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Ukraine Says Russia Escalates Assaults On Eastern City Of Bakhmut
Russian troops are continuing their assault in the direction of the eastern city of Bakhmut, Ukraine's General Staff said on March 10, adding that its forces repulsed "numerous attacks" in the areas of the settlements of Ivanske and Bakhmut during the day.
Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said the fighting in Bakhmut had "escalated," with a new push by Russian forces to break through Ukrainian defensive lines.
Earlier, technicians worked around the clock to restore electricity in most parts of Ukraine following a devastating wave of Russian strikes, private energy firm DTEK said on March 10.
Electricity was restored in all residential areas of the capital, Kyiv, and all emergency power outages were canceled, DTEK said on March 10.
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"At 12:47 p.m., electricity was restored to all residents of the capital, so the scheduled stabilization shutdowns are no longer applicable," the company said in a statement.
Serhiy Popko, the head of the city’s military administration, said power and water were restored in Kyiv. Popko said that about 30 percent of consumers in the capital remained without heating and that repair work was ongoing.
DTEK workers managed to finish the overnight repairs on the damaged high-voltage equipment that supplies the southern port of Odesa and the Odesa region, where the electricity has been restored, the company said.
Power restrictions prompted by significant damage caused by the Russian strikes remained in the Zhytomyr and Kharkiv regions, where hourly shutdown schedules have to be imposed, state electricity company Ukrenerho reported on March 10.
Some consumers in the two regions are still left completely without electricity, and critical infrastructure in the cities of Zhytomyr and Kharkiv operates mainly from autonomous power sources, Ukrenerho said.
Emergency shutdowns are still taking place in other two regions -- Zaporizhzhya and Dnipropetrovsk -- that sustained damage in the Russian strikes, it said.
Following the wave of attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets -- the first of its kind since mid-February -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of persisting in using terror against civilians.
"The occupiers can only terrorize civilians. That's all they can do. But it won’t help them. They won't avoid responsibility for everything they have done," Zelenskiy said after the attacks.
IN PHOTOS: Russia launched a massive wave of air strikes on Ukraine on March 9, causing casualties and multiple power cuts across the country and halting the power supply of the nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhya as the battle for Bakhmut in the east raged on.
Russia Launches Deadly Air Strikes On Ukrainian Cities
Zelenskiy also held talks with Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on March 10.
Marin accompanied Zelenskiy and senior military officers at the funeral of one of Ukraine's best-known fighters and commanders, who was killed in clashes near Bakhmut.
The service for 27-year-old Dmytro Kotsyubaylo, killed a few days earlier, was held at the cathedral of Kyiv's St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery, where many mourners clutched flowers and paid their respects. Zelenskiy and Marin also laid flowers at a nearby memorial to fallen Ukrainian soldiers.
"Putin knows he will have to answer for his crime of aggression," the Finnish leader told journalists. "The future tribunal must bring justice efficiently and answer Ukrainians' rightful demands."
Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians, despite abundant evidence to the contrary.
It said the attacks, during which it used hypersonic Kinzhal (Dagger) missiles, were a "massive retaliatory strike" in response to what it said was a Ukrainian-orchestrated "terrorist attack" in Russia's Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, last week.
Kyiv has denied any involvement, suggesting Moscow might be seeking a "false flag" pretext to stage new attacks on Ukraine.
White House spokeswoman Olivia Dalton said it was "devastating to see these brutal, unjustified attacks on civilian infrastructure across Ukraine," and said the United States would continue to supply Kyiv with air-defense systems.
Fierce fighting was under way in other parts of Donetsk region, with focus on the towns of Lyman, Avdiyivka, and Shakhtarsk, the military said.
In Rubizhniy, in the neighboring Luhansk region, the Ukrainian military said that Russians used civilians as human shields.
"The enemy places personnel in residential quarters, hiding behind the civilian population. Servicemen of the occupying forces are housed on the first and second floors, and civilians are left to live above," the General Staff said.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP
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Hezbollah Proclaims Tenuous Cease-Fire With Israel 'Divine Victory'
The leader of Hezbollah has claimed that its cease-fire deal with Israel is a "divine victory" for the Lebanese political party and militant group.
In his first address since the cease-fire took effect on November 27, Naim Qassem said on November 29 that the Iran-backed group had "won because we prevented the enemy from destroying Hezbollah" and weakening the Lebanese "resistance."
Hezbollah, which controls much of southern Lebanon and has representatives in parliament, is designated in its entirety by the U.S. as a terrorist organization but the EU has blacklisted only its military wing.
The cease-fire ended nearly 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel ramped up the pressure by launching a ground offensive in southern Lebanon in October and carrying out massive aerial bombardments of Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut and elsewhere.
The truce ends the presence of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Israel, too, must withdraw its ground forces from Lebanon within 60 days of the deal going into force.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on November 26 warned Hezbollah that Israel would take action if it suspected that Hezbollah had violated the agreement.
On November 29, hours before Qassem made his speech, Israel said it had struck a Hezbollah rocket launcher in southern Lebanon after detecting militant activity.
The United States and France are overseeing the implementation of the truce, which includes provisions for thousands of Lebanese soldiers moving into southern Lebanon to work with UN peacekeepers and keep Hezbollah away from the Israeli border.
Hezbollah had been launching rockets at northern Israel since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. It said it would stop its attacks only after Israel ended its war in Gaza.
Over the past 14 months, Israel killed nearly the entirety of Hezbollah's leadership, including Qassem's predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, and decimated the group's military arsenal.
Israel has vowed to ensure Iran cannot continue to fund and arm the group, and has warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against facilitating Iranian aid for Hezbollah.
With reporting by AFP and Reuters
Jailed Former Moscow Anti-War Lawmaker Gorinov Handed New Prison Sentence
Imprisoned former Moscow municipal deputy Aleksei Gorinov, known for his outspoken criticism of Russia's war against Ukraine, has been handed a new three-year prison sentence for "justifying terrorism."
After a three-day trial, a Russian military court on November 29 handed down the sentence to the 63-year-old, who is in poor health.
In his closing statement, Gorinov, one of the most prominent jailed dissidents left in the country after a major prisoner swap with the West earlier this year, accused Russia of committing a "bloody slaughter" in Ukraine.
Earlier this week, Gorinov revealed ongoing struggles with illness, saying there was "no treatment available," for his ailment, which his lawyer said was bronchitis.
Gorinov was first sentenced in July 2022 to seven years in prison for spreading "fake news" about the Russian military because of his public opposition to Russia's full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
In October 2023, the authorities opened a new case against him, accusing him of "justifying terrorism" based on alleged conversations with fellow inmates about Ukraine's Azov Regiment.
