The London High Court on Wednesday set a date for preliminary hearings in a legal dispute between Russian tycoons Boris Berezovsky and Roman Abramovich.

The signing of a contract between Russia and Belarus to build the ex-Soviet republic's first nuclear power plant has been delayed due to disagreements over the project's cost, the Russian ambassador to Belarus said on Wednesday.

The ex-Soviet country, which was one of the most affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, plans to build the plant in its western Grodno region, with the first reactor expected to be put into service in 2016 and the second in 2018.

The Russian nuclear equipment export monopoly, Atomstroyexport, is to implement the project.

"We are at the stage of signing an inter-governmental agreement on the construction of the nuclear power plant. There are differences only on one issue - the cost," Alexander Surikov said.

The Belarusians wanted Russia to cover the project's risks, which Russia was not willing to do, he said, adding "if the Belarusian government takes upon itself the risks, the issue of financing and constructing the plant is settled."

Nikolai Grusha, head of the nuclear energy department at the Belarusian Energy Ministry, earlier said estimates for the construction were based on Atomstroyexport's overseas experience, according to which the contractor financed 85% of construction works and the client 15%.

Belarus, which earlier intended to announce a tender for the construction of its first nuclear power plant, then selected Russia without holding a tender as Moscow pledged to provide Minsk with a loan for the construction.

In May 2009, Belarus asked Russia for a $9 billion loan.

In February 2010, Surikov said Russia was ready to provide a loan to its western neighbor, but did not specify the sum, saying the loan would cover only part of the construction works.

Last week, during a meeting with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping in Minsk, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko invited China to participate in the project and Beijing pledged to invest some $10 billion in the Belarusian economy.

Commenting on Lukashenko's move, Surikov said Russia was likely to withdraw from the project if China was involved.

"We have our own secrets and we do not want to share them with young Chinese firms," he said.

RIA Novosti

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev believes criminal liability for terrorists should be revised.

Two men jailed in connection with an attack on the Nevsky Express train in August 2007 will take their appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, the lawyer of one of the men told RIA Novosti on Wednesday.

A single terrorist group may be behind the explosions in Moscow and Dagestan, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

The death toll in Wednesday's twin bombings in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan has gone up to 12, investigators said.

Belarus has obtained the fifth and final $670 million loan tranche from the International Monetary Fund, the country's National Bank said on Wednesday.

Nine people including the local police chief were killed in two explosions in the town of Kizlyar in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan on Wednesday, a law enforcement source said.

The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dominique Strauss-Kahn, wants either to resume the former partnership program with Ukraine or "build something different."