The latest: Iraqi Terrorist Group Claims Responsibility for Kidnapping, Murder of Russian Diplomats

19.06.2006
Iraqi Terrorist Group Claims Responsibility for Kidnapping, Murder of Russian Diplomats
An umbrella group that includes al-Qaida in Iraq has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of four Russian Embassy workers and the killing of a fifth in Baghdad on June 3.

19.06.2006
Chechen Separatists Name Successor to Slain Warlord
Chechen separatists announced the appointment of an experienced militant leader, Doku Umarov, as their new president, following the killing of his predecessor in a police raid during the weekend.

19.06.2006
Russian Soccer Tycoon Splurges on Cup Tickets for Buddies
Russia’s richest football fan, currently cruising the coastline of Germany on his multi-million dollar yacht, has spent at least $1.5 million on box tickets for the World Cup games, a source in a German hospitality company has reported.

19.06.2006
Russia’s Chechnya Court Sentences Algerian Militant to 20 Years
Chechnya’s Supreme Court has sentenced a citizen of Algeria, Buharli Kamelo, to 20 years for robbery, kidnapping and membership in criminal gangs, source in court said.

19.06.2006
U.S. to Remove Cargo Which Sparked Anti-NATO Protests in Ukraine
About 35 U.S. military specialists arrived in Ukraine on Monday to remove construction equipment and other cargo that sparked allegations of a secret U.S. plan to build a base in this ex-Soviet republic and triggered anti-NATO protests.

19.06.2006
2 Human Rights Activists Arrested in Turkmenistan
A Turkmen rights group says two of its members have been arrested in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat.

19.06.2006
Belarus Opposition Activist Jailed For 3 Years for Slandering Lukashenko
A court in Belarus sentenced an outspoken opposition activist to three years in jail for slandering President Alexander Lukashenko. During the presidential campaign earlier this year Razumov claimed that Lukashenko was involved in the disappearance of opposition politicians.

19.06.2006
Russian Spaceship Ready for Blazing End in Pacific Ocean
A Russian launch vehicle will be sunk in the Pacific Ocean Monday evening after being undocked from the world’s sole orbital station earlier in the day, a Mission Control official has said.

19.06.2006
Commission Keeps Ban on Whaling in Russia
A slim majority of nations on the International Whaling Commission have voted in support of a resumption of commercial whaling, but the pro-whaling nations still lack the numbers needed to overturn a 20-year-old ban.

19.06.2006
Suspected Serial Killer Arrested in Russian Capital
Moscow police said Sunday they had arrested a man suspected of having committed more than 10 murders across the city over the past few years.

19.06.2006
Moscow Rally Attacks Police Agencies
More than 200 people rallied in a Moscow square on Sunday, criticizing the nation’s law enforcement agencies and demanding that police do more to protect Russians.