Modern complex for wild animals to emerge in Sochi by 2014 Olympics.

SOCHI, December 11 (Itar-Tass) -- A modern complex for captive wild
animals will be established near Sochi in the territory of the Caucasus
Biosphere Reserve by the 2014 Winter Olympics. The facility near Krasnaya
Polyana will boast a center for visitors and remodeled and upgraded cages
for wild animals, the director of the reserve, Sergei Shevelev, told the
media this week.
Already now the wildlife protection outpost Laura provides conditions
close to natural for 50 representatives of the animal world of the Western
Caucasus, including the Caucasian bison, deer, lynx, Caucasian goat,
white-tailed eagle, falcon and many others. This year, the reserve has
launched a charity program for the future wildlife facility to have raised
over one million rubles necessary for keeping the animals and for
providing proper veterinary care.

.Russian envoy to discuss Middle East settlement in Beirut, Damascus.

BEIRUT, December 11 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia's special presidential envoy
to the Middle East, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov on
Saturday will hold talks with the Lebanese leadership in Beirut. The
senior Russian diplomat will be received by President Michel Suleiman in
the Baabda Palace. He will also meet with the head of the national unity
government Saad Hariri, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Foreign
Minister Ali Al-Shami.
Saltanov will share Russia's vision of ways of overcoming the problems
on the way towards a Middle East settlement. There will be a discussion of
prospects for bilateral relations, which have been on the ascent after
visits by President Suleiman and Prime Minister Hariri to Russia. Saltanov
will visit Lebanon at a time when that friendly country is experiencing an
acute political crisis.
On Sunday, the Russian presidential envoy will go to Damascus for
bilateral ministerial consultations.

.China's consumer price growth index at 28-month record high Nov.

BEIJING, December 11 (Itar-Tass) -- The growth of China's consumer
price index in November 2010 hit a 28-month record high. According to
figures released on Saturday by the state statistical bureau, during the
reviewed period it rose by 5.1 percent.
In October, the consumer price index was up by 4.4 percent. In
January-November, according to the statistics, the average growth of the
index, which is a key indicator of inflation in the country, amounted to
3.2 percent. At the beginning of this year, the government set a target of
keeping the CPI growth in 2010 within 3 percent, but now it is already
clear that this limit will be exceed. According to the state statistical
bureau, the average increase in the CPI by the end of year should be no
more than 3.5 percent.
One of the reasons for this experts see in a major rise in the prices
of basic foodstuffs. In November alone, food prices went up by 11.7
percent. Several weeks ago, the State Council ordered temporary
administrative control of the prices of basic consumer goods to curb
inflation growth.
On October 19 China for the first time in three years announced a rise
in the base interest rates on deposits and interbank loans. Experts
interpreted that as evidence of the government's desire to "cool"
inflation and put rapid economic growth under control.
On Friday the People's Bank of China also announced that from December
20 it was raising the deposit reserve requirement for financial
institutions by half of a percentage point.

-0-str