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The Ministry of Transports and Communications of the Chechen Republic has introduced a ban on smoking during driving for drivers of regular buses and fixed-route taxis. Violators will face dismissal. This innovation, according to the ministry, should reduce the risk of traffic accidents.

In the Lori Region of Armenia unidentified persons set the car belonging to Narine Avetisyan, editor-in-chief of the "Lori" TV Company, on fire. The Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Civil Assembly treats this fact as another attack on the journalist.

After human rights activists have spread information about forced eviction by power agents of residents from the hostel in Mayakovsky Street in Grozny, the process was suspended; however, several residents have not got their keys back.

As reported by a source from law enforcement bodies, in the Oktiabrskiy District of Grozny, a group of armed men in camouflage captured and taken away two men.

The special service VSD (Lithuanian State Security Police) dealt with Egle Kusaite, starting several years before her arrest, as a sort of "bait" to find out the intentions of Muslims in the country. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told about it by the Lithuanian journalist Thomas Chivas, who is covering Egle Kusaite's case and attending court sessions in Vilnius.

Vladimir Finenko, head of the water supply shop at the Municipal Unitary Enterprise (MUE) "Vodokanal" of the city of Semikarakorsk, Rostov Region, for whose fault, according to investigators, 96 citizens got poisoned with drinking water, will face trial. The criminal case against him was sent to the Semikarakorsk District Court for consideration on the merits.

Vladislav Ryazantsev, coordinator of the Rostov branch of the movement "Left-Wing Front" was fined by one thousand roubles for holding an unauthorized rally. The opposition leader plans to challenge the ruling.

Elena Khrustalyova, a special correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot", who had been invited to the meeting with Alexander Khloponin, Russian President's Plenipotentiary in the NCFD (North-Caucasian Federal District), and was sent for this purpose from Moscow to Stavropol, was not allowed to be present at the event.

Tatiana Stetsura, who is accused, together with journalist Natalia Nizovkina, of extremism in connection with their article about deportation of Chechens and Ingushes, has been deprived of the status of layer for non-participation in any advocates' formation and non-payment of fees to the Bar Association of Buryatia.

As stated by Nizam Radjabov, a spokesman from Dagestani investigatory bodies, the criminal investigation into the shooting on September 2, 2008, in Makhachkala of a journalist Abdullah (Telman) Alishaev, editor-in-chief of "Makhachkala-TV", was stopped because of the death of Vadim Butdaev who committed this crime. Vadim's sister, in her turn, believes that her brother was not involved in the murder.

One serviceman was killed and another one was wounded at explosion of a self-made bomb on January 16 near the village of Kharsenoi in Chechnya, a source from law enforcement bodies said today.

After a mass fight that burst out on December 18, 2010, in Zimovniki, a district centre of the Rostov Region, and the events that followed, the regional GUVD (Chief Interior Department) replaced the head of the local ROVD (District Interior Division) and sent additional forces there. This was stated on January 14 by the GUVD head Alexei Lapin, who answered the question of the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent about the situation in the region.

The criminals, who attacked this morning Khachim Shogenov, a former interior minister of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), and killed two of his bodyguards, escaped from the venue together with stolen guns and a car.

Graduates of the Makhachkala school of graffiti will be engaged in decoration of house facades and placement of social ads.

Rasul Magomedov, a resident of Balakhany village, Untsukul District of Dagestan, father of Maryam Sharipova, who, according to investigatory bodies, blew herself up in Moscow metro on March 29, 2010, said that he was unaware of the course of investigation into the explosion and that his two sons were persecuted.

In Norway, the court decided to release Madina Salamova (Maria Ameli), arguing that there was no need to keep her in custody. Maria Ameli will spend her last days before deportation at large, said Brinyulf Risnes, the advocate of the native of North Ossetia.

Two Karabakh servicemen were wounded by fire from the Azerbaijani side last week, reports the press service of the Defence Army of Nagorno-Karabakh. The latter, in its turn, accused Karabakh of shelling its territory, which killed a private of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan.

A number of Russian cities - Moscow, St Petersburg, Perm, Tyumen and others - will host rallies in memory of anti-fascists - lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova, who were assassinated on January 19, 2009. The organizers of these actions want to draw attention of residents of their cities to the problem of nationalism-instigated hatred, against which Markelov and Baburova had fought.

Vyacheslav Gasanov, press secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Dagestan, has confirmed the information that Nail Bikmaev, Imam of the Jami (Cathedral Mosque) of Rostov-on-Don, was detained in the Kirov District of Makhachkala on January 5.

Moscow militiamen detained 19 participants of the commemoration rally of Yegor Sviridov, the murdered fan of the "Spartak" Football Club, to identify them and clarify their involvement in the unrest in Manege Square on December 11.