Author: Goga Akhalkatsi

GM Bela Khotenashvili is the new women’s chess champion of Georgia. The native of Telavi turned in a commanding performance in the 80th Georgian Women’s championship and clinched her fourth national title. She previously won this event in 2012, 2017 and 2021. The 80th Georgian Women’s Chess Championship was a 10-player round-robin with classical time control, held in Tbilisi from February 06-15. Bela Khotenashvili (pictured above) scored an impressive 8/9, conceding her opponents just two draws, but still, it was a very close affair as IM Lela Javakhishvili was hard on the leader’s heels most of the way. Coming into…

YEREVAN, February 15. /ARCH/. Armenia and the Czech Republic are ready to intensify contacts on the implementation of reforms in the healthcare sector, in particular, the introduction of a comprehensive health insurance system. According to the press service of the RA Ministry of Health, this was stated at the meeting of the head of the department Anahit Avanesyan with the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Armenia Petr Pirunchik. During the meeting, the main sectors that have the greatest potential for cooperation and exchange of experience were identified: * implementation of a comprehensive health insurance system, * pharmaceuticals, * preservation of maternal and child health. The…

President of the European Council Charles Michel met with the new Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina – Chairwoman Željka Cvijanović and Members Željko Komšić and Denis Bećirović on February 15, 2023. During their first joint visit to Brussels, the President congratulated the Presidency for their election, underlining that their mandate coincides with a defining moment for the relations between the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The December European Council’s decision to grant candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina was a historic moment and a signal that the EU supports the European aspirations of the people of BiH. The Presidency has an…

BELGRADE (Reuters) – Kosovo and Serbian leaders will have to make “difficult compromises” to resolve outstanding issues and normalise their relations, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday. U.S. and EU envoys are pressing the countries to approve a peace plan presented in mid-2022 under which Belgrade would stop lobbying against Kosovo having a seat in international organisations including the United Nations. Kosovo would commit to forming an association of Serb-majority municipalities under the proposals. “I am confident that normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo will bring security and prosperity for Serbia and all citizens of the…

Five days after the United States announced Magnitsky Act sanctions on five Bulgaria current and former officials, the Prosecutor’s Office said that a request was pending through the Department of Justice to the relevant institutions in the US to provide the information about the basis for imposing the sanctions. In a statement on February 15, the Prosecutor’s Office said that it had “long since” taken all necessary actions in accordance with its powers under the constitution and the law in relation to all sanctioned Bulgarian citizens. Those sanctioned on February 10 are former finance minister Vladislav Goranov, former energy minister…

Nine days after Turkey’s earthquake disaster, three women and two children have been found alive. Forty-two-year-old Melike Imamoglu and 74-year-old Cemile Kekec were pulled from the rubble by rescuers in the Turkish town of Kahramanmaras. Their rescue came as workers turned their attention to cleaning up cities devastated by February’s earthquakes. Millions of people across Syria and Turkey are living in makeshift camps and require humanitarian aid. Video of the rescue posted to social media by the Mayor of Darica, Muzaffer Biyik, showed workers applauding and embracing one another as Ms Kekec was loaded into the ambulance. Local media reported…

Brussels (22/2 – 50) The European Union’s plan to implement the EU Hybrid Toolbox (EUHT), which was launched last year, has received supports from the EU Parliament and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The EUHT was launched in June 2022 with the intention to gather all civilian and military instruments that can be employed to counter hybrid threats. Hybrid threats combine military and non-military as well as covert and overt means, including disinformation, cyber-attacks, economic pressure, deployment of irregular armed groups and use of regular forces. In 2016, the elections in the United States were manipulated by a foreign…

Czech international Jakub Jankto has become the highest-profile active footballer to come out as homosexual. Jankto’s powerful video clip shared on social media aroused praise and encouragement across Europe, and local human rights advocates pointed it out as an act of great personal bravery.     “Like everybody else, I want to live my life in freedom without fears, without prejudice, without violence but with love,” Jankto stated in a video before closing it off with a simple line, “I’m homosexual, and I no longer want to hide myself.” Lawyer and activist Krystof Stupka shared Jankto’s video adding, “CZE is the…

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – A Savannah man has been charged with aggravated battery after biting off a “large portion” of his girlfriend’s ear, according to police. Jerome Milton was taken into custody on Jan. 28. According to an incident report from the Savannah Police Department, the victim told police she and Milton — her children’s father — got into a fight outside The Avenue Bar & Grill on Waters Avenue. Things turned physical and Milton punched her face several times before biting the top of her ear, she said. According to Milton, the victim had seen him hugging another woman…

GRIFFIN, Ga. — A Georgia man is accused of kidnapping a 71-year-old woman at gunpoint, then taking her to an area bank and using her debit card to withdraw money, authorities said. Bryan Deundre Overton, 29, of Griffin, was arrested Monday and charged with armed robbery, home invasion, kidnapping, aggravated assault, burglary, theft by taking, possession of controlled substances, possession of illegal items by inmates and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, according to Spalding County online jail records. According to the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office, the victim said she was awakened on Monday at about…