1757255512

The French basketball team lost to Georgia in the Round of 16 match of the European Championship.The game in Riga ended with a score of 80:70 (24:20, 14:17, 20:17, 22:16). For the winners, Tornike Shengelia and Kamar Baldwin each scored 24 points, while Alexander Mamukelashvili recorded a double-double (14 points and 11 rebounds). For the losing side, Sylvain Francisco was the top scorer with 14 points.In the quarterfinals of the tournament, Georgia will face Finland, which knocked Serbia out of the competition.In the previous European Championship, France reached the final, where they lost to Spain.

1757161521

The World Para Fencing Championships are taking place in South Korea.Saber fencer Nina Tibilashvili (Category A) defeated Ukrainian Natalia Morkvich 15:7 in the third-place match and won the bronze medal.Georgian para fencers are participating in the tournament with the support of Georgia’s Ministry of Sports.

1756904647

Representatives of the de facto government of Sukhumi deny information circulating on social media claiming that Joseph Stalin’s dachas in occupied Abkhazia are planned to be sold. This was reported by Apsadgil.info.According to Beslan Kvitsinia, head of the so-called Department of State Dachas, such information appears almost every year, but these sites are not subject to sale.“Last year around this time, there was talk about the sale of Stalin’s dacha at Lake Ritsa. The year before, they wrote that the dacha in New Athos was for sale. Now they have switched to Stalin’s dacha in Miusera. Tomorrow, they will probably come up with something else. This is not true, their sale is impossible. It is prohibited by law,” said Beslan Kvitsinia.Kvitsinia also noted that Stalin’s dacha in Miusera is currently partially functioning, as renovation work is underway there.

1756817928

The National Environment Agency has released information about the weather forecast in Georgia for September 3–4.According to the agency, on September 3–4, Georgia can expect rain with thunderstorms, in some places heavy, with possible hail, strong winds, and sea storms of force 3–4.They also report that the expected precipitation may cause floods on small rivers in Georgia, as well as the initiation and intensification of landslide and mudflow processes in hilly and mountainous areas (hazard level — medium).

1756812176

Giorgi Mikautadze said farewell to Lyon fans in a special video message.The Georgian footballer expressed hope that in the future he would be able to return to Lyon.“I wanted to speak to you, the supporters of Lyon. As you know, I am leaving the club. Since childhood, I dreamed of becoming a professional football player in Lyon. That opportunity came to me last summer, and when I had the chance, I didn’t let it slip away. This city means everything to me: it’s where I grew up, where my family and friends are.Leaving is not easy, but we know that the club always comes first. Therefore, I want to thank everyone I worked with during my time in Lyon: the players, the former staff, the new staff, of course the people working behind the scenes, and the physiotherapists. I really don’t want to leave anyone out.I hope that one day I will return to write my true story together with Lyon. Of all the time I spent in Lyon, what I will remember most is your love,” said the Georgian footballer.A few days ago, it became known that the Georgian striker of French club Lyon is transferring to Spanish side Villarreal, which this year, in addition to La Liga, will also compete in the UEFA Champions League.

1756459936

With the support of the National Wine Agency and the organization of the contracted marketing company Red Bridge, a presentation of Georgian wine was held in the Japanese city of Fukuoka.The presentation on the culture and history of Georgian winemaking, grape varieties, and the modern wine industry was delivered by the director of Red Bridge, Japan’s only Master of Wine, Kenichi Ohashi.He also introduced guests to 8 Georgian wines from various regions of the country. The event was attended by sommeliers, importers, buyers, representatives of retail chains, and media — around 100 guests in total.The port city of Fukuoka is considered an important industrial center of Japan. Holding marketing activities in this city is significant for raising awareness and promoting Georgian wine both in Fukuoka Prefecture and in the Japanese wine market as a whole.The National Wine Agency has been cooperating with Red Bridge since 2017. The company’s activities in the strategic Japanese market include various marketing events aimed at increasing the recognition of Georgian wine and, consequently, stimulating demand for it.

1756390617

In the group stage of EuroBasket in Limassol, Georgia faced Spain in the first round and claimed a convincing victory with a score of 83:69. At halftime, the Georgian team was ahead 37:35.Just a few minutes before the start of the game, it became known that Tornike Shengelia would take part in the opening EuroBasket match. The team captain had missed most of the preparation stage due to heart problems.Georgia started the game actively and aggressively, both in offense and in defense. The Spaniards found it extremely difficult to organize their plays, and thanks to the excellent performance of Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kamar Baldwin, Aleksandar Džikić’s team won the first quarter 20:17.In the second quarter, Spain picked up the pace and looked stronger defensively, but they still couldn’t take the lead.The top scorer for Georgia was Duda Sanadze with 11 points. Sandro Mamukelashvili contributed 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Goga Bitadze scored 8 points and Kamar Baldwin added 6.

