Category: News - Page 163

Flood-hit Tbilisi Zoo will reopen in September

August 18, 2015 by DFWatch staff

TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi Zoo will reopen in September, after being closed for several months following a flood that partly destroyed it on June 14.

It’s a much reduced compound visitors are welcomed back to, with less than half of the animals and

Georgia's two top leaders both want to attend UN meeting, again

August 17, 2015 by DFWatch staff

giorgi_margvelashvili-irakli_gharibashvili — Giorgi Margvelashvili (left) and Irakli Garibashvili shake hands during a meeting of the National Security Council in October, 2014. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The Republic of Georgia is faced with a dilemma: which of the country’s two top people shall attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York in six weeks?

Both the president and prime minister are invited and want to attend.

Russia expands sanctions list, but Georgia not included

August 15, 2015 by DFWatch staff

TBILISI, DFWatch–Russia has expanded the list of countries subject to trade embargo, but Georgia is not on the list. The move comes as a response to new sanctions by Western countries against Russia and includes Albania, Montenegro, Iceland

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Two former guards found guilty of negligence in Zurab Zhvania’s death

August 15, 2015 by DFWatch staff

tbilisi_city_court — Tbilisi City Court (IPN)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The jury on Friday found two members of the personal security detail of Zurab Zhvania guilty of negligence leading to the PM’s death in 2005.

Ten members of the jury agreed with the charges laid out by the prosecutors, while two were against.

Controversial new hotel complex approved by Tbilisi City Council

August 14, 2015 by DFWatch staff

TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Council on Wednesday approved a controversial construction project in the old part of the capital.

The decision is bound to further enrage activists, who have been campaigning against the project.

The plans for Mirza

Georgia not in a hurry to cancel Saakashvili's citizenship

August 14, 2015 by DFWatch staff

mikheil_saakashvili__Crop — Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is not rushing to suspend the citizenship of its ex-president, Mikheil Saakashvili. The justice ministry is awaiting an official notice from Ukraine.

The former president, who is now governor of Odessa, received Ukrainian citizenship a few months

Two defense officials accused of corruption given their jobs back

August 13, 2015 by DFWatch staff

irakli_alasania — Irakli Alasania. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Two Defense Ministry employees who are awaiting trial for embezzlement of state money have been given their jobs back.

Giorgi Lobzanidze and Archil Alavidze were released in June along with three colleagues after spending about

Russian soldiers praying at Georgian monastery

August 12, 2015 by DFWatch staff

lomisi_monastery — Lomisi monastery. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian priest at a mountain monastery on the border with South Ossetia says Russian soldiers often come there to pray.

Abbot Mate Julakidze says he was compelled to provide an explanation after some people wrote on the Internet

Two policemen wounded in shooting in Tbilisi

August 12, 2015 by DFWatch staff

police_find_narcotic_drugs_ponichala — (police.ge.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Two policemen were wounded during a special operation in Tbilisi on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, two employees of the central criminal police were wounded in Ponichala, a suburb in the eastern part of the capital

Policeman shot during house call in eastern Georgia

August 11, 2015 by DFWatch staff

TBILISI, DFWatch–A policeman was shot on duty in Georgia’s eastern Kakheti region on Monday, during a house call about domestic violence.

Police received a call about family violence in the village Zemo Alvani, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. When police