YAROSLAVL, Russia -- President Dmitry Medvedev called for immediate changes in Russias troubled aviation industry Thursday -- including sharply reducing the number of airlines -- as the country mourned a crash that killed 43 people and devastated a top ice hockey team. The crash Wednesday killed 36 players, coaches and staff of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team, including European national team and former NHL players, drawing new attention to the poor air safety records of Russia and other former Soviet republics. Experts blame Russias problems in the air on an aging fleet, weak government controls, poor pilot training and a cost-cutting mentality. Investigators could not immediately pinpoint what caused the Yak-42 jet to crash into the banks of the Volga River shortly after takeoff from Yaroslavl, 150 miles (240 kilometres) northeast of Moscow. Workers laboured Thursday to raise the planes shattered tail section, site of one of the planes on-board recorders. The two crash survivors -- player Alexander Galimov and crew member Alexander Sizov -- were both reported in grave condition Thursday after being flown to Moscow for treatment. The plane crashed on the opening day of an international forum that was to showcase Yaroslavl as a modern and vibrant Russian city. Medvedev laid flowers at the crash site Thursday and met with officials, and then opened the forum by calling for a moment of silence for the victims. "The number of air companies should be radically reduced and its necessary to do this within the shortest time," Medvedev told the conference. Experts say smaller carriers sometimes lack funds to properly maintain their fleet and tend to cut corners on safety. The crashed jet was built in 1993 and one of its three engines was replaced a month ago, Deputy Transport Minister Valery Okulov said. The plane apparently struggled to gain altitude and then hit a signal tower before breaking apart along the Volga. Okulov said federal authorities were considering whether to halt flights by the 57 Yak-42s still in service in Russia, the state news agency RIA Novosti reported. Some hockey fans blamed the crash on Medvedevs forum itself, which was held in the Lokomotiv arena, making it impossible for the team to play its first game of the season at home. Thousands of fans gathered outside the arena Wednesday night to mourn the players, and some shouted "Down with the summit!" and "The summit is guilty!" Forum participants were warned to take off their badges before heading into town. On Thursday morning, hundreds of residents prayed for the victims at the citys Russian Orthodox cathedral, many wearing team scarves as religious headcoverings. Hundreds more came to add flowers to the growing mounds outside the citys sports arena. Some wrote notes in memory of the players and lit candles. Many fans described the hockey team as the pride of the city and called the players beloved local heroes. "The loss of the team is the loss of the symbol of the city," said Mikhail Sergeichev, a 22-year-old student. "We had a history, we had a legend, and we hope to God that of that legend one person will survive." It was not immediately clear what measures the government could take to cut the number of airlines, many of which are small, regional operations of uncertain financial health. Transport Minister Igor Levitin said Russia has about 130 air carriers, but just 10 companies handle about 85 per cent of air passengers. Medvedev previously has announced plans to take aging Soviet-built planes out of service starting next year. The short- and medium-range Yak-42 has been in service since 1980. Among the dead were Lokomotiv coach and National Hockey League veteran Brad McCrimmon, a Canadian; assistant coach Alexander Karpovtsev, one of the first Russians to have his name etched on the Stanley Cup as a member of the New York Rangers; and Pavol Demitra, who played for the St. Louis Blues and the Vancouver Canucks and was the Slovakian national team captain. Other standouts killed were Czech players Josef Vasicek, Karel Rachunek and Jan Marek, Swedish goalie Stefan Liv, Latvian defenceman Karlis Skrastins and defenceman Ruslan Salei of Belarus. In the Czech Republic, hundreds of mostly young people honoured the victims Thursday at the Old Town Square in the heart of Prague. Wearing Czech national jerseys and carrying Czech flags, they lighted candles around a simple impromptu monument formed by two ice hockey sticks and chanted the names of the three Czech victims. Some signed condolences books for them. "The winners forever," one entry read. "Its a tragedy," said Petr Kubalek, 28, from Prague. "Thats all I can say. I knew Marek personally. Rachunek was of the top defencemen." The crash is one of the worst aviation disasters in sports history. In past plane crashes