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Main news of December 5

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RUSSIA * Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: - Washington's reply to Russia's missile defense cooperation proposals was a major setback from... 05.12.2007, Sputnik International

2007-12-05T19:13+0000

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Main news of December 5

19:13 GMT 05.12.2007

RUSSIA

* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said:

- Washington's reply to Russia's missile defense cooperation proposals was a major setback from previous agreements

- Russia has no information on Iranian attempts to develop nuclear weapons before 2003

* Russia's Navy resumed its continual presence in different regions of the world's oceans, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov told the president at a meeting in the Kremlin

* Russia and the European Union could delay a new agreement on partnership and cooperation for another four years, a member of the upper house of parliament said

* The consequences of the recent environmental disaster in a Black Sea strait could take up to a decade to be eliminated, Greenpeace said in a message to the Russian and Ukrainian premiers

* Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi will start this week in-flight tests of a new engine for its SuperJet 100 regional aircraft, the company's CEO said

* The Russian Prosecutor General's office confirmed that they had dropped a new criminal probe against Sergei Storchak, a deputy Russian finance minister

* Russia's state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport will take part in a tender for the supply of armored personnel carriers to the Malaysian army, a company official said

* Kosmotras, a Russian-Ukrainian joint venture, will launch Thailand's first Earth observation satellite into orbit at the beginning of 2008, a company official said

* Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service (FPS) will introduce electronic tagging to monitor offenders in mid-2008, a service official said

WORLD

* The U.S. intelligence report that found no evidence of a current Iranian nuclear weapons program is a victory for the Islamic Republic, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said

* A suicide bomber rammed his car filled with explosives into a bus carrying Afghan military personnel in Kabul, killing at least 13 people

* Christopher Hill, the U.S. envoy to the six-nation talks on North Korea, said the decommissioning of nuclear facilities in the reclusive state was proceeding on schedule, China's Xinhua agency said

* Thailand celebrated the 80th birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-serving monarch

* Serbia believes direct negotiations with Kosovo on the province's status should continue after mediators submit their report to the UN on failed negotiations, Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said

* The U.S. and Russia signed a memorandum on bilateral military cooperation and the interoperability of their respective Armed Forces for 2008, a U.S. military source said

* Gazprom signed a contract with Ukraine on Russian natural gas supplies for 2008, but the acting Ukrainian premier said he considered the new price excessive

* Greece plans to buy Russian BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, a source close to the negotiations said

* The European Union will give a total of $73 million to Ukraine and Mororcco under its European Neighbourhood Policy, as support for the countries' commitment to reform, the European Commission said

* Three Hamas militants were killed and several civilians injured in an Israeli missile strike on the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian radio reported

* The first Asia-Pacific Water Summit called for the provision of full clean water supplies and basic sanitation in the region by 2025, the Kyodo news agency said

* Siim Kallas, the vice president of the European Commission, said European Union countries unanimously saw Russia as a growing threat

* Anthony Mark Bianchi, 45, a U.S. millionaire accused of sexually assaulting underage boys from Moldova, Romania and Cuba, could face up to 30 years in jail if convicted, assistant U.S. attorney Michael Levy said

* Spanish police have discovered 1,800 items of gold stolen during an exhibition of ancient Latin American culture 10 years ago, a police spokesman said

* Latvian Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis submitted his Cabinet's resignation to the president, the government press service said

BUSINESS

* A Venezuelan-Belarusian joint venture could produce some one million metric tons of oil in 2008, Belarus's first deputy prime minister said

* Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich intends to pay more than $400 million to buy a 40% stake in Britain's Highland Gold Mining Ltd., the gold mining company said on its website

* TNK-BP said it had filed an application to Russian pipeline monopoly Transneft to pump 500,000 metric tons (3.6 million barrels) of oil to China in the first quarter of 2008

* Atomenergomash, a Russian supplier of equipment for nuclear power plants, said it intends to increase its stake in Czech company Arako to 100% by the end of the year

* A Russian automotive industry spokesman said the board of AvtoVAZ will consider an offer from U.S. giant General Motors for a stake in Russia's largest carmaker

* Inflation in Russia totaled 1.2% in November, against 0.6% last November, the Federal Statistics Service said