RADUEV STILL HOLDING HOSTAGES.

As of last night, Chechen rebel leader Salman Raduev had not released any of the 22 Russian hostages he and his men are holding somewhere on the Chechen-Dagestan border. Negotiations are being conducted by Russian deputy Security Council secretary Boris Berezovsky. He told Russian TV that provisional agreement had been reached to release the hostages within the next 24 hours. But Raduev said he was still awaiting an apology from the Russian and Dagestani authorities and from the Russian media. (ORT, December 17)

Ukraine Doesn’t Rule Out Applying to Join NATO.