Georgia signed controversial “foreign influence” legislation into law on Monday, prompting its pro-European opposition to vow far-reaching political reforms if they win October’s elections.
The law, which critics say is modelled on Russian legislation used to stifle dissent, has triggered weeks of daily protests in the capital Tbilisi and condemnation from Georgia’s Western partners.
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Brussels has warned the move will derail the Black Sea nation from its path to European Union membership, and the United States has also threatened Georgian officials with individual travel bans.
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Despite those warnings, the speaker of Georgia’s parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Monday signed the measures into law — the final approval stage after the chamber voted last week to override a veto lodged by President Salome Zurabishvili.
“I signed today the law on transparency of foreign influence, whose main goal is to strengthen the sustainability of Georgia’s political, economic, and social systems,” Papuashvili said in a statement.
The measures require NGOs and media outlets that receive at least a fifth of their funding from abroad to register within two months as “organisations pursuing the interests of a foreign power.”
The plans sparked nearly two months of daily mass protests that saw police use tear gas and water cannon to disperse rallies, beating and arresting demonstrators.
– Pro-EU charter –
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The measures have exposed and deepened divisions in Georgian society ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26.
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The vote is seen as a key test of Georgia’s democracy more than 30 years after Tbilisi gained independence with the break-up of the Soviet Union.
On Monday, almost all of Georgia’s opposition parties began signing up to a pro-European policy charter advanced by President Zurabishvili in a bid to create a united front ahead of the vote.
They agreed to pursue far-reaching electoral, judicial and law enforcement reforms through an interim multi-party government, should they win enough seats in parliament to command a majority.
Early elections would then be called next year, the groups agreed.
The plan would involve revoking the “foreign influence” law and several other pieces of legislation adopted by Georgian Dream which the opposition says are “detrimental to Georgia’s European course.”
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Among the groups signing up to the pact was the country’s main opposition force, jailed ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili’s fervently pro-Western United National Movement.
“Georgian voters expect the opposition to show unity in the election run-up,” Tina Bokuchava, one of its leaders, told AFP.
– ‘Transparency’ –
Dozens of Georgian NGOs have vowed to defy the “foreign influence” law and appeal to the country’s constitutional court and the European Court of Human Rights.
Georgian Dream faces mounting accusations of leading the country away from its Western trajectory and back into Russia’s orbit.
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Those charges have intensified since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and with the passage of the “foreign influence” law.
The party says it is committed to Georgia’s European aspirations and says the law will ensure “transparency” concerning Western-funded groups which it says undermine the country’s sovereignty.
Georgian activists, independent journalists and opposition politicians have also accused the government of a concerted campaign of violence and threats against NGO leaders.
Georgia’s EU bid is enshrined in the country’s constitution and supported — according to opinion polls — by more than 80 percent of population.
Tbilisi was granted EU candidate status last year, but Brussels stressed the need for “meaningful and irreversible” reforms in areas such as the judiciary, the power of oligarchs and media freedoms.
HOOVER, Ala.– The Florida Gators baseball team on Saturday fell to Georgia, 8-7, in the SEC Tournament Semifinals despite leading 6-0 after the third inning.
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Florida gave up four runs across the seventh and eighth innings and largely relied on relief pitching after starter Russell Sandefer exited the game in the second inning due to injury and fell victim to a rain delay, after which Georgia bounced back and took the lead.
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Here’s everything head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said, via a transcript from ASAP Sports, after the loss. Florida now turns its attention to the NCAA Tournament, where the Gators have locked up a hosting bid for regional play but will have to see if they did enough to earn a top-eight seed.
Opening Statement
KEVIN O’SULLIVAN: Well, first of all, congrats to Georgia. They obviously played really, really well today. That’s what they do. They just chipped away. I thought our pitching was good today. It was unfortunate that Russ got hit with that line drive. But fortunately enough for us it’s not broken. That’s probably the best his stuff has looked all year long.
Yeah, although it’s disappointing, I’m really proud of the way our team played this week. I think we maybe opened up some eyes to other people around the country that may not have seen us play. And we’ve come such a long way. I think this weekend kind of puts us in a position for our team to be ready for the postseason.
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Q. The importance of playing in the SEC tournament, some teams come in here and they don’t play their best guys, but to you, how does this tournament help you prepare for the rest of the tournament?
