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Chechen drug policemen are conducting a broad-scale preventive operation against the owners of entities, where smoker's mixes (hookah) are used, and trading facilities, where such mixes are sold. It was found out that a number of the mixes used by hookah smokers contain a strong narcotic substance.

In Karachai-Circassia, critical statements of Vladimir Ustinov, President's plenipotentiary in the Southern Federal District (SFD), about the idea of the united Circassian region were differently estimated by activists of public organizations. The "Adyge Khasse" thanked Mr Ustinov for his general focusing the problem, but noted that "someone had misinformed the speaker."

Workers of science in the Rostov Region express varying opinions on the fact of establishment of the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD). These are the results of the poll held by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent among the leading scientists and experts of Rostov-on-Don about the new NCFD approved by the State Duma on January 22.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Development of North Ossetia has taken part in the contest of the Fund in Support of Vulnerable Children. The republic has won four out of seven programmes put to the contest. As reported by Zhanna Gasieva, deputy minister of labour and social development of the republic, this year, North Ossetia will receive more than 30 million roubles on implementation of programmes.

As reported by the Federal Public Health Supervisory Agency ("Roszdravnadzor"), Astrakhan drugstores in 2008-2009 delivered, through the Red Cross, drugs with expired shelf life intended for victims in Tskhinvali. In total, within this humanitarian action, medical products worth 23,400 roubles were shipped to South Ossetia.

The international human rights organization the Human Rights Watch (HRW) states that the situation with observance of human rights in Northern Caucasus, and first of all in Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia, is at critically low level.

Politicians and activists of public organizations of North Ossetia view new opportunities for economic growth, fighting criminality, development of tourism, businesses and institutes of civil society in this republic in foundation of the new North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) and appointment of Alexander Khloponin to be the plenipotentiary of Russian President in this District.

The procedure of today's fast judicial session was scripted well in advance: the militia cordoned the court building and brought Alexei Dymovskiy to the SIZO (pre-trial custody) even before the judgement. This was reported to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent from the court building in Novorossisk is informed by Vadim Karastelyov, an expert of the Novorossisk Committee of Human Rights and official representative of the former Major of Novorossisk militia Alexei Dymovskiy.

Today, the State Duma of the Russian Federation has adopted two presidential bills, submitted because of creation of the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) and approval of Alexander Khloponin in the post of vice-premier and President's plenipotentiary in the District.

On January 22-23, in Krasnodar, activists-ecologists plan to hold public actions in defence of the unique natural territory named Utrish, located in the Krasnodar Territory between the cities of Anapa and Novorossisk. These actions will open the international decade of actions in defence of Utrish, which will last from January 22 to January 31.

Today in the morning, in central Derbent, in the Agasieva Avenue, unidentified persons in masks tried to detain Mr Bedeev, Rumil Begevich, born in 1982. Bedeev managed to snatch a pistol out of one of the attackers, made several shots and disappeared. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed about it by Ekaterina Sokiryanskaya, an employee of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial". The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Dagestan has reported that the detention of the suspect was undertaken because of his links with militants.

In the centre of the capital of Abkhazia, at the back side of the building of the council of Ministers, burned down back during the war, teenagers found a newborn girl abandoned by unknown people.

The relatives of the Ingush public figure Maksharip Aushev (assassinated in October 2009), who disappeared in St Petersburg in the end of December 2009, are searched in several regions of Russia. This was stated by Vladislav Piotrovskiy, head of the GUVD of St Petersburg and Leningrad Region.

Twelve schoolchildren from different villages of the Gali District of Abkhazia were detained by Russian frontier guards on January 20 in the morning on their way to the school located in Chkoushi village of the neighbouring Tsalendzhikh District of Georgia. On that very day the children were released. The authorities of Abkhazia in exile are concerned with children's further attending Georgian schools.

The establishment of the North-Caucasian Federal District (NSFD) from some of the regions, which earlier were parts of the SFD (Southern Federal District), with appointment of Alexander Khloponin to the post of vice-premier and plenipotentiary of Russian President in the newly formed District, can indicate an attempt of the Kremlin to reach a peaceful settlement of the complex situation in Northern Caucasus. This is the opinion of Nikolai Petrov, an expert of the Carnegie Centre. However, he, like other experts, notes that the former administrative experience of the new plenipotentiary may be not the primary factor of successful execution of his mission.

Warrant officer Vitaly Khripun, a former contract military in South Ossetia, who occurred in the territory of Georgia, got there in the state of alcoholic intoxication and was put before a choice - either being put to prison or become a political figure by revealing problems in his military unit. This is the opinion of Timur Tskhovrebov, editor of the newspaper "21st Century".

Major Alexei Dymovskiy, former employee of the UVD (Interior Division) of Novorossisk, who became known after his presentation in the Internet, was presented a charge under part 3, Articles 159, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Swindle accomplished by a person through abuse of his/her service position". This was stated by Vladimir Markin, spokesman of the Russian ICPO (Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutor's Office). According to his story, the preliminary investigation of the case continues.

According to Adalbi Shkhagoshev, Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation from Kabardino-Balkaria and one of the organizers of the Forum "Caucasus. Traditions and Modernization", held in Nalchik on November 30, 2009, without involvement of broad public addressing the problems, which exist in Northern Caucasus, including many frozen conflicts, looks impossible.

Today, the city of Derbent (Dagestan) hosted a 2-thousand-strong rally with a demand to the incumbent city mayor Felix Kaziakhmedov to resign. The resolution passed by the rally asks to appoint the new election of head of the city as soon as possible.

The Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" plans to address the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the context of the today's decision of the Moscow City Court (MCC), which rejected the Centre's complaint against the claim lodged by President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov.