Russia beat FYR Macedonia 2-0 Wednesday night at Gradski stadium. The victory -- and Russia's pickup of three points -- catapulted Russia ahead of the other seven teams in its group in its bid to qualify for the Euro 2008 finals.

James Blake fought back from a set and a break down to all but book his place in the Masters Cup semifinals with a 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory over Russian Nikolai Davydenko on Wednesday.

Peaceful and easily walkable, Novgorod makes for a relaxing weekend trip.

Use moisturizer; wear comfortable shoes, loose clothing; have a good book to read during the flight; come to the airport early; eat something light before the flight; try to move around during the flight.

Ulitsa Arbat has long been popular not only as a tourist attraction but also as an entertainment strip.

It was the Soviet Union's first major cookbook for the masses -- and perhaps the world's only gastronomic volume to have ever quoted so extensively from Stalin and Communist Party general assemblies.

St. Pete Drug Ring Busted St. Petersburg police have shut down a major narcotics ring, seizing some 17 kilograms of heroin and two kilograms of hashish, the Federal Drug Control Service said Wednesday. The agency said narcotics agents in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region had carried out a number of raids in October and early November to break up the ring, Interfax reported. Agents discovered the narcotics stash in a rented apartment on Moskovsky Prospekt. (MT) Military Holding Cells The State Duma on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill that would require military facilities to have holding cells starting next year. Under the legislation, military personnel could be held for up to 30 days for offenses ranging from drunkeness to going AWOL from their units. The length of detention would be determined by garrison courts. No male personnel above the rank of sergeant or female personnel of any rank could be held in the cells. Disciplinary holding cells were abolished by the Defense Ministry in 2002.