News

Relatives of human rights activist Farid Babaev, leader of the Dagestan branch of the "Yabloko" Party, who was killed in 2007 "Apple", are sure that defendants' advocates are doing everything to ruin the case, and in the near future the killers will be at large. The main witness of the prosecution, who saw the gunman, has already given up his evidence.

Double Olympic pole vault champion Elena Isinbaeva from Volgograd and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt are recognized the athletes of the year according to the version of the International Association of Sports Journalists (AIPS).

The organization named "Reporters without Borders" (RwB) has put Azerbaijan on the list of countries practicing censorship on the Internet.

The action of setting up artificial coral reefs to the bottom of Red Sea was held within the agenda of the International Festival "Artificial Reeves-2009" by experts of the Caspian Branch of the Oceanology Institute under the request of Egyptian ecologists.

The civil works at the Yerevan CHPP (combined heat and power plant) are practically over. Its new power unit will be commissioned in April 2010, Armen Movsisyan, minister for energy and natural resources, told journalists.

The airline named Georgian Airways is still waiting for a permit from the Aviation Department of Russia (Rosaviation) to make air flights. This was reported by Nino Giorgobiani, head of the airline's PR service. The Russia's decision is anticipated by January 4.

Now, telephone calls to Abkhazia are made entirely by means of Russian area codes.

As ruled late at night on December 31 by the Karadag District Court of Baku, the already imprisoned editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Real Azerbaijan" Einullah Fatullaev was awarded a 2-month arrest on a new charge - drug storage. Within the next few days the journalist will be transferred from his colony to the SIZO (pre-trial facility) in Kyurdakhany village.

On the outcomes of the polling held by the Public Broadcaster of Georgia, Andrei Nekrasov, author of the film about the Russian-Georgian war entitled "Lessons of Russian" was recognized as "the Person of the Year" in Georgia.

Starting mid-January, pupils' parents in Volgograd will be offered to make use of the new electronic system "Electronic Daybook".

Today, Azerbaijan has started its gas deliveries to the Russian Federation. Official opening of the gate took place in Shirvanovka village, Gusar District.

Among the things of Umalat Magomedov, leader of the armed underground of Dagestan, who was liquidated in Khasavyurt, a notebook was found with records on militants' revenues and expenditures.

The charge of drug storage was presented to imprisoned Azerbaijani journalist Einullah Fatullaev with a number of serious violations of the law and will be appealed against in the court. This was stated by Isakhan Ashurov, journalist's advocate.

The Russian-Georgian communication through the Verkhni Lars Frontier Check Point will be resumed since March 1, 2010. This was announced by Andrei Nesterenko, spokesman of Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On December 29, at the process dealing with the Mukhrovani mutiny in Georgia, the defendants are given the floor for their last plea. On January 8, this stage will be over, and the judge should then pass the verdict.

The City Court of the city of Cherkessk (Karachai-Circassia) suspended 20 children's educational establishments, based on the materials of the "Gospozhnadzor" (State Fire-Prevention Agency). Children's parents are categorically against this decision.

Experts and politicians in Dagestan differ in assessing the failure to hold a regular session of the National Assembly of Dagestan on December 29 because of quorum absence.

As stated by Eduard Kokoity, President of the Republic of South Ossetia, at the press conference in Tskhinvali, the South-Ossetia-Georgian border should be toughly closed. According to his version, this decision stems from the instable situation in Georgia and threat of provocations.

The Ministry of Transports (MoT) of the Russian Federation has sanctioned the Georgian Airways to make Tbilisi-Moscow-Tbilisi charter flights on January 8, 9 and 10, and Tbilisi-St Petersburg-Tbilisi - on January 9 and 10. The Ministry's precondition is one flight per day.

The investigatory bodies have extended by a month the custody term of eight natives of Dagestan accused of a group rape of a resident of Astrakhan. The defendants' advocates have addressed the President of the country and Russian Ombudsman asking to restore justice and defend the rights of the Dagestan residents.