BEIJING (Reuters) – President George W. Bush said on Monday he had expressed grave concern to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin about Russia’s “disproportionate response” against Georgia in the South Ossetia conflict.

DAMASCUS  – Syria on Sunday ruled out the UN atomic watchdog making a second inspection of a contested site bombed by Israel last year and alleged by the United States to be the location of a nuclear facility.

TEHRAN,  (ISNA)-Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Algerian counterpart Abdul- Aziz Bouteflika here on Monday discussed ways to promote bilateral ties.