Main News of November 2

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

RUSSIA

* Fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden will not be permitted to break the conditions of his asylum status in Russia by harming the US, a Russian newspaper quoted President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman as saying Saturday.

* Russian concern over the deployment of elements of a US missile defense network in Japan was the subject of “special attention” during talks in Tokyo this week between Russia’s defense and foreign ministers and their Japanese counterparts, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Saturday.

* Russia has increased its weapons shipments to Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government since last year, military aid that is likely “more significant” than Iranian arms supplies to Damascus, according to senior US diplomats.

 

WORLD

*Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has nominated the country’s interior minister to replace him when the billionaire politician steps down later this month.

* Armenia’s capital and several other regions across the country were briefly cut off electric power on Saturday due to disrupted electricity supplies from Iran.

 

 

SPORT

* One win separates Italy from its fourth Fed Cup title after Sara Errani delivered a straight-sets defeat to Russia’s 18-year-old Irina Khromacheva on Saturday.

* The dearth of quality football pitches in the Russian capital came to light again Saturday as Lokomotiv Moscow turned down a request from desperate city rival CSKA to use its ground for a forthcoming clash against Spartak.

* Chinese 17-year-old figure skater Han Yan leapt to his first Grand Prix title in front of his home crowd in Beijing on Saturday, while Russia’s Maxim Kovtun staked a claim for a place at the Olympics with second place.