The News in Brief
Friday, October 15
Svetitskhoveli Day celebrated in ancient capital
The 1000th anniversary of the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral was celebrated in the ancient capital of Mtskheta yesterday. October 14 is the Day of Svetitskhoveli; the same day marks the Day of Mtskheta called Mtskhetoba. Georgian Catholicos Patriarch conducted holy mass in the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral for the usual thousands of worshippers and tourists.
This year’s festivities are particularly impressive for the 1000th anniversary of the Cathedral. Several other religious holidays were also celebrated yesterday according to the religious calendar. Worshippers remembered the day of King Mirian and Queen Nana, the day of Saint Sidonia, who died with the shroud of Jesus and the Day of Jesus’ Shroud.
“Svetitskhoveli is the Mercy of god and this Mercy will cover all Georgia and each of its children. I want to address our sisters and brothers living in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region, Svetitskhoveli is Great Mercy and this Mercy should protect you too. This Mercy will save and unite us,” Georgia’s Catholicos Patriarch Ilia II announced. (Rustavi 2)
Ratings Agencies to revise assessment of Georgia
Rating agencies intend to revise their assessments of Georgia, stated the Georgian Prime Minister, Nika Gilauri at a government meeting on October 13.
According to the PM, during his visit to the US the Georgian delegation met with representatives of the three agencies - "Moody's", "Fitch" and "Standard & Poor".
Moody’s improved Georgia’s credit rating a few days ago, which will help to attract additional funds for the private sector.
According to Gilauri, representatives of the Fitch agency will visit the country in December or January to prepare a new report on Georgia. (Prime-News)
Georgia Exported 7,300 tonnes Of Wine
Georgia exported 7,300 tonnes of wine during the last 8 months of the current year.
Prime-News was told at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development that from January to August 2010, 329.9 tonnes of wine were exported from Georgia to more than 37 countries for a total amount of USD 23,143,400.
The largest volume of wine exported was to Ukraine - during this period 3.9 thousand tonnes of wine for USD 11,948,600. Kazakhstan follows an imported 984.2 tonnes of wine in amount of USD 3,513,600. In third place, Belarus imported 637.7 tonnes of Georgian wine.
335 tonnes of wine for USD 1,061,900 was exported to Poland during these last 8 months;
284 tonnes (USD 943,000) was exported to Latvia; 234 tonnes (USD 775,500); to Lithuania 149 tonnes (USD 555,100); to Azerbaijan 132.7 tonnes (USD 530,000). The USA, Moldova and Germany also imported significant quantities of Georgian wine. (Prime-News)
Surveillance cameras record school fights
Fighting in schools still remains a big problem in Georgia. In some cases even handmade weapons are used by teenagers.
Surveillance camera footage showed a scuffle of senior high school students at a Tbilisi public school. The students fought hand-to-hand on a girl studying in the same class; other students tried to part them.
Handmade weapons were also seized at the same school; a 6thgrade pupil attached nails to a wooden plank to use it as a weapon in a fight.
Other camera footage showed girls fighting at school; they began arguing near the school and later engaged in brutal fight in the schoolyard.
It has been reported that the number of school scuffles has recently reduced. Representatives of the Education Ministry say violent incidents have decreased by 80% from last year.
Crime prevention is the main purpose of the Secure School Project of the Education Ministry. Officers will be in all public schools in Tbilisi before the end of 2010 and surveillance cameras will also be installed. (Rustavi 2)
Hunger-Striker demands meeting with Arsenishvili
Prisoner Tamar Talikadze has been on hunger strike for two days demanding a meeting with Gia Arsenishvili, chairperson of the Human Rights Committee of the Parliament of Georgia.
InterpressNews was told by the movement ‘Solidarity for Illegal Prisoners’ that Tamar Talikadze from the women’s section of the penitentiary department contacted them asking for help.
