Main News of July 12

A roundup of what has happened over the past 24 hours

RUSSIA

* Rescuers saved 872 people from deadly floods last weekend in Russia’s southern Krymsk district – and at least one cat, by proxy, Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov said

* Moscow objects to a draft resolution on Syria submitted to the UN Security Council by a number of Western nations, since it may lead to the use of force against Damascus, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said

*A Russian draft law that would label non-governmental organizations (NGOs) whose political activities are funded from abroad “foreign agents” is reminiscent of methods used by Soviet secret police, the head of the Council of Europe said

*Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai repeated his call on the Taliban to put down arms and join the process of national reconciliation in the war-torn central Asian country

WORLD

*The Obama administration on Thursday sought to increase pressure on Iran by imposing additional sanctions against companies and people involved in the country's nuclear and missile programs

* Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych on Thursday signed a preliminary agreement on the delimitation of the maritime border between the two countries in the Kerch Strait

SPORTS

* The Russian government has tabled a change in the law aimed at extending its control over many of the country’s sports federations, Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told R-Sport