20:02
RUSSIAN CHURCH PRIMATE RECEIVES LEBANESE PREMIER ON BIRTHDAY, CALLS CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS TOGETHER TO OPPOSE TERROR
His Beatitude Alexis II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, received Rafiq Hariri, Prime Minister of Lebanon, currently on visit to Moscow. The Prime Minister has his birthday today, and the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church gave him two exquisite candlesticks decorated with cloisonne enamels. An icon of the Virgin came as Mr. Hariri's return gift. More details...

19:54
1,500 CRIMINAL CASES LAUNCHED AGAINST RUSSIAN MILITARY SINCE CHECHEN WARFARE START
Military prosecutors have launched criminal proceedings on 1,781 cases since anti-terror action started in Chechnya. The Russian military are accused on 1,452 cases, while the other 329 concern soldiers killed or injured by rebels and in terror acts, say federal Prosecutor-General's office statistics. More details...

19:35
U.S. AVIATION DEALS 20 STRIKES ON TALIBAN POSITIONS IN NORTH-EASTERN AFGHANISTAN
On Thursday morning American aviation dealt 20 strikes on Taliban positions in the north-east of Afghanistan. The Qatar television company al-Jazeera reported that B-52 bombers made several raids on positions of the Kabul regime near the Tajik border. More details...

18:30
CHECHNYA HOME TO 2,000 REBELS GROUPED IN 100 GANGS
Some 100 militant groupings with the total strength of 1,500 to 2,000 fighters are currently operating in the territory of Chechnya, Public Information Office under the Russian President announced on Thursday. More details...

17:18
IN CHECHNYA FEDERAL FORCE'S DEATH TOLL REACHES 3,438
During an anti-terrorist operation in the Chechen republic the Federal Force lost 3,438 dead and 11,661 wounded servicemen in the October 1, 1999 - October 10, 2001 period. The information department of the Russian president reported these figures on Thursday. More details...

16:52
MILITANT SURRENDERED IN GROZNY
In the Zavodskij district of Grozny a militant has given himself up to the Temporary Department of Internal Affairs. This was disclosed at the militia press centre in Khankala on Thursday. More details...

16:41
11,000 GUNMEN KILLED IN CHECHEN ANTI-TERRORIST OPERATION
The presidential information department announced on Thursday that about 11,000 gunmen had been killed by federal forces since the launch of the anti-terrorist operation in Chechnya. More details...

16:39
RUSSIA WILL HELP TAJIKISTAN IF AFGHAN BORDER SITUATION DETERIORATES
Chief of the Russian Federal Frontier Service Headquarters Nikolai Reznichenko announced on Thursday that units of the 201st motorised division, which is based in Tajikistan, would mount operations to protect the country if the situation on the Tajik-Afghan border were to deteriorate. More details...

16:29
RUSSIA PROVIDES U.S. WITH WHEREABOUTS OF DRUG PRODUCING LABS IN AFGHANISTAN
The Russian side has provided the United States with the whereabouts of drug-producing labs in Afghanistan, located by Russian border guards. Head of the Main HQ of Russia's Federal Frontier Service, Colonel General Nikolai Reznichenko told journalists about this on Thursday. More details...

16:24
CHECHEN MILITANTS IN AFGHANISTAN COULD BREAK THROUGH TAJIK-AFGHAN BORDER
The command of the Federal Frontier Service (FPS) has admitted the possibility that gunmen from Afghanistan could cross the Tajik-Afghan border. More details...

16:20
RUSSIAN POLITOLOGIST: POST-SEPTEMBER 11 U.S. CAN BRING TOUGHER PRESSURE TO BEAR ON ISRAEL
After the September 11 developments the United States stands more chance to settle the Arab-Israeli conflict because now America can bring a tougher pressure to bear on Israel. This perspective was voiced at a RIA Novosti press conference on Thursday by a well-known Russian politologist, Sergei Karaganov, chief of the External and Defense Policy Council. More details...

16:17
AFGHANISTAN OPERATION MAY AFFECT TAJIK-AFGHAN, RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN BORDER SITUATION
The current military operation in Afghanistan may affect the situation on the Tajik-Afghan and Russian-Georgian border, a RIA Novosti correspondent quoted Colonel-General Nikolai Reznichenko as saying at a press conference in Moscow on Thursday. Reznichenko is the first deputy head of the main HQ of the Federal Frontier Service /the FPS/. More details...

16:17
RUSSIAN COMMANDER IN CHECHNYA DENIES ACCUSATIONS OF PRE-MEDITATED STRIKES AGAINST PEACEFUL POPULATION
The commander of the United Groups of Forces in the North Caucasus, Lieutenant-General Vladimir Moltenskoi denied accusations on Thursday that the military had used pre-meditated strikes against the peaceful population in Chechnya. More details...

16:13
SPECIAL OPERATION FOR DESTROYING TERRORISTS IN MOUNTAINOUS PARTS OF CHECHNYA
The federal forces are carrying out special operations in the mountainous parts of Chechnya, the commander of the united group of forces in the North Caucasus said. More details...

