Former Soviet republic of Georgia sees ruling party cave to massive street protests as it seeks closer EU ties

Georgia's majority party withdrew a controversial "foreign agent" law that was working its way through the country's parliament after thousands of angry protesters took to the streets and squared off against riot police in the capital city of Tbilisi. 

Protests grew increasingly violent as police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the large crowds. Parliament's about-face on the bill is a victory for the protest movement and signals that the government is at least for now listening to public opinion.

Although the mood was said to be festive over the reversal, there are still struggles ahead to improve Georgia's democracy, and it's not yet clear whether the issue is permanently dead or is simply a delaying tactic until public outrage cools down.