The Messenger - Georgia's English Language Daily

Opposition present list of ‘political prisoners,’ await government’s move

Leading opposition campaigners Salome Zourbaichvili and Goga Khaindrava

Talks between the opposition and the government scheduled for today are off, as the opposition accuses the government of stonewalling in negotiations and readies for a new protest on February 15. (more)

Patriarch baptizes hundreds of newborns to encourage greater Georgian fecundity

Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II met with his hundreds of godchildren on February 8, weeks after he baptized them at Sameba Cathedral as part of a campaign to highlight Georgia’s perceived demographic plight. (more)

Kutaisi teachers on strike over delayed aid vouchers

One school’s teachers are on strike in Georgia’s second city of Kutaisi, after saying they’ve waited months for the government utilities vouchers the promised to them during the recent presidential campaign. (more)

News in Brief

Words of the Day

Georgia’s expectations of the US presidential election

Economists: bread prices to spike in March

Economists predict the cost of bread to rise sharply in March, owing largely to a recent hike in world wheat prices, forcing consumers to fork out as much as GEL 1 for a 400 gram loaf. (more)

Over 300 markets and bazrobebi in Georgia

There are 338 markets and bazrobebi registered in Georgia, nearly half of which are in Tbilisi, according to the Department of Statistics. (more)

Expert skeptical on Georgian financial center

A leading economic analyst is throwing cold water on the government’s plan to transform Georgian into a regional financial center. (more)

Press Scanner

Purported transcript of Gelbakhiani-Kodua tape casts conversation in new light (more)