to China believed to be aimed at improving relations between the two countries, the Xinhua news agency said

* The presidents of Afghanistan and Pakistan said that they had reached mutual understanding and were ready to unite in the fight against terrorism, Pakistani media reported

* Torrential rains on the Indonesian island of Java have caused numerous landslides and floods, which have killed 94 people in the past three days, the national ANTARA news agency said

* Rescuers have pulled out three more bodies from under a collapsed 12-story building in Egypt's second largest city, Alexandria, bringing the number of victims to 22, national media said

* The Vietnamese Health Ministry confirmed the 47th known death in the country from bird flu

* Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev signed decrees appointing new Cabinet ministers, the presidential press service said

BUSINESS

* Russian titanium producer VSMPO-Avisma signed a $1.25 billion contract with Boeing to supply titanium in 2011-2015 for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger aircraft

* Russia's state-run VTB bank said it has sold 5% in the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) to another state bank Vnesheconombank (VEB), a deal estimated at almost $1 billion

* Unified Energy System of Russia (UES) said its net profit calculated to International Financial Reporting Standards decreased 31%, year on year, in January-June 2007, to 18.7 billion rubles ($757 million)

* A senior official in Kaluga praised a decision by French carmaker Peugeot Citroen to build a plant in the region, located some 180 km (84 miles) southwest of Moscow

* Gazprom Neft bought a 50% stake in Tomskneft from oil company Rosneft, the press service of energy giant Gazprom's oil arm, said