WORLD
* U.S. security services spent several months monitoring the Pakistani house where Osama bin Laden was killed before launching of the world’s number one terrorist, Osama bin Laden, Pakistani GEO TV said.
* Five people were killed as protesters took to the streets across Syria for another day of anti-government protests, dubbed a “day of defiance,” Arab media reported.
RUSSIA
* A Moscow court sentenced ultranationalist Nikita Tikhonov to life in jail for the murders of human-rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova in 2009.
* Russia’s ruling party wants its own member representing the St. Petersburg legislature in the upper house of parliament to replace Sergei Mironov, United Russia leader Boris Gryzlov said.
BUSINESS
* The Stockholm Arbitration Court has ruled that BP and Rosneft can complete their share-swap deal if Russian-British joint venture TNK-BP joins their Arctic shelf project with Rosneft’s consent.
* Russia’s top lender Sberbank plans to list its American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) on the London Stock Exchange before the bank’s privatization scheduled for September or November 2011, Sberbank head German Gref said.
SPORTS
* Russia will continue with its plans to host the 2018 World Cup in 13 cities, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said, adding that the final decision would be made by FIFA, world football’s governing body.
* Russia hosting the 2018 World Cup will have a big influence on the whole world and may help to keep society in peace, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said.
DEFENSE
* Talks between Russia and France on the purchase of Mistral class helicopter carriers have come to a dead end over Russia’s demands on the transfer and licensed production of sensitive electronics, a Russian defense industry source said.
SCIENCE
* U.S. Space Adventures, the only company currently offering tourist orbital spaceflights, has offered to equip the Russian Soyuz TMA spaceship with additional living space for eight-day commercial flights around the moon.
FEATURES
* The Russian army says Larisa Romashkina’s son hanged himself with a dog leash three months after he was conscripted, but she cannot believe the 22-year-old would have committed suicide.