News

While criticizing a statement voiced by the Chechen Mufti concerning the immortality of Kunta-Khadji Kishiev, blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov raised questions of faith, which should not be a reason for discussions, some YouTube users noted.

One of the leaders of the Kurchaloi ROVD (District Interior Division) instructed his subordinates to seize cars from violators of the traffic regulations and send drivers to clean up the streets.

Anar Mamedov, the editor-in-chief of the "criminal.az" website, has treated the lawsuit filed against him on protection of one's honour and dignity as unjustified. Activists have stood up in his defence.

Even the admirers of Kunta-haji Kishiev disbelieve the statements of the Chechen Mufti about his immortality, the blogger, Tumso Abdurakhmanov, has noted.

Farzali Farzaliev, a border guard, was killed by a sniper's shot from Armenia, the Azerbaijani State Border Service (SBS) has stated, refuting the allegation about an attempt of Azerbaijani militaries' advance.

Ramzan Kadyrov has managed to inject new values into the Chechen society and establish a system of ruling that is alien to Chechen traditions. This was stated by Jonathan Littell, the author of the book about the first years of Kadyrov's Chechnya, in his interview with the "Meduza".

Armed units of Armenia have opened a warning fire in response to the engineering works performed by the Azerbaijani party, the Armenian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has stated.

Oppositionists have presented a list of five persons, who, in their opinion, were involved in political persecutions of activists in Georgia. The authors expect that those on the list will be banned from entering the countries of the European Union (EU).

The General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) of Ukraine is preparing to extradite a native of Chechnya to Russia, said the representative of his family. According to his version, in Russia, the man is suspected of links with militants; and his extradition is being prepared in violation of the legal procedure.

In Volgograd, people who agreed to catch the banknotes thrown by blogger Alfredo Auditore have lost their self-esteem, Internet users believe. Blogger's father Tamerlan Nosaev, the deputy envoy of the leader of Chechnya in the Volgograd Region, justified the action of his son.

Azerbaijani human rights defender Ogtai Gyulyalyev, who fell into a coma after a road traffic accident in Baku, began to understand what was happening around him, his spouse reported.

The holiday of Christmas, unlike the New Year holiday, is usually celebrated with family members: after a visit to a church, people set the table with dishes traditional for the holiday, residents of Yerevan say.

Archpriest Giorgi Mamaladze, whom the Georgian President refused in pardoning, stays in serious condition, reports Nika Gvaramiya, the general director of the "Mtavari Archi" TV Channel.

In Chechnya, there is no more fear of new attacks on Orthodox believers, say participants of the Christmas service at the Church of Archangel Mikhail in Grozny. Last night, law enforcers stayed on duty not only near the church, but also inside it.

Christmas services are held in the temples located in the regions of Southern Russia and Southern Caucasus. In some regions, celebrations are held under enhanced security measures.

The blogger, Alfredo Auditore, threw 200,000 roubles into a crowd of young people in Volgograd; several persons suffered in a jam. Chechen leadership got interested in this incident; and the blogger's father had to explain the origin of the money.

The pardoning by Georgian President of only five prisoners amid hundreds of them, who hoped for amnesty, has been treated as unserious by rights defenders, while the refusal to pardon Archpriest Mamaladze – as unjustified.

Allegations of the immortality and supernatural abilities of the Chechen preacher Kunta-haji Kishiev fit into the Sufi doctrine, but contradict the Orthodox Islam, Russian Islamic scholars have stated.

Shamkhan Khamurzaev, a resident of Grozny, whose whereabouts were unknown to his relatives since December 26, was found in the territory of the patrol-and-post service (PPS) regiment named after Akhmat Kadyrov.

Residents of Makhachkala should increase their support for Abdulmumin Gadjiev and continue holding protest actions until justice is restored in relation to the arrested journalist, Makhachkala picketers have stated.