A brief look at the stories making headlines in the Russian-language press

Despite a falling stock market, business confidence rose for the second consecutive month in April, returning to a level last seen before Mikhail Khodorkovsky's arrest at gunpoint in late October.

Russia returned home to a chorus of disgust and despair Tuesday following a dismal showing at the world ice hockey championship in the Czech Republic.

Two Iraqi prisoners were killed by U.S. soldiers last year, and 20 other detainee deaths and assaults remain under criminal investigation in Iraq and Afghanistan, part of a total of 35 cases probed since December 2002 for possible misconduct by U.S. troops in those two countries, U.S. Army officials reported Tuesday.

Three bombs exploded outside a police station Wednesday in a series of timed blasts, causing serious damage and rattling security forces just 100 days before the Olympic Games. No injuries were reported.

The 12 countries of the euro zone will not be in a European Union minority for long. On the first working day after the EU's historic enlargement to 25 member states, the European Commission reported that Estonia and Lithuania would take the first formal step towards joining the single currency before August. It is reported that Slovenia and Cyprus could follow suit.

The enlargement of the European Union that took place this weekend has stirred up feelings of resentment in Russia.