TBILISI, October 28 – Georgia’s political scene heated up Tuesday as former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s party finally took its 12 seats in parliament after nearly a year-long boycott, and immediately clashed with lawmakers from the ruling Georgian Dream party. The session opened with parliamentary speaker Shalva Papuashvili greeting the opposition newcomers with a jab: … Read more
TBILISI, October 28 – The family of 19-year-old British student Bella May Culley, arrested in Georgia for attempting to smuggle a large quantity of drugs, has paid 500,000 lari (around £150,000) as part of a plea agreement, her mother confirmed to reporters on Tuesday. According to Reuters and the BBC, the payment was made in … Read more
TBILISI, October 27 – A new hydropower cascade is planned in the mountainous Svaneti region of northwest Georgia. The Khаishura Energy company has received initial approval to build two hydroelectric plants on the Khаishura River near the village of Khaishi, according to documents released by the National Environmental Agency. The agency has issued a scoping … Read more
TBILISI, October 27 – Georgia’s military will maintain its current size of up to 37,000 service members through 2026, according to a new government proposal presented to parliament., Interpressnews reports. Deputy Defense Minister Grigol Giorgadze outlined the plan Monday during a session of the Defense and Security Committee, which unanimously endorsed the measure. The proposal … Read more
TBILISI, October 27 – Workplace safety incidents in Georgia remain alarmingly high compared to the European Union average, according to a new report by the State Audit Office, which warns that while fatal accidents have declined, the overall number of workplace incidents has risen. The report, covering the years 2021 to 2023, found that the … Read more
TBILISI, October 24 – For the 311th straight day, protesters gathered outside Georgia’s parliament on Rustaveli Avenue, demanding new elections and the release of people detained during previous demonstrations. What began as a small rally on the sidewalk Friday escalated after part of the crowd moved onto the main roadway, blocking traffic along one of … Read more
TBILISI, October 24 – Former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has been formally charged with large-scale money laundering. According to prosecutors, Garibashvili is accused under Article 194 of Georgia’s Criminal Code of legalizing illicit income involving particularly large sums. Prosecutors said he pleaded guilty to the charges, though the former premier has not yet commented … Read more
TBILISI, October 22 – Journalists in the Georgian coastal city of Batumi held a rally on Wednesday to protest the recent arrests of several reporters, calling the detentions an attack on media freedom. Carrying banners that read “Who will expose corruption and nepotism if there is no media?”, demonstrators gathered outside the Constitutional Court and … Read more
TBILISI, October 15 – Georgian rescue teams are searching for a man who went missing Tuesday evening in the Black Sea near the coastal city of Batumi. The Emergency Management Service told local media that search and rescue crews have been deployed to the scene, with divers joining the operation. Authorities said they received the … Read more
TBILISI, October 15 – The chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and Finland’s foreign minister Elina Valtonen visited protesters outside Georgia’s parliament on Tuesday evening, speaking briefly with demonstrators before continuing her official meetings in the capital. Protesters told Georgian media that Valtonen discussed the goals and content of their … Read more