Main News of November 20

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

WORLD

*Israel will stop its military operation in the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian group Hamas stops its attacks on Israeli targets, a spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told RIA Novosti.

*The United Kingdom has recognized the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people, British Foreign Minister William Hague said in parliament.

 

RUSSIA

*A controversial new law obliging Russian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) financed from abroad and involved in political activity to register as “foreign agents” comes into force.

*Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin warned on Tuesday of a new clean-out of corruption and crooked officials in the country's arms industry, following a series of high-profile scandals in the sector.

 

BUSINESS

*Russia’s capital outflow may reach $70 billion in 2012, more than the previous forecast of $60-65 billion, Deputy Economic Development Minister Andrei Klepach said.

*Shares in Russia’s state-controlled telecoms giant Rostelecom plummeted more than 3.5 percent in Tuesday afternoon trade on news that the homes of Rostelecom’s head and a major minority shareholder were raided by police in a $250 million VTB Bank embezzlement case.

*The launch of the Apple iTunes online music store in Russia planned for October and rescheduled for mid-November has been delayed indefinitely, two sources familiar with Apple’s plans told RIA Novosti.

*Russia’s natural gas exports are expected to fall 4-5 percent in 2012 as the lingering eurozone debt crisis weakens demand for Russian commodities exports, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said.