Main news of August 23

RUSSIA

* A fire that broke out early on Sunday at an oil pumping station in west Siberia has destroyed three oil reservoirs, a regional emergencies spokesman said

* The owner of Russia's largest hydropower plant, hit by a disaster that killed dozens of people, announced the start of repair work

* With 69 bodies found since last week's disaster at the Sayano-Shushenskaya plant, rescuers have narrowed down the search for the remaining six missing workers

* A funeral service was held on Sunday morning for 22 of those killed in the disaster at the plant

 

WORLD

* Dozens of homes have been destroyed by wildfires to the north of Athens and thousands of residents have been evacuated, officials said

* The Taliban movement in Pakistan named a new leader, to replace Baitullah Mehsud, who is believed to have been killed in a CIA missile strike earlier this month

* Over 20,000 people gathered on the lawn outside parliament in the South Korean capital for the state funeral of former president Kim Dae-jung, Yonhap news agency reported