1756372767

Today, August 28, the Orthodox world celebrates the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. On this day, church services are held in all temples.In Georgia, the feast is called Mariamoba. The Dormition Fast precedes the celebration of Mariamoba.In the Christian world, after the Holy Trinity, the Virgin Mary is especially glorified. Of the twelve great feasts, three — the Nativity of the Theotokos, the Dormition, and the Entry of the Most Holy Virgin into the Temple — are dedicated to Her.According to church tradition, the Most Holy Theotokos was informed of the day of Her Dormition by the Lord Himself through the Archangel Gabriel, who appeared to Her during prayer on the Mount of Olives. The Archangel announced that in three days She would depart to the Lord, and as confirmation, he gave Her a branch of a date palm from paradise, shining with divine grace. This branch was to be placed at Her grave.By the will of the Theotokos, the Lord gathered all the holy apostles, who had been scattered in their preaching, in Jerusalem so that they could bid Her farewell. The Lord also fulfilled the request of the Theotokos that She not see the horrors of hell, and Her soul was taken up into the Kingdom of Heaven by the Lord Himself.The apostles buried the Most Holy Theotokos in the Gethsemane cave. The Apostle Thomas was not present at the burial. On the third day, at his request, the apostles rolled away the stone from the tomb and discovered that the body of the Theotokos was no longer there — the Lord had resurrected Her and taken Her into heaven in the flesh. This is why the Church calls the passing of the Theotokos the Dormition.

1756307025

With the support of the Tbilisi City Assembly’s Education and Culture Commission, a memorial plaque dedicated to singer Levan Kbilashvili has been installed on a residential building at 6 Levan Kbilashvili Street in Gldani.As noted at the event by Kaha Labuchidze, Chairman of the Education and Culture Commission, the installation of the plaque is an expression of respect for the singer’s work.“An outstanding performer of Georgian folk and pop music, Levan Kbilashvili lived a very interesting life. He began singing at the age of six and, while still young, left a mark on society with many significant achievements. By unveiling this memorial plaque, we once again expressed our respect for his artistic legacy,” said Kaha Labuchidze.According to a resolution of the Tbilisi City Assembly dated August 25, 2023, a section of the Tianeti Highway in the Gldani district of Tbilisi was named after the singer. Now, his memorial plaque has also been unveiled. The event was attended by Gldani district’s majoritarian MP Kote Zarnadze, district governor Besik Kaladze, representatives of the arts community, and members of Levan Kbilashvili’s family.

1756226601

“Since August 26, an increase in the concentration of solid particles (PM10 and PM2.5) in the atmospheric air has been recorded in Eastern Georgia,” the National Environment Agency reports.“This process is of a transboundary nature and is caused by the spread of desert dust masses from the northeast.The National Environment Agency under the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia continues continuous monitoring of atmospheric air quality through automatic stations.Any interested person has the opportunity to review information about the state of air quality and also receive health recommendations on the atmospheric air quality portal https://air.gov.ge.”

1756119531

Low-cost airline Ajet is launching regular flights on the Ankara–Tbilisi–Ankara route, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia announced.According to the application submitted to the Georgian Civil Aviation Agency, flights will begin at the end of September and will operate four times a week — on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.“Ajet is a subsidiary of Turkey’s largest air carrier — Turkish Airlines. The Civil Aviation Agency has already granted the airline the necessary permit to operate regular flights on the new route.It should be noted that the issue of launching direct air service between the capitals of Georgia and Turkey was discussed in July this year during a meeting between Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Mariam Kvrivishvili and the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Turkish Airlines, Ahmet Bolat. The talks also covered prospects for further expanding air service between the two countries and opening new air routes.According to last year’s data, more than 1.2 million passengers were transported between Georgia and Turkey, accounting for 47% of the total passenger flow between Georgia and its neighboring countries.As of the first seven months of 2025, a record number of over 20,000 international and domestic flights have been operated at Georgian airports. The number of passenger and cargo flights (20,766) carried out in January–July exceeds the same period in 2024 by 16%. Currently, flights at all three international airports are operated with a frequency of about 745 per week. In the first seven months of 2025, a total of 4,601,048 passengers were transported through Georgian airports, which is 13% more than in the same period of 2024,” the Ministry’s statement reads.

1756118407

Tbilisi’s Varketili metro station will reopen to passengers on August 26; however, due to ongoing renovation works, the station will operate on a modified schedule, according to Tbilisi City Hall.“Unlike the standard timetable, the metro station will operate from 07:00 to 23:00. As for other metro stations, they will continue serving passengers in their usual mode.In addition, to ensure fast and uninterrupted passenger movement, the escalator directions will be changed: passengers going down will use the left escalator instead of the right one, while those going up will be able to leave the station via the right escalator,” reads the statement from Tbilisi City Hall.It should be noted that Varketili metro station suspended operations on July 12, when repair work was carried out to reinforce the cast-iron supports of the inclined tunnel and restore the reinforced concrete arch of the lower platform.According to Tbilisi City Hall, the full reconstruction of this metro station will be completed by the end of the current year.