MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has decreed the newly elected State Duma, or lower house of parliament, will hold its first session on December 24, the official gazette said on Thursday.

SERPUKHOV, Russia (Reuters) – Former world chess champion and Russian opposition leader Garry Kasparov said on Thursday he was dropping plans to run for president next year because obstruction from authorities made it pointless.

KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s parliament reconvened on Thursday a day after the opposition prevented the chamber from sitting, but there was no indication when it would reconsider a proposal to restore Yulia Tymoshenko as prime minister.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov asked Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin on Thursday to account for 1 billion roubles ($41 million) in earthquake relief funds that had gone missing.

SERPUKHOV, Russia (Reuters) – A Russian opposition activist accused the authorities of “cynical and immoral” behavior on Thursday after police briefly held two busloads of activists as they traveled to a colleague’s funeral.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency) – Iranian security forces killed 5 terrorists and arrested 15 more in clashes in a southeastern region on Thursday, saying they had planned to detonate bombs in the country.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov voiced Moscow’s support for continued cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reiterating that his country’s demand for a full settlement of Iran’s nuclear issue.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki met with Russia’s Atomic Energy Chief Sergei Kiriyenko in Moscow on Thursday.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Phase 12 of South Pars (SP) gas field would earn Iran six billion dollars, 5.3 percent of gross national product (GNP), per year if the lowest prices were considered, said Petropars Company managing director here on Thursday.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Abu Dhabi National Energy Co TAQA.AD (Taqa) said it is in early talks to import natural gas from Iran to the United Arab Emirates, and invest in the Iranian energy industry, including in power.