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KEVIN O’SULLIVAN: I think it goes back to, like, the ninth and tenth weeks of the year. Everybody’s playing for something, whether it be a top 8 national seed, be one of the top 16 seeds to host. Some teams are playing just to get into the tournament. We have never taken this tournament lightly. We’ve always stayed with our rotation. The only time I think we may have done that is if we had to play on a Tuesday and we couldn’t bring back our No. 1.
But, no, we try to come here to win it. Every game’s important. Like I said, it was unfortunate today with Russ because that’s about as good of stuff as he’s had all year long. I’m looking at the board and he’s throwing 96, 97, and he’s throwing his fastball to both sides of the plate. That was the best he’s looked. So lucky enough for us immediately they got him an X-ray and they came in and, I said, You already got one? That’s awesome. It came back negative, so he’ll be ready to go next week.
We got three good starters. Our bullpen’s healthy for the very first time. We’ve got our lineup pretty much set now, and we’ll see what happens with the draw. I know a lot of people asked if we should be a top 8 national seed. My answer every year is the same thing. It’s out of my hands. It’s in the committee’s hands. I do think that we are one of the top 8 teams in the country, but it’s not my decision to make.
Q. I know you talked about this before as far as Georgia goes, but speak to the length of their lineup and what that ability gives them with that offensive game they got.
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KEVIN O’SULLIVAN: Yeah, it’s almost like no matter how many runs you score you almost feel like it’s not enough. I thought that, you know, after the rain delay, there was a couple tough hops there at third, and they got things rolling there. I didn’t think Josh pitched poorly at all. I think he just left some balls out over the plate. We didn’t give it to ’em. It’s not like we walked a few guys and gave up a three-run homer or stuff. They just put some really good at-bats against one of the best arms in the country. I’m really pleased with how we played this weekend, or this week for that matter. I think it definitely prepares us for next weekend.
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Q. Was there any thought to putting Jackson on in the 8th inning when he ends up getting the sac fly that gives ’em the lead?
KEVIN O’SULLIVAN: No. You pick your poison. It’s like – and for me, the thought did cross my mind, but those are the opportunities — like, Josh needs to face Jackson in that spot. Like, if he comes out successful, boy, does he feel really good about himself. So those are the type of battles within the game that you go you know what? Let’s go mano-a-mano. Let’s go head-to-head and see what happens. And I think that’s important for players to go through that, and pitchers for that matter.
Q. Every team you have is different in some way, shape, or form. What has been different about this Florida team that maybe people don’t see, don’t read about that kind of sets themselves apart, in your mind?
KEVIN O’SULLIVAN: I think our resiliency. We got swept at Alabama, we turned it around. I’m really proud of the way we have improved offensively, how we improved pitching-wise, and defensively we’ve come a long way. And they have worked awfully hard. It’s a tight-knit group, and yeah, they’re disappointed that they lost. I flat-out told ’em in the dugout, “I’m proud of the way you guys played this week; we don’t need to hang our heads.” We’ll get back home, give ’em a day off tomorrow, practice early on Monday, get ready to watch the selection show, give ’em the rest of Monday off and then get ready for the regional.
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Georgia Southern University student-athletes were celebrated for their dedication to community service, academic excellence, and athletic ability at the annual Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) banquet. The event highlighted a strengthening partnership between the Downtown Statesboro Rotary Club and Georgia Southern Athletics.
Georgia Southern University student-athletes were recognized for outstanding achievements in community service, academics, and athletics during the annual Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) banquet, highlighting a growing partnership between the Downtown Statesboro Rotary Club and Georgia Southern Athletics.
The Georgia Southern Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Georgia Southern Athletics celebrated the accomplishments of student-athletes whose collective efforts demonstrated the impact of teamwork both on and off the field.
The Georgia Southern Track and Field/Cross Country team received the inaugural Rotary SAAC Service Leadership Award, which includes a $1,000 team award sponsored by the Downtown Statesboro Rotary Club. The team earned the honor by completing 42 volunteer hours in less than two months at the Statesboro Food Bank, setting a strong example of service and civic engagement.
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Together with the volleyball, softball, soccer, and rifle teams, Georgia Southern student-athletes contributed a total of 142 volunteer hours to the Statesboro Food Bank during the program’s first service cycle.
