Main news of September 10

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

WORLD

* Washington will continue to support the Israeli-Palestinian settlement process even though it is difficult and may fail, U.S. President Barack Obama said at a press conference

* Iran's top nuclear official denied claims of a covert nuclear facility near the capital, Tehran, the Mehr news agency reported

* South Korean leader Lee Myung-bak, whose presidency has seen a deterioration in ties with North Korea, expressed readiness to work towards better relations with Pyongyang

* Controversial U.S. pastor Terry Jones has called off his plans to burn hundreds of copies of the Koran to mark the anniversary of the September 11 attacks

RUSSIA

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev dismissed any suggestion there is no democracy in Russia

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev highlighted three problems he said were inhibiting the development of democracy in Russia

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he would like to see the modernization of the country carried out by ordinary people, and not just the political and business elite

BUSINESS

* The Armenian government is in talks with Russia over gas prices, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisyan said

SPORTS

* IBF, IBO and WBO World Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko, also known as Dr. Steelhammer, was just a bit heavier than his challenger Samuel Peter, the Nigerian Nightmare, the Klitschko brothers' website reported

* Russia's Mikhail Youzhny has advanced to his second career U.S. Open tennis tournament semifinals after a tough quarterfinal victory over Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka