News

The US Department of Defence offered Russia its assistance in the prevention of terrorist threats on the eve of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. This was stated by Chuck Hagel, United States Secretary of Defence, in a phone conversation with Sergey Shoigu, Russian Minister of Defence, which took place on January 4.

Two natives of Dagestan 23-year-old Asker Samedov and 26-year-old Magomed Isaev are suspected of the organization of the terror acts in Volgograd. This was reported by a source from law enforcement bodies.

A group of workers from the Municipal Unitary Enterprise (MUP) "Vodostok" has started to eliminate the causes of the accident at the sewage system, of which consequences the residents complained more than three months. This was reported by Olga Shvedova, a member of the House Committee of No. 36 in Chebrikov Street.

An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated near "Akbar" grocery store in Khasavyurt, no one suffered. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by a source from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Dagestan.

On Saturday, two bodies with gunshot wounds were found in the outskirt of the North-Ossetian town of Digora. The police reported that two men were killed in a shootout.

During the upcoming Olympic Games Sochi residents will not be able to get permits from the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) on holding protests in the city, the Russian politician Boris Nemtsov believes. Sexual minorities will not be able to hold their actions, said Nikolai Alekseev, an LGBT activist.

In Azerbaijan, a group of young activists has announced the creation of the "Street Book Movement" (SBM) with the aim to promote reading and create a free available book network in the country's capital and regions. According to Salekh Mekhtizade, one of the initiators of the campaign, co-coordinator of the SBM and a member of the youth movement "Dalga" (Wave), actions are planned to attract young people to reading.

Residents of the village of Balakhany, Untsukul District of Dagestan, report about the searches conducted in their village. The Untsukul ROVD (District Interior Division) says that they know nothing about the ongoing activities in the village.

The construction in Volgograd of the so-called "zero frontage highway" within the preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup can damage the house No. 1 in Pugachovskaya Street; the house is in the landslide zone and is an object of cultural heritage, the residents of the house assert. According to city officials, the construction will go within the law and town planning standards.

According to the amended Russian Presidential Decree on strengthened security measures during the Olympics, it is allowed to hold in Sochi rallies, marches and other actions not related to the Olympics during the Games as coordinated with the city administration.

In the last days of 2013, residents of some settlements of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) found leaflets in their mailboxes calling not to celebrate the New Year. According to the Republic's MIA, in the period from December 31, 2013, to January 1, 2014, the KBR held 19 mass New Year events with the participation of 11,980 people.

In Yerevan, Vage Mkrtchyan, the third arrested participant of the "Million Mask March" has joined the hunger strike earlier announced by Shant Harutyunyan and Liparit Petrosyan, as Ruzanna Badalyan, Harutyunyan's wife, told reporters.

The Prosecutor's Office of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) has sent to court a criminal case against Zhantemir Temirkanov, a resident of the city of Nartkala, suspected of involvement in illegal armed formations (IAFs).

The international organization "Reporters without Borders" (RWB) has issued a release, which expresses its serious concern about the criminal prosecution of journalists Sergey Reznik and Alexander Tolmachov from Rostov-on-Don, who criticized the authorities.

Muslims of the Volgograd Region report that there was no aggression against them after the terror acts committed in Volgograd. The Union of Muslims of the Volgograd Region has called young Islamists to take part in patrolling the streets with the aim to maintain the public order, said Abdulla Khadji, the chairman of the Union.

Special agents have established that the package, found in the territory of the Shopping Centre "MoryeMall" (Sea Mall) in Sochi, which caused an emergency evacuation of the visitors and employees of the Mall, contained no explosives.

As reported by the Ministry of Public Health (MPH) of the Russian Federation, four hospitalized victims of the terror acts committed in Volgograd are in extremely critical condition; in total, 65 victims are still in hospitals of Moscow and Volgograd.

In Sochi, the mountain Olympic village was opened in the territory of the ski resort "Rosa Khutor". One of the key objects of the 2014 Winter Games is ready to receive 2600 athletes and sports officials.

Three residents of the Malokarachay District of Karachay-Cherkessia are suspected of abducting a minor girl, the press service of the Republic's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Sochi planning to hold total inspection of readiness of Olympic facilities and infrastructure, said his press secretary Dmitry Peskov, adding that special attention will be given to problem objects.