Main news of February 18

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

WORLD

* A small plane crashed into an office building in Austin, Texas on Thursday, injuring at least two people, the local NBC TV channel said citing police

* Interpol issued Red Notices for 11 people wanted in the United Arab Emirates on suspicion of involvement in the murder of a Hamas militant leader, Mahmoud al Mabhouh

* At least 35 people have died and another 30 are missing after a large avalanche hit an mountain village in the northwestern Pakistani district of Kohistan, Pakistani media said

* The United Nations called on Israel to prolong its 10-month moratorium on settlement construction on occupied Palestinian territory and to completely freeze its settlement activities

* Iran hopes the International Atomic Energy Agency will produce an unbiased report on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program and protect its right to nuclear energy, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said

* Italy and Malta called on Switzerland to compromise with Libya after a visa spat between the two countries broke out earlier this week, the Arab-language Asharq Al-Awsat daily said

* Russian businessman and alleged arms dealer Viktor Bout, dubbed the "Merchant of Death," is facing new charges in New York for concealment of illegal income

* Romania and Moldova began bilateral talks on U.S. missile defense plans in Europe in the Moldavian capital on Thursday, Moldova's Foreign Minister said

RUSSIA

* About half of the 17 top Russian police officials discharged were dismissed over violations committed by subordinates while others were removed to bring in new blood, a Kremlin source said

* Russia's economy needs fundamental reform to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, President Dmitry Medvedev said, saying the country could then meet its target of a 25% cut by 2020

* Washington's new missile shield plans for Eastern Europe will not affect nuclear arms reduction talks with Russia, the U.S. ambassador to Moscow said

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev proposed to introduce tougher punishment for crimes committed by police officers than for those carried out by civilians

* Russian businessman and alleged arms dealer Viktor Bout, dubbed the "Merchant of Death," said on Thursday he was not surprised at the new indictment brought against him in New York

SPORT

* Russia's Nikita Kriukov has brought the country its first Olympic gold coming first in the men's cross-country individual sprint race at the Winter Games in Vancouver

* Rubin Kazan made light of a three-month break from competitive football and winter temperatures below minus 10 Celsius to beat Hapoel Tel Aviv 3-0 in the first leg of their Europa League knockout tie

BUSINESS

* The operator of the Nord Stream gas pipeline project said it had received approval from German authorities to connect the trans-Baltic pipeline to the European gas network