The News in Brief
Monday, May 7
Patriarch of Georgia Congratulated Congregation on St. George’s Day
The Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia, Ilia the Second, congratulated the St. Trinity temple congregation on St. George’s Day.
“This day is the biggest holiday. St. George helps everyone in need. Two figures we see: St. George and his torturer Diocletian. One the winner, the other – defeated. Time has shown us which is which. We have witnessed that St. George spiritually defeated Diocletian, that’s why the icon depicts St. George slaying Diocletian with a spear,” Ilia the Second said in his sermon.
The Patriarch also declared that whoever believes they have won is actually defeated, and who thinks they have been defeated may be a winner. “The first hope of each person must be God. When St. George was tortured and thrown into a cell and when he thought he was abandoned by everyone, he heard the voice of Jesus Christ: ‘George, don’t be afraid, I’m with you’. The same is with all people in need, the same is Georgia. Georgia hears the voice today: Georgia, don’t be afraid, I’m with you. I ask God to strengthen our country by St. George’s prayer,” he declared.
(IPN)
MEP Zbigniew Ziobro calls out UEFA hypocrisy
MEP Zbigniew Ziobro, leader of the Polish Solidarity party and associate of President Lech Kaczynski, has commented on the boycott of the Poland/Ukraine UEFA Euro Cup by EU commissioners.
"We have a very important question that has to be asked. I would like to address it directly to German politicians as well as Commissioner Baroso and Chancellor Merkel. I would like to ask them if they are going to boycott the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi?” Ziobro asked.
"As we all know Russia, despite all accusations of a lack of democracy in that country, is occupying one-third of Georgia. The Olympic Games will be situated quite near to those territories and the tragic events that happened not so long ago. In that case my question is if Germany and the whole EU is going to boycott the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in Russia. They have to be consistent. Either we have standards that are the same for all or we have double standards,” he asserted.
"As the Polish community, we can’t agree to double standards, especially when they are directly touching Polish interests and Polish Eastern politics. We have to say ‘no’. If German politicians have some interest in it, we don’t have to agree with that. We demand respect [for] human rights in Ukraine but we also want Euro to be a great political success and a victory of European values in Ukraine," he stated.
(Rustavi 2)
Georgian citizens detained in Italy
Yet another detention of Georgian citizens has occurred in Italy. The Italian Police detained a criminal gang made up of 33 Georgia nationals, on suspicion of robbery.
They are suspected of robbing apartments. Police found five kilograms of stolen gold at the apartment of the detainees. The cost of the items is more than a million euro. ˆ150 000 in cash was also recovered.
Italian law enforcerment solved the case after conducting a special operation in January. Three such special operations have been carried out since December 2011, in which 150 people were detained, most of them Georgians.
Investigation into the case is underway.
(GHN)
President’s administration spent 75,732.22 GEL on facebook commercial
The President’s administration has spent 75,732.22 GEL on a facebook commercial, according to the Public Information Database, which had requested the information.
Money spent on social networking is published on the Public Information Database’s website, www.opendata.ge.
(IPN)
Unique archaeological discovery made in Georgia’s Black Sea region
A unique archaeological discovery has been made in Adjara, where ship remnants dating back to the 2nd century B.C. have been found.
A fisherman pulled the remnants out of the sea from a depth of 120-metres.
Inside the vessel a mast, a jar, and an amphora have been found. Scientists are examining the objects at the Archaeological Museum of Batumi.
Reportedly, a international group of scientists will work on the reconstruction of the ship.
(IPN)
Explosive shell found near Gori
Traffic movement has been restricted at the village of Variani, near Gori, in Eastern Georgia. Locals were evacuated from farmland after a shell was found in the bed of the Liakhvi River.
As reported, a tractor driver found the 500-kilogram shell in the riverbed while working nearby, and immediately called emergency services.
According to preliminary reports, the shell was produced in Russia and thrown into the Liakhvi Gorge during the war in 2008.
