Shanae Brooke (Facebook). TBILISI, DFWatch--The body of an Australian expat was found at the Mtatsminda Recreational Park near the center of Tbilisi. It is reported that she was allegedly murdered. Shanae Brooke, 31, went missing Friday when she went to Mtatsminda Park for jogging, which she did routinely. She was last heard from placing a disturbing [...]
Lado Khinchegashvili (Sova.news). TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgian Dream has nominated Olympic champion Vladimer (Lado) Khinchegashvili as a candidate for mayor of Gori in the October local elections. Following the results of the previous elections in this city, the 30-year-old athlete, who has not yet made a public announcement to leave the sport, will most likely win this election. [...]
Lasha Darsalia (Imedinews). TBILISI, DFWatch--As NATO’s military drills ‘Agile Spirit 2021’ got underway in Georgia this week, spokespersons for both Georgia and Russia made warning statements illustrating the risk of another round of conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov first said NATO’s Agile Spirit 2021 exercise with 2,500 military personnel from 12 alliance members and three partner [...]
Irakli Kobakhidze (center) at the GD briefing. Georgian Dream’s withdrawal from the EU-brokered political agreement has fueled ongoing political confrontation in the country. The case has even reached the point where part of the opposition is considering boycotting the local elections scheduled in October. One MP, Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze, has already left parliament. On Wednesday the [...]
Public Defender Nino Lomjaria. TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s public defender calls on law enforcement bodies to react to the violent attacks on journalists during the night of July 5 and the following days and make the results public. After crowds of ultra conservatives hunted down journalists in the street and beat them in the night of July 5 [...]
UNM candidate for Tbilisi mayor, Nika Melia (left), and UNM candidate for city assembly chair, Elene Khoshtaria. TBILISI, DFWatch--The largest opposition party in Georgia, the United National Movement, on Friday nominated party chairman Nika Melia as its candidate for Tbilisi Mayor in the local elections in October. But Melia has so far failed to secure broad [...]
Vaccination center at Hualing shopping mall in Tbilisi (1tv.ge). TBILISI, DFWatch--The government in Georgia is facing a setback in its fight against the coronavirus as experts predict an increase in daily cases in the next 2-3 weeks, but the government reiterates that it’s not planning another lockdown. Meanwhile, the mass vaccination program is continuing and the [...]
PM Irakli Gharibashvili rules out another lockdown, saying that country’s economy can’t withstand it. (Stopcov.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The Georgian government is not going to declare a lockdown ahead of the upcoming elections, despite a rapidly deteriorating situation in tackling the spread of the coronavirus. Many see the government’s avoidance of new unpopular restrictions in light of the [...]
For the first time in Georgia's recent history, its PM used the shocking term „anti-Christian forces“ in his public discourse. Today, such an “eschatological” motif may look a little unusual, to say the least. PM Gharibashvili touched on the sensitive strings of the identity of the majority of ethnic Georgians, further dividing the already polarized society [...]
Rally organizers demanded the resignation of PM Irakli Garibashvili, as well as a full independent investigation of the death of TV cameraman Lekso Lashkarava. (Interpressnews.) Opposition parties, journalists and civil society activists are protesting in the center of Tbilisi on Sunday, demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister, after the death of a cameraman who was [...]
Lasha Tughushi is Editor-in-Chief of DFWatch.net. Editor’s Opinion The first time since Georgia linked itself to Europe and raised the EU flag in front of parliament, it was demonstratively torn down by brutal forces. March of Dignity on July 5 was conceived as the culmination of Tbilisi Pride, when the LGBTQ people and human rights supporters [...]
Donald Rumsfeld was an anchor and a rudder. In the service of four Republican Presidents – Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and George W. Bush – Donald Rumsfeld was seen as a controversial figure to certain Americans because of his unapologetic, unyielding, and committed dedication to what each of these administrations defined as the America’s strategic agenda. [...]
Far-right activists attacking a reporter for Formula TV. (IPN). TBILISI, DFWatch--Dozens of people were injured in Tbilisi on Monday as far-right activists attacked the LGBTQ Pride parade. There were incidents several places in the capital. The main targets of the attacks were journalists and cameramen for several opposition TV stations that are considered "propagandists for liberalism." [...]
