Main news of May 9

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

WORLD

* U.S. President Barack Obama discussed the economic situation in Europe with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the White House's national press secretary said.

* The Secretary General of the Council of Europe said he hopes Russia will ratify the sixth protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights, which would ban the death penalty

* Russia will continue its support for the resumption of peace talks between Israel and Palestinians, the Russian Foreign Ministry said

* Russia handed over to Poland 67 volumes of the "criminal case No.159," launched in the 90s to investigate the Soviet-era mass killings of Polish officers

* Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he would not attend Victory Day celebrations in Moscow due to the current financial recession in Europe

RUSSIA

* A military parade involving over 10,000 personnel, 150 tracked and wheeled military vehicles, as well as 127 aircraft and helicopters was launched on Moscow's Red Square at 10:00 a.m. Moscow time (06:00 GMT)

* Russia celebrated the 65th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, referred to as the Great Patriotic War in former Soviet states, with a grandiose military parade on Red Square

* Over 200 veterans from 24 countries arrived in Moscow to attend World War II Victory Day celebrations

*At least 12 died, 59 were injured and 80 people were trapped when two methane gas explosions occurred in the Radskaya coal mine in West Siberia