* Ukraine's pro-Russian Party of Regions opened negotiations with the pro-presidential Our Ukraine grouping on joining a new parliamentary coalition, a senior party official said
* The Iranian Foreign Ministry reiterated that Tehran would respond to Iran-6 incentives in August
* Another group of about 50 militants is ready lay down arms in Chechnya, the republic's prime minister said
* Russia's lower house of parliament adopted 141 federal laws and three federal constitutional laws during its spring session, the State Duma speaker said
* Thirty militants laid down arms in Chechnya, the republic's government press service said
* Political crisis in Ukraine shows that young democracies have to tread a fine line when forming coalition majority governments, the speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament said
* The board of directors of the World Bank approved a grant to the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan totaling $15 million, a bank official said
