Morning re-cap of main news, December 23
* Russian President Vladimir Putin signed legislation on the liberalization of shares of energy giant Gazprom
// Dec. 24, 2005 - 07:25 GMT
23 killed in air crash in Azerbaijan
BAKU, December 24 (RIA Novosti) – An AN-140 jetliner crashed 40 kilometers away from Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, killing all 23 people on board, a source in the Azerbaijani transport police said Saturday.
// Dec. 24, 2005 - 07:56 GMT
Nitrobenzene levels near Khabarovsk safe - emergencies ministry
VLADIVOSTOK, December 24 (RIA Novosti) – The concentration of nitrobenzene in the Amur River near Khabarovsk, in Russia's Far East, is within safe levels, the Emergency Situations Ministry said Saturday. Samples from the Amur, which supplies the 600,000-strong city with water, have been regularly taken for tests following the spill of nearly 91 metric tons of poisonous chemicals into a river upstream in China's northeast.
// Dec. 24, 2005 - 08:27 GMT
Azeri Plane Crashes Near Caspian Sea, 23 Killed
A passenger An-140 plane belonging to a state Azeri airline Azal with 23 people aboard crashed on the Caspian Sea coast and all aboard were believed killed. The passenger list included 18 people: 10 Azeri nationals, four Kazakhs, an Australian, a Briton, a Turk and a Georgian.
// Dec. 24, 2005 - 08:43 GMT
ISS crew get flicks, books for X-mas, but no champagne
MISSION CONTROL CENTER (Moscow Region), December 24 (RIA Novosti) – The astronauts currently working at the International Space Station (ISS) have received videos and books for Christmas and New Year's, but no champagne, a senior Russian mission control official said Saturday.
// Dec. 24, 2005 - 09:02 GMT
Bush Phones Putin to Discuss Russia WTO Bid, Congratulate Russian President on New Year
President George W. Bush has called Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organization and congratulate his counterpart on New Year.
// Dec. 24, 2005 - 09:28 GMT
Libya Receives Low-Enriched Uranium from Russia
Russia has delivered low-enriched uranium fuel to Libya in exchange for weapons-grade nuclear fuel that was removed from the North African country in 2004 under a U.S.-financed program.
// Dec. 24, 2005 - 10:08 GMT
Tajik police seize nearly 100kg of hard drugs over one week
DUSHANBE, December 24 (RIA Novosti) – Police in Tajikistan have seized nearly 100 kilograms of heroin and other hard drugs this week, the Interior Ministry said Saturday.
// Dec. 24, 2005 - 10:29 GMT
Georgian battalion returns from Iraq on rotation scheme
TBILISI, December 24 (RIA Novosti) – A Georgian peacekeeping battalion has returned home from Iraq as part of a regular rotation and another one will be sent in to replace it early next spring, Georgia's Defense Ministry said Saturday.
// Dec. 24, 2005 - 10:59 GMT