The News in Brief
Tuesday, April 20
IOC publishes report on Kumaritashvili's death
The International Luge Federation says "no single reason" caused the death of Georgian Nodar Kumaritashvili in a training run at the Vancouver Olympics.
In a report released on Monday the FIL says that "what happened to Nodar was an unforeseeable fatal accident." FIL Secretary General Svein Romstad says that "after an in-depth analysis we concluded that there was no single reason but a complex series of interrelated events which led to this tragedy."
During a training run in February only hours before the opening ceremony Kumaritashvili was flung from the ice at the Whistler Sliding Center and struck a steel pole after losing control of his sled on the final curve.
(Rustavi 2)
Georgia demands an investigation into damage to Shota Rustaveli’s fresco in Israel
Georgia has asked the Israeli authorities to investigate the vandalism of the Shota Rustaveli statue in Israel. Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia Davit Jalaghania stated at a briefing on April 19 that the Georgian authorities have already sent an official letter to the Internal Affairs Ministry of Israel and the Mayor of Jerusalem demanding an investigation and the punishment of the gulty persons.
The administration of the Patriarch of Georgia also published a special statement regarding the damage to the Rustaveli statue on April 18. Reportedly the Israeli authorities have already launched an investigation.
(Prime News)
Civil defence and safety classrooms opened
Minister of Education and Science Dimitri Shashkin and Defence Minister Bacho Akhalaia have attended the opening ceremony of the civil defence and safety classrooms at Mtskheta public school Number 2. In the first stage of this pilot programme such classrooms will be opened in 15 schools in Rustavi, Mtskheta and Tbilisi.
On the President’s initiative, the Ministry of Education and Science has developed a new educational course on civil defence and safety as part of the second phase of the educational reforms. The new course covers civil defence, road safety, first aid, the history of the Georgian Army and a review of Georgian armaments. Representatives of the Ministries of Labour, Health and Social Affairs, Defence, Internal Affairs and Environment Protection and foreign experts will be involved in further developing the programme together with representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science.
The pilot schools have been selected based on specially developed methodology. The content of the new course will be finalised based on the results of this pilot for the next academic year.
(Rustavi 2)
Saakashvili in Poland and US
President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili has returned to the US after visiting Poland to attend the funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife.
Deputy Foreign Minister David Jalaghania stated at a briefing on April 19 that “the Georgian President interrupted his visit to the United States to attend the burial of the late President and First Lady of Poland but despite the difficult meteorological conditions has returned to the U.S. to hold planned meetings”
Saakashvili has held meetings with the Mayor of New York, the US intellectual elite and mass media representatives.
(Prime News)
Political consultations between Georgia and Canada held
Another round of political consultations has been held between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada. During these the sides discussed prospects for the reinforcement of the existing relations between Georgia and Canada and a broad spectrum of political and economic issues.
At the meeting the Canadian side reaffirmed Canada's full support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and the process of Georgia's integration with Euro-Atlantic and European structures.
(Prime News)
Child from Abkhazia hospitalised in Tbilisi
A one-year-old child from breakaway Abkhazia has been hospitalised in Tbilisi due to a grave case of epilepsy. At first the girl was taken from the Tkvarcheli region to Kutaisi, but later she was moved to the Intensive Care Department of the Tbilisi Children’s Hospital. Doctors say her condition is very serious but stable.
Minister of Health and Social Care of the legal Abkhazian Government Lekso Lagvilava has visited the patient at the Iashvili Clinic. He said all treatment expenses will be covered by the Abkhazian Legal Government.
(Prime News)
The International Luge Federation says "no single reason" caused the death of Georgian Nodar Kumaritashvili in a training run at the Vancouver Olympics.
In a report released on Monday the FIL says that "what happened to Nodar was an unforeseeable fatal accident." FIL Secretary General Svein Romstad says that "after an in-depth analysis we concluded that there was no single reason but a complex series of interrelated events which led to this tragedy."
During a training run in February only hours before the opening ceremony Kumaritashvili was flung from the ice at the Whistler Sliding Center and struck a steel pole after losing control of his sled on the final curve.
(Rustavi 2)
Georgia demands an investigation into damage to Shota Rustaveli’s fresco in Israel
Georgia has asked the Israeli authorities to investigate the vandalism of the Shota Rustaveli statue in Israel. Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia Davit Jalaghania stated at a briefing on April 19 that the Georgian authorities have already sent an official letter to the Internal Affairs Ministry of Israel and the Mayor of Jerusalem demanding an investigation and the punishment of the gulty persons.
The administration of the Patriarch of Georgia also published a special statement regarding the damage to the Rustaveli statue on April 18. Reportedly the Israeli authorities have already launched an investigation.
(Prime News)
Civil defence and safety classrooms opened
Minister of Education and Science Dimitri Shashkin and Defence Minister Bacho Akhalaia have attended the opening ceremony of the civil defence and safety classrooms at Mtskheta public school Number 2. In the first stage of this pilot programme such classrooms will be opened in 15 schools in Rustavi, Mtskheta and Tbilisi.
On the President’s initiative, the Ministry of Education and Science has developed a new educational course on civil defence and safety as part of the second phase of the educational reforms. The new course covers civil defence, road safety, first aid, the history of the Georgian Army and a review of Georgian armaments. Representatives of the Ministries of Labour, Health and Social Affairs, Defence, Internal Affairs and Environment Protection and foreign experts will be involved in further developing the programme together with representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science.
The pilot schools have been selected based on specially developed methodology. The content of the new course will be finalised based on the results of this pilot for the next academic year.
(Rustavi 2)
Saakashvili in Poland and US
President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili has returned to the US after visiting Poland to attend the funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife.
Deputy Foreign Minister David Jalaghania stated at a briefing on April 19 that “the Georgian President interrupted his visit to the United States to attend the burial of the late President and First Lady of Poland but despite the difficult meteorological conditions has returned to the U.S. to hold planned meetings”
Saakashvili has held meetings with the Mayor of New York, the US intellectual elite and mass media representatives.
(Prime News)
Political consultations between Georgia and Canada held
Another round of political consultations has been held between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada. During these the sides discussed prospects for the reinforcement of the existing relations between Georgia and Canada and a broad spectrum of political and economic issues.
At the meeting the Canadian side reaffirmed Canada's full support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and the process of Georgia's integration with Euro-Atlantic and European structures.
(Prime News)
Child from Abkhazia hospitalised in Tbilisi
A one-year-old child from breakaway Abkhazia has been hospitalised in Tbilisi due to a grave case of epilepsy. At first the girl was taken from the Tkvarcheli region to Kutaisi, but later she was moved to the Intensive Care Department of the Tbilisi Children’s Hospital. Doctors say her condition is very serious but stable.
Minister of Health and Social Care of the legal Abkhazian Government Lekso Lagvilava has visited the patient at the Iashvili Clinic. He said all treatment expenses will be covered by the Abkhazian Legal Government.
(Prime News)