The ruling Georgian Dream party appeared to have taken the lead with 47.6 per cent of votes in local elections in the Caucasian country on Saturday.
The figure, in an exit poll ordered by the Imedi TV station reported by Russian news agencies, could be enough to avert a snap parliamentary vote.
The elections could cause an escalation in a political stand-off between the ruling party and the opposition.
They have taken on significance amid a months-long political crisis that erupted after the parliamentary election last year and led the opposition to boycott the chamber.
On Friday, one day before the poll, the former president and opposition politician Mikheil Saakashvili was arrested.
According to the exit poll, the the main opposition party, the United National Movement, has garnered 27.1 per cent of votes, Russian news agencies reported.
The UNM was founded by Saakashvili, and its head was arrested in February but released in May after a push by the EU to broker a deal between the party and the government.
That deal collapsed over the summer, when the ruling Georgian Dream party withdrew.
Under the deal, Georgian Dream would have to call snap parliamentary elections if it failed to get 43 per cent of the vote in local elections on Saturday.
A recent opinion poll suggested popular support for Georgian Dream was below that threshold.
Though the deal has now unravelled, political analysts said the vote could trigger protests if the ruling party failed to reach the threshold outlined in the deal and declined to call snap parliamentary elections.
“If Georgian Dream doesn’t get what it got in the previous parliamentary elections, which was 48.22 per cent, we might have some turmoil again, probably another wave of political crisis,” said Soso Dzamukashvili, a junior researcher at Emerging Europe, a think tank.
Saakashvili left Georgia in 2013 and was sentenced to prison in absentia in 2018.
He was arrested on Friday after he returned to Georgia and called on his supporters to vote for the opposition and stage a post-election street protest.
Georgia’s authorities had warned him he would be arrested if he returned.
President Salome Zourabichvili said after his arrest that she would not pardon him, and accused him of trying to destabilise the country.
Saakashvili’s lawyer denounced his arrest on Friday as a “political detention”.
In a letter published on Saturday by his lawyer and shared on his Twitter page, Saakashvili, 53, restated his appeal to his supporters to cast their votes and said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “fabricated, false verdicts” were behind his arrest.
The population of Georgia is about 3.9 million.
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Scores in brief:
- New Medical Centre 129-5 in 17 overs bt Zayed Cricket Academy 125-6 in 20 overs.
- William Hare Abu Dhabi Gymkhana 188-8 in 20 overs bt One Stop Tourism 184-8 in 20 overs
- Alubond Tigers 138-7 in 20 overs bt United Bank Limited 132-7 in 20 overs
- Multiplex 142-6 in 17 overs bt Xconcepts Automobili 140 all out in 20 overs
57%20Seconds
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What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
The bio
Favourite book: Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
Favourite quote: “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist
Favourite Authors: Arab poet Abu At-Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi
Favourite Emirati food: Luqaimat, a deep-fried dough soaked in date syrup
Hobbies: Reading and drawing
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh189,700
On sale: now
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
