* The Russian Prosecutor General's Office launched a criminal investigation into Litvinenko's poisoning, and into a related murder attempt on Russian businessman Dmitry Kovtun
* Three Russian companies and the chemistry faculty of Moscow State University hold licenses to use substances containing radioactive polonium-210, the national nuclear watchdog said
* The lawyer of a witness in the case of Litvinenko's murder said reports claiming Litvinenko's contact Dmitry Kovtun is in a critical condition are false
* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the investigation into the Litvinenko's murder does not affect relations with Britain on the Russian side
* Former acting Prime Minister Yegor Gaidar said that enemies of Russia might have been involved in the sudden illness that struck him last month
* Ukraine's president exceeded his constitutional powers when he signed a decree ordering his appointee, the foreign minister, to remain in office despite being sacked by parliament, the Justice Ministry said
* Tehran will not give up its civilian nuclear program, even if the UN imposes sanctions, Iran's foreign minister said
* Russia continues to maintain contacts with both Hamas and Hezbollah as clashes between the Palestinians and Israelis continue and tensions in Lebanon persist, a senior diplomat said
* Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said:
- The appointment of a new United States defense secretary will not affect relations between the two countries' defense agencies
- Ukraine's accession to NATO would strain bilateral relations with Russia
* A senior Federal Energy Agency official said Russian oil companies will get equal access to all oil export channels
* Russia's Interior Ministry has confirmed it is investigating the misappropriation of $38.18 million allocated to the Pension Fund to buy computers
* Kyrgyzstan's president Kurmanbek Bakiyev said he will personally oversee an official inquiry into the killing of a Kyrgyz national, who was shot dead by a U.S. airman in the capital Bishkek
* Georgia has so far lost up to $250 million due to reduced economic cooperation with Russia, the South Caucasus country's finance minister said
* Russia may receive some $6 billion on sales of weapons and military hardware in 2006, President Vladimir Putin said
* President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Mexican media mogul Mario Vazquez Rana:
- There is no conflict between Russia and Georgia, but the South Caucasus country's leadership is damaging bilateral relations
- Russia is interested in attracting more foreign investment, but intends to stop foreign companies from violating Russian laws, including environmental rules
- The issue of foreign companies' participation in the development of the Shtokman gas and condensate deposit in Russia's Arctic is not finally closed, and could be considered if interesting proposals come from foreign partners
* Russia has exported weapons and military hardware to Latin American countries worth over $1 billion during 2006, Russia's state weapons export monopoly said
* Russia's Finance Ministry is planning to attract 296 million rubles ($11 million) through the placement of government securities in 2007, a ministry official said
* Russia's main non-governmental organization of lawyers petitioned the Russian Foreign Ministry's help in securing the release of a Russian lawyer being held in solitary confinement following his arrest in Spain in a Spanish police major crackdown on Georgian and Russian mafias
* One pupil was wounded when a blast hit a school in a town in Transdnestr, a self-proclaimed republic in Moldova, police in Bendery said
