| December 2006 |
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A senior Gazprom [RTS: GAZP] official dismissed Friday Belarus's allegations that the energy giant was blackmailing Minsk in a dispute over a price on gas supplies in 2007. 
Gas negotiations between Russia's natural gas monopoly and Belarusian authorities have so far brought no result, Gazprom's spokesman said Friday. 
The Russian national who attempted to hijack a Russian passenger airliner, forcing the crew to land in the Czech Republic, has been charged with threatening in-flight security, a Czech police officer said Friday. 
Five volunteers have been selected for a simulated Mars mission, expected to be launched in Russia late next year, a spokesman for the Russian Space Agency said Friday. 
A new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Russia and the European Union could be reached no earlier than 2008, an official with the Russian trade ministry said Friday. 
A delegation of the Belarusian Energy Ministry will fly to Moscow at 3:00 p.m. Moscow time (1:00 p.m. GMT) to sign a natural gas contract with Russia, an aide of the energy minister said Friday. 
Russian senior lawmakers condemned the death sentence passed on Saddam Hussein and said the execution of the ousted Iraqi leader will spark civil war in Iraq. Saddam was convicted last month of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by hanging. 



