Georgia

Georgia opposition party leader arrested as protests over EU row continue

Georgian police on Wednesday raided the offices of an opposition party and arrested its leader in an apparent attempt to squelch a wave of mass protests triggered by the governing party's decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union. During the past six nights, riot police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, who threw fireworks at police officers and built barricades on the Georgian capital's central boulevard. More than 300 protesters have been detained since Thursday and over 100 people have been treated for injuries. On Wednesday, the Coalition for Change opposition party said that police raided its offices and detained its leader, Nika Gvaramia. It shared a video showing several officers dragging Gvaramia into a car. Georgian media reported that police also raided the offices of several other opposition groups and non-government organizations. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of the Georgian Dream party said the raids targeted those

Donald Trump picks donor Kelly Loeffler for small business administration

The SBA is the federal agency responsible for helping "Americans start, grow, and build resilient businesses" according to its website

Georgian protesters clash with police after PM suspends talks on joining EU

Police and protesters brutally clashed in Georgia after the country's ruling party suspended negotiations to join the European Union until 2028. Police used water cannons, pepper spray and tear gas late Thursday to disperse protesters who took to the streets following the announcement by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of the ruling Georgian Dream party. Georgian Dream claimed victory in last month's parliamentary election that the opposition in the South Caucasus nation dismissed as fraudulent and that has been condemned by European officials. The election on October 26 was widely seen as a referendum on the country's aspirations to join the European Union and the ruling party had indicated to voters that it would continue to seek membership of the bloc. The interior ministry said it detained 43 people during the protests. President Salome Zourabichvili said the government declared war on its own people and confronted riot police at the protest, asking them whether they served ..

Georgia suspends talks on joining EU for 4 yrs; accuses it of 'blackmail'

Georgia is suspending talks on its bid to join the European Union for four years, its prime minister said Thursday, in view of what he described as blackmail and manipulation from some of the bloc's politicians. The statement by Irakli Kobakhize came hours after he was reappointed to the job by members of the governing Georgian Dream party after its disputed victory in last month's parliamentary election that has sparked protests and led to an opposition boycott of parliament. The October 26 election was widely seen as a referendum on the country's aspirations to join the European Union. The opposition said the vote was rigged under the influence of Russia seeking to keep Georgia in its orbit, and declared a boycott of parliament. European election observers said the balloting took place in a divisive atmosphere marked by instances of bribery, double voting and physical violence. The EU has previously announced that the talks on Georgia's accession to the bloc had been de-facto hal

Thousands rally in Georgia to protest Oct 26 elections, claim it was rigged

Thousands of opposition supporters rallied outside Georgia's parliament for the second straight Monday to denounce the Oct 26 election as illegitimate after the ruling party was declared the winner amid allegations of vote-rigging helped by Russia. The protesters, who waved Georgian and European Union flags, demanded a new parliamentary election under international supervision and an investigation of the alleged ballot irregularities. Opposition leaders vowed to boycott sessions of parliament and hold regular protests until their demands are met. The protest took place under the watch of riot police, reflecting the simmering political tensions in the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million that lies between Russia and Turkey. The Central Election Commission said the ruling Georgian Dream party won about 54% of the vote. Its leaders have rejected the opposition claims of vote fraud. President Salome Zourabichvili, who has rejected the official results, says Georgia has fallen victim

Orban visits Georgia to support ruling party amid election protests

Georgia's ruling party, which has faced massive opposition protests demanding the annulment of its declared victory in the weekend parliamentary election amid allegations of vote rigging helped by Russia, is getting a boost with the visit from Hungary's prime minister. Victor Orban, the first foreign leader to congratulate Georgian Dream, arrived on Monday in Georgia on a trip that highlighted his rifts within the European Union. The EU said he doesn't have any mandate from the bloc for the visit. Tens of thousands of Georgians rallied outside parliament on Monday night, demanding a new election under international supervision and a probe into the alleged vote rigging. The protest underlined tensions in the country which lies between Russia and Turkey and where the governing Georgian Dream party has become increasingly authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow. President Salome Zourabichvili, who has rejected the official results, told The Associated Press that Georgia has fallen vict

