Main news of September 18

RUSSIA

* The structure of the new Cabinet will be formed by Friday, September 21, Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov said 

* Acting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said:

- Russia is concerned by media reports that military action against Iran could take place soon

- Any proclamation of independence by Albanian-dominated Kosovo from Serbia could trigger a chain reaction around the globe

* Russian nuclear chief Sergei Kiriyenko said:

- Russia plans to create guaranteed reserves of low-enriched uranium worth up to $300 million at an international nuclear center in Angarsk, East Siberia

- The UN nuclear watchdog could consider Russia's plans to establish guaranteed nuclear fuel reserves in the first half of 2008

- There are no political constraints to completing the Bushehr nuclear power project in Iran

* Kremlin-friendly tycoon Alisher Usmanov, who bought Monday the art collection of deceased cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, said he will present it to the state in full

* Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi is planning to increase output by 40% to $2 billion by 2010, mainly by raising production of civilian aircraft, the company's CEO, Mikhail Pogosyan, said

* A top Chechen warlord, Rappani Khalilov, has been killed in south Daghestan, Russia's troubled North Caucasus region, the Interior Ministry said

* A helicopter crashed in the Tomsk Region in west Siberia, injuring at least 11 people, a local emergency services official said

WORLD

* A new outbreak of foot and mouth disease in southern England was confirmed Tuesday by Britain's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

* An Israeli soldier and a Palestinian gunmen were killed during an anti-militant operation at the al-Ein refugee camp in the West Bank city of Nablus, the Israeli army said

* The parents of Madeleine McCann, missing in Portugal since May 3 this year, again denied any involvement in their daughter's disappearance

* China has completed the first fuel oil shipment to North Korea as part of a package of economic incentives in exchange for Pyongyang's denuclearization, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said

* Pervez Musharraf is poised to give up his post as army chief if re-elected as Pakistan's president, his chief lawyer said

* The pilot of the plane that crashed in the Thai resort of Phuket on Sunday ignored warnings of difficult weather conditions, The Bangkok Post said, citing local media sources

* Japan's parliament will vote in a new prime minister next Tuesday after the ruling party picks a new leader to replace Shinzo Abe, the country's Kyodo news agency reported

* The U.S. cannot yet say if the Gabala radar will replace American missile defense facilities in Central Europe, the deputy director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said

* Georgia has postponed a planned peace march to Tskhinvali, the capital of Georgia's unrecognized republic of South Ossetia, until September 20, republic's interior minister said

* Presidential elections will be held in Uzbekistan on December 23, the head of the Central Asian country's Central Election Commission said

* The world's oldest man, Tomoji Tanabe from Japan marked his 112th birthday, the Kyodo news agency said

BUSINESS

* Rosneft is expected to refine 38-39 million tons of oil in 2007 and upgrade former Yukos assets, acquired at recent auctions, Dmitry Bogdanov, the state-controlled oil company's vice president, said

* Unified Energy System will gradually increase electricity exports to China as of 2008, a deputy chairman of the Russian electricity monopoly said

* Russia reported a 3.8% industrial growth in August year-on-year, the lowest rate since early 2007, the Federal Statistics Service said