The number of people expecting to get political asylum in Europe has reached its lowest mark since 1999. Such data are contained in the UNHCR report for the second quarter of 2003 published on Tuesday in Geneva.

The Prime Minister of Chechnya signed the edict on disbandment of the Ministry for Press, TV and Radio Broadcasting, and Mass Media Communications and the Ministry for Nationalities of the Chechen Republic.

About 120 people are taking part in the seminar. They are experts in youth policy of the Rostov region's municipal areas, youth public and student activists.

The data show that from January 1999 to July 1, 2003 the courts of first instance brought in only 14 and the Court of Appeal - only 13 verdicts of "not guilty".

The Yeni Nesil journalist union and the human rights organization "Article 19" are drafting together a law "About Freedom of Information".

Yury Merzlyakov of Russia, a new co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the aim of which is to negotiate a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabah conflict, refused to say unambiguously whether the principle of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan should, in his opinion, serve as a basis for the settlement of this dispute.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry does not agree with First Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Valery Loshchinin, who said that the problem of the return of IDPs to Abkhazia had been settled, Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Kakha Sikharulidze said on September 2.

The explosion in the train took place near Kislovodsk at about 7:35 a.m. on Wednesday. Five people were killed.

Salikh Shamkhalov, an officer from the Dagestani interior ministry's department for fight against extremism and criminal terrorism, and his wife were gunned down in Makhachkala.

The aim of the festival show is to demonstrate possible ways of interaction between "the third sector" and executive authority in search of effective solutions for social security problems.

About 10 unknown armed people in masks and camouflage broke into one of the Gudermes hospitals. They seized the security guard Aslan Usmayev who was treated there and took him away in an unknown direction.

The court made such a decision because Artur Arakelyan's health had deteriorated.

The Armenian Committee of Soldiers' Mothers made an appeal to the Azerbaijan presidential contenders not to renew military confrontation between Yerevan and Baku.

Unknown armed people broke into a house on Industrialnaya Street in the Zavodskoy district of Grozny and forcibly took away Ismail Isayev, 1981 year born.

Azerbaijan police broke up an election meeting held by supporters of Isa Gambar in the township of Darnagyul near Baku on September 1. Gambar is the leader of the Musavat opposition party. Four activists from Gambar's campaigning staff were arrested.

Representatives of the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Security Service Department, the State Interior Department of the Krasnodar region, regional interior departments, the Administration of the Krasnodar Region, leaders of public organizations, and TV and mass media representatives took part in the work of the meeting.

September 1 marked the new school year beginning for all children, but children of Turks-Meskhetians will study, as they did 10 years ago, in segregated classes.

The return of Chechen refugees from Georgia to their home country will start at the end of this September, Russian minister Stanislav Ilyasov told journalists in Tbilisi.

A group of gunmen wearing masks and camouflage burst into the house of Saipudi Tsitsyaev, shot him dead and fled.

As the head of the ministry department Gaidukov said, the program gives more consideration to the improvement of disabled people's environment, availability of social structures, physical training and sports institutions.