Main News of December 13

WORLD

* The new Ukrainian parliament finally managed to choose a speaker and reelect Mykola Azarov as prime minister after two days of brawling among deputies in the chamber crippled its inaugural session, Ukrainian news service UNIAN reported

* Russia is concerned by the prospect of Syrian chemical weapons falling into terrorist hands, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said

* US President Barack Obama’s decision to recognize a Syrian rebel coalition constitutes a political move and does not legally designate the group as Syria’s legitimate government, the US State Department said

* Egyptians living abroad headed to the ballot box to vote in a controversial referendum that has deeply polarized the country

RUSSIA

* Russian President Vladimir Putin blasted a US bill targeting alleged Russian human rights violators as an “unfriendly act,” but said Russia’s response should be “adequate and not excessive”

* Five people were killed in a building collapse in the southern Russian city of Taganrog, the regional investigation department said

SPORTS

* Football fan groups must “purge” hooligans from their ranks, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said