(Reuters) – Fighting raged in and around the capital of Georgia’s breakaway South Ossetia region on Friday as Georgian troops and warplanes pounded separatist forces in a bid to regain control of the territory. The separatists have Moscow’s political and financial backing.

(Reuters) – Georgia, where government forces fought pro-Russian separatists on Friday, is an energy highway to the West with two major pipelines routed via the capital Tbilisi.

MEGVREKISI, Georgia (Reuters) – Fighting raged in and around the capital of Georgia’s breakaway South Ossetia region on Friday as Georgian troops, backed by warplanes, pounded separatist forces in a bid to re-take control of the territory.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Georgia, engaged in a large-scale operation to regain control of its breakaway province of South Ossetia, told its other separatist region, Abkhazia, on Friday to stay away from the conflict.

TBILISI (Reuters) – Three Russian jets entered Georgian airspace and “dropped bombs” at two locations just south of breakaway South Ossetia, where fighting raged on Friday, Georgia’s interior ministry said.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council failed on Friday to reach an agreement on a Russian-drafted statement that would have called on Georgia and separatists in its South Ossetia region to immediately halt all bloodshed.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Georgian troops entered Tskhinvali, the besieged capital of the breakaway region of South Ossetia, on Friday after battling separatist forces overnight, Interfax news agency reported.

TBILISI (Reuters) – Georgia will continue its military operation in the breakaway region of South Ossetia until a “durable peace” is reached, Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze said on Friday.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is currently holding consultations with aides on Moscow’s strategy in the South Ossetian conflict, the Kremlin said.

HEBRON, West Bank (Reuters) – The Palestinian juice vendor cursed after an Israeli soldier stopped him from trundling his barrow into Hebron’s ancient covered market.