News FSB Detains Two Russia-U.S. Citizens for Industrial Espionage MOSCOW (MN) - Officers of the Russian Federal Security Service have detained two men - citizens of the Russian Federation and the United States - over an alleged attempt to obtain information that was classified as commercial secret, the FSB press center reported on Thursday.

News Bout's Bangkok Bust MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) - It may take the Thai authorities up to two years to reach a decision on the extradition of a suspected Russian arms dealer to the United States, the suspect's lawyer said on Thursday.

News Nine People Killed in Chechnya Gunfight By Conor Sweeney, Reuters Nine people died overnight in armed clashes between security forces and rebels in the south Russian region of Chechnya, which has been relatively calm in recent years, Russian news agencies reported on Thursday.

News Why Does the Kremlin Want 3,200 Mice? MOSCOW (Reuters) - Wanted: 3,200 white mice. Must be female. No more than 18 grams. Purchaser: the Kremlin security service.

News In Brief - Russian Rocket Orbits U.S. Communication Satellite Russian Rocket Orbits U.S. Communication Satellite, Russian FM Embarks on a Middle East Trip, Egypt, Russia Draft Deal for Nuclear Power Tender, Police Searching Wild Moose in South Moscow

News Somali Pirates Release Russian Vessel for Reported Ransom MOSCOW (MN, Combined Re­ports) - A month-long pirate saga came to an end this week when the Svitzer Korsakov tugboat, captured off the Horn of Africa on Feb. 1, was released after a reported ransom had been paid.

Local Priests Told to Put Faith in Guns By Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Sami Aboudi, Reuters Police in a central Russian region have advised priests to apply for firearms licenses so they can defend their churches from marauding thieves who have been stealing religious icons at gunpoint.

Local Unemployed for Minimum Wage By Sergei Dmitriyev The Moscow authorities intend to assist the unemployed in Russia's capital by raising unemployment benefits to the same level as the minimum wage. The draft law on employment in Moscow was under discussion at the city government's meeting last week.

Local Blackout RIA Novosti Moscow authorities have offered to set up a special energy inspectorate to control illegal tapping of energy networks, thus guarding against blackouts, which oftentimes occur when there is a system overload, Evgenii Sklyarov, the director of the Energy and Fuel Department of Moscow announced.

Local In Brief - Seven People Killed, Five injured in Car Crash near Moscow Seven People Killed, Five injured in Car Crash near Moscow, First Small Business Center to be Built in Moscow, Medical Center at MGU, Art Works said to Possess Therapeutic Powers

Local Painting the City Green on St. Paddy's Day By Nathalie Cooper As usual, Moscow's St Patrick's Day Parade did not disappoint its devoted followers, delighting members of the Irish community, not to mention Russian Guinness fans. The 16th annual parade took place Sunday on the New Arbat, which was shut to traffic from noon to 2pm.

Local Easter Brunches Baltschug Kempinski, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott Courtyard, Marriott Royal Aurora, Marriott Royal Aurora, Marriott Grand Hotel

Local Easter Services Anglican Catholic, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Local Tip Off By Theodore Merz You're putting your coat on and preparing to leave a restaurant when you realize the waitress is staring daggers at you. It could be the result of seasonally affected disorder under the unbroken, grey Moscow skies, or maybe it's simply due to a Slavic bone structure which renders smiling impossible. But might it be that you haven't left enough of a tip?

Local Off the Rails RIA Novosti. The police are holding a pensioner who allegedly pushed two women onto the train tracks in the Moscow underground, a source from the chief administration of internal affairs told RIA Novosti Tuesday.