A delegation of the German military headed by the deputy chief of the German Defense Ministry's Department for Armament and Military-Political Problems, Brigadier General Jurgen Bornemann visited Armenia these days.

Vakha Khagayev, Khasan Elbuzdukayev and Sultan Abubarakov kidnapped by Russian servicemen at night on August 13 were found murdered.

"People voluntarily laying down arms will rather trust the security blankets given to them by a legitimately elected president. The results will be more effective", noted Akhmar Zavgayev.

For the last few days the air forces and artillery of the Russian army have massively struck again the outskirts of settlements in some mountain and foot-hill regions of Chechnya.

Residents of the village of Selmentauzen in the Vedeno region reported that on August 19, 2003 Russian servicemen had kidnapped four residents of the village.

According to the meeting organizers' opinion, it was aimed to express the protest and attract international public attention to "rude violations of law by the Azerbaijan authorities in the process of election campaign and mass violations of political liberties and rights of the Azerbaijan citizens."

Khalide Taipov, a Chechen refugee who applied for asylum in the Netherlands, is likely to be deported from the country. He was detained in the street as an "illegal" and put in a special camp in Terpol, from which refugees are usually deported to their native countries.

The bandits led the family of Madagov to the courtyard and shot him before the very eyes of his wife and children. They set the house on fire and rode away in cars.

A meeting of protest against the construction of the ammonia reloading terminal on the Taman peninsula was to take place on Central Square of the village of Taman at 10 a.m. on August 31. The meeting was organized by the Social and Ecological Union of the West Caucasus and public organizations of Taman.

Several rebels wearing masks broke into the mufti's house in Elistanzhi on Saturday evening. They took the mufti to the yard and shot him.

According to the words of Vyacheslav Tikhomirov, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Interior Troops, Baranov's appointment is a "constructive element of a new management vertical for structures that take part in the anti-terrorist operation in Chechnya".

Activists of the Social and Ecological Union of the West Caucasus and the Atshi Movement have carried out an independent investigation to check whether these public consultations on the ammoniac terminal project are really being held.

The police of the capital arrested about 30 activists of the DPA, several people got injuries.

According to the words of the republican election commission chairman, the election commission decided to verify the complaint of representatives of the presidential contender Vladimir Semyonov that his observer had not been allowed to visit one of the polling stations.

According to the Azerbaijan Foreign Minister's words, "The worsening of the situation at the armed forces contiguity line is connected with the tension in Armenia and occupied territories."

"The stronger our armed forces are, the more chances we have for the settlement of the Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-Osetian conflicts," said Eduard Shevardnadze.

On August 24-29 senior school students of the RUHS Orthodox gymnasium, leaders of the Alania (Osetin) Tskhinvali Eparchy and some mass media representatives took a history enlightenment and pilgrimage trip though the sacred places of West Ancient Alania (Osetia).

According to some information, during this special operation the servicemen arrested and took away 6 people.

A training for young lawyers took place in Stepanakert on August 30-31. It was organized by Stepanakert's Press Club and the Artsakh Human Rights Association.

Despite the nationalities of presidential contenders in the second round of the elections in the Republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia did not suggest any conflicts (a Karachai Mustafa Batdyev, a half-Russian and a half-Karachai Vladimir Semyonov), still some national overtones could be heard at some appearances during the last pre-election days.