Georgian leader Mikhail Saakashvili was on Monday celebrating Orthodox Christmas and victory in a presidential election his opponents called rigged. The central election commission said late on Sunday Saakaashvili had won 52,8% of votes cast on Saturday, almost twice as many as his nearest challenger
Georgia’s opposition called for its supporters to take to the streets on Sunday after a disputed exit poll showed incumbent Mikheil Saakashvili winning in the first round of a snap presidential vote. Saakashvili predicted victory, saying in a statement that independent exit polls "show that we are winning in the first round".
Georgians began voting on Saturday in a snap presidential election called by fiery pro-Western reformer Mikheil Saakashvili to face down unrest and restore his democratic credentials. The election, where Saakashvili faces six challengers, opened under thick snow in the strategic ex-Soviet republic’s ancient capital, Tbilisi.
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/ 8 November 2007
Troops were deployed in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, on Thursday and news programmes taken off air as international concern grew over President Mikheil Saakashvili’s imposition of emergency rule. The Nato military alliance, France and Human Rights Watch added their condemnation.
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/ 7 November 2007
Georgian police firing rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons fought running battles with anti-government protesters on Wednesday, plunging the ex-Soviet republic’s capital, Tbilisi, into chaos. All day hundreds of riot police in black body armour clashed with demonstrators demanding the resignation of President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Authorities in ex-Soviet Georgia have turned to a new weapon in their struggle against rebel separatists in the breakaway region of South Ossetia: disco. Officials have announced that disco legends Boney M, known for such 1970s hits as <i>Rasputin</i> and <i>Daddy Cool</i>, will play a concert on Saturday in the tiny, Georgian-controlled village of Tamarasheni.
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/ 22 September 2007
The site of the deadliest hotel fire in United States history — a tragedy that led to nationwide fire-safety reforms — will open to guests next month as a new boutique hotel after a -million makeover. In 1946, 119 people died in a fire that helped forever change fire codes across the country.
Atlanta residents squared off Tuesday at a public hearing on a proposed city-wide ban on low-slung pants — or any clothing that exposes underwear in public. The proposed ordinance is the brainchild of city councillor CT Martin, deputy chairperson of the public safety and legal administration committee.
Ex-Soviet Georgia said on Tuesday that two Russian fighter jets had violated its airspace and dropped a 700kg bomb, but this had not exploded. Shota Utiashvili, the head of the interior ministry’s public relations department, said that the bomb was dropped on the village of Tsitelubani, about 65km north-west of Tbilisi.
Belly-flopping in the mud, tossing toilet seats and guzzling beer, average Joes celebrated the unrefined life of the American "redneck" at a wacky annual event initially held as a counterpart to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. A toothless man who calls himself "Freight Train" kicked off the event on Saturday.
Ernie Els continued his post-Masters rehabilitation by storming three shots clear of the field at the halfway stage of the Heritage Classic at Hilton Head, South Carolina on Friday. Two strokes off the pace overnight, the South African birdied five of his last eight holes for a second successive six-under-par 65.
It all seemed surreal to Zach Johnson. Three clutch birdies on the back nine at the Masters. His name atop the leaderboard. Toppling Tiger Woods. Slipping on the green jacket. ”I’m from Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” he said when asked to describe himself. ”That’s about it. I’m a normal guy.” Not any more.
If not for number 18, Retief Goosen would be in great shape. The two-time United States Open champion is six over, four strokes off the lead, going into the final round of the Masters. But he’s played the par-four 18th at four over through the first three rounds, including a bogey on Saturday.
For every overcooked approach shot, every tee ball that landed in the pine straw, every drop in the drink at Rae’s Creek, Tiger Woods would come up with another shot to remind everyone why he can never be counted out. Woods may not win this year’s Masters, but he will certainly be in the mix after Friday.
The cheers broke the morning calm at Augusta National when Arnold Palmer took a mighty swing at his ceremonial tee shot. For the next 11 hours on Thursday, the Masters went mute. Throw together a course that has grown 500 yards with brittle
conditions, and there wasn’t much to cheer.
The guardians of all that is good and green at Augusta National couldn’t have been happier when their new leader went before the assembled media and declared that he would rather jump naked into the pond on the 15th hole than do anything to spoil their little tournament.
Phil Mickelson will unveil a secret weapon, a second driver designed specifically to offset the lengthened Augusta National Golf Club layout, when he opens the defence of his Masters crown on Thursday. ”It’s a driver that I’ve been working on specifically for the Masters,” Mickelson said.
