The News in Brief
Thursday, April 8
Ilia the Second – people must do good to fill others with joy
Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia Ilia the Second served the Liturgy for the Annunciation at Sioni Cathedral yesterday.
Ilia the Second congratulated the believers on the holiday. He said that each person must do good deeds to fill others with joy.
The Orthodox Church celebrates the Holy Annunciation on March 25 (April 7 on the new calendar). The feast commemorates the Archangel Gabriel appearing to the Virgin Mary while she was reading the bible and declaring that she would soon give birth to a son she would call Jesus. (Interpressnews)
Unexploded bomb found in Kodori Gorge
An unexploded bomb, dropped from an aeroplane, has been found in Kodori Gorge, the Apsnypress news agency reports. It was found by Russian border police in the forest near the village of Gentsvishi. The Abkhazian Department of Emergency Situations registered the incident on 5 April.
"Specialists will determine the type of the bomb and where it was made. It will then be moved to a safe place and destroyed," the de facto service reports.
The bomb weighs about 250 kg and was left behind by Georgian soldiers. Kodori Gorge was occupied by the Russians and the separatist regime on 12 August, 2008. (Interpressnews)
Kakha Kaladze may go into politics and join Zurab Noghaideli
Footballer Kakha Kaladze may go into politics and join Zurab Noghaideli’s party. This was first suggested by the media after his interview with the Russian newspaper Savetski Sport, in which he positively assessed Noghaideli’s visits to Russia.
Kaladze did not exclude going into politics in a subsequent interview with Imedi TV. He does not conceal the fact that he dislikes the current Government of Georgia due to the failure of his business projects. Kakha Kaladze founded the investment fund Kala Capital with Zurab Noghaideli two years ago. (Interpressnews)
Opposition wrap up first phase of negotiations
The first phase of opposition consultations regarding the `joint formula for victory` in the local government elections has ended with Co-Chairman of the Alliance for Georgia Sozar Subari and leader of Defend Georgia Levan Gachechiladze holding consultations with leader of the Labour Party Shalva Natelashvili yesterday. Gachechiladze said after the closed meeting that they were now waiting for Alliance for Georgia leader Irakli Alasania to return from the United States before launching the second phase of negotiations.
The Labour Party leader remains firm in his position to boycott the local government elections. Natelashvili says that he will not call upon his supporters to take part in these elections and neither will he support any of the candidates for Tbilisi Mayor.
Natelashvili said the local government elections were of little significance unless Presidential and Parliamentary elections were also held. "We demand the holding of Presidential and Parliamentary elections first. Local elections are the final phase of the process of changing the Government, and must be held after Saakashvili is sent to the Gldani prison, which he constructed. Today we did not talk about supporting any candidate for Mayor," Natelashvili concluded. (Rustavi 2)
NATO Parliamentary delegation visits Shida Kartli region
The delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly visited the Shida Kartli region yesterday. The guests visited the village of Ergneti, bordering occupied South Ossetia, and saw the so-called Berlin Wall, which is a metal gate separating Georgia's Tskhinvali region from the rest of Georgia. They also saw villages which had been burnt down during the August war.
The delegation was hosted by the Governor of Shida Kartli, who reported on the situation in the occupied area and the surrounding districts. (Rustavi 2)
Georgian national arrested in Moscow
A Georgian national has been arrested in Moscow on suspicion of robbery. Russian sources report that Mikheil Rusiashvili, 28, is a member of a gang which assaults cash collectors in Moscow. Rusiashvili was caught as he was walking out of the house where he lives with his relatives.
The robbery of cash collectors has become very frequent in Moscow recently. An investigation has discovered that police officers are involved. Arrested officers revealed the names of other members of their group during testimony and one of these was Mikheil Rusiashvili.
Investigators say that all members of Rusiashvili's group have been arrested. One is an ethnic Abkhazian. (Rustavi 2)
Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia Ilia the Second served the Liturgy for the Annunciation at Sioni Cathedral yesterday.
Ilia the Second congratulated the believers on the holiday. He said that each person must do good deeds to fill others with joy.
The Orthodox Church celebrates the Holy Annunciation on March 25 (April 7 on the new calendar). The feast commemorates the Archangel Gabriel appearing to the Virgin Mary while she was reading the bible and declaring that she would soon give birth to a son she would call Jesus. (Interpressnews)
Unexploded bomb found in Kodori Gorge
An unexploded bomb, dropped from an aeroplane, has been found in Kodori Gorge, the Apsnypress news agency reports. It was found by Russian border police in the forest near the village of Gentsvishi. The Abkhazian Department of Emergency Situations registered the incident on 5 April.
"Specialists will determine the type of the bomb and where it was made. It will then be moved to a safe place and destroyed," the de facto service reports.
The bomb weighs about 250 kg and was left behind by Georgian soldiers. Kodori Gorge was occupied by the Russians and the separatist regime on 12 August, 2008. (Interpressnews)
Kakha Kaladze may go into politics and join Zurab Noghaideli
Footballer Kakha Kaladze may go into politics and join Zurab Noghaideli’s party. This was first suggested by the media after his interview with the Russian newspaper Savetski Sport, in which he positively assessed Noghaideli’s visits to Russia.
Kaladze did not exclude going into politics in a subsequent interview with Imedi TV. He does not conceal the fact that he dislikes the current Government of Georgia due to the failure of his business projects. Kakha Kaladze founded the investment fund Kala Capital with Zurab Noghaideli two years ago. (Interpressnews)
Opposition wrap up first phase of negotiations
The first phase of opposition consultations regarding the `joint formula for victory` in the local government elections has ended with Co-Chairman of the Alliance for Georgia Sozar Subari and leader of Defend Georgia Levan Gachechiladze holding consultations with leader of the Labour Party Shalva Natelashvili yesterday. Gachechiladze said after the closed meeting that they were now waiting for Alliance for Georgia leader Irakli Alasania to return from the United States before launching the second phase of negotiations.
The Labour Party leader remains firm in his position to boycott the local government elections. Natelashvili says that he will not call upon his supporters to take part in these elections and neither will he support any of the candidates for Tbilisi Mayor.
Natelashvili said the local government elections were of little significance unless Presidential and Parliamentary elections were also held. "We demand the holding of Presidential and Parliamentary elections first. Local elections are the final phase of the process of changing the Government, and must be held after Saakashvili is sent to the Gldani prison, which he constructed. Today we did not talk about supporting any candidate for Mayor," Natelashvili concluded. (Rustavi 2)
NATO Parliamentary delegation visits Shida Kartli region
The delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly visited the Shida Kartli region yesterday. The guests visited the village of Ergneti, bordering occupied South Ossetia, and saw the so-called Berlin Wall, which is a metal gate separating Georgia's Tskhinvali region from the rest of Georgia. They also saw villages which had been burnt down during the August war.
The delegation was hosted by the Governor of Shida Kartli, who reported on the situation in the occupied area and the surrounding districts. (Rustavi 2)
Georgian national arrested in Moscow
A Georgian national has been arrested in Moscow on suspicion of robbery. Russian sources report that Mikheil Rusiashvili, 28, is a member of a gang which assaults cash collectors in Moscow. Rusiashvili was caught as he was walking out of the house where he lives with his relatives.
The robbery of cash collectors has become very frequent in Moscow recently. An investigation has discovered that police officers are involved. Arrested officers revealed the names of other members of their group during testimony and one of these was Mikheil Rusiashvili.
Investigators say that all members of Rusiashvili's group have been arrested. One is an ethnic Abkhazian. (Rustavi 2)