A Russian man has apparently broken a world record by fasting for 50 days. The 46-year-old, Agasi Vartanyan, emerged Monday from the elevated, plastic cubicle where he had been since Aug. 27. For 50 days, Vartanyan reportedly ate nothing but survived on 0. 8 gallons of water a day. To pass the time, he watched TV, listened to the radio, and talked on his cell phone. Since the cubicle was situated on the banks of the Neva River outside of St. Petersburg, Vartanyan had got an electric heater in his temporary home.

Russian customs officials in Buholovo near the Latvian border have discovered a one mile long pipeline that was pumping vodka to the other side of the border. Police officers patrolling the border said the tunnel had been laid six feet underground by still unidentified syndicates to pump home-made vodka across the border to avoid paying taxes and other government regulations on the liquor.

In a bid to curb widespread corruption in the public and private sector, the Russian government has warned that people who give or take bribes will "burn in the flames of hell. " The warning was carried in leaflets distributed freely in every home and also advises the public on what to do if they are asked for a bribe.

The mayor of a coal mining town in the Komi Republic of Russia is asking the government to legalize prostitution with the aim of arresting the increasing number of extremist violence in the region. Igor Shpektor, mayor of Vorkuta, said legalizing the flesh trade would give men another way to spend their time rather than getting involved in racist attacks.

Russia's parliament on Wednesday rejected a proposal to send the celebrated U. S. singer and actress Madonna to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2008. The motion had been introduced by Alexei Mitrofanov, a member of the Duma for the ultra-nationalist LDPR party, saying the trip would be "a serious event" to organize in the same year as presidential elections in the United States and Russia. Madonna had expressed her desire to go into space and board the ISS, during her first ever Russian concert.