Russian and Iranian delegations ended a day of high-profile nuclear talks without any visible breakthrough, but agreed to continue their negotiations on Moscow’s proposal to enrich uranium for Iran as a way of reducing suspicion that Tehran is trying to develop nuclear weapons.

Russian and Iranian negotiators today ended a day of talks on Moscow’s proposal to enrich uranium for Iran with an agreement to continue negotiations, but did not announce a date.

China today said it supported a Russian proposal to allow Iran to enrich its uranium in Russia.

Iran’s top nuclear negotiator said today that Tehran saw Moscow’s offer to have Iran’s uranium enriched in Russia as a positive development but no agreement has been reached.

The head of Iran’s nuclear agency has ruled out a compromise proposal that uranium enrichment for his country’s controversial nuclear programme be carried out in Russia.

Iran’s Security Council chief said today that media reports blaming an enemy air strike for an explosion in the region of an Iranian nuclear facility were “psychological warfare”.

GEORGIAN president Mikhail Saakashvili addressed a jubilant crowd in the capital of Adzharia province early yesterday, calling its people “heroic” after officials said regional leader Aslan Abashidze resigned and left for Russia after a power struggle with the government.

Launching fireworks and champagne corks into the air, thousands of Georgians revelled today in the resignation of President Eduard Shevardnadze in boisterous street celebrations in the capital Tbilisi, marking what many called a “holiday of freedom.”

Georgia President Eduard Shevardnadze, under increasing pressure for weeks over fraud in parliamentary elections, announced his resignation on Georgian television today.

Fears were growing today that the political crisis in Georgia could lead to bloodshed after protesters stormed the parliament, demanding the resignation of the president.

Iran has suspended its enrichment of uranium and has accepted additional inspections of its nuclear facilities, a senior official said today.

World leaders and relatives of victims joined together around the globe today to pay tribute to the victims of the September 11 attacks with remembrance services including a tree-planting ceremony in Australia and the opening of a memorial garden in London.

Russia has moved to back Washington's UN resolution on Iraq.

US SECRETARY of State Colin Powell sought support from Britain, France, Germany and Russia yesterday for a proposed UN resolution that would give the world body a larger role in Iraq’s economic and political future.

France, Russia and Germany will vote today in favour of a UN resolution lifting sanctions on Iraq and letting Britain and America run the country until a recognised government takes over, the French foreign minister has said.

Reaching out to improve relations with Washington, Russia’s lower house of parliament today ratified the latest US-Russian arms control treaty that slashes the nuclear arsenals of both countries by two-thirds.

TENS of thousands of Iraqis demonstrated in Baghdad yesterday to demand the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq.

The European Union has insisted the United Nations play a “central” role in rebuilding Iraq and has urged Washington to do everything it can to maintain law and order in the country.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell was today telling officials from Russia and Nato that America must be the main player in the political rehabilitation of Iraq.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell was today seeking an agreement with Turkish leaders to keep them from sending troops into northern Iraq.

Europe Correspondent

Russia’s Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov today accused the United States of trying to step on Russia’s economic interests in Iraq.

RUSSIA and other countries will ask the UN to rule whether the US-led war on Iraq is legal, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov revealed yesterday.

FACING imminent war, the world’s staunchest opponents of invading Iraq told the UN Security Council yesterday there was no proof Saddam Hussein posed a threat to any country.

Facing imminent war, the world’s staunchest opponents of invading Iraq told the UN Security Council there was no proof Saddam Hussein posed a threat to any country.

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said today that Moscow was still weighing how to vote on a British compromise proposal on disarming Iraq.

President Jacques Chirac tonight said that France was prepared to veto the US-backed resolution on Iraq if necessary, joining Russia in saying it would vote against giving Saddam Hussein until March 17 to disarm.

Russian Foreign Minster Igor Ivanov warned today that Russia will veto the current US and British resolution that gives Saddam Hussein a March 17 deadline to disarm.

PREPARING for a war in Iraq that most of the world does not want should be more than enough to occupy Tony Blair’s mind, without having to put up with David Trimble’s petulance.

Tony Blair's hopes of a United Nations mandate for war appeared slimmer than ever tonight after the French, Russians and Germans said they would not let it pass and the chief weapons inspector claimed there had been "proactive" cooperation by the Iraqis.

RUSSIA has insisted that it is ready to use its UN veto in an attempt to avoid war in Iraq.

A top Russian diplomat today reportedly said the UN resolution on Iraq proposed by Britain and the United States is “out of touch” and that there is no justification to bring it to a vote.

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George W Bush were increasingly isolated in their support for war on Iraq last night after UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix said the Iraqi decision to give up its Al-Samoud missiles was “a very significant piece of real disarmament”.

Russia warned today that it might veto the Anglo-American war resolution before the sharply divided UN Security Council. But Pakistan – a Muslim nation that could be a key swing vote – signalled growing support for Washington.

BRITISH ministers were last night mounting a renewed diplomatic push to win backing for a fresh United Nations resolution on Iraq after being rocked by the biggest backbench revolt of modern times.

Russia is unlikely to veto a second UN Security Council resolution that could lead to war with Iraq, a senior US official said today.

WITH almost 200,000 US and British troops massed around it, the government of Saddam Hussein prepared Iraqis for war yesterday, equipping families with extra food and inviting citizens to help “inflict defeat on the evil aggressors.”

Britain and America are expected to table a new United Nations resolution next week intended to give the international green light for military action against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

THE divide between permanent members of the UN Security Council over the looming war with Iraq grew ever wider yesterday.

Russia does not see any need for a new UN Security Council resolution that would authorise the use of force against Iraq Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said today.

UNITED NATIONS weapons chief Hans Blix said yesterday Iraq must prove that it has destroyed banned weapons and let its scientists answer questions freely.

The Russian government has officially asked Iraq to reconsider its decision to cancel a contract with LUKoil, which was signed in 1997, to develop one of Iraq's biggest oil fields, West Qurna-2, Interfax reported.

Russian officials today criticised a British decision to release on bail a senior Chechen envoy Moscow accuses of murder and rebellion.

Tensions over Nato’s expansion to the East flared today as the alliance’s two-day summit closed with a diplomatic row and a protest from Russian communist hardliners.