The News in Brief
Wednesday, December 11
Border markers and barbed wire fences installed along village Plavi and Plavismani
The Russian military continue to install fences along South Ossetia’s state border in the villages Plavi and Plavismani, in the Gori region. Border banners and barbed wire fences have already been installed. As a result, the locals cannot cultivate the land that fell beyond the “border markers.”
The village residents have also been restricted from traveling to the cemeteries located in the north of the village. (InterPressNews)
Georgian Patriarch talks about Ukraine
Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II made a special statement regarding the concerning political situation in Ukraine.
“We are following the recent developments in Kiev with concern. We are very sorry for the difficult situation in the country. Therefore, we bless our parish to pray for peace in Ukraine. We will also conduct prayers for our brother nation and thus help them overcome this difficult period peacefully,” He said. (Rustavi 2)
Traffic limited on Georgia’s roads due to bad weather
The Road Department under the Georgian Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure imposed additional restrictions on vehicular movement in the region due to heavy snowfall.
The Road Department said on Tuesday that it has banned vehicles with trailers, semi-trailers and large buses to use the Kutaisi - Tkibuli - Ambrolauri highway. Vehicles with anti-skid chains are allowed. It is prohibited for vehicles with trailers and semi-trailers to travel on the Mleta - Lars section of the Mtskheta- Stepantsminda - Lars highway (Georgian Military Road).
Only large buses with anti-skid chains are allowed.
Vehicles are moving through the anti-avalanche tunnels at the Gudauri-Kobi section of the Mtskheta-Stephantsminda-Lars highway. Unilateral traffic flow through tunnels is allowed for vehicles with trailers, semi-trailers, as well as large buses.
Vehicles with trailers, semi-trailers and large buses are prohibited on the Zhinvali - Lars section of the Mtskheta- Stepantsminda - Lars highway.
Vehicles with trailers and semi-trailers are prohibited on the Chumateleti-Kutaisi section of the Tbilisi - Senaki - Leselidze highway due to ice covering the roadway. (Trend)
Energy Minister oversees urgent electricity repair work in western Georgia
Georgian Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze has personally taken over the supervision of repair work in western Georgia's energy sector, the ministry said on December10.
Kaladze said 150,000 customers have been left without electricity in the western regions of Georgia.
Heavy snow and storms have caused problems over almost all the republic. Traffic jams have occurred on the roads and snow ploughs are unable to clear snowdrifts. Dozens of villages are cut- off from the outside world. Hurricane winds and the adhering snow broke overhead lines leaving several hundred-thousand people without electricity, according to the Georgian Energy Ministry.
Electricity in the city is currently only being supplied to life supporting facilities.
"We were able to restore power supply to 50,000 customers. Our teams are working around the clock to quickly restore the power supply," Kaladze stressed. (Trend)
Two die as greenhouse collapses near Batumi
Two people have died after a greenhouse roof collapsed in Georgia due to bad weather.
The accident happened Monday evening in the village Salibauri in the Adjara region and was caused by strong wind and heavy snowfall. Two women aged 35 and 50 died when the roof of a citrus manufacturing plant fell down. Both died on the spot. Up to ten others were injured.
About 40 employees were trapped in the ruins. 10 were injured and five of them were sent to the hospital in Batumi. They do not have life threatening injuries.
Tariel Janirovi, the owner of the warehouse, said his employees were working to take care of the tomatoes inside the collapsed building. He said the construction of the warehouse seemed perfect, but now he hopes the investigation will show what happened.
There is no electricity in Batumi and the snow cover is 20 centimeters thick. Road traffic is restricted and schools are closed. (Democracy & Freedom watch)
Cabinet named after Zurab Zhvania opens in Parliament's National Library
A cabinet named in honor of Georgia's late Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania was opened at the Parliament's National Library on December 9 by the Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili and the library's Director General Giorgi Kekelidze. The event was attended by widow of the late politician Nino Kadagidze-Zhvania.
Usupashvili told reporters the opening of the cabinet marked the beginning of events for the fiftieth anniversary of Zhvania's birth. Widow of the late prime minister said the event was a “great honor”, adding a classical music concert would also be held at the State Conservatory to mark the anniversary.
The late Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania would have turned fifty on December 9. (Georgian News)
Missing businessman found dead in his car
Vakhtang Phailodze, 46, a businessman, who was missing since December 6th, was found dead in his car that was parked on one of the streets of Saburtalo district, Tbilisi. He had a gun shot in his head; therefore, the police say it might have been a suicide. Police have filed a criminal case with the charges of driving a person to commit a suicide. The family of the businessman does not believe that Phailodze committed a suicide. They say the businessman went out from his house to meet his friend and since then Phailodze was missing. (Rustavi 2)
The Russian military continue to install fences along South Ossetia’s state border in the villages Plavi and Plavismani, in the Gori region. Border banners and barbed wire fences have already been installed. As a result, the locals cannot cultivate the land that fell beyond the “border markers.”
