10 February Iranian government declared their success in the field of "peaceful use of nuclear energy". To be exact - this state can now produce fuel used in nuclear power stations. Naturally Teheran was quick to reassure international community of its peaceful intentions and its
readiness to allow any international control. But as Iran’s regime is rather peculiar and has not given up its plans to destroy another state (namely Israel), any of its progress in nuclear sphere gives cause for concern. We asked to comment on the situation former Head of State Atomic Energy Supervision Inspection, presently Head of the Nuclear and
Radiation Security Programme of NGO "Green Cross", VLADIMIR KUZNETSOV. Full Story...
They say that when, during the Great French Revolution, the masses had stormed and destroyed the Bastille, a public garden was laid down on the site of what once was a prison and fortress, and a plaque was installed, saying the “place for dancing”. Perhaps, in that way the revolutionary mob vented their angry detest for the monarchy and royal despotism. In their outrage against the aristocratic government the peasant class did not bother themselves with such trifles as whether it was right to dance on the place which had seen so much blood, deaths and sufferings of those that were hardly the worst people of the country.
More than two hundred years had passed that witnessed a lot of other revolutions and counter-revolutions, but the striving to ‘dance on one’s remains’, is still there. Full Story...
Nearly at the same time as US Secretary of State Colin Powell was making his statement to the UN about Iraq’s secret armaments, another event occurred that has a lot to do with Iraq. Iraqi oppositionists in exile have found out and revealed the name of the young man who on 23 January
attempted to "find shelter" in one of the international weapons inspectors’ vehicles, but they handed him over to the Iraqi authorities. Most likely - for the torture and death. His name is Adnan Abdulkareem Anad. Full Story...
Armenian MP Aik Babukhanian was stabbed in the heart in clashes that sparked yesterday during a meeting with voters in the town of Artashat in Ararat region. The meeting was organized by the election staff of Aram Karapetian, who runs for president this year. The presidential elections in Armenia are slated for February 19. Full Story...
The so-called independent Turkmen “Adalat” (Justice) newspaper, published a list on 31 January of the names of traitors, terrorists and enemies of the people, who have been imprisoned for varying lengths of time for their participation in the events of 25 November 2002. On that day the Turkmen President’s motorcade was attacked by gunmen carrying rifles and shotguns. Full Story...
The fate of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of Americans, an Indian citizen and an Israeli, was greeted with celebrations in Iraq. Thousands of people went out on the street (or more accurately, were led out), shouting “Allah has punished America! Allah has punished Israel!”. Perhaps some might put this down to the nervous “pre-war” atmosphere in Iraq. However, mass rejoicing at the deaths of other people has become habitual in the Arab world. One only has to remember the dancing in the streets on 11 September 2002, and the joyful processions with which Palestinians celebrate each act of terrorism by their suicide bombers in Israel. It is, so to say, a question of morality. This is why the head of one of the branches of the Russian administration today held a press conference on “the moral aspect of the situation in Iraq.” Full Story...
A wave of redundancies in the public sector, particularly in education, has swept Turkmenistan. At the same time, a Russian-language newspaper "Neutral Turkmenistan" on 29 January published on its front page an enthusiastic address of education workers to the head of state Saparmurat Turkmenbashi. "Our dear Father, our national pride, our main
Teacher, the greatest of the great, the Almighty’s chosen one, the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi!" This is how Turkmen intelligentsia addresses President Niyazov. Full Story...
Speech by Olivier Dupuis in the European Parliament before voting on a resolution concerning Chechnya. January 16th, 2003.

Mr. Chairman, Dear Colleagues,

To speak frankly, I believe that the text, which we are about to vote on, is absolutely shameful and terrible in its contents. The advocates of this resolution, are the same deputies, the very same colleagues of ours, who in the past two years have with all their strength attempted to impede a charge to be brought by the War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague against Slobodan Milosevic. I am referring here in particular to Mr. Oostlander, who is absent today. They are the ones, who are now once more implementing so-called "realistic" politics, this time with respect to the Russian Federation and its president, Mr. Putin. They are also the ones, who, whenever it is possible, attempt to cover up the truth about what is going on today in Chechnya. And what is happening in Chechnya is genocide. Full Story...
On 23 January Tverskoi Inter-Municipal Court in Moscow rejected lawsuits by the former hostages who are seeking compensation for moral damages. Few doubted what the court’s ruling would be. And this is not about the grounds for claims but about the authorities, who as defendants, never recognise their mistakes and never pay the bills they are presented with. And who doubted anyway that in our country the judicial power is only an accessory of the executive? Full Story...
On 22 January ambassadors of Arab countries and some Russian politicians met in the offices of Izvestiya newspaper to discuss "the present moment". The moment, as is well known, is characterised by the latest aggravation of Israeli-Arab conflict, and more importantly - anticipation of US and British military action against Saddam Hussein’s regime, which is considered to be decided. The main topic of today’s discussion was Russia’s role in these conflicts. Full Story...