involving sports teams, 75 Marshall University football players, coaches, fans and airplane crew died in West Virginia on Nov. 14, 1970, while returning from a game. Thirty-six of the dead were players. Cheap Chicago Cubs Jerseys . A US$20-million renewal project launched in 1998 was officially completed Friday with the opening of the Esso Great Hall. Cheap Jerseys Paypal . Official word came Thursday that for the second time, the team will host it. Less than 10 months after the city served as the site of the annual Winter Classic outdoor game, commissioner Gary Bettman was in town to confirm the Consol Energy Center will host the next draft in June. http... . These were the staples of the exhilarating Denver Nuggets NBA franchise-record 57-win regular season. 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The AL East leaders became the first visiting team in more than a century to score at least nine runs on three straight days against the Yankees. In fact, the last time it happened, they werent called the Yankees -- Boston did it in 1912 to the Highlanders at Hilltop Park. Add in a 20-4 pasting of Detroit on Wednesday, and the highest-scoring team in the majors has amassed this four-game total: 54 runs, 17 homers and 64 hits. "Were doing it in bulk right now," Gomes said. Down 12-3, the Yankees rallied with four runs in the sixth inning and chased John Lackey (9-12). Mark Reynolds added a two-run double in the eighth off Red Sox reliever Drake Britton that made it 12-9. "Considering the number of runs scored by both teams, no lead seems to feel safe," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia each contributed to Bostons five doubles. By the end of the fourth inning, it was 10-2 and every Red Sox batter had gotten a hit. They had all scored, too, except for Pedroia. Each line drive that echoed around the ballpark was met by noticeable groans from New York fans. A couple of "Lets go, Red Sox!" chants broke out among the many Boston fans. Even Bostons loud outs hurt. Right fielder Ichiro Suzuki slammed into the padded wall catching a drive by Ortiz and stayed down for a moment. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was pulled for a pinch-runner after an RBI single in the sixth and went to a hospital for a precautionary CT scan on his left ankle. The team said the preliminary results were negative. Jeter has missed most of the season while recovering from a broken left ankle in the playoffs last year. The 39-year-old team captain is hitting .190 in 17 games for the wild-card contenders. "Im nnot sure whats going to happen right now," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.dddddddddddd Fresh off routing the Tigers, the Red Sox arrived in the Bronx and beat the Yankees 9-8 in 10 innings Thursday and rallied for a 12-8 win Friday. A day after launching a grand slam, Napoli hit a two-run homer in the second and a solo drive in the ninth. Gomes added a three-run shot. Bogaerts doubled early, then hit a two-run shot in the fifth for his first major league homer. In the bottom half, the 20-year-old shortstop charged in for a nifty barehanded pickup to throw out Robinson Cano. Bogaerts homer sailed over the Boston bullpen into the left-centre field bleachers. He didnt get to watch it, though, because he felt a cramp in his leg as he connected. "I knew I hit it good," he said. The Yankees scored at least six runs for the sixth game in a row. That wasnt enough for David Huff (2-1), tagged for nine runs and eight hits in 3 1-3 innings. Huff made his first start of the season, moving from the bullpen to the rotation in place of ineffective Phil Hughes. "They capitalized on all my mistakes today. On my part, it was terrible," Huff said. Boston improved to 10-5 against New York this year and won all three series at Yankee Stadium. The Red Sox won minus centre fielder Jacoby Ellsbury. His injured right foot was put in a protective boot, and there is no timetable for his return to the lineup. NOTES: Even with 54 runs, the Red Sox didnt come close to their record for a four-game span. Boston scored 65 in four straight in June 1950, STATS said. ... Napoli had his 13th career multihomer game. ... Boston LHP Jon Lester (13-8, 3.88) starts Sunday afternoon vs. RHP Hiroki Kuroda (11-10, 2.99). ... Farrell said RHP Clay Buchholz was travelling to New York to rejoin the team. The Red Sox hope Buchholz, on the 60-day DL with a neck strain, can start Tuesday night at Tampa Bay. ... Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez got a day off for rest. ... Gomes had an adventure in LF. He struggled as Brett Gardners two-run double flew over his head in the sixth, made a tumbling, awkward catch on Lyle Overbays fly to the warning track and fought the sun for another grab. cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys ' ' '