Yanukovich has 15-percent lead over Timoshenko - CEC.

KIEV, January 18 (Itar-Tass) - The head of Ukraine's opposition Party
of Regions, Viktor Yanukovich, has a 15-percent lead over Prime Minister
Yulia Timoshenko, according to preliminary results from the central
election commission.

At present, almost 10 percent of the protocols from the polling
stations have been processed.
Yanukovich gained 39.68 percent of votes, while Timoshenko 24.24
percent.
These figures correspond to the results of several exit polls that had
been taken on Sunday.



.Gas supply to be restored in Ingushetia Monday.

NAZRAN, January 18 (Itar-Tass) - Gas supply in Ingushetia's several
towns that was disrupted over the local pipeline breakout will be restored
early on Monday.
At present, gas supply to Magas, Nazran and several villages of the
Nazran district was suspended, the head of the Ingush government, Alexei
Vorobyev, told Itar-Tass.
After the repair works are completed, gas supply will be restored
approximately at 4.00-5.00 a.m. on Monday, he said.
The section of the Stavropol-Tbilisi trunk pipeline ruptured over
heavy frost and temperature different on the border of Ingushetia and
North Ossetia at 19.55 Moscow time on Sunday.
"The possibility of a bomb explosion is ruled out," the Ingush
president's spokesman said.



.Yushchenko's secretariat doubts support for runoff candidates.

KIEV, January 18 (Itar-Tass) - The Ukrainian president's secretariat
has expressed the doubt that Viktor Yushchenko who came fifth in the
Sunday presidential race will support his opponents Yulia Timoshenko and
Viktor Yanukovich who will bid in the runoff, the secretariat's deputy
head, Igor Popov, said.
"I do not think that Yushchenko will provide public support to any of
these politicians. His ideas differ from those of Timoshenko and
Yanukovich," he said.
Yushchenko will be a guarantor of fair runoff election that will take
place on February 7, said Marina Stavniychuk, the deputy head of the
presidential secretariat.
"As for political support the president will proceed from the system
of values and priorities of Ukraine's future development," she said.



.Yanukovich continues to lead in presidential race - CEC.

KIEV, January 18 (Itar-Tass) - The head of Ukraine's opposition Party
of Regions, Viktor Yanukovich, continues to have almost a 15-percent lead
over Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko, according to preliminary results
from the central election commission.
After 18.6 percent of the protocols from the polling stations have
been processed, Yanukovich received 38.57 percent of votes. Timoshenko
seconded support of 24.2 percent of voters and former economy minister
Sergei Tigipko - 12.4 percent.
Former parliamentary speaker Arseny Yatesnyuk got 6.5 percent,
Incumbent President Viktor Yushchenko - 4.57 percent, Communist Party
leader Pyotr Simonenko - 3.77 percent and ex-speaker Vladimir Litvin -
2.45 percent.



.Russia offers promising cooperation zone to APR countries - Mironov.

MOSCOW, January 18 (Itar-Tass) - Russia offers a promising economic
cooperation zone to countries of the Asia-Pacific Region, Federation
Council speaker Sergei Mironov said in his article published in the
Rossiyskaya Gazeta daily on Monday.
"Russia offers a real and promising zone of possible economic
cooperation to countries of the Asia-Pacific Region. These are vast
regions of Eastern Siberia and the Far East rich with energy, mineral and
forest resources, huge fresh water reserves (the world's second ones),
transport arteries of the North Sea Route and the Trans-Siberian Railway,"
he said.
Moreover, Russia has accumulated a big organizational and
technological experience in providing modern and effective assistance in
eliminating natural cataclysms and technogenic catastrophes that occur
more often recently. This experience as practice proves is on demand in
the countries of the Asia-Pacific Region, the speaker said.
Mironov stressed that "it is an evident imperative for our country" to
be a full-fledged participant of practically all significant projects,
forums and programs of the Asia-Pacific Region.
The Federation Council as the chamber of Russian regions "considers
the country's participation in integration processes of the Asia-Pacific
Region one of the priorities of its interparliamentary activities," he
said.
"Similar approaches to most global and regional problems" are a
favourable factor for cooperation among parliamentarians from Russia and
countries of the Asia-Pacific Region, he said.
Mironov will take part in the 18th session of the Asia-Pacific
Parliamentary Forum that opens in Singapore on Monday.

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