Day: October 8, 2025

EPP demands Ivanishvili sanctions

The European People’s Party (EPP), the largest party in the European Parliament, is calling on the EU to impose sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder of the Georgian Dream party and Georgia’s de facto ruler, and his allies, who are accused of undermining democracy, violating human rights and the rule of law in the country.

European Parliament: ‘Municipal elections in Georgia were held under restrictive conditions’

MEPs urged Georgian Dream to stop attacking democracy

In response to the call, Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that no organisation or country, including the US, the EU, or individual EU member states, has issued a statement “condemning the attempt to overthrow the democratically elected government in Georgia.” He was referring to the 4 October rally in Tbilisi, which ended in an attempted storming of the presidential palace.

EPP’s statement

“While the people of Georgia continue to fight for freedom and a European future, Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream party held yet another election farce on 4 October, marked by record-low turnout and a boycott by the main opposition parties amid widespread repression and violence against regime opponents.

Recent arrests and threats of persecution by Georgian Dream representatives aim to restrict people’s right to protest, suppress the pro-European opposition, and spread fear within society.

We call on Georgian Dream to end the violence and repression and to respect the European aspirations of the Georgian people. We also urge the EU and its member states to impose targeted sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili and his supporters, particularly those involved in undermining democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Georgia.”

Opinion: ‘The idea of a revolution is discredited — but not the protest’

Sociologist Yago Kachkachishvili on the events of 4 October

Irakli Kobakhidze’s response

“Four days have passed since the violent storming of Georgia’s presidential palace, whose declared aim was to overthrow the democratically elected government. Yet in all this time, no organisation or country, including the US, the European Union, or individual EU member states — all of which claim to offer instant assessments of Georgia’s domestic affairs, criticise the country and give it instructions — has issued a statement condemning this act.

Moreover, the European Union, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, and other bodies have even gone so far as to issue statements to the contrary. Their reluctance to condemn the violence can easily be interpreted as tacit support,” said Irakli Kobakhidze.

Russian propaganda celebrates victory of Georgian Dream and defeat of ‘revolution’

Here’s how Russian propaganda covered the municipal elections in Georgia and the events that followed.

EPP demands Ivanishvili sanctions

Kobakhidze says no one condemned attempted coup

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said at a briefing that no international organisation or state “condemned the attempted overthrow of the government” during the 4 October rally in Tbilisi.

Opinion: ‘The idea of a revolution is discredited — but not the protest’

Sociologist Yago Kachkachishvili on the events of 4 October

“It has already been four days since the violent assault on the presidential palace in Tbilisi, whose declared aim was to overthrow the government elected by the Georgian people. However, during these days, none of the organisations or states that claim the right to promptly assess Georgia’s internal political developments, criticise the country, and issue it instructions — including the United States, the European Union, or any of its member states — have made a statement condemning the attempted overthrow of the government elected by the people of Georgia, or the violent assault on the presidential palace.

Moreover, the European Union, the OSCE/ODIHR, and other actors have even allowed themselves to make statements of the opposite nature. Naturally, the fact that no one has distanced themselves from or condemned the attempt to overthrow the government and the violence in Georgia is interpreted simply as an indirect yet clear expression of support for the overthrow and the violence,” Kobakhidze said.

European Parliament: ‘Municipal elections in Georgia were held under restrictive conditions’

MEPs urged Georgian Dream to stop attacking democracy

On 4 October, municipal elections were held in Georgia, which were boycotted by a significant part of the opposition. Many citizens who believe that the ruling Georgian Dream party falsified the results of the parliamentary elections on 26 October 2024 also refused to vote. As a result, voter turnout was the lowest in the country’s history since independence.

On the same day, a large-scale protest took place in Tbilisi, ending with an attempted storming of the presidential palace and clashes with police.

Security forces used water cannons and tear gas. More than twenty people were detained, with some facing criminal charges of attempting a coup.

Irakli Kobakhidze directly accused the EU ambassador of organising the unrest.

Industrial production in Germany fell much more sharply than expected in August, primarily due to a steep decline in car manufacturing. This drop occurred amid weakening demand as businesses awaited the introduction of US tariffs, Azernews reports.

Initiated by the Azerbaijan Professional Film Directors Guild, with the support of the Azerbaijan Guild of Actors and the Azerbaijan Producers Guild, the Azerbaijan Film Academy has completed the acceptance of applications for the 2025 Qızıl Pəri (Golden Fairy) professional film and television award competition, Azernews reports.

In the diverse tapestry of our world, one intriguing aspect is the significant variation in average heights among different countries. This article explores the average height in the world, for men and women separately, while also delving into the heights of the tallest and shortest countries.