Metropolitan Shio became Patriarch Shio III on 12 May 2026 at Svetitskhoveli — the first enthronement in nearly 50 years, marking a generational transition for the Georgian Orthodox Church.
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Batumi marks Georgia's Independence Day on May 26 with a public holiday, events near Alphabet Tower from 11:00, and an URSA concert at 20:00.
Cybercrime cases in Georgia rose from 139 in 2020 to 246 in 2025; courts confiscated more than 3.78 million GEL from convicted cybercriminals last year.
Georgia's migration police detained 46 foreign nationals during nationwide checks; deportation procedures are underway after they were found in the country illegally.
Georgia and Kazakhstan will expand interior ministry cooperation on transnational crime, cyber security and special unit training after talks in Tbilisi.
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