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The News in Brief

Friday, January 21
Unique Books Stolen From State University Library Returned To Georgia

Unique books stolen from the Tbilisi State University’s library have been delivered to Georgia by special flight from Ukraine.

Prime-News was told about it by the press service of the TSU on January 20.

The 56 books in total, worth several tens of thousand dollars, stolen from the Tbilisi State University’s library in March 2010, will be kept at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia.

On January 18, a meeting with representatives of law enforcement bodies of Ukraine and the Ministry of Culture was held at the Georgian embassy to Ukraine. At the meeting, the books seized during the investigation, were transferred to the diplomatic mission.

These books are: the history of Georgia published in 1761, unique military dictionaries, various editions of XVIII-XIX centuries.

Ukrainian police discovered the stolen books at Borispol international airport. (Prime-News)



Patriarch has over 7,000 God Children

The number of children baptized by the Georgian Catholicos Patriarch, Ilia II, has exceeded 7 000. His Holiness blessed his god children after the baptizing ritual and presented them with crosses and the Gospels.

On the day of Holy Epiphany, the fifteenth nationwide ritual of baptizing was held. His Holiness blessed 545 fourth children of the families and granted them with the titles of Devoted Patriot and the Defender of Patriarch`s Throne. (Rustavi 2)



Boers to make investments in Georgia`s soil

The world`s top farmers are exploring Georgia`s potential. The Boers or the Dutch, who have 4 centuries of farming experience, intend to make investments on Georgian soil.

The Boers intend to make investments in the agriculture sector of Georgia, until the end of 2011. The Europeans with great experience of farming, who settled in Africa in the 17th century, have already undertaken to explore Georgia`s potential. Reportedly, the foreign investors intend to make investments in the field of cattle-breeding at first.

The Georgian State Minister signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Agrarian Union of South Africa. Papuna Davitaia, who arrived in Johannesburg to attend the presentation of memories of Niko Bagrationi, or Niko Boer, met local farmers there and got acquainted with their plans regarding Georgia. The first point of the memorandum says that the Dutch farmers will share their experience with Georgians and carry out specific projects in the country.

The Boer farmers have already arrived in Georgia and have travelled to Kakheti Region in Eastern Georgia to begin exploring the local soil.

Georgia is not the first country, where the Boers have strived to revive the local agriculture. They have already turned farming into a profitable business in Argentina`s uninhabited soils. (Rustavi 2)



Seismographers Installed at Earthquake Epicenter

Employees of the Seismological Monitoring Center of the Ilia State University installed a seismographer in Dapenili village of Baghdati . The equipment will support seismographic studies in the region. Another group left for Abastumani to check the data from a recently-installed seismographer. The Seismographic Center employees will stay in the Imereti region to install the necessary equipment in neighboring villages of the quake's epicenter.

A 5.8 magnitude Earthquake hit Georgia yesterday at 13:17. According to seismologists, the epicenter was Kukaskhidi village in Vani district.

Quakes of a lower magnitude took place yesterday as well and seismologists say they may continue for a fortnight. (Interpressnews)



Poachers Detained in Dusheti

The Environmental Protection Inspection has detained an 8-person group of poachers in Dusheti district due to illegal hunting. The detainees had been hunting illegally in Tvalivi village of Dusheti. The poachers tried to escape but the police detained 3. One “Bereta” gun, two “SKS” hunting guns and a hunting roe have all been confiscated.

The environmental damage caused by their actions has been calculated at 5000 GEL.

A criminal case is underway and materials have been sent to Chief Prosecutor’s Office and an investigation is under way. (Rustavi 2)



70-80 Patients Visit Tbilisi Iashvili Clinic Daily

The number of patients has increased at Tbilisi Iashvili Children Clinic in January 2011. As the Clinic Press Service told InterPressNews, 70-80 patients have been visiting the Clinic on a daily basis this month. Last month figures totaled 50-60, whereas the patients’ rate was 110-120 in the same period last year.

The Clinic staff state that, although the doctor visits have increased, it still doesn’t imply that there has been an epidemic. The Clinic will be able to take more patients if necessary. (Interpressnews)



MIA Detains Police Captain

Police Captain Ioseb Birtvelishvili – an Assistant-Investigator to the Detective of Shida Kartli Regional Main Division was detained as a result of operative investigation activities conducted by the officers of the General Inspection of Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The detained police officer exceeded his legal authority, namely by interfering in a financial dispute between entrepreneurs and forced one of the entrepreneurs to renounce 4,000 GEL belonging to him. Had this request not been met, he had threatened him with arrest and to cause other problems.

Ioseb Birtvelishvili admitted to committing the mentioned crime.

An investigation is in progress under the Article 333 of the Criminal Code of Georgia.

The investigation is being conducted by the General Inspection of Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. (Interpressnews)