* Russia's first deputy prime minister, Sergei Ivanov, said a critical test of the new version of Iskander (SS-26), an advanced theater-level surface-to-surface missile system, was successful
* Russia's space forces test-launched a new ballistic missile, the RS-24, from the Plesetsk space center in northern Russia, a press spokesman said
* Vladimir Putin met for talks with Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates in the Kremlin, saying he hoped Russia's ties with the European Union would gain new momentum when Portugal took over the rotating EU presidency from Germany July 1
*An emergency conference of signatories to the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty will be held within the next 15 days, a Dutch Foreign Ministry spokesman said
* The U.S. administration could take part in a conference on the arms control treaty in Europe, which was proposed by Russia, a State Department spokesman said
* Russian businessman Dmitry Kovtun, a witness in the former FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko murder case, said charges pressed against Andrei Lugovoi by U.K. authorities were totally ungrounded
* Russia's food safety watchdog said it had imposed temporary restrictions on meat imports from some European Union producers over health risk concerns
* Russia's Reserve Fund could be used in the next two years if the oil price falls to less than $45 per barrel, the country's finance minister said Tuesday
* Russia's state-run oil pipeline operator Transneft said it would earmark an extra 6.8 billion rubles ($260 million) for the construction of the Siberian pipeline Russia is building to pump crude eastward
* Russia's Corbina Telecom could issue up to 25% of its stock through an IPO, a co-owner of the company said
* Russia's S7 Airlines has signed a deal with the world's leading aerospace corporation to purchase 15 Boeing 787 aircraft for $2.4 million and an option to buy a further 10 planes, the company said
* A medical examination said they had discovered an unidentified poison in the Kyrgyz prime minister's blood, a spokesman for the premier said
* Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko suspended for two days his decree on parliament's dissolution to give the Supreme Rada time to adopt laws needed to hold snap elections, his press service said
* Russia plans to cancel $500 million debt owed by Africa's poorest countries, the foreign minister said
* Russia's federal tax service could join a $22.5 billion lawsuit filed by the Russian customs authorities against the Bank of New York, the country's top customs official said
* Russia's Federal Agency for Subsoil Use will consider revoking a license to develop the Kovykta gas field in Eastern Siberia June 1, a source at the Natural Resources Ministry said
* France's SAFRAN Group will join a leading Russian engine-maker to manufacture engines for 800 Superjet 100 regional aircraft, the company's senior official said
* Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga signed into a law a bill to ratify a border treaty with Russia, with subsequent publication by the Latvijas Vestnesis newspaper
* Azerbaijan drilled the deepest gas well at its Shakh Deniz field in the Caspian Sea, the exploration and drilling manager of BP-Azerbaijan said
* Russia's embassy in Georgia said it had started issuing visas to certain categories of Georgian nationals after an eight-month break
* Four political parties in Armenia contested the results of the recent parliamentary elections in the Constitutional Court, calling them falsified and undemocratic, a court official said
* The Baltic States are ready to boost spending on the maintenance of a NATO 'air police' mission in the region, the countries' defense ministries said
* U.S. President George W. Bush said Washington would introduce additional sanctions against Sudan's government unilaterally
* Israeli troops killed two Hamas militants after moving into southern Gaza, local television reported
* Four people, including a pregnant woman, were killed in the Lebanon as the death of a soldier brought the toll to at least 79 dead and further intensified tensions, local media said
* Bashar al-Asad was reelected president of Syria for another seven years (until 2014), the country's interior minister said
* Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he would meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to discuss ceasefire proposals amid the latest wave of violence between Israel and Palestinian militants
* A former Chinese food and medical regulator was sentenced to death after being convicted of corruption and abuse of office
* A former executive of a Japanese company involved in a bid-rigging scandal fell to his death in the parking lot outside his flat in an apparent suicide
* Japan's Riyo Mori, 20, won the Miss Universe 2007 title in Mexico Monday, in front of 600 million television viewers
* Women who suffered from the terror in Beslan in 2004 started wrecking a local court, which failed to pass a verdict on policemen accused of neglecting their duty
* Another heat record for May fell when a temperature of 32.1 degrees Celsius (89.7 F) was registered in Moscow, the Moscow meteorological service said
* Yoko Ono, the widow of murdered Beatle John Lennon, arrived in Moscow Tuesday to unveil her latest visual art project taking place May 30 through June 24 at the TSUM department store
