Main news of March 30

WORLD

* Russia’s embassy in Tripoli on Wednesday evacuated 107 people from Libya, the Russian Foreign Ministry said

* Egypt’s governing Supreme Council of the Armed Forces announced a constitutional declaration that will act as the country’s main set of laws during a transitional period

* In his first address since the outbreak of anti-government protests in Syria, President Bashar Assad blamed foreign and domestic “conspirators” for the unrest

* The Libyan opposition is launching a satellite television channel, Ahrar TV, on Wednesday with the help of the Qatari government in counterbalance to state-controlled media

* Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said it was time to start thinking about closing down all six reactors at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the Kyodo news agency reported

* Russia’s upper house of parliament approved a maritime border delimitation agreement with Norway

RUSSIA

* Russia’s heavyweight WBA champion Nikolai Valuyev may run in forthcoming elections to the State Duma, the Novgorod Vedomosti newspaper said

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev urged to develop professional standards and to harmonize them with educational standards

* Russia did not vote for the UN Security Council resolution on Libya because of its ambiguity and lack of a clear mandate for the use of force, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said

BUSINESS

* Russian businessman and banker Vladimir Antonov is seeking to become a shareholder in troubled Swedish carmaker Saab Automobile, the Swedish newspaper Ttela reported

SPORTS

* Russia’s Maria Sharapova has reached the semifinals of the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament with $4.5 million up for grabs in prize money after defeating Romania’s Alexandra Dulgheru

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