GEORGIA said it put down a mutiny at a military base yesterday and accused Moscow of trying to foment a wider rebellion on the eve of NATO war games in the former Soviet republic.

THOUSANDS of Georgians took their campaign to oust Georgia’s President Mikheil Saakashvili to his office yesterday, the fifth day of protests against his rule.

RUSSIA proved to be as difficult as ever for the European Union to come to terms with, and the EU proved to be as unreliable as usual when it comes to dealing with the great bear.

RUSSIA moved to ease tensions with the west ahead of an EU emergency summit on the Georgia conflict, as Britain pushed yesterday for a “root-and-branch” review of the bloc’s relations with Moscow.

Mikhail Gorbachev says the US should reconsider talking to Russia in a condescending way

Emboldened by the oil and natural gas resources at its disposal, falling back on a million soldiers, thousands of nuclear missiles and the third-largest military budget in the world, Vladimir Putin obviously considers the time is right to lay his strong hand of cards on the table

US SECRETARY of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in France yesterday for talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy, broker of a ceasefire accord on the Russia-Georgia conflict, before heading to crisis talks in Tbilisi.

A GEORGIAN rugby player who was in the national squad that came agonisingly close to shocking Ireland at last year’s Rugby World Cup said he is ready to go home and fight for his country if needs be.

A LINE may have been drawn in the sand in South Ossetia, but on the Olympic beach volleyball court yesterday, attack hits and accusations continued to fly.

American forces were on their way to Georgia tonight after President George Bush announced a massive humanitarian aid operation and warned Russia not to stand in its way.

RUSSIAN jets staged raids and its forces moved deeper into Georgian territory yesterday as Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin denounced the US for helping Georgia.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is advising Irish people not to travel to Georgia as conflict between the nation and Russia deepens.

IRAN tested more missiles in the Gulf yesterday as the United States reminded Tehran that it was ready to defend its allies.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen, is in Georgia today for the inauguration of the country's president.