http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Russian-bombers-resume-Cold-War-sorties/2007/08/09/1186530532560.html

Russia's strategic bombers have resumed their Cold War practice of flying long-haul missions to areas patrolled by NATO and the United States, a Russian general says.

On Wednesday a Russian bomber flew over a US military base on the Pacific island of Guam and "exchanged smiles" with US pilots scrambled to track it, said Major-General Pavel Androsov, head of long-range aviation in the Russian air force.

"It has always been the tradition of our long-range aviation to fly far into the ocean, to meet (US) aircraft carriers and greet (US pilots) visually," Androsov told a news conference.

"Yesterday we revived this tradition, and two of our young crews paid a visit to the area of the (US Pacific Naval Activities) base of Guam.

Last month, Britain's Royal Air Force scrambled fighter jets to intercept Russian bombers heading towards British airspace.

Russia's military said that was a routine flight.

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UN 'must decide Russia's Arctic claim'

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/UN-must-decide-Russias-Arctic-claim/2007/08/10/1186530571520.html

Russia's symbolic claim to Arctic mineral wealth must be decided by a UN commission, and then only if experts determine the area is an extension of the Siberian continental shelf, Russian experts said.