Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service today denied that Moscow provided information on US troop movements and plans to Baghdad during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Interfax news agency reported.

Sailors in dress uniforms stood rigid on a ship deck today as wreaths were tossed into the sea to honour 118 of their comrades who perished five years ago when the nuclear submarine Kursk sank.

Russia may use its strategic bombers to unleash preventive strikes against terrorists outside its borders.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s attempt to indict Iraq over weapons of mass destruction and links to the terrorist group al-Qaida will comfort the converted, but may not persuade doubters that Washington has a cast-iron case for war.