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

The 2004 European Junior Championship in American football wrapped up Sunday at Olympiisky Stadium with France edging out Germany 17-14 in the final.

The Poles call them kresy, lands on the edge, and Russians the ""near abroad."" Belarus and Ukraine have traditionally existed in a political and geographic limbo between East and West from which more than a decade of independence, and the highest of hopes, have not liberated them.

The weekend agreement on a negotiating framework for the Doha trade round is a modest and belated advance in the long march toward liberalizing global markets.

174 Foreigners Ill MOSCOW (MT) -- A total of 174 foreign workers, including dozens of Turkish citizens, were hospitalized over the weekend with food poisoning in the western Siberian city of Surgut, Interfax reported. The employees of Turkish construction firm Komtek have been diagnosed with salmonella, Nail Kashapov, the chief health official of the Khanty-Mansiisk autonomous district, told Interfax. They are believed to have fallen ill after eating catered food. The hospitalized workers include 122 Turks and citizens of Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Komtek is building a business center in Surgut for oil major Surgutneftegaz. Putin Gets a Book MOSCOW (MT) -- Acting Chechen President Sergei Abramov gave President Vladimir Putin a newly published photo book about Chechnya on Monday that had been ordered by slain Chechen leader Akhmad Kadyrov, RIA-Novosti reported.

Tongue-tied at the market? Suffering from a language barrier with your Russian co-workers?

For the first time in two years, growth of real estate prices in Moscow fell to practically zero last month.

On the east bank of the Tigris River, a house is for sale. An ad for it might read something like this: 10-bedroom, 14 1/2-bath riverfront beauty. Swimming pool, servants' quarters, secure parking for eight cars. Some bullet damage on third floor. Spotty electricity. Baghdad schools. Asking $4 million.

Real estate developer Donald Trump has filed plans to build what would be the tallest hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.