Around the World: Georgia

Cheney promises support

US Vice-President Dick Cheney vowed yesterday to stand by Georgia in its showdown with Russia, calling Moscow's military push into the ex-Soviet state an "illegitimate" act that cast grave doubt on its reliability.

Cheney, a hawk and one of Moscow's harshest critics, is the highest ranking US official to visit Georgia since Tbilisi tried to retake the breakaway region of South Ossetia by force in early August and was overwhelmed by the Russian military.