The village residents have also been restricted from traveling to the cemeteries located in the north of the village. (InterPressNews)
Georgian Patriarch talks about Ukraine
Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II made a special statement regarding the concerning political situation in Ukraine.
“We are following the recent developments in Kiev with concern. We are very sorry for the difficult situation in the country. Therefore, we bless our parish to pray for peace in Ukraine. We will also conduct prayers for our brother nation and thus help them overcome this difficult period peacefully,” He said. (Rustavi 2)
Traffic limited on Georgia’s roads due to bad weather
The Road Department under the Georgian Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure imposed additional restrictions on vehicular movement in the region due to heavy snowfall.
The Road Department said on Tuesday that it has banned vehicles with trailers, semi-trailers and large buses to use the Kutaisi - Tkibuli - Ambrolauri highway. Vehicles with anti-skid chains are allowed. It is prohibited for vehicles with trailers and semi-trailers to travel on the Mleta - Lars section of the Mtskheta- Stepantsminda - Lars highway (Georgian Military Road).
Only large buses with anti-skid chains are allowed.
Vehicles are moving through the anti-avalanche tunnels at the Gudauri-Kobi section of the Mtskheta-Stephantsminda-Lars highway. Unilateral traffic flow through tunnels is allowed for vehicles with trailers, semi-trailers, as well as large buses.
Vehicles with trailers, semi-trailers and large buses are prohibited on the Zhinvali - Lars section of the Mtskheta- Stepantsminda - Lars highway.
Vehicles with trailers and semi-trailers are prohibited on the Chumateleti-Kutaisi section of the Tbilisi - Senaki - Leselidze highway due to ice covering the roadway. (Trend)
Energy Minister oversees urgent electricity repair work in western Georgia
Georgian Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze has personally taken over the supervision of repair work in western Georgia's energy sector, the ministry said on December10.
Kaladze said 150,000 customers have been left without electricity in the western regions of Georgia.
Heavy snow and storms have caused problems over almost all the republic. Traffic jams have occurred on the roads and snow ploughs are unable to clear snowdrifts. Dozens of villages are cut- off from the outside world. Hurricane winds and the adhering snow broke overhead lines leaving several hundred-thousand people without electricity, according to the Georgian Energy Ministry.
Electricity in the city is currently only being supplied to life supporting facilities.
"We were able to restore power supply to 50,000 customers. Our teams are working around the clock to quickly restore the power supply," Kaladze stressed. (Trend)
Two die as greenhouse collapses near Batumi
Two people have died after a greenhouse roof collapsed in Georgia due to bad weather.
The accident happened Monday evening in the village Salibauri in the Adjara region and was caused by strong wind and heavy snowfall. Two women aged 35 and 50 died when the roof of a citrus manufacturing plant fell down. Both died on the spot. Up to ten others were injured.
About 40 employees were trapped in the ruins. 10 were injured and five of them were sent to the hospital in Batumi. They do not have life threatening injuries.
Tariel Janirovi, the owner of the warehouse, said his employees were working to take care of the tomatoes inside the collapsed building. He said the construction of the warehouse seemed perfect, but now he hopes the investigation will show what happened.
There is no electricity in Batumi and the snow cover is 20 centimeters thick. Road traffic is restricted and schools are closed. (Democracy & Freedom watch)
Cabinet named after Zurab Zhvania opens in Parliament's National Library
A cabinet named in honor of Georgia's late Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania was opened at the Parliament's National Library on December 9 by the Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili and the library's Director General Giorgi Kekelidze. The event was attended by widow of the late politician Nino Kadagidze-Zhvania.
Usupashvili told reporters the opening of the cabinet marked the beginning of events for the fiftieth anniversary of Zhvania's birth. Widow of the late prime minister said the event was a “great honor”, adding a classical music concert would also be held at the State Conservatory to mark the anniversary.
The late Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania would have turned fifty on December 9. (Georgian News)
Missing businessman found dead in his car
Vakhtang Phailodze, 46, a businessman, who was missing since December 6th, was found dead in his car that was parked on one of the streets of Saburtalo district, Tbilisi. He had a gun shot in his head; therefore, the police say it might have been a suicide. Police have filed a criminal case with the charges of driving a person to commit a suicide. The family of the businessman does not believe that Phailodze committed a suicide. They say the businessman went out from his house to meet his friend and since then Phailodze was missing. (Rustavi 2)