1.   The contract hits and gangland wars that fill Russian newspaper columns and television screens account for just a fraction of the murder toll.

2.   The deaths bring the murder toll to five this week, including two primary school teachers found with fatal stab wounds Monday.

3.   Rapes, violent assaults, thefts and arson all were on teh rise, while the murder toll was actually lower than the previous year.

4.   Rapes, violent assaults, thefts and arson all were on the rise, while the murder toll was actually lower than the previous year.