Main news of July 2

RUSSIA

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he expects a new Russian anti-corruption law to be adopted by the end of this year

* Government officials sitting on board of directors in Russia's state-owned companies will be replaced by independent directors in the near future, a Kremlin aide said

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will embark Thursday on a weeklong tour of Asia that takes in four countries, a G8 summit and meetings with a number of foreign leaders, a Kremlin spokesman said

* Russian sovereignty over the Southern Kurils is unquestionable, but Russia is ready for talks with Japan on territorial issues, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said

* The Russian parliament's ratification of an amendment to a major international treaty on nuclear security will not affect the construction of a nuclear power plant in Iran, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak said

* Inflation in Russia totaled 8.7% in the first six months of this year, the federal statistics service said

* Around 5,000 people have been abducted in the North Caucasus Republic of Chechnya since 1994, Chechen human rights ombudsman said

* Two policemen were killed, and five others wounded  in the town of Malgobek in Russia's North Caucasus Republic of Ingushetia after their vehicles came under gunfire, a local police source

* An Mi-8 helicopter carrying oil workers crashed in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area in West Siberia killing at least nine people, the emergencies ministry said

* Russia's former world No. 1, Marat Safin beat Spain's Feliciano Lopez to go through to the Wimbledon semifinals

WORLD

* Iran is prepared to consider allowing a United States 'interests section' in its capital, Tehran, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said

* Israel resumed supplies of commercial and humanitarian cargo to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, previously suspended due to militant rocket attacks, Israeli army officials said

* Direct economic losses from China's May 12 earthquake have exceeded one trillion yuan (around $150 billion), the People's Daily newspaper cited an official in the worst-hit province as saying

* Five people have been killed and more than 300 injured during mass protests in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator over allegations of election fraud, the Mongolia Web news portal said

* A Palestinian driving a bulldozer rampaged through central Jerusalem smashing into cars and buses, killing three and injuring over 30 people, doctors and police said

 

BUSINESS

* Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg has proposed that TNK-BP Management shareholders hold an emergency meeting next Monday to dismiss CEO Robert Dudley and elect a new, independent executive

* Swiss company Noga has appealed rulings by French courts to unfreeze Russian accounts held in France, a source in the Russian Finance Ministry said

* Barclays Bank Plc. has completed a $745 million deal to buy 100% of shares of Expobank, a leading Russian retail and commercial bank, the British bank said