MOSCOW (AFP) — Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who came to power on pledges of resetting ties with Russia, was expected in Moscow Friday amid efforts to defuse years of tensions between the two neighbors.

Arriving for the first Russian visit by a Ukrainian head of state in two years, Yanukovych, who took office last week, was scheduled to meet Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, considered to be the country's paramount leader. '

'The intensification of political dialogue is among the priority tasks,'' the Kremlin said in a statement ahead of the visit. ''The meeting of the heads of state is designed to give a serious impetus to the development of the entire set of Russian-Ukrainian relations, the resumption of their truly good neighborly and mutually beneficial nature.''

Rise in dengue deaths feared
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — An official says Malaysia is urging people to take precautions against dengue fever after a rise in deaths from the mosquito-borne virus.

Health Ministry official Lim Chau Leng says 31 people have died after catching the disease in the first two months of the year, compared with 28 deaths in the same period last year. More than 8,000 people caught dengue fever in January and February, the peak time for infection after monsoon rains.

Last week alone, six people died. Lim said Friday that people must keep their surroundings clean and destroy mosquito breeding grounds, such as stagnant pools of water. They should seek treatment if they have such symptoms as high fever, joint pains, and nausea.

Hillary urges more plans for women
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (dpa) — US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called Thursday in Costa Rica for additional support programs for women in the Americas.

Clinton arrived Thursday on a Latin American tour with previous stops in Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Brazil, with another scheduled visit to Guatemala.

In San Jose, Clinton took part in the forum Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas, where she called for a determined fight against poverty and social inequality and for broader access to the benefits of international trade. Talent is universal but opportunity is not, she told the audience.
Pathways to Prosperity was launched by the United States in September 2008 to promote ''inclusive growth, prosperity, and social justice.''

FBI warns of cyber threat
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) — Militant groups, foreign states and criminal organizations pose a growing threat to US security as they target government and private computer networks, FBI Director Robert Mueller said on Thursday.

In a speech to an Internet security conference, Mueller said militant groups like al-Qaeda had primarily used the Internet to recruit members and plan attacks, but had made clear they also see it as a target.

''Terrorists have shown a clear interest in pursuing hacking skills and they will either train their own recruits or hire outsiders with an eye toward combining physical attacks with cyber attacks,'' Mueller said.

Poll: Greeks oppose austerity measures
ATHENS (Reuters) — A large majority of Greeks oppose the additional austerity measures announced by the government, a poll published on Friday showed.

Pressured by financial markets and the European Union, Greece announced on Wednesday 4.8 billion euros ($6.52 billion) in wage cuts, a pension freeze and tax increases to reduce its huge fiscal deficit.

A poll by Public Issue for Skai TV showed that 90 percent of Greek public sector workers were against a 30 percent cut in Christmas, Easter and holiday bonuses.