Russia

Crash in Urals leaves 82 dead

Crash in Urals leaves 82 deadMoscow - An airliner flying from Moscow to Perm,

Russia pulls troops out of western Georgia

Moscow - Russia has withdrawn its last troops from western Georgia in accordance with a deal agreed with the European Union, reports said Saturday.

Russian soldiers on Saturday left the Georgian Black Sea port of Poti as well as five checkpoints between Poti and Senaki, Georgian media reports quoted the Georgian authorities and witnesses as saying.

Russian television showed the troops dismantling checkpoints at Poti before leaving in trucks. Around 150 Russian soldiers and ten tanks had been stationed in the port, locals said.

"This proves that the Russian state can strictly keep agreements," Russian Foreign Office spokesman Andrei Nesterenko told the Interfax news agency.

Russia says Georgia attack was its 9/11

Russia says Georgia attack was its 9/11London, Sept. 13: Russia has described Georgia’s attack on South Ossetia and Abkhazia in August as its 9/11, and claimed that Russia would have attacked Georgia even if it was a member of the NATO.

In a strikingly self-possessed three-hour meeting in Moscow, President Dmitry Medvedev made clear he would be prepared to defend Russians militarily wherever they were in the world.

Medvedev said he never imagined he would be confronted with such a foreign policy crisis so early in his tenure, but said it had irrevocably changed him and his country.

Russia pulls troops out of Georgian port Poti

Russia pulls troops out of Georgian port Poti Moscow - Russia has withdrawn its last troops from the Georgian port of Poti, reports said Saturday.

Russian television showed the troops dismantling checkpoints at the Black Sea port before leaving in trucks. Around 150 Russian soldiers and ten tanks had been stationed in Poti, locals said.

On Monday French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the current holder of the EU's rotating presidency, brokered in Moscow a deal to end Russia's current military occupation of Georgia.

Sergei Lavrov subjects UK counterpart Miliband to 'F-word' tirade

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei LavrovLondon, Sept. 13: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov subjected his British counterpart David Miliband to a four-letter abuse tirade when the latter lectured the former about Moscow’s decision to invade Georgia.

Lavrov reportedly reacted with fury and repeatedly used the "F-word" when Miliband criticized him about last month’s aggression in South and North Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The Telegraph quoted an insider as saying that it was difficult to draft a readable note of the conversation.

EU to send observers into the Georgian minefield

Brussels - If European Union foreign ministers approve a ceasefire observation mission to Georgia as expected on Monday, they will be stepping into a diplomatic minefield.

Officials in Brussels say that if the bloc does not mandate its observers to cover the whole territory of Georgia, including, crucially, the rebel territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, it will appear to be accepting their independence before international peace talks have even begun.

But if the mandate does cover the breakaway regions, the EU will risk an outright rejection of its peace initiative from Russia - something which would cause it a massive loss of face.

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