Main News of February 11

WORLD

* It is Russia’s responsibility to ensure that the Syrian government complies with its international commitments on eliminating chemical weapons, the US president said

* American lawmakers backed a resolution threatening sanctions against officials in Ukraine if violence is used against pro-European protestors

* The European Union has called on Belarus to release all political prisoners and raised concerns about the rights situation in the former Soviet nation

* Moscow is satisfied with the decision to extend the ceasefire in the Syrian city of Homs for three more days, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said

* A retired US Navy officer has been sentenced to 30 years in jail for attempting to spy for Russia, the FBI said

* Hungary’s president has signed a bill into law to expand a nuclear power plant in the country with Russian assistance following protests against the deal, the country’s MTI news agency reported

RUSSIA

* Russia will conduct a series of in-depth inspections of each of the country’s four military districts this year, the Defense Ministry said

* Russia’s third aerobatics team will comprise 12 Yak-130 combat trainer jets, the Irkut aircraft maker said

SPORTS

* Russia has lost a second protest against Sunday's Olympic skiathlon result, which saw its athlete narrowly miss out on a bronze medal, the International Ski Federation (FIS) said

* South Korea's speedskater star Lee Sang-Hwa retained her Olympic title in the women’s 500 meters in Sochi, scorching around the Adler Arena track in a new Olympic record while Russia’s Olga Fatkulina claimed the silver on home ice

* India's Olympic status has been restored after 14 months in the wilderness for alleged corruption, the International Olympic Committee announced after an ad hoc meeting in Sochi

BUSINESS

* A money transfer system allowing Central Asian migrants to send cash home from Russia was not working after the country’s central bank revoked the licenses of two more banks

* Kazakhstan’s central bank devalued the national currency by 18.9 percent in an effort to prevent the destabilization of the country’s economy