Katie Melua has spoken about her fear for the safety of her family, who still live in her native Georgia, after war broke out in the country just two weeks before she was due to go and visit them. She also said that she thought her uncle had been conscripted into the Georgian army.
She said: "Whoever settled anything with war? At the moment it seems to be a lot of posturing and the two 'sides' showing each other how big their 'guns' are. But I hope that the violence can end before any more people are killed".
A spokeswoman added: "[Katie] is worried about her mum and brother being there. But they are not completely panicking because they are in Tbilisi. Everyone has been told to sit tight and see how it pans out. Her mother told Katie that all Georgian men over the age of 18 are to go to Ossetia. Fortunately her brother is too young, but her uncle would qualify. On a personal note, that is scary".