DFWatch staff 
A Hungarian lowcoster WizzAir has removed 19 routes from Kutaisi, its base in Georgia, and decreased number of based aircraft to two, from previous three, Belgian aviation news platform aviation24.be reports relying on a Twitter user @SeanM1997 as a source. In July 2019, WizzAir announced that its base in Kutaisi was going to increase from … Read more
At least nine people were detained in Adjara Friday during a clash between the police and a group of people demanding extradition to Georgia of a prominent mobster. The clash occurred Friday afternoon after dozens of protesters blocked a road connecting Batumi to the Turkish border. The protesters, mainly relatives and friends of Mindia Goradze, … Read more
Georgian far-right group Georgian March plans to set up a political party and settle deeper in Georgian politics, its leader Sandro Bregadze says. “We were forced to go into politics in order to create a strong, nationalist political center on the basis of the Georgian March,” Sandro Bregadze said in an interview with TV Pirveli … Read more
Georgia will scale down most of restrictions imposed in February and March, including public transportation, shopping malls and even cafes and restaurants, PM Giorgi Gakharia said Wednesday. Public transportation, including metro, buses and minibuses, will resume operating on Friday, while intercity travel will reopen on June 8. People shall wear medical face masks in all … Read more
A bill drafted by Georgian Dream MPs sparked a heated debate in the parliament Tuesday, with the opposition accusing the government of curtailing certain freedoms, including freedom of movement and freedom of assembly, i.e. holding protest rallies. The opposition suspects delivering additional rights to government may be abused in order to suppress critical voices, which … Read more
Embattled Georgian Dream admitted a major concession on Friday when President Salome Zurabishvili pardoned two opposition politicians. The two, former Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava and ex-Minister of Defense Irakli Okruashvili were soon released and immediately hailed Bidzina Ivanishvili, the GD leader, with scathing remarks. “The only easy promise that Ivanishvili made was to imprison many … Read more
Political conflict in Georgia over electoral reform has escalated again amid disagreement between the government and main opposition forces, as the latter accuses the Georgian Dream of renouncing an agreement struck in March 8. The tension is so high some opposition politicians threaten to resume protest rallies despite Covid 19 restrictions. In particular, the government, … Read more
Georgia gradually scales down restrictions imposed due to Covid 19 outbreak in order to reopen its embattled tourism industry and pledges to establish special Covid-free zones in several mountainous resorts across the country. “Georgia can allocate Covid-free tourist zones. These could be Tskaltubo, Gudauri, Sairme, Abastumani, Borjomi and many more,” he said, pointing out to … Read more
Tbilisi court sentenced Georgian patrol police former chief Davit Tsinaridze to two months of pretrial detention for domestic violence on Thursday. Tsinaridze was detained Tuesday after he reportedly physically assaulted his wife and shot a pistol. “The investigation established that on the night of April 27, 2020, drunk [Davit Tsinaridze] verbally and physically assaulted his … Read more
The head of South Ossetia puppet regime Anatoly Bibilov seems to revive Soviet-era name of Tskhinvali. The city, which was a capital of South Ossetia Autonomous Oblast, between 1934-1961 bore the name of Soviet leader Josef Stalin- Staliniri or Stalinir in Ossetian. It was a common thing in the USSR when major cities and towns … Read more