Day: May 6, 2026
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WhatsApp drops avatars
Avatars—three-dimensional digital versions of users created based on their appearance—are gradually being phased out in the WhatsApp messenger. At the first stage, users will lose the ability to edit these digital models, and later the feature will be completely removed from the application. Some users have already started receiving notifications about these upcoming changes, AzerNEWS reports.
Businessmen brothers Davit and Giorgi Mikadze, along with their associate Giorgi Jokhadze, were sentenced to life in prison after the Tbilisi City Court found them guilty of organizing the contract killing for mercenary purposes of businessman Levan Jangveladze, the brother of criminal underworld figure Merab Jangveladze.
Judge Romeo Tkeshelashvili delivered the verdict on May 6 amid heavy police mobilization outside the court building. According to Interpressnews, which covered the hearing in a courtroom, Tkeshelashvili said that “the prosecution was able to substantiate the charges to the standard of beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Giorgi Mikadze has been in pre-trial detention since August 2025, while his brother, Davit, as well as Giorgi Jokhadze, remain outside Georgia and were sentenced in absentia. Georgia’s former prosecutor general, Otar Partskhaladze, is also wanted on charges of organizing Jangveladze’s killing, but is believed to be outside Georgia and to hold Russian citizenship. His sentence has yet to be issued.
Levan Jangveladze, the brother of Merab Jangveladze, known as a “thief-in-law,” was shot dead in Tbilisi in March 2025. Former riot police officer Gela Udzilauri was sentenced in October to life in prison after being found guilty of intentional murder and contract killing for mercenary purposes. He admitted to the shooting but denied that it was premeditated or financially motivated. Another figure in the case, Sandro Tsivtsivadze, under whose name the murder weapon had been registered, was sentenced to eight years in prison in February.
The defense side has contested the guilty verdict against the Jangveladze brothers, as their lawyer, Shorena Nikabadze, said the case rested on insufficient evidence, adding that the ruling will be appealed in higher domestic courts and, if necessary, in the European Court of Human Rights.
In his final address to the court, Giorgi Mikadze rejected the charges, insisting on his innocence. “Not for 5 million, not even if someone gave me 5 billion, I would not kill a man. I was raised in a family with traditions,” he said.
The previous court hearings have been shadowed by repeated controversy, with large crowds gathering outside the courthouse. Tensions flared on February 18, when clashes erupted during a hearing, resulting in the arrest of 15 people.
Separately, Otar Partskhaladze and the Mikadze brothers face additional charges related to alleged fraud and money laundering linked to the so-called scam call centers case.
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Loans in Georgia to become more expensive
At its meeting on 6 May 2026, the Monetary Policy Committee of Georgia’s National Bank raised the refinancing rate by 0.25 percentage points to 8.25%. The decision is expected to make loans more expensive for nearly 250,000 borrowers. The rate had remained unchanged at 8% since May 2024.
According to the National Bank, escalating tensions in the Middle East and disruptions to shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz have triggered fresh global supply disruptions, driving up energy prices on international markets. The bank said the developments had increased both production and transport costs, adding to inflationary pressures.
The central bank said rising oil prices had already affected Georgia through higher fuel costs. In April 2026, annual inflation rose to 5.9%, above the bank’s 3% target. Core inflation, which excludes food, energy and tobacco prices, stood at 3.2%, while services inflation reached 3.7%.
The National Bank said stronger growth in “sticky” prices pointed to rising long-term inflationary pressures and higher inflation expectations. According to the bank, this increases the risk of second-round effects, although overall indicators remain close to the target level.
In terms of economic activity, the National Bank said Georgia’s economy had remained resilient despite geopolitical shocks. According to preliminary data, economic growth reached 10.7% in March 2026, while first-quarter growth stood at 9.1%. The bank said the expansion had been driven mainly by high-productivity sectors, which had partly offset inflationary pressure from demand.
The Monetary Policy Committee said the rate increase was aimed at keeping inflation expectations aligned with the target level. Under the bank’s baseline scenario, the current conflict in the Middle East is expected to end in the second quarter, although the bank noted that the outlook remained highly uncertain. It also warned that restoring global supply chains could take considerable time.
The committee reviewed both high-inflation and low-inflation scenarios. Under the high-inflation scenario, a prolonged conflict, further increases in international prices and more severe supply chain disruptions would push inflation above the central forecast and require tighter monetary policy.
According to the National Bank, under the low-inflation scenario, a rapid easing of geopolitical tensions would reduce price pressure on international markets, lower transport costs and ease global inflationary pressures, paving the way for a gradual normalisation of monetary policy.
The committee said raising the policy rate to 8.25% represented a moderate tightening under current conditions and was aimed at gradually returning inflation to the 3% target once supply-side shocks faded. The National Bank said it would continue monitoring economic and inflation trends and did not rule out further monetary policy adjustments if necessary.
The committee’s next monetary policy meeting is scheduled for 17 June 2026.
Comments by the National Bank president
According to acting National Bank president Natia Turnava, the increase in the policy rate was a preliminary and preventive step aimed at addressing inflation risks coming from global markets.
She said inflationary pressure was currently being driven mainly by fluctuations in international energy prices, particularly oil and petroleum products. Turnava said the trend had already been reflected in April’s inflation data and that external factors had played a major role in rising prices.
She added that an import-dependent economy such as Georgia’s was particularly vulnerable to global energy shocks and uncertainty in the Middle East, which was causing additional volatility in oil markets.
According to Turnava, the modest rate increase was intended to neutralise those risks in advance. She said the central bank’s goal was to stabilise inflation expectations and ensure long-term price stability.
“Against this backdrop, we decided to raise the refinancing rate, even by a small margin. The move is clearly preventive in nature. Its purpose is to prevent inflationary pressures and risks from feeding into the domestic economy, maintain price stability and gradually bring inflation back to the 3% target,” Turnava said.
She added that despite the uncertainty, the National Bank was seeking to manage inflationary pressures in a way that would help keep inflation stable over the medium term.
Loans in Georgia to become more expensive