PHONE CONVERSATION BETWEEN KERRY AND LAVROV

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry agreed in a phone conversation on Sunday on the importance of ensuring a swift ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, a Foreign Ministry statement in Moscow said.

But the State Department said Kerry did not accept Lavrov's denial that heavy weapons from Russia were contributing to the conflict and urged him "to stop the flow of heavy weapons and rocket and artillery fire from Russia into Ukraine, and to begin to contribute to de-escalating the conflict."

"During a phone call this afternoon, Secretary Kerry urged Foreign Minister Lavrov to stop the flow of heavy weapons and rocket and artillery fire from Russia into Ukraine, and to begin to contribute to de-escalating the conflict," the State Department said in readout of the call. "He did not accept Foreign Minister Lavrov’s denial that heavy weapons from Russia were contributing to the conflict."

Washington and the West accuse Moscow of supporting rebels fighting Ukrainian troops in the east of the former Soviet republic with coaching, military-grade artilleries, and blasting by Russian troops on Ukrainian positions across the border.

On July 17, Russian-backed rebels downed Malaysia Flight MH17, killing all 298 people on board.

 A senior State Department official stressed an additional point of the phone call in a subsequent email, saying Kerry "underlined our support for a mutual cease-fire verified by the OSCE and reaffirmed our strong support for the international investigation to show the facts of MH17."

Moscow denies involvement in east Ukraine. The Russian statement described the crisis is an "internal conflict."

Lovren finally Join liverpool

He will now join up with Liverpool on the second half of their United States in either New York - where they play Manchester City on Wednesday - or Charlotte, where AC Milan will be the opponents a week today in the Guinness International Tournament.  

Lovren, who joins former Southampton colleagues Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana at Anfield, told liverpoolfc.com: 'It's a dream come true.

I'm happy and glad to be here. I'm proud and can't wait to start.

 I know we have millions and millions of supporters - Liverpool is more than a club.

'After I played at Anfield last season, I said to myself: "One day I hope I'll be able to play here for Liverpool.

The fans will know from the first minute that I'm a player that will give 100 per cent on the pitch.

Russia Set to pay $50 billion over Yukos

An international court on ordered Russia to pay over $50 billion in compensation to the former shareholder of now-defunct oil producer YUKOS over the expropriation of the company more than 10 years ago.

In one of the largest arbitration cases ever, a subsidiary for GML Ltd., once the biggest shareholder in  Yukos Oil Co ltd had sought $103.5 billion from Russia.

Putin wishes Obama happy July

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he hoped for better ties with the United States in a July Fourth message to his U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama.

The Independence Day wishes come at a time when relations between the two nations are at their lowest ebb since the Cold War, fueled by tensions over Russia's actions in Ukraine.

According to the Kremlin website, Putin "expressed a hope for the successful development of the relationship between both countries, based on equal rights and utilitarianism, despite all the difficulties and disagreements they are facing at the moment."

Putin also said that since the two nations are responsible for global security, they "should cooperate in the interests of not just their own people, but the entire world."

He urged the building of a bilateral relationship based on "mutual respect" and understanding of each other's interests.

Moscow has repeatedly complained that the West has not taken its legitimate interests in Ukraine into consideration or treated it as an equal partner.

The White House gave a muted response to Putin's gesture.

"We've seen the message but have no particular comment," said National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden.

The United States and European Union have imposed targeted economic sanctions on Russian individuals and companies in response to Moscow's actions in Ukraine.

Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in March despite condemnation from the West. Its amassing of troops along the border with Ukraine has led to heightened tensions.

The EU and the United States have repeatedly warned Moscow that more economic sanctions could be imposed if it doesn't act to defuse the crisis.

In a bid to end the pro-Russia separatist unrest roiling the east of his country, Ukraine's new President Petro Poroshenko has proposed a peace plan that calls for the rebels to lay down their arms and engage in talks.

He also urged the strengthening of Ukraine-Russia border controls, the freeing of hostages and changes to the Ukrainian Constitution to decentralize power.

NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged Moscow last week "to create conditions for the implementation of the peace plan, to end its support for separatist troops, and to stop the flow of weapons and fighters across its border."

Marina joins rebel movement in Ukraine

Marina said "I'm from Russia, from Kuban, I'm 23 years old, I used to work at a rescue organization and I got here because I couldn't stay out of the situation," 

Marina isn't Ukrainian, she crossed a border to join the fight rarely admitted by rebel forces. Help for Donetsk Peoples' Republic, the formal name of the rebels, comes from Russia in many forms, and this combat medic was another example.

Now, she spends her days in hospital, receiving care from doctors who are as concerned about their neutrality as they are about their patients.

Marina was wounded in one of these hot areas where fierce fighting continues.

Slovyansk was under mortar fire and I helped pull a family out of the debris," Marina proudly said.
Not long after that, she was shot.

Her punctured lung made her pant as she tried to speak. Determined to continue talking, sitting upright on her bed, she was already thinking about what to do after recovery.

"I want to join the fight again, there's a shortage of medical staff, and I want to help; Fascism won't be tolerated." Marina said.

Israel rejects peace talks

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said ground operations in Gaza could soon be broadened "significantly".

Mr Kerry said he still hoped for an initial seven-day truce next week.

Hamas, the Islamist group which controls Gaza, said earlier it would not accept a deal without an end to Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.

More than 800 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 36 Israelis have died since the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas which entered its 18th day on Friday.

A senior Israeli official told the Reporter that Mr Yaalon and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were "considering a 12-hour humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza.

Air Algerie says missing plane apparently crashed in Mali

A passenger plane carrying 116 people is feared to have crashed on a flight from Burkina Faso to the Algerian capital Algiers.

Contact with the Air Algerie flight was lost over the Sahara as it crossed Mali in bad weather, officials said.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the plane, which has 50 French citizens aboard, "probably crashed".

French media reported that soldiers had found wreckage in Tilemsi, central Mali, but this was not confirmed.

Contact with Flight AH 5017, chartered from Spanish airline Swiftair, was lost about 50 minutes after take-off from Ouagadougou, Air Algerie said.

The pilot had contacted Niger's control tower in Niamey to change course because of a storm, officials say.

Speaking in Paris, Mr Fabius said: "Despite intensive search efforts no trace of the aircraft has yet been found. The plane probably crashed."

He said French Mirage fighter planes were scouring the area.

Earlier, an Algerian official told Reuters that the plane had crashed, but gave no further details.

France's civil aviation body said crisis centres had been set up at airports in Paris and Marseille.

An Air Algerie spokesman quoted by Reuters said the provisional passenger list included 50 French citizens, 24 people from Burkina Faso, eight Lebanese, four Algerians, two from Luxembourg, one Belgian, one Swiss, one Nigerian, one Cameroonian, one Ukrainian and one Romanian.