Replies

How odd..........
Prison Chief Rejects Cash From Oligarchs
By Anatoly Medetsky
Staff Writer
While the oligarchs used to ignore government requests to help improve the prison system, now -- when they would like to lend a hand -- their contributions are no longer welcome, Federal Prison Service chief Yury Kalinin said in an interview published on Wednesday.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2005/08/18/013.html

Russia to sell $5.1 billion of arms in 2005
http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-08-18T195405Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-213092-1.xml

Russia's energy grip tightening
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=3&ObjectID=10341424

WHO urges close bird flu watch in Russia, Kazakhstan
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L18723340.htm

ADL Statement About Los Angeles Terrorist Threat
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=51868

China Reportedly Arrests Five American Church Leaders, Tortures Christians
http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-08-18-voa9.cfm

PAKISTAN: Impoverished Christians face forced eviction
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=48639&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=PAKISTAN

Cleric’s slaying shocks Christians
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/nation/12410862.htm

Russian mafia crimes rise, says police chief
Ovchinnikov said the hardest task investigators faced was to reach the real mafia bosses, who have strong ties among politicians and officials.

"The leaders themselves do not commit crimes, so stopping them is hard. These people have a social image, they present themselves as businessmen, they give money to charity."
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L1883718.htm

Cape gangs run drug dens 'like 7-Elevens'
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20050818101325920C781575