A prominent Russian journalist known for her coverage of the war in Chechnya has been shot dead in Moscow. Anna Politkovskaya, a staunch citic of President Vladimir Putin, was found dead in the lift of her apartment block. Fellow journalists and the human rights group Amnesty International have said they believed Ms. Politkovskaya was attacked because of her work. Former Soviet President Mikail Gobachev described her killing as savage crime and a blow to the indenpendent democratic press in Russia. Two years ago,Anna Politkovskaya suffered an apparent case of poisoning as she flew to the town of Beslan where hundreds of school children had been taken hostage. A murder investigation was announced by the Deputy Prosecutor in Moscow Viyanchlev Rocinski.

The prosecutor's office of the city of Moscow has opened a criminal case under article 105 part 2 of the criminal code-pre-mandated murder in connection with the victim's performance of public or official duties. The scene of the accident is currently been examined and investigators are working to record the circumstances and preserve the evidence. As president, I can now only say that the murder was committed by a fire run. A pistol and spent grounds have been recovered at the scene.

The commander of British forces in Afghanistan has asked for extra helicopters to increase pressure on Taliban militants. Grik Deer at Bartler was speaking after the British Prime Minister Tony Blair promised to give troops in Afghanistan everything they needed including helicopters and armored vehicles to complete what he said was a very tough operation. Mr. Blair was addressing British troops on the fifth anniversary of the American-led campaign that forced the Taliban from power.

The security forces in Iraq are conductin a major operation in the Norhern city of Jiekuk. A complete curfew is enforced. Police said at least 150 people had been detained and arms and ammunition seized. They said the operation would continue until Kilkuk was cleared of insurgence blamed for a recent upsurge in bomb attacks. A spokesman for the US military in Jilkuk Major Derick Chen gave more details on what the security forces were doing there.

* was a really fantasy.They are looking any authorized materials, they could be authorized weapons or any materials that could be used in violent operations and also into those individuals that to our working force into the buildings of the region.

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Madagascar has closed one of its international airports in response to the attempted return of its exiled former vice prime minster Pyalo Rager Vanarivala. The authorities had warned him that he would be arrested as soon as he stepped off the plane. Reporting from the capital Antananarivo, here is Jonny Hawk.

The closure came after Mr. Najal Narivala said he would return to the country to run in the presidential elections in December. This is despite the fact that he'd been sentensed in Absentia to 15 years hard labour for his part in the travels of the last election in 2002 when his political party Arima refused to accept defeat. The set up a rival government in their stronhold of Timataf before a number of senior officials fled the country. Mr. Raja Narivala who denys any wrongdoing had planned his return to coincide with the political rally there this weekend.

The Baltic Republic of Latvia has held its first general election since it joined the Eurpean Union and NATO 2 years ago, and exit polls indicate that governing center-right coalition led by the People's Party may have enough votes to be returned to office. However, as our correspondent Lawry Shita reports from Riga votors turned out has been lower than previous elections.

With polling stations now closed, Latvia's central election commission says that just over 60 per cent votors cast a ballot nearly 10 per cent down on turnout for the previous election. The drop in turnout had been widely perdicted blamed on a lack of crucial issues deviding the electors now that Latvia had join the European Union and NATO. Exit polls suggust that the party in the governing center-right coalition have won just 40 percent of the vote which may be enough for them to be reelected. If that happens it will be the first time that a ruling coalition has managed to stay in power since Latvia gained independence from the Soviet Union 15 years ago.

Thousands of people have been demandstrating in the Polish capital Warsaw at a rival events organized by supporters and oppoents of the government. Polish police said about 11,000 people joined a opposition rally to demand earlier elections. The police said about 10,000 attended other demanstrations backing the govering coalition. Polish opinion polls suggest the government's popularity has been badly hit by allegations of corruption and a series of internal disputes about issues including economic reform.