Russian troops locked in the "final assault" on Grozny have been astonished by the ferocity of the rebel resistance. In the heart of the Chechen capital, they are coming up against the cream of the guerrilla forces, led by battle-hardened veterans of the
Despite traditionally pro-Chechen sympathies, Kazakhstan has succumbed to unrelenting Russian propaganda, giving Chechen refugees an icy reception.
As Baku revels in a much-publicised "oil rush", questions are being asked about the true extent of the legendary reserves awaiting exploitation in the Caspian Sea basin.
Is the Commonwealth of Independent States at an end? With Russia's recent introduction of visa requirements for travellers to and from Georgia and Azerbaijan, the future for the CIS looks bleak.
Confronted with renewed Russian aggression in Chechnya, the states of
