LOCAL NEWS

RUSSIA NAMED IN MISSING ARMS SPAT

A high-ranking U.S. defense official said Russian forces "almost certainly" smuggled a cache of high explosives out of Iraq prior to the U.S. invasion in March 2003, The Washington Times reported Thursday.

Defense Ministry spokesman Vyacheslav Sedov dismissed the allegations as "absurd" and "ridiculous.

OFFICIAL IN CHARGE OF CITY ROADS MOVES ON

Vladimir Dedyukhin, head of the City Hall mantainence committee and responsible for local road construction projects since 1996 resigned Monday to work in the federal ministry for regional development headed by former St.

RATE OF HIV INFECTION SLOWS, WOMEN AT RISK

This year St. Petersburg had recorded fewer new cases of HIV infection, twice as many patients with Hepatitis A, and registered 25 cases of malaria, doctors said.

For the first nine months of this year St. Petersburg doctors registered 229 fewer new HIV positive patients compared to the same period last year, said Tatyana Kutasova, head of the dangerous infections department of the city's state epidemic watch center (SEWC), at a news conference last week.

IN BRIEF

Massive Berry Theft

PETROZAVODSK (SPT) - A group of unidentified criminals stole 18 tons of forest berries from a storage facility in Belomorsk, Karelia, Interfax has reported.

NATIONAL NEWS

PROTESTERS GATHER TO SLAM PUTIN'S REFORMS

Following the Wednesday's Legislative Assembly vote to support President Vladimir Putin's plan to appoint regional leaders, local human rights advocates together with SPS and Yabloko parties organized a demonstration Thursday in front of the city parliament.

DESPERATE ZOO WORKERS END HUNGER STRIKE

Four employees at the city's Leningrad Zoo who went on a hunger strike Monday in protest against expected management reshuffles, returned to work Thursday afternoon.

UK'S INTEREST IN RUSSIA MAKES IT THE 3RD LARGEST FOREIGN INVESTOR

British businesses poured $4.6 billion into the Russian economy in 2003, making it the third largest foreign investor in the country and the fifth largest in the North-West region, experts say.

British capital accounted for 15 percent of foreign investment in Russia in 2003, according to Peter Langham, head of British trade and foreign investment at the British Consulate in St.

MURMANSK TOUTED AS THE NATURAL PORT OF CALL FOR EXPANDING ST. PETERSBURG COMPANIES

The Murmansk region, which has deeply-set British ties, is a logical expansion area for UK companies already established in St. Petersburg and Moscow, say local British business representatives.

UNITED KINGDOM OF MUSIC

British rock arrived in the Soviet Union via the airwaves, or it was at least available on foreign records and tapes, but in terms of live music, there was a dearth of performances by UK bands.

PART 1: UK Music in Russia

After the first British rock act in Russia - Elton John's series of concerts in Moscow and St.

BRIT LINGO RULES, OK?

If terrorists had flown airplanes into 10 Downing Street three years ago, and not into New York's World Trade Center, we might all refer to that attack as 11/9 rather than 9/11.

Valentina the Great Insults the Russian People

St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko has finally revealed her attitude to her constituents this week by, basically, saying she regards them as a thoughtless mob that cannot be relied upon to make their own decisions.

Matviyenko said Russians would not be able to live in a parliamentary state because of a specific state of mind that does not allow them to accept such a political system.

OPINION

Russia's Interference in Ukraine Won't Work

President Vladimir Putin's visit to Kiev for the commemoration of Ukraine's liberation from the Nazis during World War II is an attempt to save the failing presidential campaign of incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.

For months Kremlin spin doctors aiding the Yanukovych campaign have used a strategy of splitting Ukraine's multicultural society along linguistic, ethnic and religious fault lines.

CULTURE

LEAPS AND BOUNDS

Kinodance, Russia's first and so far only festival of dance-video kicks off on Nov. 10 at the Kannon Dance School in the Palace of Culture named after the First Five-Year Plan.

There is a lot of argument in the world as to what dance-video is as a genre," said Vadim Kasparov, director of Kannon Dance. "We take a more general approach as we believe that just showing dance movements would be too literal.

THINKING MAN'S PUNK ROCKER

J.M.K.E., Estonia's leading punk band since the late 1980s, is as relevant as ever and shows no signs of opportunism. Formed by singer and guitarist Villu Tamme in Tallinn in 1986, the uncompromising band will play a rare local concert this week.

WORLD

SPORTS WATCH

Out in the Open

ST. PETERSBURG (AP) - Olympic silver medalist Mardy Fish was knocked out in the second round of the St. Petersburg Open on Wednesday, losing 6-7 6-4 6-3 to Cyril Saulnier. Another seeded player exited when Karol Beck defeated No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko. In other matches, top-seeded Marat Safin reached the second round while Greg Rusedski also advanced.