Main News of October 24

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

WORLD

* Greece has agreed new austerity measures with international lenders, but also secured another two years to implement them, Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras said

* Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hoped to improve Russia’s relations with all its neighbors in the Caucasus, including Georgia

*Syrian rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad's regime are now armed with man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) including US-made Stingers, Russia's top military commander said

 

RUSSIA

* Russia’s newly formed opposition council accused the Kremlin of a concerted crackdown on political opponents amid a growing row over a left-wing activist who said he had been kidnapped and tortured into confessing that he had conspired to spark mass disorder

* Russian anti-Putin protest leader Sergei Udaltsov faces up to 10 years behind bars after investigators brought charges of “organizing mass disorder” against him on October 17

* The US State Department said it welcomed a report by the Russian Foreign Ministry this week that harshly criticized America’s human rights record, adding that the United States is an “open book” and wants “to continue to improve our society”

 

BUSINESS

Greece has agreed new austerity measures with international lenders, but also secured another two years to implement them, Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras said

 

SPORTS

* Russia won the bid to host the 2018 World Cup in a tight race against England, Portugal and Spain (jointly), and Belgium and the Netherlands (jointly)