World news

04 February 2010 [14:05]

Windstorm ruined building injuring four in Batumi

Sudden windstorm ruined two floors of a 14-storey building in Batumi on Feb. 3.
04 February 2010 [13:47]

Turkey, Iran sign JEC protocol

Turkish Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin and Motaki also signed the "Judicial Cooperation Agreement" prior to the signing of the protocol.
04 February 2010 [13:33]

Israel threatens to 'use force' against Iran

Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Yaalon says Israel might use force to prevent Iran from developing "nuclear weapons", a claim Iran vehemently rejects.
04 February 2010 [13:06]

Armenian defense minister heads to France

On Feb. 3, Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan hosted French Ambassador to Armenia Serge Smessow.
04 February 2010 [12:44]

Paris court to consider Georgia's claim to Eutelsat

On Feb. 4, arbitrage of Paris will start hearings of the Public Broadcaster's of Georgia claim to Eutelsat, the French satellite company.
04 February 2010 [12:32]

Turkish energy minister says Turkey, Azerbaiajn have agreed on natural gas price

Turkey's energy minister said Wednesday that Turkey and Azerbaijan agreed on price of natural gas imported from Azerbaijan.
04 February 2010 [12:07]

Saudi Arabia: No specific arrangements with Iran

Saudi Arabia has declared that it will not make “special arrangements” with Iran in order to resume Iranians' pilgrimage to Mecca.
04 February 2010 [11:34]

Georgia has highest mobile comunication tariffs in post-Soviet area

Georgia is on the first place for high tariffs for mobile communication among post-soviet countries.
04 February 2010 [11:23]

Heavy snowfall blocks roads in Turkish cities

Heavy snowfall and freezing weather conditions have paralyzed life and traffic in most parts of Turkey.
04 February 2010 [10:56]

Clinton urges release of Americans detained in Iran

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called ay on Iran to "unilaterally release" three hikers and other Americans in Iranian custody.
04 February 2010 [10:23]

Turkish official: No problem in Turkey's Armenia initiative

Turkish official says Armenia's Turkey initiative was in trouble after a verdict of the Armenian Constitutional Court.
04 February 2010 [09:57]

Georgian President promises to send his monthly salary to two schools

Mikheil Saakashvili, President of Georgia, promises to transfer his monthly salary to two schools in Tbilisi he attended.
04 February 2010 [09:44]

Attack on Iran could backfire, Petraeus says

Chief of US Central Command Gen. David Petraeus says any military action against Iran could backfire by increasing “nationalist tendencies” in the country.
03 February 2010 [21:17]

Russia, UK welcome Iran readiness for nuclear swap

Russia and Britain said Wednesday that they would welcome Iran's readiness to accept a proposal aimed at ending the standoff over its nuclear program as a "positive sign."
03 February 2010 [21:09]

Georgia calls on break away S. Ossetia to release detained Georgian

Georgian Interior Ministry called on the authorities in breakaway South Ossetia to immediately release a Georgian man, who was arrested after accidentally crossing the region’s administrative border.
03 February 2010 [20:38]

US: P5+1 to discuss Iran sections soon

The United States has said that the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) are scheduled to talk on imposing sanctions on Iran in a few days' time.
03 February 2010 [20:16]

Turkish, Iranian Ministers meet for economic committee

Senior Turkish and Iranian officials have gathered in a meeting of an economic committee of the two countries which aims to boost cooperation in trade relations.
03 February 2010 [20:00]

Ahmadinejad hails Iran's aerospace achievements

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calls for national celebration as Iranian scientists launch the country's third satellite carrier into space with living organisms aboard.
03 February 2010 [19:43]

Council of Europe to discuss state strategy on occupied territories

Temur Iakobashvili, State Minister for Reintegration Issues, left for Strasbourg where he will present the state strategy of Georgia regarding the occupied territories to the Council of Europe.
03 February 2010 [19:26]

Armenian PM: Armenia places great imporance on ties with China

On Feb. 3, Armenian PM Tigran Sargsyan received outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Armenia Hong Jiuyin.
03 February 2010 [19:08]

NATO defense ministers to meet in Turkey

The informal meeting of NATO defense ministers will begin in Istanbul, Turkey on Thursday.
03 February 2010 [18:57]

Iran to issue 8bn euros in bonds for oil projects

The Iranian government has directed the Oil Ministry to issue 8 billion euros in bonds to finance oil and gas projects in the country.
03 February 2010 [18:50]

Infant catches swine flu in Georgia

A two-month-old infant has been hospitalized from the Kakheti Region to Tbilisi late last night.
03 February 2010 [18:31]

Turkey extends anti-piracy Somali mission

The parliament approved a motion submitted the government to extend the mandate for an extra year as of February 1, 2010.
03 February 2010 [18:26]

Armenian gov't proposes new tax bill

The Armenian government has proposed a new set of taxes, of which the land and property tax will be considered obligatory.
03 February 2010 [18:13]

US: No talks with Iran on prisoner swap

The US White House has reacted to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's remarks, saying it had held no discussion with Iran about a possible prisoner swap.
03 February 2010 [18:07]

Russian Patriarch wants Georgia-Russia churches to improve relations between two states

Russian Patriarch Kiril says the Orthodox Churches of Georgia and Russia should do their best to leave the hard times of the conflict between the two people in the past and improve relations.
03 February 2010 [17:33]

Turkish Airlines to grow despite recession

Turkey's flagship carrier Turkish Airlines, or THY, was one of three European airlines to post increases in passenger boardings in 2009.
03 February 2010 [17:28]

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State to visit Armenia

On Feb. 4-5, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg will pay a visit to Armenia and Georgia, according to the U.S. Department of State.
03 February 2010 [16:54]

