Main news of June 11

WORLD

* The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Thursday its first flu pandemic of the 21st century following an emergency meeting on the swine flu outbreak that has hit 74 countries

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has dismissed Viktor Chernomyrdin as ambassador to Ukraine and appointed him presidential adviser and special envoy on economic cooperation with CIS countries, the Kremlin said

* NATO defense ministers have agreed to cut the alliance's peacekeeping contingent in Kosovo to 10,000 troops, NATO chief said

* Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi used an official visit to Italy on Thursday to speak out against terrorism and blast U.S. foreign policy, comparing the country to Osama bin Laden

* Ukraine's parliament has overridden President Viktor Yushchenko's veto of a bill temporarily banning gambling in the country

* Around 60 Taliban militants were killed and more than 20 injured in the past 24 hours in Afghanistan in operations conducted by the national army and ISAF forces

* Viktor Yushchenko renewed on Thursday his criticism of a gas deal with Russia, saying Moscow could demand a more than $5 billion penalty from Kiev for buying less gas in the first two quarters than stipulated in the contract

* A French nuclear-powered submarine has arrived in the area of the Atlantic where an Air France plane crashed last week, and is searching for the flight recorders, the Brazilian Air Force said

RUSSIA

* Russia's chief doctor said swine flu could be treated as normal seasonal influenza despite the WHO's classification of the outbreak as a global pandemic, but advised Russians to protect themselves with masks

* The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday a bill on the return of the disputed Southern Kuril Islands going through the Japanese parliament was "inappropriate and unacceptable"

* The European Court of Human Rights has ordered Russia to pay 160,000 euros ($224,000) in compensation to the relatives of five Chechens who disappeared in 2001

* Russia will not advance U.S. military plans aimed at itself and will not make its territory available for the deployment of U.S. missile defense elements, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said

* Russia and Egypt agreed Thursday on technical accords to avoid situations similar to the recent wheat row, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said

* The Russian president on Thursday threw his support behind the idea of joint development and production of military products with other countries

* Leading Russian news agencies and media outlets have agreed on proposals for a draft law on granting news reports the legal status of goods and imposing fines for illegal publishing of copyrighted material

SPORT

* Russia’s most complete performance since their Euro 2008 quarterfinal win over Holland saw Guus Hiddink’s side beat Finland 3-0 in Helsinki on Wednesday evening to move a step closer to the 2010 World Cup