Morning re-cap of main news, December 30
* Saddam Hussein's execution may aggravate the military-political situation in Iraq and heighten ethnic tensions in the country, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesman said
// Dec. 31, 2006 - 06:54 GMT
Search for missing helicopter in Russia's Far East resumes
VLADIVOSTOK, December 31 (RIA Novosti) – Rescuers resumed Sunday a search-and-rescue operation in Russia's Far East for a helicopter with three people on board missing since Tuesday, a local emergencies official said.
// Dec. 31, 2006 - 07:25 GMT
No deal with Belarus on gas supplies yet - Gazprom
MOSCOW, December 31 (RIA Novosti) – Gazprom [RTS: GAZP] has not reached an agreement so far on supplies of Russian natural gas to Belarus in 2007 despite intensive negotiations overnight, a spokesman for the Russian energy giant said Sunday.
// Dec. 31, 2006 - 07:48 GMT
Belarus top gas negotiator arrives in Moscow for talks
MINSK, December 31 (RIA Novosti) – Belarusian First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko arrived in Moscow early on Sunday for talks with Russia's gas monopoly Gazprom [RTS: GAZP] on the terms of natural gas supplies in 2007, the Belarusian prime minister's spokesman said.
// Dec. 31, 2006 - 08:36 GMT
Large oil depot in central Russia hit by fire
MOSCOW, December 31 (RIA Novosti) – A major fire broke out Sunday at a large oil storage depot in the Tver Region in central Russia, an emergencies ministry spokesperson said.
// Dec. 31, 2006 - 09:46 GMT
Russia's space chief sends greetings to ISS crew
MOSCOW, December 31 (RIA Novosti) – The head of Russia's Federal Space Agency sent Sunday New Year's greetings to the crew of the International Space Station.
// Dec. 31, 2006 - 10:38 GMT
Large oil depot in central Russia hit by fire-1
(Changes location, adds details)
// Dec. 31, 2006 - 10:53 GMT
Russia blames coalition forces for escalation of violence in Iraq
MOSCOW, December 31 (RIA Novosti) – The execution of the former Iraqi president has led to escalation of violence in the mid-East country, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesman said Sunday.
// Dec. 31, 2006 - 11:15 GMT
Ukrainian gas war twelve months later
MOSCOW. (Tatyana Stanovaya for RIA Novosti) – January 1, 2007, will be one year after the gas war between Russia and Ukraine broke out: the review of energy policies toward post-Soviet republics has allowed Russia to put its relations with almost all of them on a market-oriented basis.
// Dec. 31, 2006 - 11:17 GMT
Gazprom hopes to sign gas supplies deal with Belarus later Sunday
MOSCOW, December 31 (RIA Novosti) – Gazprom [RTS: GAZP] has not yet reached an agreement on gas deliveries to Belarus in 2007 but hopes to ink the new contracts before the New Year, a spokesman for Russia's energy giant said Sunday.
// Dec. 31, 2006 - 11:34 GMT