MOSCOW // Russia said yesterday it had begun withdrawing its troops from Georgia as part of a six-point peace plan brokered by France, but there were conflicting reports of the size and scale of the pullout - and whether Russian troops were leaving at all.
Col Gen Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy head of the Russian armed forces' general staff, said during a news conference in Moscow that Russian troops are pulling back behind the borders of the breakaway Georgian republic of South Ossetia, 10 days after a bloody conflict broke out between Russian and Georgian forces.
"Today, according to the peace plan, the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers and reinforcements has begun," Gen Nogovitsyn said in televised comments.
A spokesman for the Georgian interior ministry and a key US official in Brussels for a meeting of Nato on the subject, said, however, that there was no evidence of a Russian withdrawal as of yesterday afternoon. Russian troops, the Georgian said, had actually driven deeper into Georgian territory, making it all the way to the southern Georgian town of Borjomi.
"Georgian patrol police stopped the convoy of six Russian armoured vehicles in the Borjomi outskirts," Shota Utiashvili said, according to news reports. "Following the Georgian police intervention, the Russians turned back towards [the central Georgian city of] Khashuri."
Another six Russian armoured vehicles were turned back by Georgian patrols as they were heading towards the central Georgian city of Sachkhere, Mr Utiashvili said.
Agence France-Presse correspondents on the ground in Georgia reported yesterday that the Georgian military base in Senaki, near Abkhazia, another breakaway region, continued to be held by Russian forces and that there was no indication that Russian troops there were planning to leave.
And the secretary of the Georgian national security council, Alexander Lomaia, said swathes of the country remained occupied. "We see no signs of a pullout," Mr Lomaia told AFP.
The Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, issued strong words yesterday, telling a group of veterans of the Second World War that although Russia is a "peace-loving" country, it "will never allow anyone who kills our citizens to go unpunished".
"They will receive a crushing response," Mr Medvedev said in comments broadcast on state television. "Russia has the capabilities - economically, politically and militarily - for such a response."
Mr Medvedev later flew to Vladikavkaz, capital of North Ossetia, on the other side of the Caucasus Mountains from Georgia, to hand out medals to returning Russian servicemen.
A US defence official said yesterday Russia had moved into South Ossetia short-range SS-21 missiles that are capable of striking Tbilisi. Gen Nogovitsyn denied it had done so.
Neither South Ossetia nor Abkhazia are recognised as independent countries by the international community. They are, in fact, recognised as part of Georgia - including by Russia.
But Russia has angered Tbilisi by offering residents of the rebel republics Russian passports and providing financial and military backing to the self-proclaimed governments. Russia said its heavy military response was aimed at protecting Russian citizens in South Ossetia.
Mikheil Saakashvili, the Georgian president, addressed the country in a televised speech yesterday. He accused Russia of attacking the former Soviet republic to "undermine Georgia's independence" and praised his countrymen for their "heroic resistance to Russian occupation".
Mr Saakashvili did strike a somewhat conciliatory note, calling on both countries to "start thinking seriously" about negotiations to avoid further alienating each other. Such negotiations, however, are contingent upon the withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgian territory, Mr Saakashvili said.
Grigory Karasin, Russia's deputy foreign minister, met John Beyrle, the US ambassador to Russia, in a meeting attended by Gen Nogovitsyn and Henry Nowak, the defence attaché at the US Embassy in Moscow.
The Russian officials "alerted the American side of the need to bring public statements by US officials on the events in South Ossetia in line with the real situation in the republic," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
The statement came one day after the US secretary of state, Condoleezzaa Rice, said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday that the United States is "going to help rebuild Georgia into a strong Georgian state".
"The Russians will have failed in their effort to undermine Georgia," Ms Rice said. "And we will be looking at what we can do with the states around that region as well."
Russia has long been dismayed with what it sees as US interference in its traditional spheres of influence.
Ms Rice was to leave Washington for Brussels today to discuss the situation in South Ossetia with Nato officials. Afterwards, she travels to Poland to sign a deal that would allow installation of US interceptor missiles on Polish territory. This move is sure to further inflame tensions with Russia and - with a previous announcement that the Czech Republic would also host a US missile shield on its territory and Georgia's interest in joining Nato - may even have instigated the recent fighting.
@Email:cschreck@thenational.ae
The details
Heard It in a Past Life
Maggie Rogers
(Capital Records)
3/5
Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
Profile
Company name: Marefa Digital
Based: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
Number of employees: seven
Sector: e-learning
Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017 and an initial seed round of Dh2m in 2019
Investors: Friends and family
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Abu%20Dhabi%E2%80%99s%20Racecard
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RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner Canvassed, Par Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
Winner Dubai Future, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mouheeb, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
8.15pm Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
9.50pm Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Man Of Promise, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Ponti
Sharlene Teo, Pan Macmillan
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
Results
Catchweight 60kg: Mohammed Al Katheeri (UAE) beat Mostafa El Hamy (EGY) TKO round 3
Light Heavyweight: Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) no contest Kevin Oumar (COM) Unintentional knee by Oumer
Catchweight 73kg: Yazid Chouchane (ALG) beat Ahmad Al Boussairy (KUW) Unanimous decision
Featherweight: Faris Khaleel Asha (JOR) beat Yousef Al Housani (UAE) TKO in round 2 through foot injury
Welterweight: Omar Hussein (JOR) beat Yassin Najid (MAR); Split decision
Middleweight: Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) beat Sallah Eddine Dekhissi (MAR); Round-1 TKO
Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammed Ali Musalim (UAE) beat Medhat Hussein (EGY); Triangle choke submission
Welterweight: Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW) beat Sofiane Oudina (ALG); Triangle choke Round-1
Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Saleem Al Bakri (JOR); Unanimous decision
Bantamweight: Ali Taleb (IRQ) beat Nawras Abzakh (JOR); TKO round-2
Catchweight 63kg: Rany Saadeh (PAL) beat Abdel Ali Hariri (MAR); Unanimous decision
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT
RS Leipzig 3
Marcel Sabitzer 10', 21'
Emil Forsberg 87'
Tottenham 0
Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus
Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now
More coverage from the Future Forum
The%20specs
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Five personal finance podcasts from The National
To help you get started, tune into these Pocketful of Dirham episodes
·
Balance is essential to happiness, health and wealth
·
What is a portfolio stress test?
·
What are NFTs and why are auction houses interested?
·
How gamers are getting rich by earning cryptocurrencies
·
Should you buy or rent a home in the UAE?
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Europa League group stage draw
Group A: Villarreal, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Astana, Slavia Prague.
Group B: Dynamo Kiev, Young Boys, Partizan Belgrade, Skenderbeu.
Group C: Sporting Braga, Ludogorets, Hoffenheim, Istanbul Basaksehir.
Group D: AC Milan, Austria Vienna , Rijeka, AEK Athens.
Group E: Lyon, Everton, Atalanta, Apollon Limassol.
Group F: FC Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sheriff Tiraspol, FC Zlin.
Group G: Vitoria Plzen, Steaua Bucarest, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, FC Lugano.
Group H: Arsenal, BATE Borisov, Cologne, Red Star Belgrade.
Group I: Salzburg, Marseille, Vitoria Guimaraes, Konyaspor.
Group J: Athletic Bilbao, Hertha Berlin, Zorya Luhansk, Ostersund.
Group K: Lazio, Nice, Zulte Waregem, Vitesse Arnhem.
Group L: Zenit St Petersburg, Real Sociedad, Rosenborg, Vardar
HOW TO WATCH
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