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The News in Brief

Wednesday, March 21
Didgori vehicle involved in military exercise at Vaziani

The Georgian-made armoured vehicle "Didgori" has participated in its first military exercise, at the Vaziani military firing-ground. Seven-hundred and fifty Georgian and American soldiers are currently participating in special tactic operations with the Didgori.

Exercises are being conducted during the concluding phase of the Agile Spirit 2012 military training event involving the United States and Georgia. Georgian military experts and foreign diplomats attended the training at Vaziani military base Monday.

Agile Spirit models situations in the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. Exercises include small unit tactics, convoy operations, and counter-Improvised Explosive Device training. (Rustavi 2)



Russian government comments on detention of ship

An official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Aleksandr Lukashevich, has stated that the Russian interests section of the Swiss embassy in Georgia is investigating the detention of a Russian cargo ship in the Black Sea.

According to a statement published on the Ministry’s website, Lukashevich says that Russian citizens on board the ship will be provided with consular help.

Lukashevich noted that the ship was detained yesterday, when it had to enter the Turkish port of Khopa.

Georgian border guards detained the Pur-Navolok, which was sailing under a Russian flag, for a violation of navigation rules. All 10 members of the crew are Russian citizens. The ship’s captain is under preliminary investigation. (Interpressnews)



German Minister's visit re-affirms support for Georgia

Germany remains Georgia’s ally and supporter on the way to Euro-Atlantic integration, Georgian presidential spokesperson Manana Manjgaladze said at a briefing yesterday, recapping German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle's visit to Georgia.

She noted that it is important that Germany remain a supporter of Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. The parties discussed significant issues of bilateral cooperation during the meeting between President Mikheil Saakashvili and Westerwelle, including deepening trade and economic relations between the countries. (Interpressnews)



Police searching for a young girl suspected of assault

Police are searching for a 20-year-old girl suspected of assaulting two people, and trying to extort cash from one of them.

The injured and an eyewitness say the girl sneaked up on the victims from behind and tried to strangle them with a rope. One of the victims managed to shout and the attacker ran away. Both incidents occurred in the Dighomi district of Tbilisi Monday. (Rustavi 2)



Moscow police say robbery suspects are Georgians

Moscow police have detained a gang of bank robbers, who assaulted a money truck at a branch of the SberBank Tuesday. The police have not released details of the crime, but Russian media is reporting that the suspects are Georgians.

According to Life News Agency, two suspects are Georgians and two others are Abkhaz.

The robbery occurred on Tuesday morning. The suspects waited for a victim outside the bank, after earlier assaulting the driver of the money truck and damaging its tires.

The suspects had two guns with them when detained. Investigators are trying to find links between this and another series of assaults on cash trucks, which have occurred in Moscow recently. (Rustavi 2)



Four people die of AIDS

Recently, four people have died of AIDS in Georgia, two of whom were women. Doctors say that along with AIDS, the cause of death in all four cases were chronic diseases incompatible with life.

According to the National Centre of Disease Control, 100 new cases of AIDS have been registered in 2012, 30 of which were lethal. Experts say sexual transmission of the disease has become more frequent recently. (Rustavi 2)