Main news of January 5

 

WORLD

 

* Iran's nuclear issue should be solved through dialogue and negotiations, and there is still room for diplomatic efforts, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said

* An Israeli military delegation has canceled a trip to Britain over fears of arrest on possible war crimes charges, national media reported

* The United States will support the Yemeni authorities in their fight against terrorism, State Secretary Hillary Clinton said

* Somali pirates have taken the U.K.-flagged Asian Glory carrier with 25 crew members to a port in Somalia, the European Union Naval Force Somalia said

* A total of 125 people have been killed in a cold snap that swept across northern India, the All India Radio said

* Many Czech households in rural areas use hazardous waste for heating thus creating poisonous gases that threaten their neighbors, a national daily reported

 

RUSSIA

 

* A Russian warship will escort a convoy of commercial vessels through pirate-infested waters off the Horn of Africa, a Navy spokesman said

* Police in Russia's North Caucasus Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria prevented a major terrorist attack after discovering a powerful bomb planted near a busy road, a police source said

* Five people were killed when a household propane gas tank exploded in the city of Kemerovo in southwest Siberia, emergencies services said

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has nominated the incumbent governor of the Far Eastern Primorye Territory for another term, the Kremlin press service said

* Four people, including two children, died in a fire in southeast Russia, emergencies services said

 

BUSINESS

 

* Germany and several other European nations are planning to build a billion-euro renewable energy network spanning the North Sea, a national daily reported

* German luxury car maker BMW launched BMW Gran Turismo, BMW X6M and BMW 760Li in India, according to PTI

* The number of people using Amsterdam's Schiphol airport was down 8.4% in 2009, due partly to the economic crisis, a Dutch news agency reported

* Development of Iran's Esfandiar oilfield will start as soon as a 400-million-euro ($577 mln) investment is finalized with Qatar's National Bank (QNB), an Iranian official said

* Belarus has lowered its crude oil export duty from $271 to $267 per metric ton from January 1, the country's Council of Ministers said