Main News of July 16

A roundup of what has happened over the past 24 hours.

RUSSIA

* Moscow sees elements of blackmail in the West's position on continuing the UN Security Council mandate on the work of the international observer mission in Syria, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

* The conflict in Syria “is gaining a religious dimension” and al Qaeda forces are becoming active in the country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

* The Russian Investigative Committee pressed formal charges on Monday against a former Moscow policeman accused of organizing – but not contracting – the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

 

WORLD

* North Korea's military chief, a close ally of the country’s new leader Kim Jong Un, has been relieved of all his posts because of illness, North Korea’s official KCNA news agency said.

* Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was moved back to prison from a military hospital following notable improvement in his health, Egypt’s al-Ahram newspaper said.

* The billionaire leader of Georgia's opposition coalition, Bidzina Ivanishvili, has called for the normalization of relations between Tbilisi and Moscow which remain tense since the August 2008 war over South Ossetia.

* The Ukrainian opposition is determined to impeach President Viktor Yanukovych, opposition leader Arseny Yatsenyuk said.

* Ukraine will carry out a military reform to make its armed forces “modern” and “European-like,” first deputy chief of the country’s General Staff of the Armed Forces, Vice Adm. Ihor Kabanenko, said.

* The Taliban destroyed a convoy of fuel tankers carrying supplies for the NATO contingent in Afghanistan, the local Pahjwok news agency reported on Monday.

* The European Council gave the green light for a civilian mission to counteract terrorism and organized crime in Africa’s Sahel region, the council said in a statement.

 

BUSINESS

* Russian President Vladimir Putin has created an Economic Advisory Council and has become its chairman, the Kremlin press office said.

* Russian companies must fully exploit WTO potential and become key players on global metallurgy markets, President Vladimir Putin said.

* The IMF has cut its forecast for Russia’s2013 GDP growth outlook from 4 percent to 3.9 percent, but left unchanged its 2012 economic growth at 4 percent, according to the World Economic Outlook published on the IMF’s website.

* Russian car giant AvtoVAZ is launching sales of its new Lada Largus minivan, the automaker said.

 

DEFENSE

* The Indian Navy's newest aircraft carrier, the Vikramaditya, has headed into the Barents Sea for second-stage sea trials, as part of its refit by Russia's Sevmash shipyard, Captain Vadim Serga of Russia's Northern Fleet information service said.

* The Russian Defense Ministry has decided to equip the Ground Forces mostly with wheeled rather than tracked armored vehicles, GF commander Col. Gen. Vladimir Chirkin said.

* Russia’ Defense Ministry will form 26 additional brigades by 2020 without increasing the overall number of personnel in the Armed Forces, Commander of Ground Forces Col. Gen. Vladimir Chirkin said.

 

SPORTS

* Fabio Capello said he would be "happy" and "proud" to take the Russia job, Italy's ANSA news agency reported.

* Russian athletes must ignore the lavish parties and cultural exhibitions at the Olympics and focus on training rather than "fooling around," Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said