Monday, August 20, 2007, #158 (1425)

News in Brief

Russia begins patrol flights along its borders
Russia restarted long-distance patrol flights of strategic bombers near its borders over the weekend.

"I made a decision to restore flights of Russian strategic bombers on a permanent basis, and at midday on August 17, 14 strategic bombers, support aircraft and aerial tankers were deployed. Combat duty has begun, involving 20 aircraft," Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

According to him, on the first day of patrol flights, bomber planes would spend about 20 hours in the air and would interact with naval forces.

Putin hoped that Russia's partners would treat with understanding the resumption of strategic air flights.
(Prime News)

Earthquake in Kakheti province
An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale rattled Akhmeta district in Kakheti province on Friday morning.

According to the Seismology Monitoring Center, the epicenter of the earthquake was 40 kilometers away from Akhmeta.

No damage is reported.
(Prime News)

Dry Bridge market vendors resume protest
On August 18 street vendors from the Dry Bridge market as well as the neighboring flea market held a protest rally.

The street vendors demanded to be allowed to work at the market or in the nearby park on weekends, and to be allowed to work without cash registers. They claim they would have to purchase cash registers at their own expense.

The political movement Georgia Troupe and the Human Rights Defense Center backed protestors.

"The trade on Dry Bridge isn't a form of business. The people in extreme poverty assemble here to sell things brought from their own houses," Jondi Baghaturia, leader of Georgian Troupe, said.

Giorgi Laghidze, head of the Human Rights Defense Center, said if the street vendors are not allowed to trade at least twice a week, they will file a court case.
(Black Sea Press)

Abkhazian imam killed in Gudauta
Imam Khamzat Gitsba and Russian citizen Ruslan Assadulin were killed in the Abkhazian city of Gudauta on August 17.
Unidentified assailants shot Gitsba and Assadulin with assault rifles from point-blank range in central Gudauta. Gitsba died on the spot, and Assadulin later in the hospital.
Gitsba was a member of the Religious Department of Muslims of Abkhazia (RDM), set up in 1999.
(Black Sea Press)

Yerevan to open Armenian-Georgian university in Javakheti
The Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia plans to open an Armenian-Georgian university in the Georgian province of Samtskhe-Javakheti, which has a large population of ethnic Armenians.

Armenian Minister of Education and Science Levon Mkrtchyan said the issue would be discussed when his Georgian counterpart visits Armenia this fall.

"The idea to open the Armenian-Georgian university in Javakheti came last year after Georgian authorities didn't give a positive answer to our proposal to open a branch of an Armenian university in that region," he said.

The minister also said that it was necessary to provide Javakheti schools with materials and textbooks that are used in Armenia to prepare for university.

"We must regulate some financial issues and get permission from Georgian authorities," he said.
(Black Sea Press)

Rustaveli Theater prepares several premiers for new season
The Shota Rustaveli State Theater has several premiers planned for the end of September to kick off their new season.

Director Kote Mirianashvili will stage "All and Nothing" by Lali Kekelidze, while Dato Sakvarelidze will stage a play based on the works of Lasha Bughadze.
(Prime News)


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