Main news of December 5

RUSSIA

* Patriarch Alexy II, who led the Russian Orthodox Church for 18 years, died at the age of 79 in his residency near the Russian capital on Friday morning, the Moscow Patriarchy said 

* President Dmitry Medvedev told his Indian counterpart that Russia and other countries must work with India to fight terrorism, in the wake of last week's attacks in Mumbai

* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said:

- Russia is ready to resume dialogue with NATO, but only if mutual interests are taken into account

- Russia supports the continued work of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, but believes the organization needs reforms

- OSCE must take measures to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in South Ossetia after Georgia cut off gas supplies to the rebel region

* Russia welcomes the new agreement between the U.S. and Iraq on the withdrawal of American troops, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said

* A Russian frigate currently protecting civilian ships from Somali pirate attacks near the Horn of Africa is escorting a convoy of four vessels in the area, a Navy spokesman said

* A Russian military pilot died when his MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter crashed in East Siberia, an Air Force spokesman said

* A final round of DNA tests has confirmed that the human remains found in the Urals in 1991 belonged to Russia's last tsar, Nicholas II, an American scientist involved in the research said

WORLD

* Pope Benedict XVI has offered condolences following the death of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Alexy II

* Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro has said that when Barack Obama assumes the U.S. presidency, the countries may be able to hold talks for the first time in almost half a century

* India and Russia urged the international community to provide assistance to bring to justice the organizers of last week's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, that left over 170 people dead

* Russia and India signed an agreement to build an additional four reactors for the Kudankulam nuclear power plant and construct new nuclear plants in India

* North Korean and U.S. negotiators on Friday began their second day of talks on verification measures for Pyongyang's nuclear disarmament, the Yonhap news agency cited a North Korean embassy official as saying

* A vessel is believed to be heading for Ukraine's Faina cargo ship to deliver a ransom payment to Somali pirates who seized the ship off the Horn of Africa in September, a Russian shipping news website said

* Eight prisoners died and 15 others, including three guards, were injured in clashes during a riot in Kabul's main prison, a representative from the Afghan justice ministry said

* An Aeroflot flight to Moscow officially reopened on Friday Thailand's Bangkok international airport, two days after the opposition had called off protests against the country's prime minister

* The head of the NASA space agency has announced that the Mars Science Laboratory's unmanned mission to the Red Planet will be delayed for two years until the fall of 2011 due to technical difficulties

* China will send a space probe to Mars with Russia's assistance in October 2009, a Chinese newspaper said

* Just over 65% of Venezuelans are against President Hugo Chavez's plan to change the country's constitution to allow the president to be reelected for an infinite number of terms

BUSINESS

*  Russia's Sukhoi Civil Aircraft and the Indonesian regional air carrier Kartika have signed an agreement on the delivery of up to 30 Superjet 100 passenger aircraft worth $448 mln, the company said

* Gazprom could reduce natural gas production by 3% in 2008 due to possible lower consumption caused by the expected warmer winter, a senior official at the Russian energy giant said

* Gazprom's oil arm Gazprom Neft will buy a 51% stake in Serbia's NIS for $400 million by the end of the year, the Russian energy giant's CEO said after talks with the Serbian president

SPORTS

* CSKA Moscow trainer Valery Gazzayev confirmed he would quit the club after watching his side beat France's Nancy 4-3 away from home in a blistering UEFA Cup tie