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Main news of December 16

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A roundup of what has happened in the last 24 hours 16.12.2009, Sputnik International

2009-12-16T21:01+0000

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Main news of December 16

21:01 GMT 16.12.2009

A roundup of what has happened in the last 24 hours

WORLD

* A bill on prohibiting foreign businesses from operating in the U.S. if they are delivering oil byproducts to Iran could be the last attempt to persuade Tehran to soften its position on the country's nuclear program initiatives, a Russian expert said

* Any Western sanctions against Iran could be rendered ineffective by China, a Russian analyst said

* Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen he hoped there would be fewer contradictions between Russia and NATO in the future

* Turkey objects to plans of deploying U.S. missile defense elements on its soil because it could worsen relations with Russia and Iran, national media reported

* The tiny Pacific island of Nauru has recognized the independence of the former Georgian republic of South Ossetia

* NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the Western military bloc is seeking greater Russian assistance for international operations in Afghanistan

* The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) extended the tenure of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas until elections can be held, the Palestinian news agency Ma'an has reported

* The UN climate conference in Copenhagen has not produced a deal on climate change as leaders of 193 nations are beginning to arrive for a summit expected to sign a pact to fight global warming

* Thousands of demonstrators clashed with riot police outside a conference center in Copenhagen where 193 countries were discussing a new global climate pact

* Russia has destroyed nine intercontinental ballistic missiles this year under a Russian-U.S. strategic arms reduction treaty (START 1), the Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) chief said

* Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians could be reached within six months, if Israel completely halted the construction of settlements

* Asylum seekers who refused to leave a train they had boarded in Poland did not seize it, Georgia's ambassador to Poland said

* Iran has successfully tested an upgraded version of its long range solid-fuel Sejil-2 missile, state television reported

* NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen brushed aside differences between the alliance and Russia saying they should not influence their common interests

* The Kazakh and Belarusian crew of a plane caught transporting arms from North Korea may face the death penalty, a Thai paper said

* Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner landed in Seattle after making a successful maiden flight that lasted over three hours

* The United States and Russia have made progress in their talks on strategic arms reductions, the U.S. State Department said

RUSSIA

* Russian human rights group Memorial has resumed its activities in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, the director of the group said

* Russia has completed preliminary testing of a long-term interceptor missile for the advanced S-400 missile-defense system, the chief of the Almaz-Antei design bureau said

* Famous Russian showman, bodybuilder and actor Vladimir Turchinsky has died at the age of 46, Ekho Moskvy radio reported

* Yegor Gaidar, one of the leading architects of free market reforms in post-Soviet Russia, has died at the age of 53

* The State Duma, the lower house of Russia's parliament, will consider an agreement with Belarus on the establishment of a common air defense

BUSINESS

* Russia's economy will reach its 2008 pre-crisis level by the end of 2012, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said

* The official dollar rate set by the Russian Central Bank for December 17 is 30.1978 rubles, up 13 kopeks, the Central Bank said

* Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin signaled an end to recession, announcing that the country's economy was expected to grow more than 2% in October-December 2009

SPORT

* WBA Heavyweight Champion David Haye (23-1, 21 KOs) of Britain has not spoken on any possible bouts with Ukraine's WBC Heavyweight Champion Vitali Klitschko, a manager for the British boxer said