During the hearing, Gorinov firmly denied any ties to terrorism. "I am far from any ideology of terrorism," he said.
"I am a committed internationalist and an opponent of war and violence, as I have consistently stated publicly throughout my life."
Gorinov's initial conviction stemmed from an anti-war speech he delivered at a city council meeting in Moscow's Krasnoselsky district.
He was the first person sentenced under Russia's new law criminalizing "fake news" about the military, introduced after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Earlier this year, Gorinov was transferred from a detention center in Moscow to a prison in the Vladimir region. He complained of harsh conditions, including solitary confinement in a cold cell without a mattress, blanket, or access to hot water.
Dmitry Muratov, editor in chief of the Novaya gazeta newspaper and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross for an urgent inspection of the conditions Gorinov was being held in.
Following this, local officials and prosecutors inspected the facility, resulting in Gorinov's relocation to a slightly improved cell with a window that opens and closes, a functioning toilet, and reportedly no mice.
Gorinov has been repeatedly subjected to punitive measures, including spending extended periods in solitary confinement. In spring 2023, he spent 48 consecutive days in a punishment cell, a treatment often reported by other political prisoners in Russia.
- By RFE/RL
Iran, European Powers Agree To Continue Dialogue
Iran and three European powers agreed to continue their dialogue "in the near future" after a meeting in Geneva as intelligence officials warned Tehran's nuclear proliferation poses a "critical threat" in the coming months.
Negotiators from Iran and the so-called E3 (Britain, France, and Germany) met in Switzerland to discuss a range of issues, including Iran's expanding nuclear program, its military support for Russia, and conflicts in the Middle East.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi wrote on X on November 29 that the talks in the Swiss city focused on the latest bilateral, regional, and international developments, "especially the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions."
"We are firmly committed to pursuing the interests of our people, and our preference is the path of dialogue and engagement," Gharibabadi said.
Ahead of the meeting, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said it would be a “brainstorming session” to see “if there really is a way out” of the current nuclear impasse, among other issues.
Separately, the spy chiefs of Britain and France raised the alarm about Iran’s growing relationship with Russia and its accelerating nuclear program.
The meeting in Geneva came a week after the 35-member board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a censure resolution against Iran.
It also tasked the UN nuclear watchdog to prepare a “comprehensive and updated assessment” on the state of Iran’s expanding nuclear program, including past and present attempts to develop a bomb.
The report could pave the way for referring Iran’s case to the UN Security Council to trigger the so-called “snapback” mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions lifted under the terms of the 2015 agreement with world powers.
In response to the resolution, Iran said it would begin enriching uranium with thousands of advanced centrifuges at its key nuclear facilities in Fordo and Natanz, the IAEA announced on November 29.
The agency noted, however, that Iran would be enriching uranium to 5 percent purity -- even though it is enriching uranium with less advanced machines at 60 percent.
Richard Moore, head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI6, said on November 29 that if Russia were to meet its Ukraine war objectives, “China would weigh the implications, North Korea would be emboldened, and Iran would become still more dangerous.”
He added that Iran’s nuclear ambitions were “a continued threat” -- a sentiment shared by Nicolas Lerner, head of France's foreign intelligence service.
"Our services are working side by side to face what is undoubtedly one of the threats, if not to say the most critical threat, in the coming months -- the possible atomic proliferation in Iran," Lerner said in Geneva.
With reporting by Reuters and AP
U.K. Prosecutor Says Bulgarian Accused Of Spying For Russia Discussed Killing Journalist Grozev
A Bulgarian accused of spying for Russia in Britain discussed in text messages the possibility of kidnapping or murdering investigative journalist Christo Grozev, British prosecutors said during the trial of members of an alleged spy ring.
Prosecutor Alison Morgan said a group of Bulgarians, accused of spying for Russia, followed Grozev, with one member, Orlin Rusev, exchanging messages with the alleged head of the network, Austrian citizen Jan Marsalek, in which they discussed kidnapping or killing Grozev.
Grozev has worked for the investigative outlet Bellingcat. He led an investigation by the media network on the 2018 poisoning of the Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England.
Rusev and another Bulgarian national, Biser Dzhambazov, have pleaded guilty to espionage charges, while three others -- Katrin Ivanova, Vanya Gaberova, and Tihomir Ivanchev -- are currently on trial at London's Central Criminal Court for being part of the spy ring.
The three defendants have denied the charge of conspiracy to spy between August 2020 and February 2023.
Prosecutors told the court Rusev lead the Bulgarians and directed them after receiving instructions from Marsalek.
Marsalek -- who is said to have connections to Russian intelligence dating back to at least 2014 -- is now believed to be in Russia.
Ukraine Says It Struck Russian Oil Depot, Radar Station
Ukraine said it struck an oil depot and an air-defense radar inside Russia early on November 29 amid an escalation of attacks by both Moscow and Kyiv ahead U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House.
Ukraine's military General Staff said a strike on the Atlas oil depot in Russia's Rostov region sparked a fire at the facility, which was previously hit by a similar attack earlier this year.
"Atlas is part of the Russian military-industrial complex, which provides the supply of petroleum products for the army of the Russian Federation," it said in a statement on social media.
It added that a radar station housing a Russian Buk-M3 antiaircraft missile system was destroyed in a separate attack in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhya region.
Yury Slyusar, the acting governor of the Rostov region, acknowledged the blaze at an "industrial complex" in the area where the refinery is located, saying more than 100 responders were battling to extinguish the fire.
For the past several months, Russia has been battering Ukrainian cities with increasingly heavy drone, missile, and glide-bomb strikes, causing casualties and damaging energy infrastructure as the cold season settles in.
Ukraine has launched several counterattacks since the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, the top foreign supporter of Ukraine in its battle against Russia's full-scale invasion, and Kyiv's European allies authorized the use of long-range missiles against targets inside Russia.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump was critical of Biden for pouring billions of dollars into Ukraine to help it fight.
Trump also said he could end the war within 24 hours of retaking the White House, a statement that has been interpreted as meaning that Ukraine would have to surrender territory that Russia now occupies.
Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis
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That possibility appears to have prompted both Moscow and Kyiv to try and solidify geographical positions before Trump takes office in January.
Later on November 29, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appointed Mykhaylo Drapatiy as the new commander of Ukraine's ground forces and named Oleh Apostol as a deputy commander in chief of the country's armed forces.
Writing on Telegram, Zelenskiy said the Ukrainian Army needed "internal changes to achieve our state's goals in full."
Meanwhile, Russia's stepped-up attacks have targeted energy infrastructure, leading to the introduction of emergency power outages in the regions including Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk.
Kyiv had also reportedly been forced to disconnect several nuclear power units from the network during attacks. Ukraine gets more than half of its electricity from nuclear plants.
Russia's offensive comes as temperatures across Ukraine dropped to around zero degrees Celsius.
Earlier this month, a senior UN official, Rosemary DiCarlo, warned that Moscow's targeting of Ukraine's energy infrastructure could make this winter the "harshest since the start of the war" nearly three years ago.
Romania Begins Ballot Recount Amid Accusations Of Social Media Violations
Romania's Central Election Bureau has begun a court-ordered recount of all ballots cast in the first round of the presidential election as accusations swirled that surprise winner Calin Georgescu illegally used TikTok to boost his campaign.
The Constitutional Court ordered the recount on November 28 after officials from the Supreme Council of National Defense demanded the authorities take "urgent" steps, saying Georgescu was granted "preferential treatment" by the social media platform. TikTok has denied any wrongdoing.
Georgescu, a pro-Russian far-right independent candidate, scored a surprise victory in the first round of the election on November 24, garnering nearly 23 percent of the vote.
He is set to face off against center-right Elena Lasconi, a staunch Euro-Atlanticist, in the December 8 runoff after both pushed ahead of favored leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.
Sources have told RFE/RL's Romanian Service that the Constitutional Court, which was originally set to validate the results of the first round of the election on November 29, will do so on December 2 after the recount is finished.
Without the backing of a party, Georgescu's campaign relied heavily on TikTok, where his account had 1.6 million likes and where he posted videos of himself attending church, doing judo, running on a track, and speaking on podcasts.
The Supreme Defense Council said it had found evidence suggesting that "cyberattacks" had been used to influence the outcome of the election.
Georgescu alleged that state institutions were attempting to deny the will of the people.
Protesters have rallied in Bucharest for several days against Georgescu, with many accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of interfering in Romania's internal affairs.
Romania's president has significant decision-making powers, including on matters of national security and foreign policy.
Elected for a five-year term, the president can also reject party nominees for prime minister and government nominees for judicial appointments.
Georgian Police Use Water Cannons, Tear Gas To Disperse Pro-EU Protesters In Tbilisi
Georgian police have used water cannons to disperse thousands of demonstrators gathered near the parliament in Tbilisi to protest the government's decision to suspend talks to join the European Union.
Reports say police also used tear gas to break up the rallies in the late hours of November 29.
President Salome Zurabishvili, a staunch critic of the ruling Georgian Dream party, condemned the "brutal and disproportionate attacks on the Georgian people and media", likening the crackdown to "Russian-style repression."
"These actions will not be forgiven! Those responsible for the use of force should be held responsible," she wrote on Twitter.
Protesters have hit the streets for the second day running after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said his government was suspending EU accession talks and would reject budgetary grants from Brussels "until the end of 2028."
More than 100 Georgian diplomats have slammed the government's halting of EU membership talks after security forces violently dispersed protesters and journalists at a rally in Tbilisi over the move.
More than 30 people were hospitalized early on November 29 after police used tear gas, water cannons, and beat some of the thousands gathered to vent their anger over Kobakhidze's announcement.
The Interior Ministry said 43 people were arrested "as a result of the illegal and violent actions" during the first night of protests on November 28, while parliament raised its security level to the maximum -- code red.
Security forces violently dispersed protesters and journalists at the November 28 rally in Tbilisi.
In response, more than 100 serving Georgian diplomats signed an open letter criticizing the policy change, saying it violated the constitution, which commits to the pursuit of EU membership.
"The stalling of the accession negotiation process will lead to the isolation of the country," they wrote.
"Without the support of the Western partners, Georgia remains face to face with threats that are especially intensified in the background of the ongoing processes in the international and security environment."
More than 100 people working at the Public Services Development Agency, which operates under the Interior Ministry, also issued a statement warning that suspending EU accession talks will only serve to hurt national interests.
Even Tbilisi's biggest clubs opted to close their doors on November 29 to bolster the protests, saying in a joint statement that the "energy on the dance floor should be taken to the streets."
Georgia has been thrown into turmoil since the October parliamentary elections -- in which Georgian Dream secured 54 percent of the vote -- with the opposition and Western governments arguing the vote was marred by violations and Russian influence.
Early on November 29, riot police moved to clear out the peaceful demonstrators, with masked police firing rubber bullets and brutally beating protesters and journalists.
RFE/RL Georgian Service journalist Davit Tsagareli was punched and thrown to the ground by a riot police officer as he reported live from the scene, while earlier RFE/RL captured footage of a police officer repeatedly hitting TV Formula journalist Guram Rogava on the head.
After Rogava fell to the ground, the officer fled the scene. The journalist was hospitalized with injuries to his face and head.
"His condition is satisfactory. He has facial bone fractures, as well as a fracture in his neck. At this stage, it does not require surgical intervention," the doctor who treated Rogava at the hospital told journalists.
Kobakhidze blamed the protesters for the violence, saying that if it were not for their actions, "there would be no need to break up the gathering."
Zurabishvili joined the protest in Tbilisi on November 28 in a show of solidarity with the demonstrators.
"I am with these people. The resistance has started and will not end until we have new elections," she told reporters.
She also confronted a row of riot police, telling them that it was their "duty to protect" Georgia's sovereignty and asking them whether they "serve Russia or Georgia."
Demonstrators in Zugdidi told RFE/RL's Georgian Service that the ruling Georgian Dream party was moving away from the EU and pushing the country toward Russia.
"Georgian authorities cut off all relations with the European Union and also refuse to receive funding. This will certainly lead to an economic collapse," Manana Mikawa, a teacher, told RFE/RL.
Earlier in the day, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for new legislative elections in Georgia and sanctions on senior members of the Georgian Dream party.
In its resolution, the European Parliament said the result of the election did "not serve as a reliable representation of the will of the Georgian people."
It also called on the European Union, which froze Georgia's EU membership application last month, to place sanctions on key officials within the ruling party, including Kobakhidze, Georgian Dream Chairman Irakli Gharibashvili, billionaire power broker and party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze.
Speaking at the Georgian Dream headquarters, Kobakhidze said Tbilisi was suspending accession talks while also rejecting all budgetary grants from the EU until 2028.
"We are not going to join the European Union by begging and standing on one leg, but in a dignified manner with a sound democratic system and a strong economy," the prime minister told reporters without taking any questions.
