Even Russian human rights activists say an anti-terrorism campaign is justified. But they sharply criticise the indiscriminate bombing and other attacks in Chechnya and propose a limited cessation of fighting to pave the way for talks.
What is it about Nakhichevan? Although comprising only 10 per cent of the Azerbaijani population, virtually every member of the country's political elite hails from the tiny enclave.
There are clear improvements in the Georgian economy - yet more than half of the country's unemployed have been out of work for more than three years and 41 percent of this group are professionally qualified. Half are women.
With the expected signing of a deal on Nagorno-Karabakh derailed by last month's carnage in the Armenian parliament, the Chechen crisis is even more certain to set the agenda for the OSCE summit next week.
Russia's forceful bid to 'resolve' the Chechen problem seemed certain to attract criticism from the very start of the military operation in Chechnya. The Kremlin's ability to ignore those critics may not be as strong as the army's.
Armenia's appeal courts are to rule on the much-publicised case of a local journalist accused of libeling the interior minister.
Russian officials label the humanitarian crisis in Chechnya as a 'well directed play' as thousands of Chechen refugees into Ingushetia - and back - now the border crossing is finally reopened.
How deep was the crisis between President Robert Kocharian and the military? Thousands of troops were pointedly still patrolling the city last week.
The Russian authorities use the kidnap threat to discourage reporters from attempting to travel to Chechnya, and those who dare to try are being stopped at the border. The result is a news blackout that benefits only the Kremlin.
An independent TV station in Azerbaijan remains shut down and its staff on hunger strike a month after armed police stormed the studios after the showing of a programme critical of President Heydar Aliev.
