Main News of January 30

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

WORLD

* Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych went on sick leave, prompting the country’s opposition to accuse him of inaction amid the ongoing political crisis

* Ukraine’s parliament has passed an amnesty for anti-government activists jailed during recent public unrest, but opposition politicians rejected the initiative, describing it as an attempt to undermine their cause

RUSSIA

* Police in Russia have identified two alleged suicide bombers believed to be responsible for deadly bombings in the city of Volgograd and detained another two suspected accomplices, anti-terrorism officials said

* The Russian ruble reached a historic low against the euro-dollar basket, the benchmark against which the central bank measures the nation’s currency

* Staff of an online TV station in Russia face a threat of up to two years in prison after prosecutors announced an “extremism” investigation into an opinion poll concerning World War II

SPORTS

* A medal contender from Russia’s Sochi Olympic biathlon team, Irina Starykh, is heading home after testing positive for a banned substance, the Russian Biathlon Union said

* With a week to go until the Sochi Winter Olympics, a bizarre diplomatic row erupted in Moscow and Dubai over what has been branded an “illegitimate” torch relay