Day: March 17, 2026

Stranded in Qatar amid flight cancellations, Armenian gymnasts finally return to Yerevan  Armenpress

Azerbaijan imported 20,130 tons of butter worth $145.3 million last year, according to the State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan, AzerNEWS reports. The data show that while the value of imports increased by 4%, the volume declined by…

Israel’s defence minister, Benny Gantz, has just claimed that Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani has been killed, a report that has sent shockwaves through regional capitals and global capitals alike. Tehran has yet to comment, and details remain unconfirmed. But to grasp the potential significance of this claim, it helps to understand the man at its centre: a figure who embodied the complexities, contradictions and intellectual currents of the Islamic Republic itself.

Rescued kitten at Tbilisi Zoo

In this video from Tbilisi Zoo, we tell the story of the rescue of a kitten named Lucky.

One October morning, Khutuna Mzhavanadze, an employee of the exotarium, found the kitten Lucky on the zoo grounds. She heard the animal’s desperate cries and noticed an unfamiliar dog nearby holding a small creature in its jaws.

“I don’t even remember how I pulled the kitten out of its mouth. I thought he was no longer breathing, but the little one did not give up — he clearly wanted to live. I ran straight to our veterinarians for help,” Khutuna recalls.

Zoo staff could not find the mother cat or any other kittens nearby. It remains unclear how the kitten ended up on the zoo grounds. He had severe injuries. His chances of survival were very low. After two months of intensive treatment, he began to recover.

Khutuna named him Lucky, meaning “the fortunate one”. He now lives in the exotarium building.

He is the first to greet visitors who come to see the exotic animals. He sits by the entrance, curled up in his favourite black armchair. When he is not resting there, he plays with rabbits or guinea pigs in a nearby enclosure.

Tbilisi Zoo‘s history spans nearly a century. It was founded on 10 February 1927 on the basis of the Caucasian Society for the Acclimatisation of Animals, which had been keeping wild animals since the early 20th century, though without official zoo status.

The zoo was originally built on 70 hectares in the Vere River gorge. Over the years, the expansion of the capital — and later the devastating flood of 13 June 2015 — significantly reduced the territory of the old zoo. Today, it covers five hectares and is home to around 1,500 animals, each with its own story.

In this video series, we will introduce you to the residents of Tbilisi Zoo. We will show how their day unfolds, how they interact with other animals and people, and how their behaviour changes depending on the weather and the season. Get ready to hear many fascinating stories.

Rescued kitten at Tbilisi Zoo

Azerbaijan is set to host another prestigious sporting event this summer, AzerNEWS reports, citing the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation.