“Mariam Romelashvili took 4th place in Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007”

13-year-old Mariam Romelashvili took fourth place in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007, reports Mteli Kvira. Held in Rotterdam on December 8, this was the first Junior Eurovision Song Contest to include a Georgian contestant.

Romelashvili opened the show.

The Junior Eurovision Song Contest, which includes young singers from ten to 15 years old, has been running since 2003. 17 countries were represented, including fellow first-time contenders Armenia, Bulgaria and Lithuania.



“Magda Anikashvili to become the anchor of “Ghia Eteri”

Sakartvelos Respublika reports that Imedi TV’s widely watched talk show “Ghia Eteri” (Open Air) will now be anchored by Magda Anikashvili, formerly the host of the political news show “Kronika.”

“Ghia Eteri” was hosted by Inga Grigolia, Eka Khoperia and Giorgi Targamadze until authorities raided Imedi TV, and Grigolia and Khoperia left the network.

“The talk show ‘Ghia Eteri’ will have only one anchor and the novelty is that it will be on air on Fridays,” Anikashvili said on Sunday. The show previously aired Monday through Thursday.

Imedi TV is set to resume broadcasts this week, more than a month after being closed amidst a forceful crackdown on anti-government protests on November 7.



“There should be a halt to the shutting down of libraries”

Mikheil Saakashvili, the incumbent presidential candidate, has worked a defense of Georgia’s libraries into his stump speech, according to Akhali Taoba.

Speaking to book publishers and library employees at the National Museum on December 9, Saakashvili called for the government to keep libraries open.

Deputy Culture Minister Nikoloz Vacheishvili was also attending the gathering.

“There were many attempts to shut down the libraries in Georgia. I truly regret that some of them have been closed, but we should stop this process [of shutting down libraries] immediately,” Saakashvili said.

He also proposed salary increases for library staff, and a voucher program to help students buy books.



“Davit Gamkrelidze promises to reimburse the Orthodox Church for past damages”

Sakartvelos Respublika reports that New Rights presidential candidate Davit Gamkrelidze is paying particular attention to the importance of the Church in his campaigning.

In a December 9 speech in Batumi, the newspaper writes, he promised that should he win the presidency he will reimburse the Church for damages suffered under the country’s former Communist regime.

He also pledged to work with the Church to combat social problems.

“If I become president of Georgia, in cooperation with the Georgian Orthodox Church I am going to implement significant programs [to deal with] demographic problems, drug addiction, orphanages and so on,” Gamkrelidze said.