Friday, January 9, 2026

Theories swirl about what started Tbilisi shopping centre fire

After_the_fire_Childrens_World
(Radio Tavisupleba.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Several theories were circulating about the cause of a massive fire Monday morning near Tbilisi’s central railway station, which is estimated to have done several million US dollars’ worth of damage, but there is still no firm information about why it started.

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Budget Is Loser in State Lottery

By Nino Bakradze www.ifact.ge In 2011, a company formed by the brother-in law of former Georgia Minister of Defense David Kezarashvili to operate the country’s national lottery system gave 70 percent of that company’s shares to the Ministry of Economics free of charge. Leaked documents found in the Panama Papers offer a possible explanation for … Read more

Azerbaijani Insiders Benefited from Currency Collapse

Photo
(OCCRP)

by Dave Bloss, Miranda Patrucic, Khadija Ismayilova and OCCRP Azerbaijan

06 June 2016

The First Family of Azerbaijan and a close business partner made a series of financial transactions in the days and weeks before a crippling 2015 devaluation of the national currency that eventually earned them at least 100 million manat (US$ 64 million) in just two deals while additionally protecting their banks and companies.

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Armenian democracy in freefall after fraudulent referendum

SAME MAN
The same man voting three times in polling station No. 03/11 in Shengavit, Yerevan. Pictures by Bianca Bernardi for the Citizen Observer Initiative.

Widespread electoral fraud allegations and the growing gap between the political élites and the society confirm worrying trends in Armenia’s democratic development.

On Sunday, 6 December a nationwide constitutional referendum was held in Armenia.

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Storm in a teacup: South Ossetian referendum on joining Russia

2015 god integracii - facebook
Note on poster: “2015 – the year of integration with Russia”

South Ossetia’s declaration of holding a referendum on joining Russia seems to have more to do with local power dynamics than regional geopolitics.

The recent South Ossetian announcement of its intentions to hold a referendum on joining the Russian Federation came about suddenly.

While announcing his decision,

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Constitutional Court lifts work ban for former Soviet officials

stalin-akura
The Freedom Charter bans Soviet symbols, but also bars former Soviet and Communist Party officials from holding public office for the rest of their lives. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The Constitutional Court in Georgia has decided that a controversial provision barring former senior Soviet officials and Communist Party members from holding post in state institutions is unconstitutional.

The court on Tuesday announced the ruling,

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International ‘pro-family’ congress to coincide with Day Against Homophobia

May 17, 2015 (DFWatch)
A gathering was held on May 17, 2015 in secrecy to avoid possible harasment for radical groups (DFWatch)

A major ‘family values’ conference will be held in Tbilisi on the 17 May amidst fears that it might be yet another attempt at silencing LGBT rights activism

Georgia was chosen as the site for the tenth World Congress of Families, Christian News Wire reported.

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