Mayor murdered

THE MAYOR of the capital of the north Ossetia region in southern Russia was shot and killed by unknown gunmen on Wednesday morning.

Vitaly Karayev, 46, died in hospital from gunshot wounds after he was attacked in Vladikavkaz as he was leaving his home in a car.

Some reports in the Russian media say the mayor could have been killed by a sniper.

North Ossetian President Taimuraz Mamsurov said he would hold urgent talks with regional security officials to discuss the situation, while Russian President Dmitry Medvedev urged investigators to take “all possible measures” to find the perpetrators.