Brussels - Russia is welcome to send observers to a set of NATO military exercises in Georgia which have provoked outrage in Moscow, but it has so far shown no interest in doing so, NATO's top spokesman told journalists on Wednesday.

"If Russia chooses to send observers, I think the alliance would look on it quite positively," James Appathurai said in Brussels.

Stockholm - Georgia has the full right to hold military exercises on its own territory, Georgian Foreign Minister Gregory Vashadze said Monday.

Vashadze made the remarks at a joint news conference with Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt. The two foreign ministers said they discussed bilateral issues as well as Sweden's incoming presidency of the European Union as of July 1.

Last week, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev criticized a planned NATO military exercise in Georgia next month as "muscle-flexing."

Geneva - A new round of talks between the eight parties involved in the negotiations on last summer's war in Georgia will take place next month, a joint announcment said Thursday

The last round of talks ended without any announcement of further meetings, in contrast to the first three rounds. The talks have been taking place at United Nations offices in Geneva since October 2008.

Little substantive progress has been made on solving the core issues of the conflict and negotiations have mostly focused on day to day security and humanitarian issues.

Augusta, Georgia - Pre-tournament favourite Tiger Woods and Open and US PGA champion Padraig Harrington suffered huge blows to their hopes of winning the Masters in early third round action on Saturday. Saturday is traditionally called "Moving Day" at the Majors, but both men were going in the wrong direction.

The pair began on 2-under-par, but Woods double-bogeyed the first hole to drop back to even par, while Harrington had a nightmare with a nine at the par-five second to fall back to 1-over-par.

Augusta, Georgia - Chad Campbell was joined by fellow American Kenny Perry at the top of the leaderboard at the halfway point in the Masters on Friday, on a drama-filled day at Augusta. Campbell, who led by one shot after round one, fired a 3-under-par 69 to set the pace on 9-under-par, while Perry joined him late on with a fine bogey-free 67.

The pair were one shot clear of Argentine Angel Cabrera, who fired a second successive 68, while former Open champion Todd Hamilton was two shots further back.

Augusta, Georgia - Chad Campbell kept his head to maintain his place at the top of the leaderboard midway through the second round of the Masters on Friday. The American, who led by one shot after the first round on 7- under-par, moved to 9-under after a 70, thanks in no small part to a birdie at the last hole.

His lead could and should have been more after four birdies in the first 10 holes took him to 11-under. But bogeys at 11, 12 and 17 dropped him back before his final-hole birdie took him back to 9- under.