16:13
MOSCOW HAS RELIABLE INFORMATION THAT CHECHENS FIGHT WITH THE TALIBAN
The command of the Russian Federal Frontier Service believes it quite possible that the Chechen militants who are fighting in Afghanistan in the ranks of the Taliban will make an attempt to break into Tajikistan. RIA Novosti was told about it by Chief of the Main Headquarters of the Russian Federal Frontier Service Nikolai Reznichenko. More details...

16:10
TALIBAN MAY CARRY OUT THEIR THREATS TO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES THAT SUPPORT THE ANTI-TERRORIST OPERATION
There is indirect proof that the Taliban movement may carry out the threats it had earlier expressed with regard to the neighboring countries that support the anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan, Nikolai Reznichenko, first deputy director of the Russian federal frontier service told a press- conference in Moscow. This refers first of all to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan, he said. More details...

15:14
DOUBLE STANDARDS POLICY IN PAKISTAN
It seems that Pakistan is now deeply submerged in its inner contradictions. On the one hand, it has the support of the American aviation. On the other hand, the dissatisfaction of its citizens with this action is growing, and armed mutinies are becoming regular More details...

13:33
THE TIMES: GREAT BRITAIN SUPPORTS RUSSIA'S MILITARY OPERATION IN CHECHNYA
Great Britain expressed its most powerful support ever of Russia's military operation against Chechen separatists. This is the way influential British newspaper The Times commented on British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw's Wednesday talks in Moscow. More details...

12:53
MURDER OF MOSLEM CLERGYMAN IN CHECHNYA
A Moslem clergyman was killed in Chechnya. The republic's interior ministry reported that religious figure Magomed Dakalayev was killed on Tuesday at the entrance to his house in the settlement of Novye Aldy, Zavodksoi district of Grozny. He was shot to death from automatic weapon by unidentified persons. More details...

12:23
PRIME MINISTER OF CHECHNYA SAYS ANTI-TERRORIST OPERATION WILL NOT BE DISCONTINUED
The Prime Minister of Chechnya, Stanislav Ilyasov, has strongly denied allegations that combat operations against Chechen terrorists will be suspended. More details...

19:26
SPECIAL OPERATIONS AGAINST CHECHEN WARLORDS ON
Vladimir Moltenskoi, commander of the Joint Group of Federal Forces in the North Caucasus, has disproved media reports alleging that he had ordered to suspend a special operation against Chechen militant leaders. More details...

18:51
RUSSIA, GREAT BRITAIN STAND TOGETHER ON FUTURE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT
Russia and Afghanistan stand together on the future government of Afghanistan, said British foreign minister Jack Straw after meeting his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov. More details...

18:46
BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: AFGHAN PEOPLE SHOULD FORM NEW GOVERNMENT WITH UN ASSISTANCE
The new Afghan government should be formed by the people of Afghanistan with the help of the UN and international community, British foreign secretary Jack Straw told Russian politicians Wednesday. More details...

18:35
RUSSIAN BORDER-GUARDS PREVENT ARMED SMUGGLERS FROM CROSSING TAJIK BORDER
Russian border-guards have prevented armed smugglers from crossing the Tajik-Afghan border. According to the Russian border guards' press service, the incident took place on Wednesday at a stretch of the border guarded by the Moskovsky detachment. More details...

17:43
LARGE TERRORIST CACHE DESTROYED IN CHECHNYA
Sub-units of the federal forces destroyed a large terrorist cache in Argun (Chechnya). More details...

17:35
RUSSIAN ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF RULES OUT NEW PEACE WITH CHECHEN REBELS
Anatoly Kvashnin, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, has ruled out the possibility of the Russian troops pulling out of Chechnya after talks with Chechen rebels, as was the case in 1996 after the truce signed in Khasavyurt, Daghestan. More details...

17:06
RUSSIAN ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF CONFIRMS GELAYEV BAND DESTROYED
Anatoly Kvashnin, Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, has confirmed that the Chechen guerrilla band led by Gelayev has been defeated after penetrating with Georgian militants into the self-proclaimed Georgian republic of Abkhazia earlier this month. More details...

16:43
CHECHEN GOVERNMENT TO COOPERATE WITH NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS IN HUMANITARIAN PROGRAMS
An agreement on mutual understanding and cooperation in the field of humanitarian programs was signed between the Chechen government and non-government humanitarian organizations in Grozny on Wednesday. More details...

14:21
COURT PROCEEDINGS HAVE BEEN INSTITUTED AGAINST 40 SERVICEMEN SINCE AUGUST 2001 FOR VIOLATION OF LAW IN CHECHNYA
Court proceedings have been instituted against 40 servicemen since August 2001 for violation of law in Chechnya, first deputy prosecutor general of Russia Yuri Biryukov said on Wednesday during the parliamentary hearings in the State Duma. More details...

14:10
THREE MILITANTS KILLED AND FOUR SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN SOUTHERN CHECHNYA
A special operation in the Nozhai-Urt district of Chechnya has resulted in the death of three militants and the arrest of four persons suspected of involvement in military action. More details...