Two more hostages, freed from the Moscow theatre siege by Russian troops, died in hospital overnight from the gas used to incapacitate them and their captors.

Danish police have arrested a senior spokesman for Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov following a conference on how to end fighting in the breakaway Russian province.

Moscow health officials today confirmed that two victims of last week’s hostage crisis died of gunshot wounds, and that the rest were killed by a noxious gas used by Russian special forces.

Moscow’s chief prosecutor claims 45 theatre hostages died from gunshot wounds, Interfax news agency reports.

Few Russians and no international leaders were today prepared to criticise President Vladimir Putin's use of a secret gas that ended the Moscow theatre siege but killed at least 116 hostages.

Stunned Russians mourned the victims of the theatre hostage tragedy today, shocked that nearly all the 118 captives who died were killed by gas used to knock out their assailants - but relieved that hundreds of others were saved.

Russia’s armed forces are to get broader powers to strike against suspected terrorists following the Moscow hostage crisis.

Russia today began the new week with an official day of mourning for at least 118 people killed in the Moscow hostage crisis.

The wail of sirens and the cries of relatives mixed outside a Moscow hospital today when doctors today began releasing some of the hundreds of people who had been treated there after the Moscow theatre hostage crisis.

The British family caught in the Moscow hostage crisis has been finally reunited after their son was released from hospital overnight.

Police in Russia were today keeping the hundreds of survivors of a siege at a Moscow cinema under virtual arrest today at hospitals throughout the city, fearing that Chechan hostage-takers may be among them.

A British couple taken hostage when Chechen gunmen stormed a Moscow theatre have been reunited after the 58-hour siege ended in a dramatic rescue bid by Russian special forces.

More than 750 survivors of the Moscow hostage-taking were tonight recovering from their ordeal which ended this morning when Russian special forces stormed the theatre where they had been held by Chechen gunmen.

Sixty seven hostages in the Moscow theatre crisis have been killed.

Russian special forces have freed all of the captives held at a Moscow theatre by Chechen rebels.

Fears are growing tonight for hundreds of hostages who were spending a third night at the mercy of Chechen rebels in a Moscow theatre.

The Russian Media Ministry today ordered a TV station off the air for its coverage of the hostage crisis and also disciplined some other media for letting terrorists on the air.

The 23-year-old leader of the Moscow hostage-takers is the nephew of a Chechen warlord reportedly paid £20m by Osama bin Laden to execute four engineers.

Hopes for the safe release of dozens of foreigners, including two British citizens, being held hostage by Chechen rebels in a Moscow theatre, appeared dashed today amid claims of a deadlock in negotiations.

Gunmen holding hundreds of hostages in a Moscow theatre today released eight children.

Chechen rebels holding around 600 hostages at a Moscow theatre have agreed to release all 75 foreigners they are holding captive.

Gunmen holding hostages at a Moscow theatre fired two rocket-propelled grenade rounds tonight, the Interfax news agency reported.

There are unconfirmed reports of three explosions in the area of the Moscow theatre where Chechen rebels are holding 700 people hostage.

The ITAR-Tass news agency reported today that Chechen gunmen had shot one of the hundreds of hostages being held in a Moscow theatre.

Negotiations between Russian officials and Chechen gunman in a Moscow theatre were launched again today after four mediators waving a white flag entered the building to seek an end to the desperate standoff.

Chechan rebels have released five hostages from the Moscow theatre where they had been held since yesterday.

Chechen guerrillas holding up to 700 hostages in a Moscow theatre have reportedly offered to release several Westerners.

There are reports of a loud blast near a theatre in Moscow where an audience is being held hostage by Chechan rebels.