Main News of August 11

Roundup of what has happened over the past 24 hours

WORLD

*At least 153 people were killed after the earthquake hit northwestern Iran on Saturday, Fars news agency reported

*Syrian Ambassador to Mauritania Hamad Seed Albni has dismissed an offer from the Qatari Embassy to Nouakchott to defect from Syria in exchange for permanent residence in Doha and financial guarantees, Iranian Press TV reported on Saturday

*Poland wants to cooperate with France and Germany on the establishment of its own missile defense system, Polish Press Agency reported on Saturday, quoting Polish Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak as saying

*U.S. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney on Saturday named conservative Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate in the November election

*The European Union will send a "very clear message" to Belarus over its diplomatic row with Sweden, a diplomat said

*The United States has imposed sanctions on the Syrian state-run oil company Sytrol for providing gasoline to Iran, a State Department spokesman said

*UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has urged UN Security Council to support a continued UN presence in Syria as it would facilitate a peaceful resolution to the political crisis in the violence-torn country

RUSSIA

*A Russian joint naval task force on a training mission in the Mediterranean has conducted two-day tactical exercises with live-firing drills, the Defense Ministry said

*Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend on Saturday a spectacular air show near Moscow marking the 100th anniversary of the Russian Air Force, the Kremlin’s press service said

SPORTS

*Russia’s Mariya Savinova took Olympic gold in the women’s 800 meters final Saturday, edging out South Africa’s Caster Semenya as bronze also went to Russia

*Russia's Elena Lashmanova won Olympic gold in the women's 20km race walk Saturday, beating the world record of her fellow Russian Vera Sokolova in the process

*Beijing gold medalist Evgenia Kanaeva defended her Olympic rhythmic gymnastics title in the individual all-around category in London on Saturday with four exquisite performances

*Sergey Kirdyapkin of Russia strolled to Olympic gold in the men's 50km walk on Saturday

*Russian pair Yury Postrigay and Alexander Dyachenko blitzed the field for gold in the Olympic canoe sprint men's kayak double event on Saturday