Vienna  - The Austrian government protested Sunday Bratislava's decision to reopen the Bohunice nuclear power plant complex, which was prompted by the Russian-Ukrainian gas dispute that has left Slovakia without energy reserves.

"Recommissioning the unsafe Bohunice reactor cannot be accepted," Environment Minister Nikolaus Berlakovich said of the decision to power up the reactor that had been closed at the end of last year.

"Contracts must hold within a community. Shutting off the plant was one of the fundamental conditions for (Slovakia's) entry (into the European Union) , and it cannot simply be cancelled now," Berlakovich said in a statement.

Moscow/Kiev  - Ukraine joined Russia to approve a European Union initiative for international observers to monitor Russian gas deliveries via Ukraine, raising hopes of a possible end to a Kremlin embargo on energy supplies to Europe.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko signed the deal early Sunday, Interfax news agency reported.

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, arrived in Ukraine on Saturday evening in an attempt to get Kiev to sign a deal aimed at ending Russia's natural gas embargo to Europe.

Bratislava  - The Slovakian government decided in an extraordinary session Saturday night to reopen its Jaslovske Bohunice nuclear power plant closed at the beginning of the year as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian gas dispute.

"I am aware that we are violating our accession agreement with the European Union with this decision, and I accept the full political responsibility for it," Prime Minister Robert Fico said during a press conference broadcast on TV news channel TA3.

India's leading commodity futures exchange, MCX (Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd.) has started futures trading in electricity in the country. FMC has already approved trading in electricity and MCX has started the weekly and monthly electricity contracts with immediate effect. Future trading in electricity is already offered by UK, Australia, US, France Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Germany's stock exchanges.

Moscow/Kiev - Russia on Saturday approved a European Union initiative for international observers to monitor Russian gas deliveries via Ukraine, raising hopes of a possible end to a Kremlin embargo on energy supplies to Europe.

But the mandate - a key demand by Moscow to lift its embargo of gas supplies - must still be approved by the Ukraine.

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, signed the agreement with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Saturday afternoon.

Bratislava  - The Slovakian government decided in an extraordinary session Saturday night to reopen its Jaslovske Bohunice nuclear power plant closed at the beginning of the year as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian gas dispute.

"I am aware that we are violating our accession agreement with the European Union with this decision, and I accept the full political responsibility for it," Prime Minister Robert Fico said during a press conference broadcast on TV news channel TA3.