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The News in Brief

Tuesday, May 5
Wings for Life: Georgian team crowned ‘Best Group’ in charity run

A team of walkers and runners representing Georgia’s National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR) has been crowned the ‘Best Group’ of the 2015 Wings for Life World Run charity event.

The Georgian team was awarded the title after entry details confirmed NAPR had the most participants of all teams competing in Wings for Life events around the globe.

A total of 501 runners from NAPR Georgia participated in the world’s largest charity sport event yesterday, which was the largest number of participants among the 2,612 teams from 35 countries where the event took place.

Yesterday’s race was the second NAPR Georgia had participated in the World Run. Last year the agency gained the title of ‘Most Well Organised and Motivated Team’.

"Social responsibility in one of our important fundamental values and our agency protects this value with teamwork,” said NAPR Georgia chairperson Papuna Ugrekhelidze.

More than 68,700 people in 35 locations around the world participated in the international running and wheelchair event, which started at 3pm (Tbilisi time) yesterday. The event finished when the last person was caught by the Catcher Car.

A female competitor from Japan was the world’s leading female and ran 56.33km, while an athlete from Austria was the world’s leading male and ran a distance of 79.9km.

Wings for Life is a non-profit organisation that funds research into finding a cure for spinal cord injury. A hundred percent of the Wings for Life World Run proceeds have been donated to the foundation.
(Agenda.ge)



Georgian Interior Minister Visits Germany

Georgian Interior Minister, Vakhtang Gomelauri, is visiting Berlin to meet his German counterpart Thomas de Maiziere.

The Georgian Interior Ministry said on Monday that Georgia’s progress in implementing the visa liberalisation action plan with the EU and bilateral cooperation will be discussed during the meetings.

During the visit, the Georgian Interior Minister will also meet the President of Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office Holger Munch.

Gomelauri is accompanied by deputy interior minister Levan Izoria; head of criminal police Ivane Papashvili and head of international relations department of the interior ministry Shalva Kvinikhidze.
(Civil.ge)



Police Detain 40 for Illegal Dissemination of Pornography

The officers of the division for the fight against cybercrime of Central Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and General Prosecutor’s Office, as a result of the complex operative-searching and investigative activities simultaneously held in Tbilisi, Zugdidi, Batumi and Kutaisi revealed and pressed charges against 40 individuals for illegal dissemination and promotion of pornographic pieces and images via 19 various web sites.

Investigation established that accused persons at different times and circumstances obtained pornographic video files including images of minors which were uploaded on various web sites and made materials available to the internet customers. The mentioned actions were committed for popularization of the web sites and receiving income.

Until recently video files containing pornographic materials were disseminated without any restriction. At this moment hosting site has been shut down and users blocked. Detainees have already pleaded guilty.

Investigation is in progress on the fact of illegal dissemination and promotion of pornographic pieces, images and other items, article 255, I and II parts of the Criminal Code. Investigation is conducted by Division for the fight against cybercrime of Central Criminal Police Department.
(Frontnews.ge)



PACE President to Visit Georgia

The president of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe Anne Brasseur will visit Georgia on May 6-9.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Davit Kereselidze said at Monday’s briefing that Anne Brasseur will meet with Georgia’s Foreign Minister Tamar Beruchashvili on May 8. The sides will discuss the issues related to cooperation between Georgia and the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe, the obligations taken by Georgia and recent situation in Georgia’s occupied regions.

The PACE President will also meet with Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili, PM Irakli Gharibashvili and Parliament Speaker Davit Usupashvili.

Meetings are scheduled with Chairperson of the Supreme Court of Georgia Nino Gvenetadze and with representatives of the non-governmental organizations.
(Frontnews.ge)



So-called South Ossetian Parliament Speaker hosted by Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly

The South Ossetian Parliament Speaker Anatoly Bibilov has been hosted by Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly Galust Sahakyan.

The meeting took place in Nagorno-Karabakh last week, - as the so-called South Ossetian Parliament’s website reports.

The sides discussed issues of bilateral cooperation, as well as the 1915 massacre of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire.

"The Chairman of the so-called South Ossetian Parliament said the Ossetian people, who became victims of genocide and ethnic cleansing, share the pain of the Armenian people,”- the so-called Parliament's website states.

Bibilov said there have been ties between Armenians and Ossetians for centuries, and that South Ossetia has maintained diplomatic ties with Nagorno-Karabakh since its independence. In addition, Bibilov said Armenians have lived on the South Ossetian territory for centuries and represent a large part of the population there.

"During the Georgian aggression, Armenians fought beside South Ossetians for the freedom and independence of South Ossetia," says the de-facto Parliament’s website.

The two sides also talked about the (unrecognised) elections of the National Assembly in Nagorno-Karabakh on May 3 and participation of observers in it. Eventually, Bibilov and Saakyan agreed to work on deepening bilateral cooperation.
(IPN)