Main news of January 9

WORLD

* The prime minister of the Czech Republic, currently holding the EU presidency, has arrived in Kiev to discuss the situation around Russian gas transit to Europe, the Unian news agency said

* The Israeli prime minister said Friday Israel would continue its military offensive in Gaza despite the UN Security Council's resolution calling for an immediate and durable Gaza ceasefire

* The Defense Ministry of South Ossetia said Georgia was moving troops towards its border, the republic's information and press committee said

* The European Commission said a deal on monitoring gas transit via Ukraine has been reached

* Seven people have been killed in a mine explosion in northeastern Sri Lanka on Friday, local police said

* The United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution urging an immediate and durable Gaza ceasefire

* At least 40 people were killed after a fire broke out in a shanty town in Karachi, in southern Pakistan, local media reported

RUSSIA

* Ukraine should pay a market price for Russian gas, and in the first quarter of 2009 the price for Eastern Europe is about $470 per 1,000 cu m, the Russian energy giant Gazprom said

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev instructed the Russian energy giant Gazprom that gas supplies to Ukraine should be resumed only after the necessary documents are signed

BUSINESS

* Russian and British shareholders of Russian-British joint venture TNK-BP have signed a deal to complete the process of settling their conflict started in September 2008