The latest: Russia Hands Over Body of Japanese Fisherman

19.08.2006
Russia Hands Over Body of Japanese Fisherman
Russia on Saturday handed over the body of a Japanese fisherman killed by a Russian patrol boat that opened fire in disputed waters this past week. The shooting of the crab fisherman on Wednesday was the latest flare-up in a 60-year dispute over several islands claimed by both countries.

19.08.2006
15 Years On: Russians Still Divided on 1991 Coup
Russians remain ambivalent and sharply divided about the coup attempt against Mikhail Gorbachev 15 years after the events that rang the death knell for the Soviet Union, according to a poll released Friday. In a poll of 1,600 Russians conducted July 14-17 by Levada Center, 52% said neither side was right.

19.08.2006
Russia Urges Palestine to Honor Promise to End Attacks on Israel
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday it was counting on Palestinian groups to hold to a promise to suspend attacks on Israel. Earlier this week, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said militant groups had agreed to halt attacks in hopes of ending a two-month Israeli crackdown in the Gaza Strip.

19.08.2006
Russia’s Putin Hails UN Cease-fire Resolution, Settlement in Lebanon
Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the successful implementation of a U.N. resolution that led to a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah Friday as he talked on the phone with Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. Saniora thanked Russia for helping “fully consider Lebanon’s concerns” during the resolution’s passage.