Main News of October 13

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

WORLD

A major Syrian opposition group that has gained international recognition would not participate in the Moscow-backed Geneva-2 peace conference on Syria, the group’s leader told RIA Novosti on Sunday.

Iranian scientists are planning to send a second monkey into space, state-funded Press TV cited the deputy head of the country’s space agency as saying.

A group of Kazakh diplomats, who arrived in South Africa to prepare the Kazakh president’s visit, were robbed at gunpoint en route from an airport, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

RUSSIA

Police in the Russian capital say they have detained over 300 people on disorder offenses, after protests over a recent murder in southern Moscow turned violent.

A Russian migrants’ rights group has warned foreigners in the capital to stay home, over fears that unrest could escalate into race-hate crimes, local media report.

The Moscow police chief has announced a reward of up to 1 million rubles (about $30,975) for identifying the suspect in a high profile murder case in the Russian capital, city police said Sunday.

Moscow legislators backtracked on claims that they are considering the return to the city’s center of a monument honoring the founder of the Soviet secret police.

A Russian businessman known for ties to the last Soviet president, as well as brawling skills on camera, said he is trading entrepreneurship for journalism.

SPORT

Japanese ski jumping prodigy Sara Takanashi soared to victory in the women’s individual event Sunday at the Russian Open Ski Jumping Championship, the last test event at next year’s Winter Olympic venue.

DEFENSE

Ukraine’s navy flagship, the Hetman Sahaidachny frigate, started patrolling naval routes off the African coast on Saturday as part of NATO’s Operation Ocean Shield, Ukraine’s UNIAN news agency said.