Russia Denies Reports on Handing Islands to Japan ����Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin on Wednesday denied as "groundless" Japanese newspaper reports on a possible interim agreement on handing two South Kuril islands to Japan. ����Karasin, who is in charge of drafting a peace treaty with Japan, said such reports "are aimed at disrupting public opinion," Interfax reported. ���� WorldNews 1999-01-07 Page6 Full Story in Chinese