The Messenger #154 (1421)

Tuesday, August 14, 2007, #154 (1421)

Press Scanner

Headline: Kavkasia broadcasting again
The Kavkasia TV company-recently evicted from Kostava 14 Street-went back on air yesterday, according to the Interpressnews news agency.

The company's news director Nino Jangirashvili announced that the station began broadcasting from their new location with an organization based near the State Chancellery.

"An organization has given us a temporary base near the president; we cannot divulge which one. We have transferred all the necessary equipment and the aim is to renew the signal with an antenna," Jangirashvili said. She also said that their equipment is being stored in employees' homes.

On August 10, along with scores of other businesses, the small television station known for its anti-government bent was driven out of its previous location, a state-owned building, as part of a privatization drive.

Headline: New Miss Georgia 2007 to be chosen today
A new Miss Georgia is to be named today at a press conference held by the contest organizers and director of the Image Center Agency Ia Kitsmarishvili, Akhali Taoba writes.

Scandal has dogged the contest over the past few weeks. Nino Likuchova was crowned Miss Georgia in Batumi on July 14, but an article published in Alia on August 2 revealed allegations that she had once been married and was consequently holding the title against pageant regulations.

The runner-up was disqualified for the same reason.

The new winner will probably be chosen from among the third, fourth and fifth ranked contestants.

"But it's possible that Kitsmarishvili will offer a new surprise to the people, choosing her favorite from among all the contestants," head of the Cultural Events Department of the Ministry of Culture Davit Okitashvili said.

Headline: Autonomous region must not be named "South Ossetia," says legal expert
Legal expert Zakaria Kucnashvili stated that the state status determination commission for South Ossetia must not refer to the region as the South Ossetian Autonomous Region, Akhali Taoba writes.

"This will be a historical mistake, because everyone knows that the Ossetian people started living in the Tskhinvali territory at the end of twentieth century and that Ossetia did not exist before that. Of course we should not irritate Ossetians by naming this region Shida Kartli or Samachablo. The most relevant name would be the autonomous region of Tskhinvali," Kucnashvili declared.

He added that in determining the region's status it is necessary to abide by the Georgian constitution.

Headline: British team to shoot documentary film about Abkhazia
A British film team will make a documentary about Abkhazia, the news agency Prime News reports. The Abkhazian news agency Apsnypress released a report saying that the film, in English and German, would give the Abkhazian story to European audiences.

"A member of the House of Lords of the British Parliament, who together with his family visited Abkhazia to learn about the situation, people, culture and future, will be the main character of the film," the de facto government's press agency said.

The project is reportedly funded by the Abkhaz Diaspora in Moscow.