Main News of April 22

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

RUSSIA

* On April 22, Orthodox Church head Patriarch Kirill held a liturgy in downtown Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral, during which he urged believers to take part in the nationwide prayer outside the Cathedral “for our faith, our Church, our sacred objects and our Motherland"

WORLD

* Socialist Francois Hollande and conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy are advancing to the runoff of France's presidential elections, according to preliminary results published by the country’s Interior Ministry

* Russia’s position on Syria has positively changed over the recent months, former League of Arab States chief Amr Moussa said

* Russia’s Progress M-15M cargo spacecraft launched from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on April 20 dock with the International Space Station on Sunday, a mission control spokesman said

SPORTS

* Lokomotiv Moscow and Rubin Kazan played out a goalless draw in the Russian Premier League on Sunday, with Rubin in particular missing several chances to score

* Former Olympic 100-meter backstroke record holder Anastasia Zueva has qualified for London 2012 after swimming under the qualification time at the Russian trials in Moscow