TALIBAN MAINTAINS HARD LINE.

The crew of a Russian Il-76 plane seized last August by Taliban rebels in Afghanistan is unlikely to be released any time soon, an official of the Tatarstan president’s office said yesterday. During talks in Quandahar March 17, the rebels continued to demand a list of Afghanistani citizens who fled with the Soviet army as it withdrew from Afghanistan, he said. (Itar-Tass, March 24)

Turkey Wants Good Relations with Russia.