Monte Carlo - The IAAF confirmed Thursday that it has provisionally suspended seven Russian athletes for tampering with doping samples.

"The athletes have been charged under IAAF Rules 32.2 (b) and 32.2 (e) for a fraudulent substitution of urine which is both a prohibited method and also a form of tampering with the doping control process," the governing body for track and field athletics said in a statement.

Moscow - The Russian region of Nizhny Novogorod voted on Thursday to erase California from its map - not the US state, but a deserted village by the same name.

Locals say the village, about 400 kilometers northeast of Moscow, dates to the 19th century when a whimsical aristocrat moved his peasants there and dubbed the settlement California after learning of Russia's sale of Alaska to the United States, news agency Itar-tass reported.

But in 2000 the local school, store and post office closed down, and California became a ghost town. Most residents have moved to another village seven kilometers away, where they are known as Californians.

Tripoli - Libyan Prime Minister al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi was expected to arrive in Russia on Thursday for talks with Premier Vladimir Putin over economic cooperation and potential lucrative gas projects, according to media reports.

With estimated gas reserves of about 1.5 trillion cubic metres, Libya is a major gas exporter with an ambitious plan for a gas pipeline to Europe.

Russia's gas firm Gazprom is eyeing opportunities in Libya and hopes through its strategic partnership with Italian oil company Eni to secure a share in Libya's lucrative gas market.

Eni and Libya's National Oil Corporation co-own a pipeline that takes Libya's gas exports to Italy's southern island of Sicily.

London, July 31: An illegal worker from Russia reportedly managed to be employed as a Royal footman, and served tea to the Queen.

Moscow-born Igor Golovanov, 32, was said to be a member of the Buckingham Palace staff for about two years without having a proper work permit, which technically made him an illegal immigrant.

His job as a footman and trainee butler took him to Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Balmoral and Sandringham.

He got a flat inside the Palace, rode on gilded carriages, and rubbed shoulders with heads of state and PM Gordon Brown.

Igor served Prince Charles and Prince Andrew, and got to know the other Royals.

Moscow - The sky will darken and thousands of sun chasers in ultraviolet goggles will travel to Siberia to see the 140-second phenomenon Friday when a total solar eclipse will rise in the Arctic and cross over central Russia setting in Mongolia and Western China.

Novosibirsk, Russia's third largest city which lies in the path of the eclipse, is readying itself for an influx of over 15,000 hobby astronomers and tourists.

Hotels have been full booked since 2003, and city authorities are setting up tents to accommodate the extra guests, local news agencies reported.

Berlin - Germany Wednesday welcomed Russian moves to begin withdrawing troops from the breakaway Georgian province of Abkhazia.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Jens Ploetner said the move was an "urgently necessary contribution to reducing tension" in the region.

He expressed the hope that further substantive measures would be taken by both sides to reduce tension further.

Ploetner said Germany was closely involved in attempts to arrange high-level talks between the conflicting parties.