Tbilisi airport paralyzed due to dense fog

All flights have been delayed due to the dense fog in Tbilisi.
03 February 2010 [16:36]

PACE elections cause new tension between Turkey's gov't, opposition

The election of Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, a ruling party member, to head the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, or PACE, has triggered a new row between the government and the opposition parties.
03 February 2010 [15:56]

Drug control on Iran border to be costly

Iranian official has announced that a budget of USD three billion is needed for controlling drug trafficking on the country's borders.
03 February 2010 [15:45]

NATO spokesman reiterates support to Georgia's unity

NATO spokesman James Appathurai has reiterated support of the alliance to Georgia`s territorial integrity during the video conference held on Feb. 2.
03 February 2010 [15:32]

Consumer, producer prices in Turkey up in Jan

Consumer and producer prices in Turkey were up in January 2010, country's statistics authority said Wednesday.
03 February 2010 [15:16]

EU advisory group to Armenia accepting recent graduates for internships

Beginning this year, new graduates from Armenian universities will have an opportunity to gain direct experience in EU policies and practices.
03 February 2010 [15:00]

Iran says missile efforts 'defensive in nature'

Iran's missile program is defensive in nature, says Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast in response to the US military buildup in the Persian Gulf.
03 February 2010 [14:53]

Iran launches living organism into orbit

Iran launched a living organism into orbit for the first time via its third artificial satellite, Kavusgar-3, Iribnews reported.
03 February 2010 [14:33]

Georgia accuses Eutelsat of censorship

03 February 2010 [13:57]

US ups pressure on China to impose anctions on Iran

The United States is strongly urging China to respond to its call to impose new sanctions on Iran, but Beijing has not succumbed to the pressure to turn against Tehran.
03 February 2010 [13:45]

Turkey's Gul says supports efforts for Kosovo recognition

Turkish president has vowed to extend any support to Kosovo's efforts to win recognition from international community.
03 February 2010 [13:36]

Georgian PM says economic crisis was overcome in last quarter of 2009

Georgian Prime Minister Nika Gilauri assessed the economic results of the final quarter of 2009 and focused on the major tendencies of the 2010 in the country's economy.
03 February 2010 [12:52]

Ahmadinejad: Iran ready to make uranium exchange deal

Iran is ready to complete a uranium exchange deal with world nuclear powers, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday.
03 February 2010 [12:48]

Turkish unions to go on one-day strike after talks fail

Unions are going on a one day nation wide strike on January 4 to extend support to Tekel workers in protest of the government.
03 February 2010 [12:04]

Armenian Parliament ratifies North-South highway agreement

On Feb. 2, the Armenian Parliament ratified the loan agreements on the North-South highway concluded with the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
03 February 2010 [11:44]

Mottaki, Erdogan discuss expansion of Iran-Turkey ties

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan have held talks in Ankara that focused on the expansion of ties between Iran and Turkey.
03 February 2010 [11:13]

Armenian defense minister to visit Turkey

Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan will pay a visit to Turkey within the next few days, reliable sources said.
03 February 2010 [10:56]

Iranian military official: Iranian weapon ends Apache copters' air supremacy

A senior Iranian military official says Iran has developed a special weapon that can bring down Apache helicopters.
03 February 2010 [10:49]

Turkey denies reports of ambassador leaving Israel

Turkish official sources have denied Israeli press reports that Oğuz Çelikkol, Turkey’s ambassador to Israel, has asked his superiors in Ankara to transfer him to a new posting.
03 February 2010 [10:07]

Georgian President slams pro-Russian opposition leaders

Georgian president has slammed those opposition leaders, who have visited Russia for several times recently, asserting they were attempting to restore relations with the northern neighbour.
03 February 2010 [09:43]

Iranian president promises space program breakthroughs

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said he will announce good news about “great achievements” by Iranian scientists in the aerospace industry in the near future.
03 February 2010 [09:35]

European Court rules on religious designation, Kurdish names on Turkish ID

Europe's chief human rights court ruled Tuesday against the listing of religious affiliation on national identity cards in Turkey, saying that it "violated" a top European human rights charter.
02 February 2010 [21:06]

Iranian official: Nabucco is not economic without Iran involvement

The Nabucco gas pipeline will not be economic if Iran is not involved as it could not be filled to capacity without Iran's gas, an Iranian official says.
02 February 2010 [21:00]

U.S. endorses new package of economic aid for Georgia

The U.S. has endorsed a new package of economic aid for Georgia.
02 February 2010 [20:55]

Report: Turkey's envoy asks to leave Israel after insult

Turkish ambassador to Israel reportedly asked to leave Israel after Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon's insult to him, a report said.
02 February 2010 [20:43]

Qatar's crown prince arrives in Iran

Qatar's crown prince Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani is in Tehran to discuss matters of mutual interest with Iranian officials.
02 February 2010 [20:22]

Georgian President not to attend security conference in Munich

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili will not participate in security conference in Munich that will start on Feb. 5 for the first time since 2006.
02 February 2010 [19:53]

Iranian ex-president's family cases sent to Tehran prosecutor

The cases of the children of former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani have been sent to the Tehran prosecutor's office, first deputy of the Judiciary says.
02 February 2010 [19:36]

Poland continues to deport Georgian emigrants

Over 20 Georgian citizens will be deported from Poland on Feb. 10.
02 February 2010 [18:57]

Armenian exports reduced by 34% in 2009

According to the Armenian National Statistical service, Armenia's foreign trade turnover reduced by 27 percent as compared to last year making AMD 1 tn 467 bn. or USD 4 bn.