August 20, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

Reports on 20 August 2008 indicate that Russian forces are continuing their slow withdrawal from Georgian territory. Two Russian checkpoints near the city of Gori — one on the Mtkvari River bridge and one on the Liakhvi River bridge — have reportedly been removed, but at least two others remain in place.

Russian troops remain in the village of Igoeti, approximately 27 mi/43 km from Tbilisi. There also continues to be activity at various Georgian military bases, where Russian forces have allegedly been taking equipment and destroying facilities. Several explosions were reported at the military base in Osiauri overnight and on the morning of 20 August.

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August 20, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck in an area on China’s border with Myanmar on 20 August 2008 at 0535 (2135 UTC). The tremors hit approximately 140 mi/225 km west of Dali, a city in China’s southwest region. The earthquake impacted at a depth of approximately 5 mi/8 km. Sources indicate that approximately 1,200 people were forced to evacuate the area, which is near the epicenter of the devastating May 2008 earthquake. In the town of Sudian, many homes collapsed, but no casualties were reported.

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