Earlier, during a parliamentary session to approve his government, Kobakhidze said his government's goal was for Georgia to join the EU by 2030.
"We are ready to observe and take into account all conditions [set by the EU] that do not go against our national interests," he said to applause from Georgian Dream lawmakers.
Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023 but relations with Brussels have soured in recent months, beginning with the adoption of the controversial "foreign agent" law that critics say threatens to publicly discredit thousands of media outlets and civil society groups as "serving" outside powers.
The United States in July announced it would pause more than $95 million in assistance to the Georgian government, warning that it was backsliding on democracy.
Rights Groups Demand Release Of Pakistani Journalist
Several rights organizations have demanded the release of veteran journalist Matiullah Jan, who was detained by Pakistani authorities on November 27 and held on terrorism-related charges. Jan had been covering protests by the supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. In a statement on November 28, Amnesty International condemned Jan's "arbitrary" arrest on "trumped-up charges," describing it as "an affront on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom." The Committee to Protect Journalists urged the authorities to "ensure Jan's safety" and called for his release. To read the full story by RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal, click here.
President Joins Protesters In Tbilisi As Georgia Shuns EU Accession Talks
Protesters gathered outside the Georgian parliament in Tbilisi after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on November 28 said his government was suspending EU accession talks until 2028 and would not accept budgetary grants from Brussels.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, a staunch critic of the ruling Georgian Dream party, joined the protest in Tbilisi to a rousing welcome from demonstrators, who shouted her name.
"I am with these people. The resistance has started and will not end until we have new elections," she told reporters.
She also confronted a row of riot police, telling them that it was their "duty to protect" Georgia's sovereignty and asking them whether they "serve Russia or Georgia."
Western governments have questioned the October parliamentary elections in Georgia -- in which Georgian Dream secured 54 percent of the vote -- arguing that the elections were marred by violations and Russian influence.
Smaller pro-EU protests were also being held in Batumi, Gori, Kutaisi, and Zugdidi. Photos and videos of the rallies in Tbilisi and elsewhere showed protesters carrying Georgian and EU flags.
Demonstrators in Zugdidi told RFE/RL's Georgian Service that the ruling Georgian Dream party was moving away from the EU and pushing the country toward Russia.
"Georgian authorities cut off all relations with the European Union and also refuse to receive funding. This will certainly lead to an economic collapse," Manana Mikawa, a teacher, told RFE/RL.
Earlier in the day, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for new legislative elections in Georgia and sanctions on senior members of the Georgian Dream party.
In its resolution, the European Parliament said the result of the election did "not serve as a reliable representation of the will of the Georgian people."
It also called on the European Union, which froze Georgia's EU membership application last month, to place sanctions on key officials within the ruling party, including Kobakhidze, Georgian Dream Chairman Irakli Gharibashvili, billionaire power broker and party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze.
Speaking at the Georgian Dream headquarters, Kobakhidze said Tbilisi was suspending accession talks while also rejecting all budgetary grants from the EU until 2028.
"We are not going to join the European Union by begging and standing on one leg, but in a dignified manner with a sound democratic system and a strong economy," the prime minister told reporters without taking any questions.
Earlier, during a parliamentary session to approve his government, Kobakhidze said his government's goal was for Georgia to join the EU by 2030.
"We are ready to observe and take into account all conditions [set by the EU] that do not go against our national interests," he said to applause from Georgian Dream lawmakers.
Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023 but relations with Brussels have soured in recent months, beginning with the adoption of the controversial "foreign agent" law that critics say threatens to publicly discredit thousands of media outlets and civil society groups as "serving" outside powers.
The United States in July announced it would pause more than $95 million in assistance to the Georgian government, warning that it was backsliding on democracy.
Romanian Election Body To Recount Ballots From First Round Of Presidential Vote
Romania's Central Election Bureau says it will recount all ballots cast in the first round of the presidential election by December 1, following an order on November 28 by the Constitutional Court.
Calin Georgescu, the pro-Russian far-right independent candidate scored a surprise victory in the first round of the election on November 24, garnering nearly 23 percent of the vote.
Georgescu is set to face off against center-right Elena Lasconi, a staunch Euro-Atlanticist, in the December 8 runoff after both pushed ahead of favored leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.
An official from Lasconi's Save Romania Union party said the Central Election Bureau had rejected a request by the party to film the recounting of the ballots.
Without the backing of a party, Georgescu's campaign relied heavily on the social media platform TikTok, where his account had 1.6 million likes and where he posted videos of himself attending church, doing judo, running on a track, and speaking on podcasts.
Separately, Romania's Supreme Defense Council said after the court ruling that it had found evidence suggesting that "cyberattacks" had been used to influence the outcome of the election. Without naming Georgescu, the council also charged that TikTok had "given preferential treatment" to a particular candidate.
Georgescu alleged that state institutions were attempting to deny the will of the people.
Meanwhile, around 2,000 protesters rallied in Bucharest for the fourth consecutive day against Georgescu on November 28, carrying a banner telling Russian President Vladimir Putin to "get off Romania."
Romania's president has significant decision-making powers, including on matters of national security and foreign policy.
Elected for a five-year term, the president can also reject party nominees for prime minister and government nominees for judicial appointments.
With reporting by Reuters
Former British Soldier Found Guilty Of Spying For Iran
A former British soldier, whose prison escape sparked a massive manhunt in 2023, has been found guilty of passing on sensitive information to the Iranian intelligence service.
Prosecutors said that Daniel Abed Khalife, 23, played a "cynical game" by claiming he wanted to be a double agent for Britain after he had delivered a large amount of restricted and classified material to Iran, including the names of special forces officers.
The verdict was delivered at London's Woolwich Crown Court on November 28.
Prosecutor Mark Heywood told jurors at the start of the trial that Khalife collected sensitive information between May 2019 and January 2022.
Khalife stood trial charged with gathering information that might be useful to an enemy, namely Iran, obtaining information likely to be useful for terrorism.
Khalife, who was expelled from the army after he was charged, was also accused of planting fake bombs in his military barracks. But the court cleared him of a charge of carrying out a bomb hoax.
Khalife snuck out of a London prison in September 2023 while awaiting trial and spent three days on the run.
With reporting by AP
- By RFE/RL
Iran Warns It Could Go Nuclear Ahead Of Talks With European Powers
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says his country may change its nuclear doctrine and develop a bomb if UN sanctions are reimposed on Tehran.
Speaking to reporters on November 28 in Lisbon, Portugal, Araqchi said Iran had long had the technical know-how to build a bomb but doing so "is not part of Tehran’s security strategy," according to Iranian media.
