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Grenade blast injures Russian policeman in Sochi

An explosion injured two people in the Black Sea resort of Sochi hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin met US President George W. Bush at his villa on the outskirts of the city.

Russian news agencies yesterday initially quoted a security source as saying a bag left outside a cinema had exploded on Sunday, severely injuring a policeman.

Police later said that the policeman, who was off-duty, and a friend had set off the blast themselves by playing with a grenade.

“The policeman and his acquaintance decided to experiment with concussion grenades,” a police statement said. “The result was that two people were injured including, the policeman.”

Concussion grenades fragment less than a normal hand grenade and are designed for use in enclosed areas.

Bush’s aircraft took off from Sochi soon after midday.

The blast was at 10pm, the police statement said.

Sochi is due to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games and yesterday Putin said that Russia would fulfil its obligations to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the preparations for and holding of the games.

“We have reasons to assert that all our obligations to the IOC will be fulfilled completely,” Putin said at a meeting of Russian Olympic officials in Sochi, Interfax news agency reported.

“After the Games, Russia will receive a world-class sporting centre and a top class resort,” he said.

At the meeting Putin stressed that businesspeople from Russia and around the world had expressed huge interest in the Olympic construction works in Sochi and the region.

He ordered his officials to work out “transparent” rules for all of the investors.

“The rules of the game for state and private, Russian and foreign investors, should be completely clear and transparent,” Putin said.

“We should draw up estimates and plan the expenses of the Olympic construction works with maximum responsibility,” he said.

He also urged officials to respect the interests of local residents who stand to lose their homes and land plots as a result of construction work.

“We should finalise the amount of land plots that should be redeemed for Olympics construction works before the end of this year,” Putin said.

“At the same time we all should show maximum respect to the owners’ interests, he said.”
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