Christmas trees have emerged an unexpected source of controversy about how the Georgian government handles logging licenses for the country's forests. Given that foreign investment is critical to Georgia's economic growth campaign, officials in Tbilisi are strongly denying the accusations that a "forest mafia" controls the licensing process.
Two separate presidential elections and two separate referenda on the future of the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia were held on November 12, but the outcome depends on your point of view. No agreement exists about which candidate is now the legitimate leader of this separatist territory.