US, EU call for probe after reports of Georgia election violations

On Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States joined calls from observers for a full probe

JD Vance laments Georgia shooting, calls for improved security measures

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance said Thursday that he lamented that school shootings are a fact of life" and argued the U.S. needs to harden security to prevent more carnage like the shooting this week that left four dead in Georgia. If these psychos are going to go after our kids we've got to be prepared for it, Vance said at a rally in Phoenix. We don't have to like the reality that we live in, but it is the reality we live in. We've got to deal with it. The Ohio senator was asked by a journalist what can be done to stop school shootings. He said further restricting access to guns, as many Democrats advocate, won't end them, noting they happen in states with both lax and strict gun laws. He touted efforts in Congress to give schools more money for security. I don't like that this is a fact of life, Vance said. But if you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realize that our schools are soft targets. And we have got to bolster security at our schools. We'v

Biden renews call for assault weapons ban after Georgia shooting incident

US President also called for proper check of background checks and an end to immunity for gun manufacturers

Suspect in Georgia high school shooting denies making online threats

The teen charged with opening fire at a Georgia high school denied threatening to carry out a school shooting when police interviewed him last year about a menacing post on the social media site Discord, according to a sheriff's report obtained Thursday. Conflicting evidence on the post's origin left investigators unable to arrest anyone, the report said. The 14-year-old suspect has been charged as an adult in the shooting Wednesday at Apalachee High School outside Atlanta that killed four people and wounded nine. He is accused of using an assault-style rifle to kill two students and two teachers in the hallway outside his algebra classroom. The same teenager was interviewed in May 2023 by a sheriff's investigator from neighbouring Jackson County who received a tip from the FBI that the boy, then 13, had possibly threatened to shoot up a middle school tomorrow. The threat was made on Discord, a social media platform popular with video gamers, according to the Jackson County sheriff'

WH calls for tougher gun laws after 4 killed in Georgia school shooting

Two students and two teachers were killed while nine others were wounded at the shooting incident at Apalachee High School in Georgia on Wednesday, authorities said

Titanic expedition yields lost bronze statue, high-resolution photos

A bronze statue from the Titanic not seen in decades and feared to be lost for good is among the discoveries made by the company with salvage rights to the wreck site on its first expedition there in many years. RMS Titanic Inc., a Georgia-based company that holds the legal rights to the 112-year-old wreck, has completed its first trip since 2010 and released images from the expedition on Monday. The pictures show a site that continues to change more than a century later. The trip to the remote corner of the North Atlantic Ocean where the Titanic sank happened as the U.S. Coast Guard investigates the June 2023 implosion of the Titan, an experimental submersible owned by a different company. The Titan submersible disaster killed all five people on board, including Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who was director of underwater research for RMS Titanic. The findings from this summer's trip showcase a bittersweet mix of preservation and loss, RMS Titanic said in a statement. A highlight was the

Democrats sue to block Georgia rules delaying election results finalisation

Georgia's Democratic Party sued Monday to block two recent rules adopted by the State Election Board that could be used by county officials who want to refuse to certify an election, potentially causing delays in finalizing the state's results. The lawsuit, filed before a state judge in Atlanta, argues the rules violate a state law that makes certification a mandatory duty. The suit asks the judge to find the rules are invalid because the State Election Board, now dominated by allies of former President Donald Trump, is exceeding its legal authority. The actions of the board alarm Democrats and voting rights activists, playing out against Georgia's background of partisan struggle over voting procedures that predates even the 2020 presidential election. It's a battle in yet another state over what had long been an administrative afterthought, state and local boards certifying results. The lawsuit says the rules invite post-election chaos, that the board is defying state law that says

Georgia univ upholds sanctions for 6 students over Israel-Hamas war protest

Six University of Georgia students arrested during an April 29 protest against the Israel-Hamas war will remain suspended through the fall semester, the university's Office of Student Conduct announced on Monday. The students will also remain on probation for the remainder of their academic careers at the university. The decision came after a 13-hour disciplinary hearing on July 30. Students can appeal the ruling to the university's vice president of student affairs. An attorney representing two of the suspended students, Josh Lingsch, called the hearing nothing more than a kangaroo court" in a Thursday statement Campus police arrested 16 protesters who set up an encampment near university President Jere Morehead's office on the Athens campus in April. The school suspended the students hours later. Some students informally resolved charges with the school by acknowledging their violations, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. During the hearing, the six remaining students sa

