TBILISI (Reuters) – A roll of explosions at a Russian-occupied military base this week sent a clear Kremlin message to Georgia about the frailty of its infant military and its prospects for NATO membership.

PARIS (Reuters) – President Nicolas Sarkozy prepared to fly to Afghanistan on Tuesday after 10 French soldiers were killed and 21 wounded in a clash with Taliban insurgents, and declared France remained committed to its mission there.

KABUL (Reuters) – Taliban insurgents killed 10 French soldiers and wounded 21 in a major battle in Afghanistan, the French president’s office said on Tuesday, the biggest single loss of foreign troops in combat there since 2001.