The Rotary SAAC Service Leadership Award was established through a collaboration between Ken Wang, a faculty member in Georgia Southern University’s Parker College of Business and a member of the Downtown Statesboro Rotary Club, and Reagan, vice president and head of community service for SAAC. The initiative invites all 15 Georgia Southern athletic teams to compete annually by logging volunteer hours at the Statesboro Food Bank during February through April.
“I am proud to work with Reagan and Georgia Southern SAAC to create an award that recognizes student-athletes for serving the community,” said Ken Wang. “These young men and women are demonstrating leadership by giving their time and energy to support neighbors in need.”
In addition to community service honors, the Georgia Southern Women’s Basketball and Georgia Southern Men’s Basketball teams received the inaugural GATA Excellence Awards in recognition of significant progress in both athletic performance and academic achievement.
The collaboration between the Downtown Statesboro Rotary Club and Georgia Southern Athletics reflects a shared commitment to leadership, service, and student development. By connecting student-athletes with local organizations such as the Statesboro Food Bank, the initiative reinforces the important role athletics can play in building stronger communities.
Georgia softball’s season has come to an end in the second game of the NCAA Super Regionals on the road to the Women’s College World Series. The 10-seeded team fell to Tennessee in a best-of-three series, 2-0, Friday, May 22 in Knoxville.
“As I said last night, the thing that’s hard about this time is that you don’t get another week with this group,” head coach Tony Baldwin said. “And this group is everything I could ask for as a coach. What they did to represent our university, our program and our fanbase, that’s what makes it hurt. But it’s a ballgame, and they keep score and we just didn’t do enough to come out on top. Tennessee deserves all the credit for that.”
Baldwin got emotional at the mention of what Team 30 has done for the Classic City in this long haul of a season.
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This was the final game in the red and black for seniors Jaydyn Goodwin, Sarah Gordon, Tyler Ellison, Destin Howard and Marisa Miller, who have spent most, if not all, of their collegiate careers wearing the G.
It’s also the final game for players like Natalie Ray and Keirstin Roose, who though they transferred in last summer, have become impact players and people for the Dawgs.
“As I said to the team at the end, I wish I had time to punch into Chat GPT, ‘What’s the right thing to say?’ I don’t know that I have all of that right now,” Baldwin said with Goodwin and Gordon seated beside him at the press table.
“Shorty (Jaydyn Goodwin) has been part of my life since she was 12 years old. My family loves her, the kids love her, she’s like part of my family, and to watch her grow into the strong, confident woman that she is today, who I have coached. I had coaches who did that for me, long time ago, so for 30 years I’ve just been trying to have an impact on people. To be a part of watching her go from little Shorty at 12 years old, to the person who’s a boss on the softball field, and she’s interviewing for jobs, and she’s leaving here a strong, confident woman — she’s been a pain in my ass for a long time, but I’m going to miss that part of it.
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“For Gordy (Sarah Gordon), who didn’t start in our program, to watch her growth and belief in herself, to lean on her faith through the hard times and grow into the woman she is today, again, that’s what it’s all about.”
The Bulldogs finish 41-20 overall, narrowly above .500 but off one heck of a run to end the season. They clinched a regular-season series win over a higher-ranked Florida, dominated LSU and Oklahoma in the SEC Tournament and swept the Athens Regional for the first time since 2023.
“I’m remembering that not everyone gets to do this, and although I’ve done it every year, I’m remembering to be grateful to be in this position,” Goodwin said when asked about how proud she is of her time at Georgia. “I committed to being a Bulldog when I was like, 13. It’s going to be weird moving forward, but I’m a Bulldog for life. Forever.
“I’m so thankful the Lord led me to Georgia,” Gordon continued, turning to thank Baldwin personally. “I feel like this is where I was supposed to be. I immediately stepped on campus for my visit, and when I got back in the car with my mom, I told her that.”
While Georgia hasn’t made it past the Super Regionals since 2021 under Lu Harris-Champer, they aren’t allowing themselves to be defined by the outcomes. Baldwin has emphasized that after every win and loss for the last month.
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“I know that we get judged by our outcomes, and you play the game for the outcome,” Baldwin said after Thursday’s loss, “but at the end of the day, the thing that I preach all the time is that this is a vehicle for our players to grow … and don’t let outcomes affect how you feel about yourselves.
“I told them before the game that I love them regardless of what happens, and I told them after the game that I love them, not for their outcome, but for their behavior, how they go about doing what they do and how they represent this university.”
