* The State Duma approved in their first reading amendments to a bill that will allow the "ring fence" to be lifted around shares in energy giant Gazprom and foreigners to buy stock

* Russian energy giant Gazprom said its net profit stood at $5.4 billion in the first half of 2005, a 69% increase year-on-year, and pre-tax profit was $7.4 billion

* President Vladimir Putin said he hoped the State Duma would make a balanced decision after a debate on a bill on the activity of non-government organizations in the country

* Russian Central Bank Chairman Sergei Ignatyev said inflation would stand at 11% in 2005

* Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov said Russia and Ukraine needed to transition to world-level natural gas prices

* Railroad monopoly Russian Railways (RZD) and Germany's Siemens signed a 5-year cooperation memorandum

* The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) filed a lawsuit against the Rodina (Motherland) party accusing it of sparking inter-ethnic tension

* Russia's hydrometeorological agency forecasted that the pollution of the Amur River near the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk would not exceed the maximum allowable concentration level

* Chairman of the Russian Gas Association Valery Yazev said the capitalization of Russian energy giant Gazprom should be at least $600 billion

* Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli said Russia's decision to double the price of its natural gas exports to Georgia was politically motivated