Main news of June 29

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

WORLD

* U.S. President Barack Obama was informed of the situation around the Russian spy scandal before he met Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Washington, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said

* The United States counts on successful cooperation with Russia despite an alleged spy scandal, a State Department official said

* Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said he hoped the latest spy scandal would not damage Russian-U.S. ties

* Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said his country was ready for "extensive" dialog with Russia, days after the Russian president ruled out any progress in Russian-Georgian relations under Saakashvili

* Russia and Canada will start negotiations on the integration of their national space systems to monitor the Arctic, a Russian space official said

* Reaching a peaceful solution to the Middle East conflict in two years is a "realistic objective," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during his visit to the West Bank.

* Russia will strictly abide by norms of international law regarding the supplies of its weapons to the Middle East, the Russian foreign minister said

* The Chinese Navy will hold six-day military drills in the South China Sea, allegedly in response to planned U.S.-South Korean exercises in the Yellow Sea, local media reported

RUSSIA

*Fewer Belarusians support further integration with Russia after the recent gas dispute between the neighbors, Belarusian President Alexander Luskashenko said

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev urged "more active" privatization of federal property and ordered the government to prepare proposals on the issue

* The Vostok 2010 military drills started off in the Russian Far East after motorized, missile and artillery brigades were raised on alert, a drills spokesman said.

* The Russian government must gradually terminate the measures it introduced to prop up the economy during the international financial crisis, President Dmitry Medvedev said

BUSINESS

* The Russian government must gradually terminate the measures it introduced to boost the economy during the international financial crisis, President Dmitry Medvedev said

* London is ready to help Moscow create its international financial center, the Lord Mayor of the City of London said ahead of his visit to Russia

SPORTS

* Russia's Vera Zvonareva made it into her second Grand Slam semi-final after beating U.S. Open champion Kim Clijsters, ranked 8, at Wimbledon