Saturday, February 21, 2026

Batumi tears down unauthorized buildings along historic boulevard

TBILISI, February 4 – Authorities in Batumi are dismantling unauthorized and visually unsuitable structures as part of a city cleanup drive aimed at improving the seaside city’s appearance. The Government of Adjara said the removals focus on unlicensed objects and buildings that no longer meet legal or aesthetic standards. Officials said the work will be … Read more

University merger plan sparks backlash from academics

TBILISI, February 3 – Students rallied on Monday after the government announced plans to merge two universities, a move that triggered a vigorous debate. There were protests at the first building of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU), where students opposing the proposed merger with the Georgian Technical University (GTU) demanded to attend a meeting … Read more

Police officer detained accused of taking bribes

TBILISI, January 31 – Georgia’s interior ministry has arrested a police officer on suspicion of taking a bribe in the coastal city of Batumi, authorities said on Saturday. The General Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia said the suspect was detained under a court order on charges of accepting a bribe. According … Read more

OSCE deploys rare ‘Moscow mechanism’ against Georgia

TBILISI, January 30 – Twenty-four member states of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe have activated the so-called ‘Moscow Mechanism’ to examine the human rights situation in Georgia, triggering one of the OSCE’s most serious monitoring procedures. The decision will lead to the deployment of an independent expert mission tasked with assessing recent … Read more

Students rally as Georgia plans to merge two universities

TBILISI, January 30 – Georgia’s government has announced plans to merge the country’s flagship Tbilisi State University with its main technical university, triggering political protests in the capital. Education Minister Givi Mikanadze said TSU and the Georgian Technical University will be combined, and the merged institution will keep the name of Tbilisi State University. He … Read more

Prosecutors seek to keep Georgian actor behind bars

TBILISI, January 29 – A Georgian actor who is on the cast of a Hollywood movie still sits behind bars, but his case was up for appeal Thursday. Actor Andro Chichinadze is one of 11 defendants in a case about anti-government protests who were arrested in December, 2024, following social unrest in the wake of … Read more

Georgia proposes prison terms for unauthorized foreign grants

TBILISI, January 29 – Georgia’s ruling parliamentary majority has announced amendments to the country’s Law on Grants that would introduce criminal liability for receiving certain types of foreign funding without prior government approval. The changes were presented on Wednesday after a meeting of the parliamentary majority by its leader, Irakli Kirkhalia. Under the proposed amendments, … Read more

Traffic restored on Georgia’s main route to Russia

TBILISI, January 29 – Traffic has been restored on Georgia’s main highway linking the capital with the Russian border, after a temporary closure caused by a road accident. The Roads Department said vehicle movement has resumed on the Mtskheta–Stepantsminda–Larsi road at the 31st kilometer, near the Zhinvali–Ananuri section. The road was closed on January 28 … Read more

Washington sends staff delegation to Tbilisi

TBILISI, January 28 – A delegation of staff members from the United States Congress has arrived in Georgia for meeting with government officials and opposition leaders. The US Embassy said the delegation will hold meetings with Georgian officials and opposition figures and will also visit a settlement for internally displaced persons in Tserovani to assess … Read more