Comment The real peacemakers Tim Wall Barack Obama's winning of the Nobel Peace Prize has been greeted around the world with a mix of praise, incredulity and scepticism.

Comment Luzhkov’s hollow victory Roland Oliphant United Russia wins a low-turnout City Duma vote, but only a mayoral election will bring Muscovites out in force

News Poems, politics and ponies on Putin’s birthday Andy Potts and Anna Arutunyan It’s business as usual as the premier marks his birthday with a literary lunch, an ironic ode and a paean of praise from Ramzan Kadyrov

News Troubled towns face axe Anna Arutunyan The government is scrambling to come up with a massive bailout plan for Russia's 400 single-industry towns, or monogorods, while officials do not rule out the forced uprooting of whole towns to other parts of the country.

Business Putin plots AvtoVAZ rescue Ayano Hodouchi Renault is told to increase its investment in the ailing carmaker or see its stake cut

Business It’s good to talk Andy Potts Peace breaks out between telecoms firms Alfa and Telenor

Business Reading revolution Ed Bentley The Kindle will bring English-language e-books to Russia for the first time

Columnists Be a sport, save our franchise Mark H. Teeter Mikhail Prokhorov buying the New Jersey Nets may bring Russia and America closer together

Sports The long route to South Africa Andy Potts Defeat at home to Germany means Russia face a World Cup play-off

Real Estate Incinerators put on the backburner Nathan Toohey City Hall bows to public pressure and cancels plans to incinerate waste

Business Sing when you’re winning Ed Bentley Although Russia's football team tasted bitter defeat in its World Cup qualifier against Germany, Russian markets are looking increasingly like world champions as a rally swept them to a 12-month high.

Business Was Robert Fisk right? Ed Bentley Moscow-based experts express scepticism about the Independent correspondent’s report that oil could be priced in a basket of currencies

Sports Marat’s Moscow farewell Andy Potts Double Grand Slam champ calls time on his career at the Kremlin Cup

Sports Sports shorts October 13 – 19

Real Estate Spartak stadiums multiply Nathan Toohey New facility opens with another in the works