31.   A policeman was reported shot dead Sunday in Dagestan, a southern Russian region that has taken steps to beef up security along its increasingly troubled border with Chechnya.

32.   A newspaper editor in a restive southern Russian region was attacked and apparently beaten by metal sticks, police said Tuesday.

33.   A newspaper editor in a restive southern Russian region was attacked and apparently beaten with metal sticks, police said Tuesday.

34.   A small sports plane crashed in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar on Wednesday, killing both pilots aboard, emergency officials said.

35.   A rare tornado swept through a remote Russian region Thursday, lifting the roofs off houses and felling trees, authorities said.

36.   A synagogue was vandalized in a Russian region once set aside for Jewish settlers, a news report said Tuesday.

37.   A series of violent crimes, including kidnappings and bomb attacks, have kept tensions in Chechnya and surrounding Russian regions on the boil.

38.   A tax official has been kidnapped in the volatile southern Russian region of Dagestan, a news report said Monday.

39.   A storm ripped through the Russian region of Chuvashia, damaging homes and killing at least one person, a report said Saturday.

40.   A week ago, Islamic militants crossed into neighboring Russian region of Dagestan, seizing several areas.