Vladislav Ardzinba, a man who spearheaded the rebellion of his Black Sea province of Abkhazia against Georgian rule, died on Thursday after a long illness aged 64, the Abkhazian parliamentary speaker said.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has sent New Year greetings to U.S. President Barack Obama, welcoming the improvement in relations with the United States over the past year, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
The swine flu has stabilized in Russia with the number of people suffering from the A/H1N1 virus declining, First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov said.