Georgian beer company “Natakhtari” will welcome a number of guests at the first Beer Festival held in Telavi and Batumi.

Vladimer Papava was elected as rector of Tbilisi State University. Papava got 10 votes, while his opponent Irma Ratiani got 2 votes, an InterpressNews correspondent reports.

The crew of TV Company "Russia" is preparing a story on the Tbilisi Richard Lugar research laboratory. Together with the Russian television reporters a few representatives of the Georgian media were allowed into the lab.

Azerbaijan has not notified Georgia about declaring Georgian writers Dato Turashvili and Beso Khvedelidze as persona non grata.

The FINANCIAL published an article about Georgia’s ads on international TV channels.
‘The new Georgian Government is saying no to the country’s promotion via CNN, BBC

Phone call was received in parliament stating that there was a bomb in the building, InterPressNews correspondent informs from parliament. The employees have been evacuated. Security guards called on the MPs to empty the building. Law enforcers are working in the legislative body now.

BBC published an article about "virginity inspections" in Georgia.
'Brides-to-be in Georgia are apparently undergoing "virginity inspections" before they tie the knot.

Yesterday, July the 24th the Tbilisi State University main concert hall hosted one more public meeting, dedicated to the pre-election campaigning for the rectorship of the University. The lime-light this time fell on Professor Inness Merabishvili. It feels like the time of great University leaders – famed scholars, intelligent organizers, attractive personalities, and outstanding public figures – is returning to Georgia. The most massively recognized school of the country is giving a new chance to the better among the best to head one of the biggest universities of the world. There are fourteen candidates aspiring to the prestigious post of its rector and all of them seem to be deserving the honor, but only very few of them would probably be capable of putting the Georgian people’s adored shrine of knowledge into its previously recognized niche of the Nation’s wisdom and conscience.

New witness on divulged case

For the time being, the new witness shuns disclosing his name; for this reason, with regard to new circumstances about shooting down of public figure Guram Sharadze in the street several years ago, we spoke with his daughter Rusudan Sharadze.

Event that united diplomacy, art and goodwill

On July 15, at Tbilisi State Conservatoire, the Brazilian Ambassador to Georgia H.E Carlos Alberto Lopez Asfora gave concert. The event was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The ambassador decided to mark this event by the Bossa Nova concert and donate the income to the children affected by Leukemia.

I am not a very good Christian. I have never been able to avoid one particular pitfall. I have never been able not to judge others. If someone said something like ‘being gay is contagious and any young person can be made gay’, I judge that homophobe stupid. There is no logic to this argument. I like men, and no amount of Angelina Jolie lookalikes have ever been able to change my mind.

Interview with Bagdat Duskinova, Director of Astana Best Travel

Here we are again with our Kazakh stories. The second place that we, rather a small journalistic delegation from Georgia, which was received cordially by the host country and its ministry of foreign affairs, was the office of Astana Best Travel. The fact that the director of this travel agency is a lady makes me think that the gender issues are not so topical in Central Asia. Mrs. Bagdat Duskinova expressed her pleasure at our arrival.

U.S. National Democratic Institute (NDI) released on July 12 part of its commissioned public opinion survey, which shows respondents’ attitudes towards broad range of policy and current issues.
The poll also includes ratings of political parties.

On July 9, at the Holiday Inn, the Council of Europe with the support of the European Union launched the Joint Program “Human Rights in Prisons and Other Closed Institutions”, dedicated to protecting human rights and enhancing access to health care for the persons deprived of liberty.