BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq’s former culture minister, believed to be in hiding since last year, has been sentenced to death by hanging for involvement in the killing of another politician’s two sons, a court spokesman said on Friday.

GORI, Georgia (Reuters) – Georgia said on Saturday Russian forces planned to establish checkpoints at eight locations skirting South Ossetia and Georgia’s main East-West highway.

Georgian troops have taken back control of the main road linking the east and west of the country after Russian forces withdrew. But it is a mixed picture elsewhere in the country, and America has strongly criticised the Kremlin for maintaining a Russian presence in Georgia’s heartland.