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WORLD * The United States hopes the deadly tragedy in the Syrian town of Houla will change Russia’s position on the Syrian conflict, the State Department... 29.05.2012, Sputnik International

2012-05-29T19:59+0000

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Main News of May 29

19:59 GMT 29.05.2012

WORLD

* The United States hopes the deadly tragedy in the Syrian town of Houla will change Russia’s position on the Syrian conflict, the State Department said

* Russia’s Supreme Court ruled that international neo-Nazi organization Blood & Honor is extremist and banned its activities in the country, a spokeswoman for the Prosecutor General’s office said

* At least 15 people have been killed in northern Italy and about 100 injured after a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck on Monday morning, AGI news agency reported

* Australia, Britain, France, and Germany announced the expulsion of the Syrian ambassadors from their countries in protest at last weekend's massacre in the Syrian town of Houla for which they blame President Bashar Assad's forces

RUSSIA

* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed deep concern over a recent massacre in the Syrian town of Houla and called for an unbiased investigation of the tragedy

* One of Russia’s best-known journalists has voiced stinging on-air criticism of the country’s ruling United Russia party, led by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, in a rare show of dissent on state-controlled national television

* The U.S. ambassador to Russia should remain diplomatic in his public comments and not jeopardize his country’s ties with Russia, a Russian presidential aide said

* Russia will take retaliatory measures if the United States replaces the Soviet-era Jackson-Vanik amendment hampering Russian-U.S. trade with new “anti-Russian laws” related to the death of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian presidential aide said

* Russia’s Investigative Committee has initiated two criminal cases against UK-based Russian tycoon, Boris Berezovsky, over his public calls for riots, Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said

* Lawmakers from the ruling United Russia party have refused to support a taxation bill proposed by the Finance Ministry, the first case of public opposition to a government initiative by United Russia MPs in the past few years, the Russian media is reporting

* Moscow has rejected a U.S. State Department report that criticized Russia’s poor human rights record as biased and politically motivated

SPORTS

* Last year’s French Open quarterfinalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has reached the second round at Roland Garros after defeating Hungarian veteran Greta Arn

* Britain's Heather Watson pulled off a surprise straight-sets win over Elena Vesnina at the French Open

CRIME
* The Moscow City Court sentenced Timur Akubekov to ten years in prison after finding him guilty of assisting failed suicide bombers who had planned a terrorist attack in downtown Moscow in late 2010, the court told the RAPSI/rapsinews.ru legal news agency

BUSINESS

* Russia’s economic activity continued to slow for a second consecutive month in April, with the country’s GDP rising 3.7 percent year-on-year in April 2012 compared with 3.9 percent year-on-year growth in March, according to Economic Development Ministry data