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Georgia’s pro-Western president slams country’s ‘illegitimate’ parliament after failed vote to join EU sparks mass protests

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Georgia’s pro-Western president slams country’s ‘illegitimate’ parliament after failed vote to join EU sparks mass protests


Georgia’s pro-Western president says she will remain in office until new elections are held to replace the country’s “illegitimate” anti-West parliament, which withdrew from talks to join the European Union, sparking mass protests.

President Salome Zourabichvili, who was set to be replaced by the opposing parliament Dec. 14, said she is following the will of the people by staying to oversee new elections — after four consecutive days of protests following allegations that last month’s parliamentary elections were fixed and the ruling body then dashing hopes for Georgia to join the EU.

The president’s move will likely set up a new political showdown between her and the Moscow-aligned parliament.

Anti-government demonstrators hurl firecrackers at riot police in the country of Georgia on Sunday. AP
Georgia President Salome Zourabichvili has vowed to stay in office until a new election is held to replace the country’s pro-Russian parliament after allegations of election fraud and its refusal to continue talks to join the EU. REUTERS

“What we’re seeing today is really the civil society taking over because the state is falling apart,” Zourabichvili told the BBC over the weekend.

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“I’m offering this stability for the transition, because what these people on the streets are demanding is a call for new elections in order to restore this country and its European path,” she added.  

Thousands of demonstrators in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi and other cities across the country continued to march Sunday, clashing with police and throwing fireworks in demonstrations aimed against the pro-Russian parliament.

The protests carried on despite violent clashes where crowds were met by riot police firing water cannons and tear gas.

The governing Georgian Dream Party, which has been in power since 2012, has been accused of fixing elections while trying to move away from the EU and align the country with Moscow, which briefly invaded Georgia in 2008.

Protesters wave around Georgian flags as they call for their nation to join the EU. AFP via Getty Images
Thousands have taken part in the demonstrations, with protesters surrounding the parliament building in Tbilisi. AP
Protesters erect barricades in the streets and light fires on the roads. AFP via Getty Images

Zourabichvili accused the ruling party of removing any independent institution in the nation and steering Georgia under its pro-Russian whims.

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“I am president because I’ve been elected by the people, and I’m president until the time when it’s inauguration for a president who is legitimately elected by a legitimately elected parliament,” she said of her plan to remain in office.

The European Parliament issued a resolution Thursday slamming the ruling party as responsible for the “worsening democratic crisis” in the nation, echoing allegations that the party engaged in voter intimidation and manipulation in its bid for control over the country.

Demonstrators toss fireworks at riot police, who in turn unleash water cannons and tear gas. ZUMAPRESS.com
Riot police detain a demonstrator outside the parliament building Sunday. ZUMAPRESS.com

After the resolution, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze decided to throw out talks of joining the EU “until the end of 2028.”

Kobakhidze accused the pro-Western opposition of planning a coup, and the State Security Service said political parties were attempting to “overthrow the government by force.”

The prime minister claimed 50 officers were injured in the protests by people who allegedly “threw Molotov cocktails, pyrotechnics, glass, stones at the police.”

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The US has slammed the decision to suspend the process of joining the EU, with the Biden administration saying it “goes against the promise to the Georgian people enshrined in their constitution to pursue full integration into the European Union and NATO.”

A protester waves the European Union flag outside the government building Friday. AFP via Getty Images
A fire is ignited outside the parliament building following reports that the Georgian Dream party cancelled talks to join the European Union. ZUMAPRESS.com

American officials said Saturday that the US was suspending its strategic partnership with Georgia over the “anti-democratic actions.”

Georgia’s ambassadors to Bulgaria, Netherlands and Italy have also resigned in protest of their government’s decision.

With Post wires

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Falcons address biggest hole with Georgia prospect in new mock draft

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Falcons address biggest hole with Georgia prospect in new mock draft


For a long time it seemed the Atlanta Falcons were purposefully avoiding drafting prospects from Georgia for some reason. There are signs that’s changing with the new front office regime, though. Last month Kirby Smart commented on how his program is developing a relationship with the Falcons.

