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The News in Brief

Tuesday, August 24
Missing Russian Tourists Found in Abkhazia

Missing tourists have been found in Abkhazia, Apsni.ru reports.

Three young people from Moscow went to Ritsi Lake to ascend one of the highest mountain peaks two days ago. The tourists got lost on the way and asked for help. Rescuers found them in the morning and took them to a safe place.

The de facto Abkhazian emergency situations service doctor, Ruslan Goov reported that the Russian tourists’ condition had deteriorated due to a lack of warm clothes and tents.

‘They were in Alpine zone, where there are no trees or firewood; they could not make a fire and that’s why they were frozen,’ Goov stated.
(Interpressnews)



Russian Airline Starts Flights

Russian airline S7 (“Sibir”) started flights between Georgia and Russia on Monday.

The company has already received a license for the flights from “Rosaviation”. S7 will fly from Moscow's Domodedovo airport to Tbilisi every Monday, Thursday and Saturday. The company is also discussing the possibility of conducting flights to Kutaisi and Batumi. Airzena - Georgian Airways will carry out flights from Georgia to Russia.

Flights between Georgia and Russia stopped in August 2006; they had been reinstated in 2008, but the August war caused their cessation once again.
(Interpressnews)



Robbery suspects arrested

As a result of search and investigation operations, officers of the 3rd unit of Vake-Saburtalo Police Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia detained Giorgi Bogveradze, Nika Abramishvili and Tamaz Bakhtadze, who on August 18, 2010 threatened the operator, Mr. Vasil Begiashvili with a knife and stole money from the petrol station located near block #1 of the II micro-district of Nutsubidze.

A criminal case against Mr. Giorgi Bogveradze, Mr. Nika Abramishvili and and Mr. Tamaz Bakhtadze is being launched under the part II of the Article 179 of the Criminal Code of Georgia and envisages 6-9 years of imprisonment.
(Rustavi 2)



European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism

The Georgian parliament has joined the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism. August 23 is the European commemoration day in memory of the victims of the totalitarian ideologies of Stalinism and National Socialism. It was designated by the European Parliament on April 2, 2009.

August 23 is the date on which the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed, when Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany divided Eastern Europe between each other.

The objective of the day of remembrance is to preserve the memory of the victims of mass deportations and exterminations, and also to root democracy more firmly and reinforce peace and stability in Europe
(Rustavi2)



Russia delivers Humanitarian Cargo to Akhalgori

Russia delivered 10 tonnes of humanitarian cargo to Akhalgori, reports the Ossetian media.

The cargo includes medical equipment, medicine and books.

Aleksandre Murzin, head of the Russian border guards in so called South Ossetia, reports that 3 tonnes of medicine, 5 tonnes of books and a TV medicine vehicle were delivered to Akhalgori. The vehicle will send video signals to Moscow hospital. A field hospital has also been located in Akhalgori.

According to the Ossetian media, Russia plans to bring a total of 100 tonnes of humanitarian cargo to Akhalgori, including 30 tonnes of medical equipment and 60 tonnes of industrial goods.
(Interpressnews)



Biometric passports online for Georgians

Georgian citizens living abroad will now be able to get new biometric passports online, the public registration agency announced today. The citizens can register online on the web site www.cra.gov.ge / passport.gov.ge, complete the form and get a passport with the help of a trusted person.

Trusted persons will be allowed to collect the biometric passports at every regional office of the public registration agency in Georgia. The selection of the regional office is up to the applicant and the trusted person.

The new biometric passport costs 155 GEL and it will be issued five days after the application is submitted.
(Rustavi2)