The Messenger #145 (1412)

Wednesday, August 1, 2007, #145 (1412)

News in Brief

Estonian alpinist treated in Kutaisi
Estonian alpinist Viktor Palmi, injured while climbing a Svaneti mountain, will be examined and treated at a Kutaisi medical clinic.
The TV station Mze reports that the 45-year-old alpinist fractured his arm, and will require operations in the hospital.
The alpinist team were in the mountains of Svaneti for a week before they begun climbing Tsaneri peak on July 28, where they were caught by an avalanche.
Georgian border guards from the Mestia border department rescued the climbers, rendering emergency medical treatment and evacuating them from the mountain.
(Black Sea Press)

Opposition demands investigation into western Georgia bomb attack
Opposition politicians demand that the Prosecutor's Office investigate the bomb blast at a hazelnut plant in western Georgia, said Kakha Kukava, one of the leaders of the Democratic Front parliamentary opposition faction, speaking to journalists on Tuesday.
"We demand that the Prosecutor's Office investigate the case and present the results of their work to the interested members of parliament," Kukava said.
He added that the MPs had suspicions that the bomb blast, which destroyed the factory, was related to local mafia activity in the hazelnut industry.
The plant was blown up on the night of July 29; the business was slated to open next week.
Traces of TNT were found at the scene.
(Black Sea Press)

Georgians win six medals at youth games in Belgrade
Georgian athletes took six medals, placing their team in 16th place overall, at the 9th Youth Olympic Games in Belgrade, Serbia.
The Judo team had the best results, winning four medals. Georgia also received a medal in tennis.
Twenty-seven young Georgian athletes aged 12-18 competed in Judo, athletics, gymnastics, tennis, table tennis, cycling and swimming over the course of the competition, which was held from July 22-28.
(Black Sea Press)

Noise restrictions imposed in Batumi
Noise restrictions have been imposed on bungalows and bars located near private residences in the popular holiday destination of Batumi.
Cafes and bars will not be able to play loud music from 12 am to 7 am.
Owners of businesses which violate the rule face a GEL 500 fine.
Members of the Batumi city council said that raucous nightspots near neighbourhoods have been a problem for some time.
(Prime News)

Russia and Georgia reach no agreement on WTO issues
Moscow and Tbilisi reportedly have made no progress in talks over Russia's accession to the WTO since negotiations at the end of May.
Georgia has not budged on its demand to share control of two disputed customs checkpoints along the border with Russia.
(Prime News)

Modern trade center to replace Tbilisi central department store
A British financial group has bought the Tbilisi central department store for USD 22 million, and intends to build modern trade center on the territory.
Minister of Economic Development Giorgi Arveladze said the owner of the department store is a famous businessman who heads a reputable British group. The British investor will reportedly pay USD 30-35 million to build the new trade center.
Arveladze added that the investor plans to renovate the surrounding grounds as well.
(Prime News)

Rehabilitation of kindergartens in Tbilisi
The rehabilitation of kindergarten facilities has started in Tbilisi, announced Mayor Gigi Ugulava on Tuesday.
According to him, most of the kindergartens in Tbilisi are damaged, 30 of which are beyond repair. The worst buildings are in the Gldani-Nadzaladevi area and the old districts of Tbilisi, he said.
"The rehabilitation of kindergartens serves two aims-to carry out the rehabilitation of the infrastructure of the kindergartens and to enlarge them. Frequently kindergartens and IDPs coexist together. The coexistence of kindergartens and IDPs together in one building is inadmissible, and they ought to be separated," said Ugulava.
According to the mayor, IDPs have to leave kindergartens, to be resettled in new buildings. 146 kindergartens should eventually be up and running, Ugulava said, costing GEL 1-1.5 million to repair all the buildings.
(Prime News)