News

In Georgia, the political parties, which have overcome the electoral threshold and which have put at least two women on their party lists of ten candidates, will receive additional funding from the state budget in the amount of 10 percent. The relevant amendments were made in late December last year in the Law "On Political Associations of Citizens".

The restoration of the mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the conflict zones with South Ossetia and Abkhazia is the top priority for the Georgian Government and the OSCE, said Sergi Kapanadze, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

A resident of Novocherkassk perished as a result of a mass scuffle that took place on January, 2. Two more people were taken to hospital.

Prosecutor General’s of the Russian Federation revealed violations in barrow excavation in the National park of Sochi after it carried out an inspection in reply to the ecologists’ reports of numerous violations of nature conservation legislation in this conservation zone.

Public Prosecutor’s office in the Republic of Dagestan re-established the dwelling rights of Aminat Omarova, one-hundred-years-old widow of a participant of the Great Patriotic War, by means of trial.

Regional court of Rostov-on-Don left Alexander Tolmachev, Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper “Upolnomochen Zaiuvit” and journal “Pro Rostov”, in custody.

Today in Sochi, a human rights activist Sergey Basmanov has been set free after his 10-day arrest for disobeying the police.

The passengers of the bus, which overturned in a traffic accident in the Cherek District of Kabardino-Balkaria, have been sent home – to the Stavropol Territory.

The Soviet District Court of Vladikavkaz has convicted two detained participants of the unauthorized march in the capital of North Ossetia on December 30, 2011.

Within six months to come, Azerbaijan should draft its strategy for using renewable sources of energy for 2012-2020, which would allow bringing the share of renewable sources up to 20 percent in total country's energy consumption. This order was signed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev.

In 2011, the Russian Federation saw 397 instances of oppression against members of the international religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. This was reported by believers themselves, who state increased pressure on them. Officials from law enforcement bodies claim that they are acting in accordance with the law.

Today a bus of a tourist company overturned in Cherkessk district of Kabardino-Balkaria. One person perished, seven more got wounded.

Law enforcement bodies of Georgia have returned a painting by Niko Pirosmani, a famous primitivist painter, back to the country. The painting "Organ-Grinder", which had been illegally taken out of Georgia a few years ago, was offered for sale in a foreign country in the "black market".

Prices on public transport went up in Chechen Republic since January, 1. The residents of Grozny have to pay ten rubles ($0,3) for the ticket instead of the prior sum of seven rubles. Local residents are malcontent with the growth of the prices. Representatives of the Ministry of Transport say this is a coercive measure.

In the evening of January, 1, Sovietsky district court passed a judgment of arrest of Elina Marzoeva and Ruslan Magkaev accused of organizing an unauthorized procession in the center of the capital of North Ossetia for a term of 15 days.

“Sitronics” company submitted an official application on organizing a free economic zone (FEZ) in the territory of “Mars” plant in Armenia in the beginning of 2012, Minister of Economy Tigran Davtyan reported. According to him, the application will be considered by a an interdepartmental committee for forming the FEZ and then passed over to the Government.

About 200 Circassians from Syria, where riots are on since March 2011, appeal to Russian leadership and government of Adygea asking for help in their resettlement to Russia; Governor of Stavropol Territory takes control over situation in the city of Lermontov, where the mayor and city manager are in open conflict; first sentence on mass slaughter in Kuschevskaya; exchange of prisoners between Georgia and South Ossetia; actions in defence of political prisoners, supported in Southern Russia, – look these and other events in the Caucasus in the review of the week of December 26, 2011, to January 1, 2012, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Today in the town of Baksan, Kabardino-Balkaria, unidentified attackers shelled the car with Police Colonel Murat Shkhagumov, the commander of the special fast response detachment, and his children.

Today in the morning, an aircraft with about 200 Russian tourists, making flight from Egypt to Rostov-on-Don, was forced to land in Sochi because of fog at the destination airport. The passengers spent more than eight hours at Sochi Airport, took off for destination in the evening.

Corporal Besik Niniashvili, a serviceman of the Georgian peacekeeping contingent, stepped on a mine and died in Afghanistan.