Georgia’s parliament lifts state of emergency, effective Friday
A nationwide state of emergency imposed last week amid a police crackdown on opposition protests will end Friday under a measure approved overwhelmingly by Georgia’s parliament. The United States and other Western nations had pressured President Mikhail Saakashvili to end the state of emergency imposed Nov. 7 after police violently dispersed opposition protests in the capital, Tbilisi. Independent newscasts and demonstrations were also banned as a result. Full Story