In Belarus, Hindus who gather together in their gods' names are, by definition, almost always in violation of the law.

Canada Pledges $5M MOSCOW (AP) -- Canada agreed Monday to provide $5 million to help Russia dismantle its giant chemical weapons stockpiles, a modest contribution to be followed by much larger aid flows, officials said. Canadian Foreign Minister Bill Graham said Monday that his government had promised to provide up to $1 billion over the next decade as part of an international plan to assist Russia's disarmament efforts. Graham, who spoke to reporters after talks with his Russian counterpart, Igor Ivanov, said Monday's agreement would create a legal framework facilitating further aid disbursements. ""We don't pretend this is the end. This is a modest contribution,"" Graham said at a news conference. ""The signing of the agreement goes far beyond the amount of money involved, because it clearly indicates that we have arrived at a legal arrangement which we are satisfied [with].

The Lemniscate Foundation gives Muscovites suffering from severe autism, cerebral palsy and other mental problems a sense of fulfillment through making crafts.

A populist former army colonel who led a coup in 2000 and has pledged to fight corruption was elected as Ecuador's sixth president in six years.

The first team of UN inspectors landed in Iraq on Monday afternoon to take up the hunt for chemical, biological or nuclear arms programs.

Communist North Korea will stop using dollars from next month, China's Xinhua news agency said, following a U.S. decision to halt oil shipments to Pyongyang.

High taxation and regulation as well sentiment the government has grown less friendly toward the private sector has tarnished Britain's reputation as a leading place to do business, a survey shows.

French bank shares fluctuated wildly on Monday as investors bet on another wave of consolidation in the sector following BNP Paribas's shock weekend purchase of a large stake in Credit Lyonnais.