Russian deputies beat European colleagues in a football match.

MOSCOW, September 20 (Itar-Tass) - Russian lawmakers scored a
triumphant victory over their European counterparts in a football match on
Sunday: 3-1 (2-0) on Sunday. The match wrapped up the Second Games of
parliamentarians from European countries that had been held at Moscow's
Luzhniki stadium for the past three days.
The European MPs competed in five sports, such as mini football,
tennis, table tennis, chess and golf.
One hundred twenty deputies from eleven European countries, members of
the PACE, took part in the games. They include Russia, Belarus, Ukraine,
Latvia, Lithuania, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Austria and
Bulgaria.
Lithuania was the winner in the overall team event. The Lithuanian MPs
won chess and table tennis tournaments, were third in gold and tennis and
sixth in mini-football. They are taking home a 25-kilomgram challenge Cup,
which represents a composition of five gilded figures standing on a
malachite basement and holding the globe in their hands.
The Russian deputies were second. They lost just one point to their
Lithuanian counterparts. The Russian athletes scored a convincing victory
in tennis and mini-football but were only fifth in chess competitions,
fourth in golf and third in table tennis.
The teams of Ukraine, Serbia and Belarus are also in the top five.
Gymnastics Olympic Champion Alexei Nemov, who was the Games' chief
referee, said that their participants had had a good chance to test their
strength and endurance on a football field and tennis court.
"True, unlike political battles these competitions will, generally
speaking, have no losers. The most important thing in sport, as you may
know, is not to win but to participate. For that reason sport has long ago
become the second language of international communication," Nemov went on
to say. He said that in future the Games of parliamentarians should turn
into a global competition of lawmakers.
The leaders of the Russian State Duma and the Federation Council, the
two chambers of Russian Federal Assembly (parliament), the Russian
government, the Ministry of Physical Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth
Policy as well as the Moscow government had helped organizing the games.
The first such games were held in Moscow in October 2009 on the
initiative of the Russian side. Deputies from ten European
countries-members of the PACE took part in them. Russia was the winner.

. At least 40 servicemen die in fire attack in eastern Tajikistan.

DUSHANBE, September 20 (Itar-Tass) - At least 40 servicemen, including
five officers, were killed in an armed attack on a truck convoy of the
Tajik Defence Ministry in the Rasht district near the Pamir Mountains on
Sunday, according to the independent news agency Asia Plus. Official
sources are putting the death toll at 24.
A transportation plane delivered more than ten wounded to the Dushanbe
military hospital.
Asia Plus gives the details of the attack. There 75 servicemen in the
convoy. They came under a massive grenade and machine-gun fire at the
exit from the gorge.
An investigation is under way.

. At least 40 servicemen die in fire attack in eastern Tajikistan.

DUSHANBE, September 20 (Itar-Tass) - Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon,
who is currently visiting New York, has sent a telegram of condolences to
the families of Tajik military who died in an armed attack in the Rasht
district in eastern Tajikistan on Sunday. He pledged the authorities would
help all the victims.
At least 40 servicemen, including five officers, were killed in an
armed attack on a truck convoy of the Tajik Defence Ministry in the Rasht
district near the Pamir Mountains, according to the independent news
agency Asia Plus. Official sources are putting the death toll at 24.
A transportation plane delivered more than ten wounded to the Dushanbe
military hospital.
Asia Plus gives the details of the attack. There 75 servicemen in the
convoy. They came under a massive grenade and machine-gun fire at the
exit from the gorge.
An investigation is under way.
The Tajik presidential press service reports that Emomali Rakhmon was
promptly informed about the shooting incident. He urged the heads of the
law enforcement agencies and security services as well as the army to find
the attackers, put them to trial and provide security in eastern
Tajikistan.
A Tajik law enforcement source told Itar-Tass that a gang led by Mullo
Abdullo (the elusive Abdullo Rakhimov), a former military commander who
refused to lay down arms after the warring parties in Tajikistan signed
the 1997 General Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and National
Accord that marked the end to a civil war.
There've been rumours that Mullo Abdullo fought for the Taliban in
Afghanistan after opposition was defeated in Tajikistan. NATO troops
allegedly captured him but he turned out to be free again.

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