The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Moscow - Russia's military is ready to launch pre-emptive strikes at terrorist bases anywhere in the world, one of the country's top generals said Wednesday. "As for carrying out preventive strikes against terrorist bases, we will take all measures to liquidate terrorist bases in any region of the world," Col.-Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky, chief of the Russian General Staff, told reporters. "It does not mean that we are planning nuclear strikes," he said. "The forms and methods will depend on the circumstances." The threat comes as Russian officials offered a $13-million reward for information that helps "neutralize" two Chechen rebel leaders believed to be behind the Beslan school siege. Paris - A week after France imposed a ban on religious symbols in schools, between 100 and 120 girls have attended class wearing headscarves, the education minister said. Five Sikh students have also been sent home for wearing turbans, both Sikh and education officials said. In March, France passed a law banning overt religious symbols in public schools ? including headscarves, Jewish skull caps and large Christian crosses ? but it didn't take effect until Thursday last week. Jerusalem - Israel is taking measures to defend itself from Iran because the world is not doing enough to stop it from developing atomic weapons, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Wednesday.
