Grand palaces prove less attractive than friendly faces, Bronwyn Elsmore finds.

It's that time of year again when we're compelled to buy a sentimental card for our loved ones and go out for a set-menu meal - or wallow in our singledom.

There's not much the Kremlin can do to get rid of the long and difficult Russian winter.

The charity campaigner - who was accepted on to the British Disabled Ski Team last month - sustained an injury to her leg when skiing at 100 kilometres per hour during a 24-hour race.

Boris Karpichkov admits that he comes across as paranoid and a little nuts.

Auckland couple Jo Denvir and Daniel Nixon have been waiting three years for the adoption doors to Russia to reopen.

Cutting greenhouse-gas emissions is challenging enough. But what if we can't even measure the pollution we're trying to reduce?

He is from another era of current affairs television and tonight (Friday afternoon NZ time) that era will end.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is said to be in good spirits.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin held secret meetings with at least a third of the 22 members of Fifa's executive committee.

Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire owner of Chelsea, is to take a leading role in preparations for the 2018 World Cup.

With the announcement of the hosts for the 2018 and 2022, elated and devastated fans took to social networking sites to share their reactions.