South African legend Gary Player will equal a record in Augusta on Thursday with his 50th Masters start, matching Arnold Palmer’s mark even as one of his own Masters records is challenged. The 71-year-old icon won three Masters titles, including the first by a non-United States golfer in 1961 as well as in 1974 and 1978.
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/ 31 December 2006
Pop superstar Michael Jackson headlined a throng of fans, friends and family who paid a final, soulful tribute to James Brown, at a funeral ceremony in the hometown of the late ”Godfather of Soul.” ”James Brown, I shall miss you, and I love you so much,” Jackson said in a brief eulogy, his thin voice cracking with emotion.
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/ 4 November 2006
Australian Adam Scott fired a three-under par 67 in Atlanta on Friday to grab a share of the lead with American Joe Durant after the second round of the United States PGA Tour Championship. The 26-year-old Aussie and 42-year-old US veteran both stood on four-under-par 136 after 36 holes.
Georgia on Monday handed over to international mediators four Russian army officers whose arrest on spying charges triggered the worst crisis in years between the ex-Soviet neighbours. As the handover was going ahead, Moscow ignored international appeals for a similar goodwill gesture and announced it would cut air, sea and land links between the two countries.
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/ 29 September 2006
Russia began pulling out some of its diplomats and their families from Georgia on Friday as the small ex-Soviet state pressed spying charges against a group of Russian army officers. Nato, which pro-Western Georgia wants to join to the dismay of Russia, urged both sides to show restraint but said it had no clear role to play in helping defuse the row.
A young Georgian wrestler late on Thursday pulled two Ford minibuses tied to his ear and weighing 4,5 tonnes over a distance of 41m and 10cm, in an attempt to make a new entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. The two minibuses were chained together and linked to a nylon rope attached to Lasha Pataraia’s left ear.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods met in Butler Cabin for the second straight year at the Masters for a role reversal not seen at Augusta National in more than 40 years. Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer — rivals briefly, driving forces as long as they played — took turns helping each other into the green jacket for three straight Masters ending in 1965.
Fred Couples was tied for the lead and chasing Masters history when he stood above a little 4-foot birdie putt at the second hole. He drew the club back, then propelled it forward. The blade tilted ever so slightly before striking the ball. It never had a chance, skidding past the cup on the right side by a good inch or two — a push, they call it, and a bad one at that.
Phil Mickelson’s impressive victory on Sunday at the 70th Masters moved him halfway toward a ”Lefty Slam”, although the southpaw United States star is not ready to ponder a four-major sweep just yet. Mickelson’s second Masters triumph in three years combined with his win at last August’s PGA Championship leave him only a US Open and British Open shy of matching Tiger Woods’ feat of four major titles in a row.
Defending champion Tiger Woods charged into the title hunt while Chad Campbell clung to a one-stroke lead when darkness halted Saturday’s rain-interrupted third round of the Masters. Top-ranked Woods, chasing his 11th major victory and fifth Masters crown, birdied the par-4 third and par-5 eighth holes to reach three-under par after nine holes, three strokes off the lead entering Sunday’s endurance test.
Three-time major champion Ernie Els likes his chances of winning his first Masters green jacket because of the difficult playing conditions at Augusta National Golf Club. The 36-year-old South African fired his second consecutive one-under par 71 on Friday to stand on two-under par 142 — four strokes behind United States leader Chad Campbell.
South Africans Retief Goosen and Tim Clark took advantage of difficult conditions more common to a United States Open to move into contention after Thursday’s first round of the 70th Masters tournament. Two-time US Open champion Goosen and Clark each fired a two-under par 70 to share fourth place, three strokes behind leader Vijay Singh of Fiji.
Defending champion Tiger Woods likes his chances of winning a fifth Masters title after an opening-round par 72 in Augusta on Thursday, his top first-round showing at Augusta National Golf Club since 2002. World number one Woods, who stood five strokes behind leader Vijay Singh of Fiji, opened with a 74 in 2005 but went on to win a playoff over Chris DiMarco.
Ernie Els is hoping it will be 13th time lucky when he tees off in The Masters in Augusta on Thursday. The big South African has carved out an impressive record at Augusta since his first appearance in 1994 with six top 10 finishes, including runner-up slots in 2000 and 2004.
The particles the Stardust probe brought back to Earth in January are a mixture of extremely hot and cold minerals pointing to a mixed origin of the Wild 2 comet, Nasa scientists said. Rather than the balls of ice, dust and gas astrophysicists thought they were, comets turn out to be celestial bodies of complex and varied origins.