Movement ‘Solidarity for illegal prisoners’ requests Gia Arsenishvili to take an interest and study the prisoner’s case. (Interpressnews)
The 1000th anniversary of the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral was celebrated in the ancient capital of Mtskheta yesterday. October 14 is the Day of Svetitskhoveli; the same day marks the Day of Mtskheta called Mtskhetoba. Georgian Catholicos Patriarch conducted holy mass in the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral for the usual thousands of worshippers and tourists.
This year’s festivities are particularly impressive for the 1000th anniversary of the Cathedral. Several other religious holidays were also celebrated yesterday according to the religious calendar. Worshippers remembered the day of King Mirian and Queen Nana, the day of Saint Sidonia, who died with the shroud of Jesus and the Day of Jesus’ Shroud.
“Svetitskhoveli is the Mercy of god and this Mercy will cover all Georgia and each of its children. I want to address our sisters and brothers living in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region, Svetitskhoveli is Great Mercy and this Mercy should protect you too. This Mercy will save and unite us,” Georgia’s Catholicos Patriarch Ilia II announced. (Rustavi 2)
Ratings Agencies to revise assessment of Georgia
Rating agencies intend to revise their assessments of Georgia, stated the Georgian Prime Minister, Nika Gilauri at a government meeting on October 13.
According to the PM, during his visit to the US the Georgian delegation met with representatives of the three agencies - "Moody's", "Fitch" and "Standard & Poor".
Moody’s improved Georgia’s credit rating a few days ago, which will help to attract additional funds for the private sector.
According to Gilauri, representatives of the Fitch agency will visit the country in December or January to prepare a new report on Georgia. (Prime-News)
Georgia Exported 7,300 tonnes Of Wine
Georgia exported 7,300 tonnes of wine during the last 8 months of the current year.
Prime-News was told at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development that from January to August 2010, 329.9 tonnes of wine were exported from Georgia to more than 37 countries for a total amount of USD 23,143,400.
The largest volume of wine exported was to Ukraine - during this period 3.9 thousand tonnes of wine for USD 11,948,600. Kazakhstan follows an imported 984.2 tonnes of wine in amount of USD 3,513,600. In third place, Belarus imported 637.7 tonnes of Georgian wine.
335 tonnes of wine for USD 1,061,900 was exported to Poland during these last 8 months;
284 tonnes (USD 943,000) was exported to Latvia; 234 tonnes (USD 775,500); to Lithuania 149 tonnes (USD 555,100); to Azerbaijan 132.7 tonnes (USD 530,000). The USA, Moldova and Germany also imported significant quantities of Georgian wine. (Prime-News)
Surveillance cameras record school fights
Fighting in schools still remains a big problem in Georgia. In some cases even handmade weapons are used by teenagers.
Surveillance camera footage showed a scuffle of senior high school students at a Tbilisi public school. The students fought hand-to-hand on a girl studying in the same class; other students tried to part them.
Handmade weapons were also seized at the same school; a 6thgrade pupil attached nails to a wooden plank to use it as a weapon in a fight.
Other camera footage showed girls fighting at school; they began arguing near the school and later engaged in brutal fight in the schoolyard.
It has been reported that the number of school scuffles has recently reduced. Representatives of the Education Ministry say violent incidents have decreased by 80% from last year.
Crime prevention is the main purpose of the Secure School Project of the Education Ministry. Officers will be in all public schools in Tbilisi before the end of 2010 and surveillance cameras will also be installed. (Rustavi 2)
Hunger-Striker demands meeting with Arsenishvili
Prisoner Tamar Talikadze has been on hunger strike for two days demanding a meeting with Gia Arsenishvili, chairperson of the Human Rights Committee of the Parliament of Georgia.
InterpressNews was told by the movement ‘Solidarity for Illegal Prisoners’ that Tamar Talikadze from the women’s section of the penitentiary department contacted them asking for help.
Movement ‘Solidarity for illegal prisoners’ requests Gia Arsenishvili to take an interest and study the prisoner’s case. (Interpressnews)