RISING GROUND WATER THREATENS RUSSIAN CITIES.

More than70 percent of Russian cities are threatened by rising levels ofground water, a development that undermines the foundations ofmany buildings and the health of their residents, Nizhegorodskiyrabochii reported June 6. This flooding is costing Russiamore than 60 trillion rubles a year, the paper said, but it notedthat few Russian cities even have a government office to dealwith the problem.

Estonia May Change Special Citizenship Rules.