His comments come as negotiators from Iran and the E3 (Britain, France, and Germany) are scheduled to meet in Geneva to discuss a range of issues, including Iran’s nuclear program and conflicts in the Middle East.
Araqchi described the meeting on November 29 as a “brainstorming session” to see “if there really is a way out” of the current nuclear impasse.
The Geneva meeting is not billed as nuclear talks by any party but Iran’s atomic program is expected to be a central topic. Talks between Iran and world powers to restore the 2015 nuclear deal have stalled since September 2022.
Last week, the 35-member board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a censure resolution against Iran and tasked the UN nuclear watchdog to prepare a “comprehensive and updated assessment” on the state of Iran’s expanding nuclear program, including past and present attempts to develop a bomb.
The report could pave the way for referring Iran’s case to the UN Security Council in a bid to trigger the so-called “snapback” mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions that had been lifted under the terms of the 2015 agreement with world powers.
In response to the resolution, Iran activated several “new and advanced” centrifuges to enrich uranium.
Araqchi said he was “not optimistic” about the Geneva talks because he was unsure whether Tehran was “speaking to the right party.”
The 2015 nuclear agreement began to unravel after President-elect Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the accord during his first term in office in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Tehran responded by expanding its nuclear program, limiting inspections of its nuclear sites, and enriching uranium to as high as 60 percent.
Cease-Fire Agreed After More Than 100 Killed In Pakistani Sectarian Violence
A new truce agreement has been reached between feuding Sunni and Shi'ite communities in Pakistan's northwestern region of Kurram, where more than 100 people were killed and dozens more injured in a new bout of sectarian violence, local officials said.
Authorities said late on November 27 that government troops will be deployed in key locations in Kurram, a remote tribal district in the volatile Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, to ensure the cease-fire.
"Negotiations will continue to ensure lasting peace," the provincial minister's office said in a statement.
It also pledged to pay compensations to the victims' families.
The violence erupted on November 21 when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a convoy of some 200 passenger vehicles carrying Shi'a traveling through Kurram's Parachinar area.
Dozens of people, including women and children, were killed in the attack, which triggered a week of clashes between the two communities.
Regional officials brokered a seven-day truce on November 24, but it did not hold.
Most of Pakistan's some 250 million people are Sunni Muslims. But Kurram has a large Shi'ite population, and the two communities have clashed for decades. More than 200 people have been killed since July, alone.
Sectarian violence in the region is often linked to land disputes.
With reporting by AFP
More Than 1 Million Ukrainians Left Without Electricity After Latest Russian Attack
Russia unleashed a "massive" attack on Ukraine’s infrastructure on November 28, leaving more than 1 million people without power in freezing temperatures across the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of a "despicable escalation," as the Interior Ministry recorded damage to infrastructure in nine regions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the latest attack was Moscow's "response" to Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory with U.S. medium-range ATACMS missiles.
Speaking during a trip to Kazakhstan, Putin warned that Russia's future targets could include "decision-making centers" in Kyiv.
Putin said Russia launched more than 90 missiles and 100 drones in the "comprehensive strike" on November 28 and that 17 targets had been hit -- the type of detail that the president rarely gives.
Ukraine's air force said it had shot down 79 missiles and 35 drones, while 62 drones were "lost," meaning they had likely been disrupted by electronic warfare.
All missiles or drones aimed at the capital, Kyiv were downed, officials said.
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The attack forced national power-grid operator Ukrenerho to "urgently introduce emergency power cuts," Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said early on November 28.
"Once again, the energy sector is under massive enemy attack. Attacks on energy facilities are taking place across Ukraine," Halushchenko wrote on social media.
Energy provider DTEK said early in the day that emergency power outages were being introduced in the regions of Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk.
Kyiv had also reportedly disconnected several nuclear power units from the network during the attack. Ukraine gets more than half of its electricity from nuclear plants.
It comes as the temperatures across Ukraine dropped to around zero degrees Celsius.
Earlier this month, a senior UN official, Rosemary DiCarlo, warned that Moscow's targeting of Ukraine's energy infrastructure may make this winter the "harshest since the start of the war" nearly three years ago.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
Ukraine Defense Minister Discusses Boosting Security With South Korean President
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Defense Minister Rustem Umerov's talks in South Korea on November 27 focused on cooperation on the security of both Ukraine and South Korea in light of the deployment of North Korean forces in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Zelenskiy said Umerov went to Seoul at his instruction to discuss all aspects of North Korea’s involvement in the war “and the things we can do together to defend our nations and to secure our regions together.”
Umerov said earlier that he had discussed joint steps to strengthen security and stability with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol while in Seoul. Umerov also met with South Korea’s defense minister and national-security adviser.
"We believe that our arguments about the need to increase cooperation between Ukraine and the Republic of Korea will lead to a tangible strengthening of security for our peoples and regions," Umerov said on Telegram.
Umerov said he raised the presence of the North Korean troops and the North Korean military's "active" support for energy infrastructure attacks on Ukraine.
For South Korea, the deployment of the North Korean troops poses a serious threat because they are gaining combat experience, which could create additional security challenges, he said.
A statement issued by Yoon’s office does not say whether the parties discussed the possibility of Seoul supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Ukraine has previously asked Seoul for weapons, and South Korea has said it could consider such aid, depending on what Russia and North Korea do.
Zelenskiy also said in his nightly address that decisions made in July at the NATO summit in Washington on air defense and other supplies to the front line “have not yet been fully implemented…and this, of course, has had a significant impact on our people’s motivation and morale.”
The recent authorization of long-range strikes on military targets in Russia “has been helpful, but the pressure on Russia must be maintained and increased at various levels to make Russia feel what war really is,” Zelenskiy said.
Russian forces have been making steady gains along the front line as Kyiv's troops battle a larger and better equipped enemy.
Zelenskiy did not mention a news report that President Joe Biden's administration is urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops.
A senior Biden administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, was quoted earlier on November 27 by the Associated Press as saying that the outgoing administration wants Ukraine to lower the mobilization age to 18 from 25 to help expand the pool of fighting-age men.
The official said “the pure math” of Ukraine's situation now is that it needs more troops in the fight, according to the AP.
The official said the Ukrainians believe they need about 160,000 additional troops, but the U.S. administration believes they probably will need more than that.
With reporting by Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Pro-Russian Presidential Candidate Denies He Wants Romania Out Of NATO
Calin Georgescu, the pro-Russian far-right independent candidate who scored a shock victory in the first round of Romania's presidential election, has denied that he wants the country out of NATO and the European Union.
