CAPITAL GOES DARK AS RUSSIA CUTS ENERGY

Russia's gas and electricity supplies to Georgia's capital Tbilisi were cut off Saturday, apparently over debt disputes, leaving the city of 1.2 million dark and without heat for several hours, officials said. The cutoff surprised and panicked Georgian officials, and it struck another blow to the capital's residents, who have long suffered sporadic energy supplies because of the government's financial woes. Fuel and Energy Minister David Mirtskhulava said Georgian energy officials called Russia's electricity utility Unified Energy Systems and negotiated a resumption of supplies. By Saturday evening electricity had returned in a few districts, Chicago tribune.