Managua - The leftist Sandinista government of Nicaragua became the second country - after Russia - to recognize the break- away Georgian provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The president of the Central American country, Daniel Ortega, said late Tuesday before the leadership of the Nicaraguan Army that he supports the plan by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to bring these territories closer to Russia.

Managua  - Students at all public and private schools in Nicaragua will be required to sing the national anthem every day, according to a decree issued Monday by the Central American country's leftist Sandinista government.

The decree was set to come into force Tuesday across the country and would be strictly monitored, Education Minister Miguel de Castilla said at a press conference.

Managua  - A small passenger plane crashed into two cows that had strayed onto the runway of an airport in southern Nicaragua, local media reported Thursday.

The plane was travelling to Managua with nine passengers on board. There were no injuries reported - of either human beings or cows.

The incident took place late Wednesday at San Carlos airport, in the province of Rio San Juan. The cows ambled onto the runway just as the local La Costena plane was getting ready to take off.

"The passengers felt the impact and kept their cool, while the pilot manoeuvred until he got the small plane to halt in the muddy area around the runway," the daily El Nuevo Diario reported.

Managua, Nicaragua - A huge fire destroyed Managua's landmark Oriental Market, wiping out 1,500 vendor stalls and causing an estimated 100 million dollars in damage, local media reported early Satu

Miami/Managua, Nicaragua - Tropical Storm Alma made landfall Thursday on Costa Rica's Pacific Coast and blew through to Nicaragua, where 35,000 people were being evacuated.