News Putin holds firm ground on crisis during live show By Anna Arutunyan Prime Minister Vladimir Putin held his seventh annual live call-in show on Thursday, his first since taking on his new government post. The question and answer session demonstrated continuity in a traditional ‘town hall' format that Putin has said to favor.

News Russian envoy: EU talks show progress BRUSSELS (RIA Novosti) - Talks on a new comprehensive cooperation treaty between Russia and the European Union, which resumed on Tuesday after a five-month hiatus, have begun constructively, Russia's EU envoy said.

News In Brief - Russia hails Ukrainian bid to improve ties Russia hails Ukrainian bid to improve ties, NASA signs modification to contract with Russian space agency, Russian tobacco control legislation criticized

News Medvedev visits India to seal nuclear deal NEW DELHI (AFP) - President Dmitry Medvedev was Thursday to arrive in New Delhi for a visit expected to see Russia agree to build India new nuclear reactors and give its backing to the anti-terror fight after the Mumbai attacks.

News Landlords going to extremes with behind tenants MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) - A number of Russia media outlets are blaming the current financial crisis for two recent killings that followed disputes between landlords and cash-strapped tenants.

News Russian charged in U.S. over child prostitution ring WASHINGTON (RIA Novosti) - A Russian-born millionaire businessman has been charged in the U.S. with organizing a child prostitution ring in his homeland.

News Crime Briefs - Seven skinheads convicted in hate killings Seven skinheads convicted in hate killings, Five suspects detained over Vladikavkaz mayor's murder, Policeman shot dead in South Russia attack

News Medvedev’s Latin American tour a strategic precedent By Anna Arutunyan

News NATO retreats on MAP Combined report AFP, RIA Novosti NATO agreed Tuesday to gradually resume high-level talks with Russia, frozen over the August conflict in the Caucasus, and not to issue the so called Membership Action Plans to former Soviet republics Ukraine and Georgia.

Ask the experts Beneath the make-up of the escort girl By Maria Shirobokova It was a big surprise when I arrived at the birthday party of an old school friend to find myself surrounded by beautiful, elegant young girls. For some reason, the guys were carefully trying not to notice these goddesses in their midst.

Local Dissident writer gets name on city map MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) - Celebrated author Alexander Solzhenitsyn has been immortalized near Taganskaya - leap-frogging a law that banned the naming of streets after people who have been dead for less than 10 years.

Local Roslyak signals metro cash injection MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) - Moscow is set to invest 380 billion rubles in the metro network over the next six years as plans to build a second ring line get on track.

Local Top of the world By Daria Chernyshova This spring will offer guests a chance to live on top of the world, as a new short or long-term residence opens up at the top of the Federation Tower

Columnists Hidden homeless By Daria Chernyshova Living in a big city can easily blind us to the many things we take for granted. What was once new becomes commonplace. But visiting another city opens our eyes to a world we failed to notice back home: the world of the homeless

Local Coping with culture shock By Andy Potts Tense? Nervous? Over-worked? Maybe a few problems with food poisoning? Surprising as it might seem these could all be symptoms of culture shock after arriving in Moscow.