A Dagestani Supreme Court Judge, Kurban Pashaev, was fatally shot by an unidentified attacker on December 11. The Associated Press quoted Makhachkala police spokesman Malvudin Galimov as saying that Pashaev was shot more than ten times in the entranceway of his apartment building in Makhachkala. Citing Russian media,

Russia has at last learned the name of Vladimir Putin’s successor. On December 10, four pro-Kremlin’s parties, including the United Russia party-the winner of the recent parliament elections-put forward First Deputy Prime Minster Dmitry Medvedev as their candidate in the March 2008 presidential election. On the same day, Medvedev was …

The North Caucasian republic of Dagestan has been shocked by the case of nine medical students, some from well-off families, who have apparently joined up with Mujahideen fighters in the mountains.