Europe

MOSCOW, January 5. /TASS/: The Progress Rocket and Space Center (RCC) (part of Russian space corporation Roscosmos), together with S7 Space (operator of the Sea Launch project), have begun to work on the parameters of a rocket for the Sea Launch projects, a spokesperson with the center told TASS.

"At present, the specialists of our company are discussing with S7 Space tactical and technical requirements for a launch vehicle in ensure launches from the Sea Launch platform and the timing of the main stages of work," the spokesperson said.

MOSCOW, January 5. /TASS/: Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed a decree on the order of providing subsidies to encourage demand and improving the competitiveness of Russia’s manufactures. The document has been published on the cabinet’s website. The federal budget for 2020 envisions as much as 9.8 bln rubles ($157 mln) allocated for such state support measures.

The rules have been approved to meet the demands of manufacturing corporations for production modernization. The state support mechanism will be available for a wide range of customers.

MINSK, January 4. /TASS/: The supply of Russian oil to Belarusian oil refineries has been renewed, Deputy Chairman of Belneftekhim Concern Vladimir Sizov informed on Saturday.

"Today, at 17:05 (local time, same as Moscow time - TASS), the pumps have been turned on and oil supply has begun in the direction of Naftan [oil refinery]," the BelTA news agency quotes the chairman as saying. He added that the supply would then reach the Mozyrsky oil refinery, with 6,000 tonnes of oil to be supplied by the end of the day.

MOSCOW, January 5. /TASS/: Russia’s government plans to draft 230 bills in 2020 as Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has approved a respective plan of legislative drafting activities. The document has been published on the government’s website.

5 January 2020; AFP: Austria's foreign ministry is facing a "serious cyber attack", it said late Saturday, warning another country could be responsible.

"Due to the gravity and nature of the attack, it cannot be excluded that it is a targeted attack by a state actor," it said in a statement with the interior ministry shortly before 11.00 pm (2200 GMT), adding that the attack was ongoing.

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez failed on Sunday in a first attempt to get parliament’s backing to form a government, leaving him two days to secure support to end an eight-month political gridlock.

Sanchez, who has been acting prime minister since elections in April and November did not produce a conclusive result, needed an absolute majority of at least 176 votes in his favor in the 350-seat house to be confirmed in the job. He failed to secure this, a result that had been expected.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged a de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East in a talk with Iran’s Foreign Affairs Minister Javad Zarif over the weekend, an EU statement said on Sunday.

Days after the killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani by the United States in Iraq, Borrell called on Iran to “carefully consider any reaction” and invited Zarif to Brussels to discuss the situation in the Middle East and the preservation of a nuclear deal with Tehran.

LONDON (Reuters) - British foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Sunday he understood why the United States had killed a top Iranian military commander but urged a de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East to avoid war in the region.

Iran condemned Donald Trump as a “terrorist in a suit” after the U.S. president threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites if Tehran attacks Americans or U.S. assets in retaliation for the killing of Qassem Soleimani on Friday.

Moscow, Jan 5, IRNA – Russian and Chinese foreign ministers in a phone call on Saturday described assassination of Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani as outright violation the United Nations Charter.

Seregey Lavrov and Wan Yi also discussed major regional developments as well as repercussions of US targeted airstrike on Iranian Commander Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad Airport.

LONDON (Reuters) - British foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Sunday he had raised concerns with his Cypriot counterpart about the treatment of a British woman found guilty by a court in Cyprus of lying about being gang-raped by a group of Israeli youths.

Last month a district court ruled that the woman, aged 19 at the time, had lied about being sexually assaulted by 12 Israeli teenagers at the holiday resort of Ayia Napa in July. She is due to be sentenced on Jan. 7 and faces up to one year in jail.