* The Kremlin press service said German Chancellor Angela Merkel would pay a working visit to Moscow January 16 at President Vladimir Putin's invitation
* Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Vladimir Masorin said he was convinced the Black Sea Fleet's lighthouse in Yalta seized by Ukrainian officials in the Crimea Friday would be returned to the Russian side soon
* Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan said Yerevan had agreed with Moscow to postpone the increase of natural gas price till April 1, 2006
* Yaroslav Davydovych, the chairman of the Ukrainian Central Election Commission, said the registration of candidates to the country's parliament, the Supreme Rada, had been completed and more than 7,500 candidates had been registered
* The second Russian Winter festival opened on London's Trafalgar Square
