Kavkaz

TBILISI – Georgia and Russia pledged to repair their tattered relationship on Sunday after Mikhail Saakashvili was sworn in as Georgian president, the first concrete sign of an improvement.

MOSCOW – Russia’s armed forces chief said on Saturday Moscow could use nuclear arms pre-emptively if under serious threat, his comments marking no change in defense policy but underlining a renewed military confidence.

TEHRAN (FNA) Russia has delivered more than half the fuel for Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, after a fourth consignment arrived on Sunday.

Commander of the Kabarda-Balkar sector of the Caucasus Front, Amir Sayfullah (Anzor Astamirov), tells about details of the preparation for the declaration of the Emirate of Caucasus. The commentary recorded in Shawwal 1428.

According to sources in the Wilayah of Ghalghaycho (Ingushetia) of the Caucasus Emirate, 9 Muharram 1429 late in the evening (17 January 2008), around 10:10 pm local time, a fierce firefight with the use of assault rifles, machine guns and grenade launchers erupted in downtown Nazran.

The British side has frozen ties with the FSB (Russian Federal Security Service) for the so-called “anti- terrorist cooperation”, British Ambassador to Russia Anthony Brenton said.

There are two worst rated territories: Tibet (under Chinese jurisdiction) and Chechnya, where an indigenous Islamic population is engaged in a brutal guerrilla war for independence from Russia.” [Chechnya got the lowermost rating both in Political Rights and Civil Liberties.]

UNITED NATIONS – Russia on Wednesday backed its ally Serbia, saying Kosovo will never become a member of the United Nations or other international organizations if the breakaway province unilaterally declares independence.

MOSCOW – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will travel to Tbilisi for Mikhail Saakashvili’s inauguration as Georgian president, his press department said on Wednesday, despite tense relations between the two countries.

TBILISI – Georgia’s opposition vowed on Tuesday to press on with street protests and mount a legal challenge to a presidential election which it says incumbent Mikhail Saakashvili rigged in his favor.