Main news of January 8

RUSSIA

* The head of Russia's energy giant Gazprom has arrived in Brussels for bilateral talks with senior EU officials over the current gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine, a Gazprom spokesman said

* Russian energy giant Gazprom and Ukraine's national energy company Naftogaz resumed talks early on Thursday to resolve the current crisis around gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine, Gazprom's spokesman said

* Russian diplomats evacuated on Thursday a second group of Russian nationals, totaling 21 people, from the Gaza Strip, a spokeswoman for the Russian embassy in Israel said

* Moscow is concerned over the escalation of tensions on the border between Israel and Lebanon following a brief fire exchange earlier on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said

WORLD

* European Union experts will arrive in Ukraine Friday to monitor Russian gas transit to Europe, the Ukrainian government said

* The U.S., British and French delegations are working on a draft UN Security Council resolution on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, a diplomatic source in the UN said

* Ukraine is ready to guarantee Russian gas transit to Europe in full, the head of the Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz said Thursday at a meeting with EU officials in Brussels over the Russia-Ukraine gas row

* Tajik border guards seized 916 kilograms of illegal drugs, including 110 kg of heroin, in 2008, which is almost twice the amount seized in 2007, a Tajik border guard department spokesman said

* Israeli troops opened artillery fire on southern Lebanon on Thursday following a cross-border rocket attack on northern Israel, an army spokeswoman said

BUSINESS

* Russia is ready to pay a market price for gas transit via Ukraine if Kiev pays a market price for supplies of Russian gas, the Russian prime minister said

* The task to resume Russian gas transit through Ukraine is a priority, and it should be resolved on Thursday, the CEO of the Russian energy giant Gazprom said