Georgescu, who garnered nearly 23 percent of the vote in the November 24 poll, will face off against center-right Elena Lasconi, a staunch Euro-Atlanticist, in the December 8 runoff after both pushed ahead of favorite leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.
Without the backing of a party, Georgescu's campaign relied heavily on social media platform TikTok, where his account had 1.6 million likes and where he posted videos of himself attending church, doing judo, running on a track, and speaking on podcasts.
He has described NATO as "the world's weakest alliance" and the alliance's ballistic missile-defense shield in Deveselu, southern Romania, as a "shame of diplomacy," claiming the military alliance would not defend any of its members in case of a Russian attack.
Instead, he recommended "Russian wisdom" as Romania's best path forward and launched a TikTok campaign calling for an end to Romanian aid for Ukraine. Under incumbent Klaus Iohannis, Romania has been one of Kyiv's staunchest allies.
But facing a public backlash as hundreds of mostly young people took to the streets of Bucharest and other big Romanian cities chanting, "No Putin, no fear, Europe is our mother," and "Young people ask you not to vote for a dictator," Georgescu denied in a YouTube video on November 26 that he wanted Romania out of the Euro-Atlantic structures.
"I do not want out of NATO, I do not want out of the European Union," Georgescu said, standing side-by-side with his wife, adding, "but I do want us to stand firm, not to kneel there, not to accept everything, to do everything in our national interest."
He went on to say that he wanted peace, adding, "We cannot get into other peoples' wars for their interests that cause us prejudice," again alluding to Romania's support for Ukraine.
For the December 8 runoff, Georgescu has rallied the support of far-right pro-Russia AUR party of which he used to be a member until 2022 and whose leader, George Simion, garnered almost 14 percent in the first round, while the center-right liberals threw their weight behind Lasconi, a former TV reporter and mayor of the small southern Romanian city of Campulung Muscel.
But first, Romanians will elect a new parliament on December 1, with Ciolacu's Social Democratic Party, the centrist National Liberal Party, and Lasconi's Save Romania Union favorite to win most of the 332 seats in the lower Deputy Chamber and 137 mandates in the upper chamber, the Senate.
- By RFE/RL
Trump Nominates Defense Adviser Kellogg As Special Envoy For Ukraine, Russia
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on November 27 tapped Keith Kellogg, a retired army lieutenant general who has long served as a top adviser to Trump on defense issues, as his nominee to be special envoy for Ukraine and Russia.
"Keith has led a distinguished Military and Business career, including serving in highly sensitive National Security roles in my first Administration," Trump said on social media.
Kellogg "was with me right from the beginning," Trump said on Truth Social. "Together, we will secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, and Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!"
Kellogg's nomination comes after Trump's criticism during the 2024 presidential campaign of the billions of dollars that the United States has poured into Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Trump also said he could end the war within 24 hours of retaking the White House, a statement that has been interpreted as meaning that Ukraine would have to surrender territory that Russia now occupies.
Kellogg has already put forth a plan for ending the war that involves freezing the battle lines where they are and forcing Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table, Reuters reported in June.
According to Reuters, Kellogg has advocated telling the Ukrainians that if they don't come to the negotiating table, U.S. support would dry up, while telling Russian President Vladimir Putin that if he doesn't come to the table, the United States would give the Ukrainians "everything they need to kill you in the field."
NATO membership for Ukraine would be off the table as part of the incentive for Russia to come along, while putting it back on would be punishment for holding back.
Kellogg, 80, earlier this year wrote that "bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties."
He made the statements in a research paper written for the America First Policy Institute, a think tank formed after Trump left office in 2021.
"The United States would continue to arm Ukraine and strengthen its defenses to ensure Russia will make no further advances and will not attack again after a cease-fire or peace agreement," the document said.
"Future American military aid, however, will require Ukraine to participate in peace talks with Russia."
Kellogg served in several positions during Trump's first term, including as chief of staff on Trump's national security council and national-security adviser to then-Vice President Mike Pence.
Mikhail Alexseev, a professor of political science at San Diego State University whose research focuses on Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia, told RFE/RL that the appointment signals "the intent to enforce some kind of cease-fire and conflict settlement which Trump said he would try to achieve within 24 hours."
Alexseev said Kellogg seems to be a straight shooter who would "detect very quickly whether a peace proposal would be unrealistic" and would be able to see through "Putin’s repeated record of breaking agreements.”
Alexseev doesn't believe the proposal to get the parties to negotiate is going to work but said Kellogg "would be among the first to see why and how it wouldn’t work."
Mark Cancian, a military analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Relations, told RFE/RL that negotiations will be "difficult," because the "two sides are so far apart. Russia thinks its winning. Ukraine wants all its territory back, including Crimea, reparations, war crimes. [The Trump team] has indicated that they'll use U.S. aid as a tool against both sides. Maybe that will work."
Cancian adds that he also expects to see "personal diplomacy." He expects that Trump "will meet personally with both Putin and [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskiy. That is his style. I mean, he's a New York real estate developer, and to get something done, you threaten, you bluster, but then in the end, you sit down face to face, and you make a deal, because if you don't make a deal, you don't make any money."
Russian Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky told a UN Security Council meeting that any decision by Trump's incoming administration to cut support for Ukraine would be a "death sentence" for the Ukrainian Army.
"Even if we're to lay to one side the prediction that Donald Trump will cut assistance to Ukraine, which for the Ukrainian Army would essentially be a death sentence, it is becoming clearer that he and his team will, in any case, conduct an audit of the assistance provided to Kyiv," Polyansky said.
Polyansky said Russia had repeatedly offered to negotiate, but Ukraine and its Western backers have favored escalation. Ukraine has consistently rejected Russian offers to negotiate because Moscow's conditions, including accepting Russia's occupation of Ukrainian territory, have been unacceptable to Kyiv.
The Russian diplomat also accused the Biden administration of trying through its increased support to Ukraine to create a "mess, both in Russia and with the new team in the White House."
He warned the decision by the Biden administration and its European allies to authorize the Ukrainian military to use long-range missiles against targets inside Russia had "placed the world on the brink of a global nuclear conflict" and said Russia would respond decisively.
"I will be frank, we believe that it is our right to use our weapons against the military facilities of those countries who allow the use of weapons against our facilities."
Speaking earlier at the same Security Council session, UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca highlighted recent Russian long-range missile strikes on Ukraine and called the use of ballistic missiles and related threats against Ukraine "a very dangerous, escalatory development."
