NEWS

Georgia Ends Tokyo Olympics with 8 Medals and 33rd Place

Transgender Woman Attacked in Tbilisi BY KETEVAN SKHIRTLADZE

BY ANA DUMBADZE

The Ministry of Internal Affairs reports that two people have been arrested in Tbilisi on charges of intolerance on the grounds of gender identity.

An investigation is underway under Article 126, Part 1, Subparagraph “b” of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which stipulates group violence.

The victim confi rms the incident. The transgender woman says the police were called after two people approached her. Initially, it started with verbal abuse and then escalated into physical abuse.

“The offi cers of the Patrol Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as a result of investigative activities, detained in Tbilisi A.K. (DoB 1991) and A.M. (DoB: 1988) for violence committed in a group.

“The committed crime envisages up to 2 years of imprisonment.

“The investigation established that on August 9 of this year, in Tbilisi, in the vicinity of the circus, the accused persons on the grounds of gender identity intolerance verbally and physically assaulted J.C. (DoB: 1993).

“The law enforcers detained A.K. and A.M. shortly after the crime took place.

PM: From January 2022, Salaries of Public Servants to Increase

BY KETEVAN SKHIRTLADZE

The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, announced before the government session that the salaries of public servants are to increase from January 2022. He also added that it is planned to double the salaries of mayors.

The Prime Minister noted that the salaries of mayors are around 1,800-2,000 GEL and added that this is absolutely inconsistent with the current reality. He noted the salaries of public servants have not increased over the years.

“As part of our new policy, we will gradually start increasing the salaries of public servants from January 2022. This is necessary because people in the civil service can no longer see the motivation, and we cannot compete with the private sector, so we need to address this issue, which we will do from January 2022. We will also increase the mayors’ salaries, we have decided to practically double them. It is incredible that the mayor works for 2,000 GEL and serves Kutaisi, Batumi, and this issue needs to be resolved in a timely manner,” stated Garibashvili. The offi cial closing ceremony of the XXXII Summer Olympic Games was held in Tokyo. Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach awarded the marathoners at the closing ceremony.

Gogita Arkania, the fi rst Georgian world champion in karate, as well as the holder of the European Championship and the bronze medal of the European Games, was the fl ag bearer of the Georgian Olympic delegation at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games.

The Georgian Olympic team, consisting of 33 athletes, won 8 medals in Tokyo – 2 gold, 5 silver, and 1 bronze. Georgia took 33rd place among the 205 countries participating in the Olympics in the offi cial team standings.

Since Georgia competes at the Summer Olympics as an independent country, the Georgian Olympic team has never won as many medals as in the 2020 Olympics.

The Miraculous Didgori Battle

BY TEAM GT

August 12 marks the greatest date in our history: 900 years ago, Georgia, under the leadership of the great King David Agmashenebeli (the Builder) set an example of one of the most remarkable military-strategic successes in world history, - Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, wrote on his Facebook page.

Garibashvili noted that the Didgori battle has become a symbol of the fi ght for freedom, unity, and devotion to the homeland. "Even today, in the face of new challenges, the living example of the Didgori battle teaches us that together we can achieve all goals. I congratulate you on this day and wish our country unity, peace, and development," Garibashvili added.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs of Georgia, on the occasion of the 900th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Didgori, announced a competition for a full-length feature fi lm about the work of King David the Builder.

The Ministry notes that fi lm production companies in Georgia will have the opportunity to participate. The making of this fi lm is to be a complex state project likely lasting several years.

The Ministry will pay $20,000 for the script and the project.

The state will own the rights to the fi lm as a customer and fi nancier, while the copyright will belong to the main creative group of the fi lm.

The Battle of Didgori was fought between the armies of the Kingdom of Georgia and the declining Seljuk Empire at Didgori, 40 km west of Tbilisi on August 12, 1121. The battle resulted in King David IV of Georgia’s victory over a Seljuk army invading under Ilghazi, and the subsequent reconquest of the Muslim-held Tbilisi, which then became the royal capital. The victory at Didgori began the medieval Georgian Golden Age and is celebrated in the Georgian chronicles as a "miraculous victory".

The monument of Didgori can be reached via the Kojori Highway. There, you will fi nd several statues of defeated Seljuks and 49 large swords, one for every 1000 Georgians that apparently took part in the vast battle on this spot.