Riga - With sales of new cars in Latvia shrinking by more than a third in the first ten months of 2008 according to figures released Monday, it was left to carmakers at opposite ends of the price spectrum to report the strongest results.

Total sales of new cars in the Baltic country for January to October dropped to 10,434 from 17,239 in the same period last year, according to the Latvian Authorized Car Dealers Association.

Brussels - The European Union is to re-start talks on a strategic treaty with Russia which it froze after Russia's August war with Georgia, EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels agreed Monday according to diplomatic sources.

EU leaders had frozen talks in protest at Russia's occupation of Georgia, demanding that it pull its troops back to pre-conflict lines. Russia has since made a partial but incomplete withdrawal.

Brussels - The European Union is to re

In what is seen as a major embarrassment for the Kremlin, which has repeatedly promised to tighten safety checks after a number of marine accidents in recent years, an accident occurred on the Nerpa, an Akula II-class attack submarine, due to a gas leak that killed 20 people .

According to the experts, the fatalities aboard the submarine in the Sea of Japan, were the result of Freon gas spewing into the craft after a malfunction in its fire extinguishing system.

Moscow/Tbilisi - Two Georgian police officers were killed when a land mine exploded near the border of South Ossetia, where Georgia went to war with Russia in August.

The Georgian Interior Ministry said the mine detonated while the policemen were on patrol in the border village of Dvani around 7:15 am (0415 GMT) on Monday.

A second mine exploded shortly after, injuring three policemen who arrived at the scene to help, the ministry said in a statement.

Dvani is just south-west of the separatist capital of South Ossetia near the Georgian of Gori in a buffer zone occupied by Russian troops until EU military observers replaced them last month.

New Delhi, Nov 10 : A well-known Russian fashion designer, Vyacheslav Zaitsev who showcased his traditional Russian dresses at the Indo-Russian cultural exchange program here, has expressed a desire to launch an Indian line of clothing soon.

Zaitsev, said the young generation is a source of inspiration for him.

"I hope that the collaboration that I am trying to work out with Indian designer will help us to start a new venture. We are negotiating. I think we will create a new range of line for the Indian audience. I think my dresses have an international look and are acceptable in many countries," said Zaitsev.