Moscow- Opposition leaders in Russia's southern region of Ingushetia on Monday slammed the death in police custody of a journalist critical of the Kremlin and called for a full inquiry.

"We do not believe in coincidences," a spokesman for the opposition was quoted as saying by the news agency Interfax, a day after Magomed Yevloyev died from a policeman's bullet.

Authorities in the Ingushetia capital of Nazran said an investigation showed the journalist died when he tried to grab the officer's gun.

Moscow, Sep. 1 : Russia on Sunday laid out guiding principles of its foreign policy that included a claim to a “privileged” sphere of influence in the world.

In an address to Russian Television viewers, President Dmitri Medvedev said from the Black Sea resort of Sochi, that his government would adhere to five principles.

The New York Times quoted him as saying that Russia would observe international law and rejected the United States dominance of world affairs in a “unipolar” world.

Moscow, Tbilisi - Georgia is to introduce tougher laws to stop the country being "destabilised" following the recent invasion by Russian troops, Georgian media reports Saturday quoted President Mikheil Saakashvili as saying.

Saakashvili was speaking late Friday during a visit to the Black Sea town of Poti where there was still a Russian troop presence, the reports said.

Saakashvili had given no details of what measures were being introduced, but had stressed that "citizens' rights" would not be affected.

Tbilisi/Moscow  - Georgia declared Friday that it was breaking off all diplomatic ties with Russia over the Kremlin's recognition of its breakaway regions.

It also and outlawed Russia's local peacekeeping mission. Russia criticized the deterioration in relations.

The move was part of a parliamentary resolution voted Thursday, which included an official termination of Russia's former peacekeeping mission in Georgia.

Moscow  - Russia on Friday rejected the criticism of fellow G8 members as biased and orchestrated to justify Georgian "aggression," but said it aimed to keep its spot among the world's top industrialized nations.

The G7 foreign ministers roundly condemned this week for recognizing of Georgia's separatist regions as a violation of the former Soviet state's sovereignty.

Moscow  - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused the United States of plotting this month's war in Georgia.

Putin told CNN the fighting was triggered by politicians in Washington in an attempt to give an advantage one of the competing US presidential candidates, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama.

The former president gave no evidence to support his statements, which he called "conjecture," but said the US action forced Russia's hand.