Main news of November 18

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

WORLD

* Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has said the Islamic Republic will not send its enriched uranium to third countries for processing, the Iranian ISNA news agency reported

* The Chinese premier stressed the importance of ties with America at a meeting with the U.S. president on Wednesday, but played down suggestions of a new alliance between the two world powers

* A total of 18 candidates have been registered to run in the Ukrainian presidential election due on January 17, Central Election Commission deputy head Andrei Magera said

* UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has deplored Tuesday's decision by Israel to expand an East Jerusalem settlement

RUSSIA

* There is no reason for NATO to be concerned over recent Russian-Belarusian large-scale military drills near Poland, Russia's envoy to the alliance said

* Russia aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 25% below the 1990 level by 2020, President Dmitry Medvedev told an EU-Russia summit

* Russia hopes a new cooperation agreement with the European Union will be finalized soon, President Dmitry Medvedev said

* President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia and the European Union agreed on key issues of energy cooperation and security at their summit on Wednesday

* Moscow expressed deep concern Wednesday over Israel's plan to build a large number of new housing complexes on the West Bank

* Russia's Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) conducted a total of 11 large-scale exercises and two test launches of strategic missiles in 2009, the SMF said

* The introduction of visa-free travel between Russia and the European Union is being hampered by a "considerable political component" in the talks, Russia's EU envoy said

* President Dmitry Medvedev will attend Russia's decisive World Cup qualification playoff against Slovenia in Moribor on Wednesday evening, the Kremlin announced

* Arkady Gaidamak, an Israeli businessman of Soviet origin, has protested his innocence in a Russian newspaper interview after he was sentenced in absentia by a French court to six years in prison

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in Stockholm on Tuesday and met with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt

BUSINESS

* Russia has completed the delivery of Su-30MKA Flanker multi-role fighters to Algeria, an aircraft maker said

* Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev thanked Sweden on Wednesday for approving the construction of the Russian-German Nord Stream natural gas pipeline through its economic zone in the Baltic Sea

* The upper house of Russia's parliament rejected on Wednesday a bill to double the motor vehicle tax that had sparked protests when it was approved by the lower house

SPORT

* Ukraine failed to secure a 2010 World Cup spot after losing 1-0 at home to Greece in a second-leg play-off in Donetsk on Wednesday evening