MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia, which sent a warship to Somalia’s coast to combat pirates, asked the African nation on Thursday for carte blanche to use force in its territorial waters.

TBILISI (Reuters) – Georgia said on Thursday that Russia had deployed 2,000 extra troops in South Ossetia in the past week and was preparing to stir up more trouble in the breakaway territory.

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan has not formally asked for a facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the prime minister’s top adviser on economic affairs said on Thursday, contrary to comments by the head of the multilateral agency.