While defending his war in Chechnya, Vladimir Putin has lost sight of Russia's interests abroad.

The EU acquitted itself rather well at the summit with Putin and that was because it drove a hard bargain

A brief look at the stories making headlines in the Russian-language press

Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi and Marat Safin -- ranked one, two and three in the world -- all were upset Wednesday at the Tennis Masters Cup.

2nd Kuchma Case KIEV (AP) -- A Ukrainian judge on Wednesday ordered an investigation into President Leonid Kuchma's failure to enact two laws that would regulate government activity and give lawmakers more control of presidential activity. It was the second criminal investigation that Appellate Court Judge Yury Vasylenko has opened against the president since October. In the first case, Vasylenko ordered prosecutors to investigate opposition accusations that Kuchma was involved in the sale of military technology to Iraq and the killing of journalist Georgy Gongadze. Kuchma has denied the allegations. Wednesday's order was prompted by lawmakers' accusations that Kuchma's failure to enact the laws added up to a refusal to conduct his duties as a state official -- a crime that can bring up to five years in prison. Bin Laden Message CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- In an audiotaped message aired across the Arab world Tuesday, a voice purported to be that of Osama bin Laden praised terrorist strikes in Moscow and Bali.