MOSCOW, May 1 (RIA Novosti) - About 400,000...

MOSCOW, May 1 (RIA Novosti) - About 400,000 Russians on Friday celebrated Spring and Labor Day, with trade unions and political parties holding rallies across the country. "As of 15:00 Moscow time [11:00 GMT], 491 demonstrations, rallies and assemblies took place in Russia, with about 400,000 people participating," police said, adding that 32,000 police and Interior Ministry troops worked to ensure public order during the events across Russia. May 1 is Spring and Labor Day across Russia, a national holiday. In Soviet times May 1 saw massive Communist Party rallies. Moscow police reported earlier in the day that as around 25,000 people were taking part in events in downtown Moscow to mark the day, including demonstrations by the ruling United Russia party, the Communists and trade unions, the ultranationalist LDPR Party and the liberal Yabloko party. No public order problems were reported in Moscow, but police have detained 120 nationalists, anti-fascists and anarchists following demonstrations in St. Petersburg. Police seized a number of knives and rubber-bullets pistols.

MOSCOW, September 10 (RIA Novosti) - The...

MOSCOW, September 10 (RIA Novosti) - The largest in Europe and the only in Russia indoor speed skating centre opened in Moscow on Thursday. At the opening ceremony Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov expressed gratitude to the International Skating Union for "trust due to which it was decided to hold the world speed skating championship of 2005 in Moscow back before the beginning of the construction of the centre." "The time when we held the championships of Russia in Berlin has passed, and new champions will now come into being here, in Moscow," Mr. Luzhkov said. The Krylatskoye speed skating centre is included in the Olympic River programme of building sports facilities. It is Russia"s only indoor complex with a 400-metre international-level speed skating track and the world"s sole skating rink where specially prepared water will be used for making ice. The new centre is an up-to-date five-storey building including an ice arena with three speed skating tracks and a circular track, and ice-hockey and figure skating rinks. The stands have a seating capacity of up to 10,000. A medical centre, a hotel for athletes with accommodation for 50, and a parking lot for 500 motor vehicles also form part of the centre. The complex with an artificial ice field will enable athletes to train all year round. From February 4 to 6 the Krylatskoye centre will host the world speed skating championship in which more than 1,000 athletes from 20 countries are expected to take part.

MOSCOW, November 15 (RIA Novosti) - Forming...

MOSCOW, November 15 (RIA Novosti) - Forming a state monopoly to produce and sell alcohol could provoke a rise in bootlegging of spirits, Russia's Finance Ministry said on Thursday.