president barack obama and president dmitry medvedev signed the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty in april. it would cut the number of strategic nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles on both sides. the new treaty would allow the two countries to inspect each other's nuclear arsenals and verify compliance. the u.s. senate is scheduled to vote for ratification in mid september. opposition republicans oppose the treaty, saying it will hinder the u.s. development of ballistic missile defense. it remains uncertain whether the u.s. can secure the 2/3 majority of votes needed to clear the treaty for ratification. >>> russia says it has deployed high-performance air defense missiles in georgia's breakaway abkhazia region. the commander of russia's air force, general alexander zelin, on wednesday revealed the deployment of s-300 surface-to-air missile systems in the region. just two years ago russia's military routed georgian forces in a five-day war over abkhazia and south osettia, another breakaway region. russian troops continue to be stationed in the two areas. the georgian government rejects th