Across the World: Georgia

Talks with opposition

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has invited opposition leaders to direct talks today to try to end a month-long standoff in the former Soviet republic, government and opposition officials said.

Clashes on Wednesday between police and protesters, a day after a brief, bloodless mutiny at a tank base outside Tbilisi, have fueled fears of wider anti-government unrest in the country, which is hosting NATO military exercises to the consternation of neighboring Russia. The opposition has been protesting since April 9, blocking roads in the capital and demanding the 41-year-old president resign.