Russia's envoy to Nato warned the alliance today against overstepping its mandate in Kosovo and said Moscow might be forced to use "brute military force" to maintain respect on the world scene.

A British remote-controlled vehicle cut loose a Russian mini-submarine that had been snarled on undersea cables for three days deep in the Pacific, and it surfaced today with its crew safe.

Senior Russian and US officials began consultations in Moscow today that were expected to focus on potential terrorist threats coming from groups based in Afghanistan.