U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood told the session Washington would "continue to surge security assistance to Ukraine to strengthen its capabilities, including air defense, and put Ukraine in the best possible position on the battlefield."
With reporting by Reuters
Toqaev Welcomes Putin On Visit To Kazakhstan During 'Difficult Time'
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been warmly received in Kazakhstan, where he and Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev discussed boosting energy and industry ties.
Putin arrived in Astana on a state visit on November 27 and was greeted by Toqaev with a handshake, according to images released on social media.
Toqaev said he had "carefully read" Putin’s commentary published in state newspaper Kazakhstanskaya Pravda ahead of the visit and said he had published his own commentary on the state of the relationship between Moscow and Astana in the Russian media.
"I think that we have very thoroughly, as if in unison, outlined our approaches to the development of cooperation aimed at the future," Toqaev said.
He emphasized in his article that Kazakhstan "remains a reliable strategic partner and ally of Russia in this very difficult time," Toqaev's press service quoted Toqaev as saying.
Putin thanked Toqaev "for his careful attitude toward the Russian language," a reference to the lower house of parliament's ratification of an agreement to create the International Organization for the Russian Language a few days before Putin's arrival.
Kazakhstan has tried to distance itself from Moscow's war in Ukraine but remains highly dependent on Russia for exporting oil to Western markets and for imports of food, electricity, and other products.
Underscoring that more than 80 percent of Kazakhstan's oil is exported to foreign markets via Russia, Putin said he and Toqaev always focus on "a specific result" in their talks.
"Our countries are...constructively cooperating in the oil and gas sector," Putin wrote in his article, which was also featured in the Kremlin's website.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists on November 26 that Putin and Toqaev would sign a protocol on extending an agreement on oil supplies to Kazakhstan. He did not give details.
The two leaders said after their meeting that they had discussed plans to increase the transit through Kazakhstan of Russian natural gas to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, part of Moscow's pivot away from European energy markets. They also said they talked about joint projects in hydroelectric power, car tires, and fertilizers and other areas.
Putin said in his article that Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom was "ready for new large-scale projects." The company already is involved in some projects in Kazakhstan, which in October voted in favor of constructing its first nuclear power plant. Neither leader mentioned the nuclear project after their talks.
Toqaev said he had raised the issue of agricultural trade following a Russian ban on imports of grain, fruit, and other farm products from Kazakhstan in October. Moscow imposed the ban after Kazakhstan barred Russian wheat imports in August to protect its producers.
"Our countries should not compete on the Eurasian Economic Union market or foreign markets," Toqaev said, referring to agricultural exports within and outside a Moscow-led post-Soviet trade bloc.
With reporting by Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Nordic-Baltic States, Poland To Increase Military Aid To Ukraine
Nordic-Baltic countries and Poland have pledged to step up support for Ukraine, including making more ammunition available to strengthen deterrence and defense against hybrid attacks.
The leaders of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Poland, and Sweden, who met near Stockholm on November 27, also said they were ready to step up sanctions against Russia and backers of its Ukraine invasion and discussed an investigation into the severing of undersea communication cables earlier this month in the Baltic Sea.
"Together with our allies, we are committed to strengthening our deterrence, and defense, including resilience, against conventional as well as hybrid attacks, and to expanding sanctions against Russia as well as against those who enable Russia's aggression," the leaders said a statement.
The leaders met for talks covering transatlantic relations, regional security cooperation, and a common policy on the war in Ukraine. The meeting was the first of the Nordic-Baltic heads of government since 2017. Poland attended for the first time.
Ahead of the meeting Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk proposed joint monitoring of the Baltic Sea by the navies of the Baltic states following damage to two undersea communication cables that is being investigated as a hybrid attack.
"Baltic air policing already exists for the airspace over the Baltic Sea," Tusk said. "I will convince our partners of the necessity to immediately create an analogous formula for the control and security of the Baltic Sea waters, a naval surveillance," he added.
The underwater cables -- one linking Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden to Lithuania -- were damaged on November 17-18, prompting suspicions of sabotage.
Sweden, Germany, and Lithuania have all launched investigations, but the cause of the damage is still unknown.
Finnish police have said they believe the incident was caused by a Chinese ship dragging its anchor, and Swedish investigators have focused on the Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng 3, which is thought to have passed both locations at the times of the cable breaks.
The ship now sits idle in international waters but inside Denmark's exclusive economic zone.
Sweden has asked the vessel to return to Swedish waters to help facilitate the investigation, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on November 26, but he stressed he was not making any accusations.
Kristersson told a press conference he was hopeful China would respond positively to the request to move the ship to Swedish waters.
"From the Swedish side we have had contact with the ship and contact with China and said that we want the ship to move towards Swedish waters," Kristersson said.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said communications with Sweden and other relevant parties had been "unobstructed."
Mao Ning said at a regular news briefing on November 27 that China has shown "consistent support" in working with other countries to maintain the security of international undersea cables and other infrastructure.
Yi Peng 3 left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on November 15. Russia last week said suggestions it had anything to do with the breaches were "absurd."
The Wall Street Journal reported on November 27 that the ship has been surrounded by European warships in international waters for a week. Investigators suspect the crew of the Yi Peng 3, which is loaded with Russian fertilizer, deliberately severed the cables by dragging its anchor for more than 160 kilometers, the newspaper reported.
The probe centers on whether the captain of the ship was induced by Russian intelligence to carry out the sabotage, the report said.
With reporting by Reuters, dpa, and The Wall Street Journal
Georgia's Ruling Party Ignores Challenges, Nominates Right-Winger For President
Georgia's billionaire political power broker Bidzina Ivanishvili has introduced a Euroskeptic former soccer player as his ruling party's nominee for a disputed presidential vote next month, despite mounting constitutional disagreements and a post-parliamentary election boycott in the Caucasus nation.
The nomination of Mikheil Kavelashvili came hours into a new legislative session dominated by the ruling Georgian Dream party -- which Ivanishvili founded -- that the current president, Salome Zurabishvili, contends is unconstitutional because of alleged flaws in last month's parliamentary vote.
The fractured opposition disputes the results and sought to nullify the seating of legislators in order to spark a constitutional impasse.
The Georgian Dream claimed victory with 88 seats in the 150-seat parliament after voting on October 26, suggesting it will try to steamroll opposition to put the fiery 53-year-old former international footballer and right-wing populist lawmaker Kavelashvili in the presidency.
Kavelashvili is one of the founders of a 2-year-old, anti-Western offshoot of the Georgian Dream party called People's Power.
