Main news of November 21

WORLD

* The UN General Assembly's human rights committee has passed a resolution condemning the Iranian government for the crackdown on protests following the June presidential election

* U.S. President Barack Obama's job approval rating has dropped below 50% for the first time since he took office, according the latest Gallup poll

* Tehran rejects threats as part of a continuing campaign of psychological warfare against it and calls for more talks on the nuclear issue, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said

* Palestinian militant groups in Gaza have agreed not to fire rockets into Israel to avoid a possible military backlash, Hamas' interior minister said

* A Lebanese military commander said border security would be tightened due to a possible Israeli attack

* China has pledged to continue its support of UN peacekeeping operations, while a senior army official said the missions also need major reforms to meet new challenges

* India has proposed urgent reforms in the operation of the World Trade Organization, the Press Trust of India reported

 

 

RUSSIA

 

* Russia has suffered from the global economic downturn but has managed to keep the damage to a minimum, the president said

* Russia's state defense orders will grow by 8.5% to 1.175 trillion rubles ($40.5 billion) in 2010, the prime minister said

* Russia's prime minister has called for modernization programs and more responsible attitudes among the business community, to reduce the economy's dependence on raw materials

* Russian companies will be able to obtain state-guaranteed loans totaling 500 billion rubles ($17 billion) in 2010, the prime minister said

* Rubin Kazan won their second successive Russian Premier League title on Saturday as it drew 0:0 at home with Zenit St. Petersburg, while second-placed Spartak Moscow lost 3:2 to cross-town rivals CSKA Moscow