Main News of June 5

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

WORLD

* The main obstacle in talks between Russia, the United States and the United Nations regarding the conflict in Syria is that the Syrian opposition has not decided whether it would attend an international peace conference, a Russian deputy foreign minister said

 

* US lawmakers who traveled to Russia last week in connection with the deadly Boston Marathon bombing investigation gave mixed opinions on the sincerity of Russian security officials who provided information about suspected bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev in 2011, The Hill reported

* A London coroner has asked the British government to hold a public inquiry into the 2006 death of former Russian Federal Security Service agent Alexander Litvinenko, the coroner’s office said

 

* A group of international mediators on Iran’s controversial nuclear program urged Tehran on Wednesday to collaborate with the UN nuclear agency and provide complete information on its nuclear activities

* Setting up wire fences along the South Ossetian-Georgia border is a totally unacceptable violation of international rights, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said

RUSSIA

 

* Thousands of passengers had to be evacuated and dozens needed medical help after a fire broke out on the subway in downtown Moscow during the morning rush-hour on Wednesday, throwing the system into chaos, transport officials said

* Works by renowned Russian painters Nikolai Roerich and Ivan Shishkin were sold on Wednesday at two auctions in London for record prices as part of Russian Art Week

* A Russian court on Wednesday imposed a 10,000 ruble (about $300) fine on the organizer of a recent handout of condoms to promote HIV awareness near a World War II monument.