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

There can be no excuse, no defense, no justification for the plight of millions of our fellow human beings in Africa today.

In his state of the nation address back in April, President Vladimir Putin stressed the need ""to stimulate the flow of capital accumulated by [Russian] citizens into our national economy."" The president called for an amnesty on previously undeclared income on two conditions: Such income would be taxed at the standard 13 percent rate, and it would be deposited in Russian banks. ""This money should work for our economy, in our country, and not lie around in offshore zones,"" Putin said.

Roman Abramovich is among a group of financeers backing a new training complex aimed at developing talent in Russian football.

For nearly 25 years, Sandra Day O'Connor's stance has tipped the scales in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Within hours after Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement from the U.S. Supreme Court, members of conservative groups convened in five national conference calls in which they shared one concern: heading off any effort by U.S. President George W. Bush to nominate his attorney general, Alberto Gonzales.

Security forces killed the al-Qaida terrorist group's leader in Saudi Arabia during a fierce gun battle Sunday in the capital, Riyadh, an Interior Ministry official told Saudi Arabia's official news agency.