The Know Daily - Wednesday 15 May 2024

_{Read in 5m 24s ∙ Listening to Sabrina Carpenter ∙}

Britain’s butterflies have been given a boost thanks to a new scheme aimed at creating habitats for the endangered Marsh Fritillary Butterfly. Over 600 Devil's-bit-Scabious were planted at a private solar site in Cornwall, in collaboration with the Eden Project and Natural England. 

🇬🇪 The latest from Georgia

Georgia’s parliament yesterday voted through the highly controversial “foreign agents” bill, sparking further protests in the country.

What does the bill say?
It requires independent media and NGOs to register as organisations “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad. Under the bill - which passed its final reading on Tuesday with 84 votes against 30 - such organisations would also be monitored and could be forced to share sensitive information.

The country’s PM Irakli Kobakhidze - of the governing Georgian Dream party - said the bill “creates strong guarantees of long-term peace and tranquillity” in the country. But critics argue it could be used by the government to suppress its opponents. They call it the “Russia law”, drawing parallels with an authoritarian bill introduced by President Putin in 2012, said the BBC.

What has the response been?
While hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have gathered on the streets of the capital Tbilisi in recent weeks, the passing of the bill sparked some of the largest protests seen so far. 

They argue it could derail Georgia’s chances of joining the EU and see the country instead move under Russia’s influence. Georgia has been an official EU candidate country since December last year and public support for membership is high, said Euronews.

What happens now?
The bill now faces a likely veto by Georgia’s president - but there are “few doubts” the legislation will pass, said the BBC. Even if the president does veto the law, the parliament can override this by holding an additional vote.

The passing of the bill comes five months ahead of parliamentary elections in the country, which some protestors say offer a chance to vote out the governing party.