News Armenian PM Wins Election Armenia's election commission on Wednesday declared Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian the winner, while more than 15,000 opposition supporters protested in the capital, claiming the Tuesday vote was rigged.

News Ukrainian Traffic Police Scandal By Kirill Bessonov Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has told all top officials of the nation's traffic police to submit their resignation after a scandal emerged when the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament said that a traffic police commander cut off his car on a roadway and gave him an indecent gesture.

News Moscow Suspicious of US Satellite Hit MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Defence Ministry said last Saturday that a U.S. plan to shoot down an ailing spy satellite could be used as a cover to test a new space weapon.

News In Brief - Russian Prima Ballerina Bessmertnova Dies at 66 Russian Prima Ballerina Bessmertnova Dies at 66, Police Probe Report About Medvedev Assassination Attempt Plan, Report Claims Authorities Are Considering Lenin's Reburial north of Moscow

News Russia's Amber Room May Be in German Cavern ST. PETERSBURG (RIA Novosti) - German treasure hunters claim they have found two metric tons of gold believed to be part of Russia's legendary Amber Room stolen by the Nazis during the Second World War.

News Teacher Battles Software Giants A Russian schoolteacher who became a popular hero after he was put on trial for using pirated Microsoft programs has launched a campaign against the software giant's global domination.

News Ex-Nuclear Energy Minister Adamov Jailed A court in Moscow has sentenced Russia's former nuclear energy minister, Yevgeny Adamov, to five and a half years in prison for fraud and abuse of authority. He had been accused of leading an organized criminal group that embezzled over 3 billion rubles (about $110 million) from the Russian budget, as well as other state enterprises and organizations.

News Crime Briefs - Mogilevich Denied Bail Mogilevich Denied Bail, Illegal Caviar and Crabs Seized in Far East, Russian Drug Control Officer in Rostov Region Found Murdered, Booby-Trapped Toy Found on Bus in Black Sea Resort Town

Local Literary Heroes to Illuminate the Metro By Nathalie Cooper Since our winter this year has been such a disappointment and winter sports are not universally appreciated, reading - already very popular amongst the Russians - will be promoted as an alternative past time. So brush up on your Russian literature, as you may end up taking a ride with some of Russia's great classical protagonists come the spring.

Local Moscow and Regions to Merge Area Codes By Sergei Dmitriyev The division between the city of Moscow and its regional telephone zones will be removed by the end of the year, thus reducing the toll for calls between the city and its surrounding region. The announcement was made by Yevgeny Vasilyev, the head of the Department of State Politics on Information and Communications, at a meeting of the Information and Communications ministry board last week.

Local Blow Out By Tom Washington and Sergei Dmitriyev Motorists on East Moscow's Entuziastov Shosse have been spending a lot of time changing their tires lately. Around 60 vehicles traveling between Vladimirskaya and Elektrodnaya streets were immobilized last week when motorists struck projectiles that had been placed on the tram lane. Investigators believe the objects had been placed by people who are upset with drivers using the lanes.

News In Brief - Lenin Mausoleum Will Be Closed For Two Months Lenin Mausoleum Will Be Closed For Two Months, New Orthodox Church to Be Built in Moscow, Six More Petrol Stations Added to ‘Black List', Winter Duck Population as Economic Indicator?

Local Soviet GUM By Tom Washington and Nathalie Cooper New Russia is a land awash with expensive shops and boutiques. Hermès and Gucci jostle with Chernitsov and Udashkin. Some bemoan the passing of the Soviet Union, its affordable shopping and egalitarian values, but amidst that high temple of New Russian consumerism, the GUM shopping mall, a curious return to the past has appeared.

Cinema Documentary Fest By Zhanna Budenkova There is good news for documentary film lovers this week, as a documentary, "Kinoteatr.Doc" is taking place in the capital.

Local A Weekend from Provence By Tom Washington The Polo Club restaurant at the Marriott Royal Aurora hotel welcomed chef Patrick Bruot Tuesday, for a week of provencal cuisine. Bruot is the owner and chef of La Farigoule in Vence on the French Riviera and will be offering guests at the restaurant a taste of the Cote d'Azur until Sunday.