Uzbekistan-Georgia Pivot: Uzbekistan’s president will open an embassy in Georgia as Tbilisi and Tashkent sign a strategic partnership declaration, with plans to push trade toward $1bn, expand Black Sea port use (Poti/Batumi), and deepen ties in customs, digitalization, education, tourism, and energy. Regional Diplomacy: Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili met Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran, with both sides stressing sovereignty and regional stability ahead of Khamenei’s funeral. Courtroom Update: Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office has charged Giorgi Malania in the Giga Avaliani-linked case and will seek pre-trial detention. Justice & Defense Politics: A lawyer says there’s a high expectation of a plea deal for former Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze as his appeal proceeds at the Court of Appeal. Human Rights Watch: The UN Human Rights Council heard concerns that Georgia’s civic space restrictions and protest-related abuses include arbitrary arrests and disproportionate force, urging independent investigations. Local Governance: Batumi is dismantling illegal structures to start a new kindergarten project, including relocating affected families. Energy & Transit: bp is transferring BTC pipeline operations to SOCAR, reinforcing the Middle Corridor’s role for Caspian-to-Europe routes.