Monte Carlo - The head of the international athletics federation Friday accused International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge of showing "a lack of respect" for athletics.

Lamine Diack, president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), said he was surprised at Rogge's criticism of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt's celebrations after winning the 100 metres in world-record time at Beijing Olympics.

Moscow- President Dmitry Medvedev warned of the ongoing threat of terrorism on Friday as the death toll rose to 12 in a suspected suicide bombing of a minibus in the worst attack in over a year in Russia's troubled North Caucasus region.

Moscow - The United States has proffered new plans for a missile defence system to Russia in the hopes of mollifying Russia's objections to the program and salvaging nuclear control accords between the two nations, Russia's Foreign Ministry confirmed Friday.

Ministry spokesman Igor Lyakin-Frolov said Russia is studying the proposal. It will be discussed when the US and Russian defence and foreign ministers meet for their next round of two-plus-two format talks. No date has been scheduled yet for those talks.

Washington's overture comes after Russia has threatened reactions should the United States set up parts of components of the missile defence system in eastern Europe.

Washington - The United States condemned the terrorist attack on a bus in Russia's North Ossetia republic on Thursday that left 11 people dead.

"The United States condemns the heinous act of terrorism that took place today," State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood said.

An explosion hit a crowded minibus in the populous city of Vladikavkaz as as it stopped for exiting passengers at the entrance to a movie theatre and market. Regional authorities said a preliminary investigation pointed to terrorism, but the source of the attack was unclear.

Moscow - President Dmitry Medvedev said Thursday Russia was ready for better relations with US president-elect Barack Obama, one day after a speech that seemed to be a direct challenge to the next US leader.

The comments came after Medvedev said in his first-state-of-the- nation that he would deploy Iskander missiles in Russia's European enclave of Kaliningrad to "neutralize" US missile shield plans.

Brussels - The European Union is close to a deal on re-starting talks on a strategic treaty with Russia which it froze following Russia's occupation of Georgia, diplomats said Thursday.

But Lithuania, in particular, is still against any such move, especially since Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday threatened to site missiles across Lithuania's border in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.