Moscow- At least five people were killed in the explosion of a mini-van on Thursday in the Russian city of Vladikavkaz, just across the border from South Ossetia where Russia fought a war with Georgia in August, news agencies reported

Another five people were injured in the blast outside the entrance to a movie theater and market on Kuibysheva street in the populous southern Russian city, a police source told Interfax.

Riga - The foreign and domestic policies of the Russian government continued to receive a mauling in the Latvian capital, Riga, Saturday with a trio of presidents joining other political figures in criticism of the Kremlin at a NATO-sponsored conference.

President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia claimed former Russian President Vladimir Putin had told him "he would make us Northern Cyprus" long before territorial disputes in South Ossetia turned into armed conflict in August.

Riga - Relations with Russia are likely to be the focus when a generous sprinkling of former presidents, prime ministers and assorted other regional bigwigs descend on the Latvian capital of Riga this weekend for a NATO-sponsored conference.

Topping the bill will be Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, on his first visit to the Baltic region since his country went to war with Russia in August.

Baltic and central European nations gave Saakashvili strong backing during that war and will be heavily represented at the conference. Saakashvili will appear with Latvian President Valdis Zatlers, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko during a November 1 debate titled "A vision of Europe, whole and free."

Stockholm - Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt hosted Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Thursday, and discussed the fallout of the recent war between Georgia and Russia.

Reinfeldt noted that Sweden has pledged large sums to Georgia and contributed personnel to a European Union monitoring team.

The Swedish premier told reporters that Stockholm did not feel Russia had fulfilled all the terms in agreements signed after the August war between the Caucasus nation and Russia.

Oslo - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili held talks Wednesday with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg that touched on Tbilisi's aim of joining NATO in future.

The two also discussed developing energy cooperation and Norwegian support for various reform programmes, Stoltenberg told a joint news conference.

Concerning Georgia's prospects of joining NATO, Stoltenberg said "the door is open," citing the decision taken by NATO leaders at a summit in Bucharest in April.

"What we are discussing is the timetable, the development and reforms that are needed in Georgia," Stoltenberg said, adding that NATO and Georgia were in "close dialogue."

Moscow - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, facing domestic criticism over a failed war with Russia, on Monday dismissed his prime minister and named the country's ambassador to Turkey as his replacement.

He was expected to announce a new cabinet this week in what he said were needed "radical democratic reform" Monday.

Meanwhile, the country's influential former head of parliament Nino Burjanadze formed a new opposition party set to vehicle growing criticism of Saakashvili's management of the war.