CHECHNYA BANISHES JOURNALISTS.

The Chechen authorities have ordered all journalists to leave the republic until the current negotiations between Russian and Chechen delegations are completed. First Deputy Premier Movladi Udugov said the move was intended to protect the journalists and to make it possible for the negotiations to proceed smoothly. The recent kidnappings of four Russian journalists, he said, had had a negative impact on the negotiations. Chechen officials said yesterday that the four Russian journalists are safe, but there is still no news about the Italian photographer abducted two weeks ago. (Itar-Tass, Xinhua, March 6)

Russia’s Parliament Banishes a TV Station.