That’s a good sign for Atlanta’s defensive front-seven, because that group needs all the help they can get and it’s where the Bulldogs have thrived the most in recent years. Jalon Walker is helping to reinvigorate their pass rush, and more help could be on the way soon.

In a new five-round mock draft from NFL.com, the Falcons hit up that local resource again and take Georgia defensive tackle Christen Miller at No. 48 overall.

At the combine Miller checked in at 6-foot-4, 321 pounds with 33″ arms and 10″ hands. Here’s the highlight reel.

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Like most nose tackle prospects, Miller’s college production (four sacks, 11.5 TFL) doesn’t exactly jump off the page.

However, the scouting report on Miller mentions both upper and lower body power in addition to good balance. Those traits should make him a solid nose tackle at the next level.

If the Falcons do end up drafting Miller, he should project to be starting up front in Week 1.



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6-foot alligator delays Delta flight taking off from Georgia airport

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6-foot alligator delays Delta flight taking off from Georgia airport


A Delta flight was delayed after a massive alligator plopped itself on the taxiway of a Georgia airport, according to reports.

Recently unearthed air traffic control audio captured the unusual moment the Delta pilot noticed the lazing gator at the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport on the evening of March 20, WDSU reported.

A Delta flight was delayed after a massive alligator plopped itself on a taxiway at Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport. Getty Images

“There’s a six-foot gator sitting on his two legs,” the pilot said over the radio.

“Six foot?” the tower controller asked, to which the pilot replied, “Yeah. He’s about six foot.”

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“He just laid down,” the pilot added.


An American alligator with its mouth open on sand.
The alligator was safely removed and relocated outside the airport grounds. Getty Images/National Geographic

Airport crew responded and safely removed the alligator to the airport, then relocated it outside the airport grounds, the outlet reported.

No one was injured during the incident, authorities added. It’s unclear how the alligator managed to wander into the airport unchecked.

Flight operations resumed shortly after the reptile was removed, the outlet said.



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Passover ad featuring challah sparks backlash for Georgia Senate candidate | The Jerusalem Post

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Passover ad featuring challah sparks backlash for Georgia Senate candidate | The Jerusalem Post


A Georgia Democratic candidate for the state Senate came under ridicule over the weekend after a Passover ad published in the Atlanta Jewish Times reportedly featured challah, a leavened bread traditionally avoided during the holiday. The controversy spread on Saturday after Atlanta Journal-Constitution political reporter Greg Bluestein posted about the ad on X. 

Nathalie Kanani is running for Georgia State Senate District 14, and has publicly described herself as a candidate focused on affordability, healthcare, housing, education, and workers’ issues. In a LinkedIn post published about a month ago, she said she had officially qualified to run for the seat.

The issue appears to have stemmed from a holiday greeting in the Atlanta Jewish Times Passover edition, which was published this past week and included a wide range of Passover-themed community content and messages. 

Bluestein wrote on X that a Georgia Senate candidate’s Passover ad in that week’s Atlanta Jewish Times “features challah,” adding, “It’s the thought that counts, I guess.” His post helped push the item into broader political and Jewish social media circles. 

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The mockery built quickly. Raw Story, which aggregated the reaction, quoted conservative commentator Jonah Goldberg joking that the image was like serving a “Yom Kippur BLT sandwich,” while progressive commentator Molly Jong-Fast called it “incredible” and added that “Veep was a documentary.” The same report also cited Georgia state Rep. Esther Panitch criticizing the mistake and noting that, as the only Jewish member of the Georgia General Assembly, she was available for “holiday consults.”

During Passover, Jews avoid hametz (leavened grain products), and bread is among the clearest examples of foods excluded from the holiday. Matzah, the flat unleavened bread eaten during Passover, is one of the most recognizable symbols of the festival. 

That made challah, a braided bread commonly associated with Shabbat and other Jewish occasions, an especially awkward choice for a Passover greeting. For many Jewish readers, it signaled a basic misunderstanding of one of Judaism’s best-known observances. 

As of Sunday,  Kanani’s campaign had not issued any publicly visible response in the sources reviewed for this report.





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