Main news of March 15

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

RUSSIA

* Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin justified Russia's claims for the Arctic continental shelf and urged other nations to resolve all controversial issues through dialogue

* Russian opposition parties expressed satisfaction with the results of Sunday's regional legislative elections seen as a popularity test for the pro-Kremlin United Russia party

* Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has congratulated Nobel Prize winner Zhores Alfyorov on his 80th birthday, the government press service said

* Russians annually spend some $17 billion on drugs that mainly come from Afghanistan, Russia's chief sanitary doctor said

* Saturday's fake report by a Georgian TV channel on an alleged Russian invasion and on killing the South Caucasus state's president was part of an information war waged by Georgian authorities, Russia's envoy to NATO said

* A new Russian nuclear-powered multipurpose attack submarine will be floated out on May 7, a shipyard spokesman said

* Twenty members of the radical Islamic organization Tablighi Jamaat have been arrested in Chita, Siberia, a Federal Security Service spokesman said

* The Russian crew of the Thai Union 3 fishing vessel, who were in Somali pirates' captivity for over four months, returned to the city of Kaliningrad happy but meager, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported

* Over 60% of Russians are in favor of a possible ban on alcohol sales after 9 p.m., according to a survey released by the recruitment portal SuperJob.ru

WORLD

* In an interview with the RIA Novosti New York Bureau Chief Dmitry Gornostaev Mr. Ban shares his views on peace process in the Middle East, possible sanctions against Iran, situation in North Korea, Afghanistan, UN-Russia cooperation, etc.

* The Georgian broadcaster at the center of the latest furor over a fake TV news report said on Monday it was sorry it might have inconvenienced some people and would honor the code of journalistic ethics

* U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said ahead of her upcoming visit to Moscow she expected the replacement to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START 1) to be signed soon

* The United States called on Israel to halt settlement construction in East Jerusalem, which has become the main obstacle to reviving peace talks between Israel and Palestine authorities, Haaretz newspaper said

* Israel's plans to build homes for Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem "endanger" indirect Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, the EU foreign policy chief said

* India's new Advanced Air Defense (AAD) interceptor missile, capable of destroying hostile missiles, failed to launch on Monday during a planned test at a firing range off Orissa coast, Indian media reported

* The Arabic edition of the Moscow News, Anbaa Mosku, re-launched three months ago after a 17-year break, is being extensively read across the Middle East, the MENAFN news agency reported

* Counterfeit cigarettes worth over $1.7 million were burned in northeastern China on the eve of the World Consumer Rights Day, local media reported

* More than 100 rotting pig carcasses discarded in the Qiantang River in China are threatening the health of 3 million locals, Chinese Global Times said

BUSINESS

* Russia may raise oil export duty on its Urals blend from the current $253.6 to $268.9 per metric ton from March 1, following trends on global oil markets, a Finance Ministry official said

* Russian metals magnate Mikhail Prokhorov will through his Onexim Group finance the Seliger 2010 youth forum, a symbol of the Kremlin's youth policies, a Russian newspaper reported

* Russia is not considering a proposal to combine part of its South Stream gas project with the Western-backed Nabucco pipeline, Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said

* Gazprom has started drilling its first exploration well in Africa in the El Assel onshore region in Algeria, the Russian energy giant said in a statement

SPORTS

* Russia's skier Kirill Mikhaylov won gold at the 2010 Paralympics in Canada after winning in Cross-Country Skiing, Men's 20 km Free, Standing

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev awarded state decorations to Russian athletes for their achievements at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver

* Russian champions Rubin Kazan began their bid for a third straight title with a 2-0 win over Lokomotiv Moscow, but the home fans had to wait until the dying minutes for the decisive goal

* The head of the Turkish Football Federation has officially introduced Dutch trainer Guus Hiddink as the new head coach of the national football team