News Russia bolsters banking sector Combined report (AP, RIA Novosti, MN) Russia moved to bolster the country's increasingly stressed banking sector Wednesday, as the global economic turmoil deepened fears that the country could face a crisis similar to the one 10 years ago.

News In Brief - Russian bombers conduct patrols along South American coast Russian bombers conduct patrols along South American coast, amonia leak kills one, injures 15 at St. Petersburg plant, vodka smugglers build pipeline across the border, Moldova offers free visas for wine festival period

News Russia sees Arctic as key to security MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday that the use of Arctic resources was central to the country's energy security.

News Air safety inspections get tough after deadly crash Combined reports Associated Press, The Moscow News A Boeing-737 passenger jet crashed near the city of Perm killing all 88 people on board on Sunday.

News Сrime Briefs - Four teenage girls ‘arrest’ mugger in Russia’s Far East Four teenage girls ‘arrest' mugger in Russia's Far East, two dead, over ten injured in ethnic brawl in Moscow Region , 10 militants killed in Daghestan

News South Ossetia, Abkhazia get pact MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) - Russia signed friendship and cooperation treaties with South Ossetia and Abkhazia on Wednesday, promising them military and economic support.

News U.S. House may kill D.C. gun law By Jim Abrams The House took up legislation Tuesday to eliminate most of the gun restrictions in the U.S. capital, including a ban on semiautomatic weapons.

News World’s shortest man meets leggiest woman LONDON (AP) - Trafalgar Square routinely serves as a stage for mimes, jugglers and other acts, but the tourist attraction drew an exceptionally curious crowd Tuesday when the shortest man met the woman with the longest legs.

CIS Ukraine’s Orange coalition disintegrates KIEV (AFP) - The governing coalition in Ukraine collapsed on Tuesday in a crisis brought on by Russia's war with Georgia that raises the prospect of the country being knocked off its pro-Western course.

Local Hotels empowered to register guests By Sergei Dmitriyev Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS) launched the pilot version of an electronic system, which offers on-line registration of foreigners at five hotels in the Russian capital. That means that the hotels that provide the service will have to invest in the implementation of the new system.

Columnists Bear hugs! By Daria Chernyshova In the same gallery of popular images attached to Russia, including vodka, Siberia and matrioshka doll, there is the bear. The black bear, the Olympic Mishka and now President Dmitry Medvedev

Local Moscow works to combat child abandonment By Rebeccah Billing It's a difficult fact for foreigners to get their head around; but eighty percent of orphans in Russia have at least one parent.

Local Moscow improves reservoir system By Sergei Dmitriyev Around 70 new reservoirs are to appear in Moscow and 128 are to be cleaned according to the mid-term goal-oriented program for 2009-2011.

Local Expanding Horizons By Sergei Dmitriyev A multifunctional children's complex, which will include a ‘Temple of Childhood' cultural center, is planned for the center of Moscow, Vladimir Zubrilin, the chairman of the Board of Directors of Forum Properties Company, which manages the project's realization, told journalists on Sunday.

Local In Brief - Companies-debtors are listed Companies-debtors are listed, the city council to control publications about Moscow, a new terminal to open at Sheremetyevo airport