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The News in Brief

Friday, December 16
Foreign Minister to hold political consultations in Great Britain

The Georgian Foreign Minister, Grigol Vashadze, is paying a working visit to the UK. Vashadze is due to meet the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary, William Hague, today, and is also due to meet the Minister of State for Europe and NATO, David Lidington; the Chairman of the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Richard Ottaway; the Chairman of the Defense Select Committee, James Arbuthnot; the Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, Malcolm Rifkind; the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Georgia, Denis MacShane; and the Shadow Foreign Secretary, Douglas Alexander. A wide range of issues concerning bilateral and multilateral relations between Georgia and the United Kingdom are to be discussed.

The Georgian Foreign Minister is also due to address the Royal United Institute for Defence and Security Studies during his visit, and bilateral political consultations will also be held between the two countries' foreign ministries. (Interpressnews)



CDM demands health insurance for disabled children

The Christian Democratic Movement demands state insurance for disabled children. The leaders of the party say the government should allocate 180,000 GEL from the state budget in 2012 to sponsor social programs for the children.

The opposition party members say disabled children under 18 should be provided similar insurance policies as all children under the age of 5 will have from September 2012.

Magda Anikashvili of the party said at a briefing Thursday that the CDM welcomed the new insurance program of the government which intends to insure children under the age of 5 and pensioners, but she said a flaw of the program was the absence of disabled children in the list of the citizens that will be insured. (Rustavi 2)



Jioeva sends letter to Russia

The leader of the opposition and so-called president elect of the occupied South Ossetia regime Alla Jioeva lays responsibility for the political crisis in the breakaway region on the Russian government. Jioeva sent a letter to Russian leaders after the region's parliament refused to sack the `prosecutor general` and the chairperson of the `supreme court`, as was agreed between her and the previous leader Eduard Kokoity.

In the letter, Jioeva warns Russia that the region is facing the danger of civil war accusing Kokoity`s team of provocations. Jioeva says Russia should be held responsible for further developments in the region and calls on her supporters to assemble in the centre of Tskhinvali to hold protests. (Rustavi 2)



Putin TV anchor Tina Kandelaki unable to run Russia’s Ministry of Education

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says he is not sure whether or not TV anchor Tina Kandelaki will be able to rule Russia’s Ministry of Education and Science. Vladimir Putin made this statement while answering citizens’ questions in a TV call-in show.

According to him, Kandelaki does not have enough experience or management skills.

‘She is very talented. She is an interesting woman, but ruling a ministry, especially a ministry of education and science, requires experience in a relevant area. I am not sure if Tina has it’, Putin said.

Tina Kandelaki, a Georgian native working in Russia, often criticizes Russia’s Ministry of Education. Lately, she initiated an elaboration of a new conception for the education system. (Interpressnews)



Georgia in the focus of Travel Channel

Georgia is the focus of the Travel Channel`s program Essential - the crew of the program travelled to Georgia this summer and collected their impressions in a 30-minute video, which has been already broadcast on television.

Sarah Kenwood traveled to Tbilisi, Kakheti, Adjara and Svaneti and finished the trip in Batumi.

`The best place for holidays` - the author said about the Black Sea resort. She says Georgia is a small republic, which gained independence from Soviet Union recently, however, its history dates back thousands of years.

The Travel Channel documentary also shows the wine making traditions in Kakheti and the renovated resort of Mestia. (Rustavi 2)



Jury announces verdict on second case

The jury has announced a verdict on a second criminal case discussed at the Tbilisi City Court. After four hours of consideration, the chief jury announced the verdict - according to which the three defendants, accused of murdering Nodar Matiashvili in Ortachala Prison in 2004, were recognized as guilty. Two of the three defendants, Romeo Sarkisov and Vakhtang Bezhashvili were recognized guilty by all 12 members of the jury, while on the decision regarding Levan Kikabidze`s case, the votes were 10 to 2.

The prosecution asserted that Nodar Matiashvili, 27, was killed under the order of one of the criminal leaders in the prison seven years ago. (Rustavi 2)