A group of experts from the Ministry of Internal Affairs is working to detonate the shell safely.
(IPN)
The Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia, Ilia the Second, congratulated the St. Trinity temple congregation on St. George’s Day.
“This day is the biggest holiday. St. George helps everyone in need. Two figures we see: St. George and his torturer Diocletian. One the winner, the other – defeated. Time has shown us which is which. We have witnessed that St. George spiritually defeated Diocletian, that’s why the icon depicts St. George slaying Diocletian with a spear,” Ilia the Second said in his sermon.
The Patriarch also declared that whoever believes they have won is actually defeated, and who thinks they have been defeated may be a winner. “The first hope of each person must be God. When St. George was tortured and thrown into a cell and when he thought he was abandoned by everyone, he heard the voice of Jesus Christ: ‘George, don’t be afraid, I’m with you’. The same is with all people in need, the same is Georgia. Georgia hears the voice today: Georgia, don’t be afraid, I’m with you. I ask God to strengthen our country by St. George’s prayer,” he declared.
(IPN)
MEP Zbigniew Ziobro calls out UEFA hypocrisy
MEP Zbigniew Ziobro, leader of the Polish Solidarity party and associate of President Lech Kaczynski, has commented on the boycott of the Poland/Ukraine UEFA Euro Cup by EU commissioners.
"We have a very important question that has to be asked. I would like to address it directly to German politicians as well as Commissioner Baroso and Chancellor Merkel. I would like to ask them if they are going to boycott the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi?” Ziobro asked.
"As we all know Russia, despite all accusations of a lack of democracy in that country, is occupying one-third of Georgia. The Olympic Games will be situated quite near to those territories and the tragic events that happened not so long ago. In that case my question is if Germany and the whole EU is going to boycott the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in Russia. They have to be consistent. Either we have standards that are the same for all or we have double standards,” he asserted.
"As the Polish community, we can’t agree to double standards, especially when they are directly touching Polish interests and Polish Eastern politics. We have to say ‘no’. If German politicians have some interest in it, we don’t have to agree with that. We demand respect [for] human rights in Ukraine but we also want Euro to be a great political success and a victory of European values in Ukraine," he stated.
(Rustavi 2)
Georgian citizens detained in Italy
Yet another detention of Georgian citizens has occurred in Italy. The Italian Police detained a criminal gang made up of 33 Georgia nationals, on suspicion of robbery.
They are suspected of robbing apartments. Police found five kilograms of stolen gold at the apartment of the detainees. The cost of the items is more than a million euro. ˆ150 000 in cash was also recovered.
Italian law enforcerment solved the case after conducting a special operation in January. Three such special operations have been carried out since December 2011, in which 150 people were detained, most of them Georgians.
Investigation into the case is underway.
(GHN)
President’s administration spent 75,732.22 GEL on facebook commercial
The President’s administration has spent 75,732.22 GEL on a facebook commercial, according to the Public Information Database, which had requested the information.
Money spent on social networking is published on the Public Information Database’s website, www.opendata.ge.
(IPN)
Unique archaeological discovery made in Georgia’s Black Sea region
A unique archaeological discovery has been made in Adjara, where ship remnants dating back to the 2nd century B.C. have been found.
A fisherman pulled the remnants out of the sea from a depth of 120-metres.
Inside the vessel a mast, a jar, and an amphora have been found. Scientists are examining the objects at the Archaeological Museum of Batumi.
Reportedly, a international group of scientists will work on the reconstruction of the ship.
(IPN)
Explosive shell found near Gori
Traffic movement has been restricted at the village of Variani, near Gori, in Eastern Georgia. Locals were evacuated from farmland after a shell was found in the bed of the Liakhvi River.
As reported, a tractor driver found the 500-kilogram shell in the riverbed while working nearby, and immediately called emergency services.
According to preliminary reports, the shell was produced in Russia and thrown into the Liakhvi Gorge during the war in 2008.
A group of experts from the Ministry of Internal Affairs is working to detonate the shell safely.
(IPN)