Debby, now a tropical storm, soaks north Florida, churning toward Georgia

The hurricane center predicted Debby would move offshore into the Atlantic by Tuesday night, then re-strengthen and come back inland to drench the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina

Trump picks fight with Georgia's governor, looks to avenge 2020 loss

Former President Donald Trump picked a new fight with Georgia's Republican governor as he campaigned in the key swing state where he's looking to avenge his narrow 2020 loss a defeat he continues to blame on Republican officials based on his false theories of election fraud. Gov. Brian Kemp, Trump wrote on his social media site, "should focus his efforts on fighting Crime, not fighting Unity and the Republican Party!" He also criticised Kemp's wife, Marty, and alleged that both Kemps were once grateful for his endorsement when Brian Kemp won the 2018 governor's race. In a subsequent post, Trump railed on Kemp for defying his demands to help overturn Trump's narrow 2020 loss in the state. And at his rally, he went on about Kemp for several minutes and blamed him for his loss to Democratic President Joe Biden and for not stopping a local district attorney from prosecuting him and several associates for his efforts to overturn the results. On X, Kemp told Trump to leave my family out

Trump-friendly panel shapes Georgia's election rules at often chaotic meets

The Georgia State Election Board, which once toiled in relative obscurity, now hosts raucous meetings where public comment spans several hours and attendees regularly heckle its members. The shift highlights how election administration has become increasingly scrutinized and politicized, particularly in Georgia and other states that President Joe Biden flipped for Democrats in 2020. Former President Donald Trump continues to assert without proof that widespread fraud cost him the election in Georgia. Georgia's board, which has no direct role in determining election results, writes rules to ensure that elections run smoothly and hears complaints about alleged violations. Democrats and voting rights groups fear that a recently cemented majority of Republican partisans on the board could push the limits of state law with rules hindering the effective administration of elections and the swift certification of results. Democrats made important gains in the 2020 election cycle in Georgia

Euro Cup 2024 tonight game: GEO vs POR live match time CZE vs TUR streaming

The Georgia vs Portugal football match as well as the Czechia vs Turkiye football match will begin at 12:30 AM IST on June 27

Euro Cup 2024: Portugal chases third win against newcomer Georgia

Portugal is already qualified for the European Championship knockout stages and can sign off from Group F in style with a third win when it plays newcomer Georgia on Wednesday. A draw might give Georgia a chance at qualifying, depending on results elsewhere, but it's likely to need a shock win. The kick-off in Gelsenkirchen at the same time as group rivals the Czech Republic and Turkey meet in Hamburg is 9 pm local time (1900 GMT, 12.30 am [Thursday]). Here's what to know about the match: Match facts There will be scrutiny of Euro 2024 security after no fewer than six different fans invaded the field or tried to seek selfies with Cristiano Ronaldo at Portugal's 3-0 win over Turkey. Four of them reached Ronaldo. UEFA said on Sunday it increased security, but there was another fan on the field on Monday as Spain beat Albania 1-0. On its major tournament debut, Georgia has won praise for its battling style and nearly beat the Czech Republic in its second game if not for a last-secon

Euro 2024: Georgia get first point in a 1-1 draw with Czech Republic

Georgia earned its first-ever point at a major tournament in a 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic at Euro 2024 here on Saturday. Video reviews were in the spotlight as the Czechs had a goal for Adam Hlozek disallowed for hand ball. Georgia, the only team making its debut at Euro 2024, then took the lead with a Georges Mikautadze penalty given for hand ball by Czech defender Robin Hranec. The Czech team got back into the game when a header rebounded off the post and Patrik Schick scored with his chest. Schick went off with a calf injury soon after. Georgia could have won but Saba Lobjanidze shot narrowly over the bar with the last kick of the game on a counterattack. The draw means that both teams almost certainly require a win in their last group games to qualify for the knockout stages. Turkey and Portugal are the other two teams in Group F and they will meet later tonight.