The man suspected of shooting Anna Politkovskaya, one of Russia's best known and most fearless journalists, has been arrested at his family home in his native Chechnya.

Chechnya's kremlin-backed leader flippantly dismissed suggestions of involvement in killings in the restive Russian region, telling a court yesterday that his hands were clean following a recent manicure.

Members of Brazil's 2002 World Cup winning squad have played a 'friendly match' in Chechnya against a local side.

Ten people were reported killed yesterday in clashes between security forces and suspected militants in Russia's mainly Muslim North Caucasus.

Ruud Gullit says he is looking forward to the challenge of leading Terek Grozny after being unveiled as the Russian club's new manager.

A Dagestani man wanted by police for the murder of a Moscow football fan has released a video accusing Russian society of being racist and its political leaders of stoking up ethnic tensions.

Chechen warlord Doku Umarov has claimed responsibility for last month's suicide bombing at a Moscow airport and threatened more such attacks as a growing Islamic insurgency tries to force Russia to surrender control over its southern Caucasus region.

Rebel leader Doku Umarov said last night that he had ordered the suicide bomb attack at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport that killed 36 people and injured 180 last month.

Video appears to show Moscow bomber and warns of 'monthly, weekly' atrocities

The former Soviet republics are awash with money and it is being thrown at football clubs – the vanity projects of tycoons or politicians

Ramzan Kdyrov, the Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya, said this week that a local rule forcing women to wear headscarves was justified because the sight of female flesh prevents him from concentrating on his work.

Islamic militants emerged as the most likely suspects behind the Moscow airport attack. There has been no claim of responsibility but early witness reports suggested the bomber had a "North Caucasus appearance".

A suicide bomber killed more than 30 people and injured about 140 when he blew himself up in a packed terminal at Moscow's busiest airport today.