WORLD
* South Korea’s KSLV-1 carrier rocket placed a research satellite into its designated orbit the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) reported, putting Seoul into the club of space powers
* The OSCE representative on freedom of the media, Dunja Mijatović, welcomed the conviction of the murderer of Ukrainian journalist Georgy Gongadze, urging Ukrainian authorities to continue pursuing those who ordered this crime
* The European External Action Service (EEAS) has invited Iran to hold a new round of talks on its controversial nuclear program in February, Chief Spokesman for the High Representative Catherine Ashton, Michael Mann, said
RUSSIA
* Russia has scrapped a decade-old agreement with the United States that granted Moscow financial aid to fight crime, including drug trafficking, the Russian government said but the move does not spell an end to broader cooperation in this area
* Russian media experts said the country deserves its 148th position out of 179 on the 2013 Press Freedom Index, six points down from last year
* Russia’s Civil Defense and Emergency Situations Ministry (MChS) will contribute to the establishment of international crisis response centers in South America and other parts of the world, MChS head Vladimir Puchkov said
BUSINESS
* Ukraine does not have enough budget funds to pay its $390 million debt to Russia by the year-end and needs more time to comply with an earlier court ruling ordering it to do so, Justice Minister Oleksandr Lavrynovych said
* Italian tire manufacturing giant has launched its second tire production line at its Voronezh facility in southwest Russia, the company said