His party introduced a draft law on "foreign agents" in 2023 that sparked massive protests before it was withdrawn and replaced earlier this year with a slightly reworded bill to curb "foreign influence" at nongovernment groups.
Amid this year's protests against the polarizing so-called Russian law, Kavelashvili invoked Georgia's "civil war started in the '90s" to accuse its opponents -- including current Georgian international soccer great Khvicha Kvaratskhelia -- of stoking violence.
The law was eventually enacted when lawmakers overrode Zurabishvili's veto.
The looming presidential vote is the country's first under a 2017 change from a direct to an indirect vote by an electoral college for the head of state, a largely ceremonial post that Zurabishvili has used to oppose what Georgian critics decry as a "Russian law."
Zurabishvili has called the legislature that emerged from the October elections "unconstitutional" and appealed to the Constitutional Court for their annulment over alleged Russian influence and fraud.
The European Union has stalled Tbilisi's bid to join the bloc, while the United States has vowed to "revise" its relations with Georgia over the law and other recent moves by the Georgian Dream-led government.
Zurabishvili has accused the ruling party of "capturing" Georgia and diverting it from its pro-EU path, a goal that is enshrined in the constitution and supported by an overwhelming majority of around 80 percent of Georgians, and toward Russia instead.
Georgian Dream lawmakers voted on November 26 to hold the presidential election on December 14, a move some experts say is illegal until the courts rule on Zurabishvili's and other postelection challenges.
Ivanishvili, who made his fortune in Russia and is the influential honorary chairman of Georgian Dream, called Kavelashvili "the best embodiment of a Georgian man" when he introduced him as the party's presidential choice the same day.
In a pointed shot at Zurabishvili, who has fallen out dramatically with Georgian Dream since that party nominated her to the presidency in 2018, Ivanishvili said Kavelashvili would "fully restore the dignity temporarily taken from the institution of the presidency."
In accepting the disputed nomination, Kavelashvili accused Zurabishvili of having "insulted and neglected" the Georgian Constitution and that she "continues to violate it today."
Detractors have pointed out Kavelashvili's apparent lack of a university degree, or at least the absence of any information about it in his official parliamentary profile.
In 2015, Kavelashvili filed a lawsuit seeking to cancel a provision of the national soccer federation's guidelines requiring presidents of that body to have a university degree.
Jailed Former Moscow Anti-War Lawmaker Gorinov Faces New Trial
A new criminal trial against imprisoned former Moscow municipal deputy Aleksei Gorinov, known for his outspoken criticism of Russia's war against Ukraine, began at a Russian military court on November 27.
Before the hearing started, Gorinov displayed a hand-drawn message on piece of paper that said: "Stop killing. Let's stop the war."
When court bailiffs attempted to confiscate the makeshift poster, Gorinov refused to hand it over, saying that he was not breaking any regulations and insisting the bailiffs must document the seizure formally.
Asked about his health before the session, Gorinov revealed ongoing struggles with illness. "There's no treatment available," he said, adding that he relied on psychotherapy.
"I don’t understand why they’re targeting an ordinary person like me."
His lawyer, Alyona Savelyeva, said that Gorinov was suffering from bronchitis, which makes his transportation to court and time spent in cold rooms particularly difficult.
Gorinov, 63, was sentenced in July 2022 to seven years in prison for spreading "fake news" about the Russian military because of his public opposition to Russia's full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
In October 2023, the authorities opened a new case against him, accusing him of "justifying terrorism" based on alleged conversations with fellow inmates about Ukraine's Azov Regiment.
During the hearing, Gorinov firmly denied any ties to terrorism. "I am far from any ideology of terrorism," he said.
"I am a committed internationalist and an opponent of war and violence, as I have consistently stated publicly throughout my life."
Gorinov's initial conviction stemmed from an anti-war speech he delivered at a city council meeting in Moscow's Krasnoselsky district.
He was the first person sentenced under Russia's new law criminalizing "fake news" about the military, introduced after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Earlier this year, Gorinov was transferred from a detention center in Moscow to a prison in the Vladimir region. He complained of harsh conditions, including solitary confinement in a cold cell without a mattress, blanket, or access to hot water.
Dmitry Muratov, editor in chief of the Novaya gazeta newspaper and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross for an urgent inspection of the conditions Gorinov was being held in.
Following this, local officials and prosecutors inspected the facility, resulting in Gorinov's relocation to a slightly improved cell with a window that opens and closes, a functioning toilet, and reportedly no mice.
Gorinov has been repeatedly subjected to punitive measures, including spending extended periods in solitary confinement. In spring 2023, he spent 48 consecutive days in a punishment cell, a treatment often reported by other political prisoners in Russia.
Germany, Russia Expel Journalists In Tit-For-Tat Moves Amid High Tensions
The Russian state-run Channel One television company in Germany said the government has ordered two of its journalists to leave the country, prompting Moscow to revoke the accreditations of two correspondents from German media group ARD.
The affected Channel One journalists, correspondent Ivan Blagoi and cameraman Dmitry Volkov, said they were informed that they must depart Germany by mid-December. The media outlet confirmed the expulsions on social media on November 27.
Blagoi said the decision was justified by the German authorities as being "in the interest of the security of the Federal Republic of Germany."
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news conference on November 27 that Moscow had revoked the accreditations of two ARD correspondents, saying, "we have to take tit-for-tat measures." She gave no further details.
The expulsions mark the latest in a series of escalating tensions between Russia and Western countries over the role of Russian state media.
Since Moscow launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian broadcasters have faced bans, restrictions on access to social media platforms, and accusations of disseminating propaganda.
Channel One, a Russian-language broadcaster popular among older audiences in Russia and some other former Soviet republics, has come under scrutiny for its coverage.
ARD is an association of German public broadcasters.
German authorities reportedly accused the outlet of spreading propaganda and disinformation among the Russian-speaking diaspora in Germany, which numbers in the hundreds of thousands. The accusations include claims the channel justifies the Russian invasion of Ukraine and portrays Ukraine's defenders as "Nazis."
The expulsions follows a report aired by Blagoi on November 24 regarding Nikolaj Gajduk, a German citizen detained by Russia's Federal Security Service in October.
The report alleged that Western intelligence agencies, including the CIA, were involved in Gajduk's alleged actions ordered by Ukrainian special services.
The timing of the decision to expel the journalists, shortly after this broadcast, raises questions about the broader geopolitical dimensions of the incident.
Russia has consistently retaliated against measures targeting its state media. Following Germany's 2022 ban on RT, a Kremlin-backed broadcaster, Moscow shut down the Deutsche Welle bureau in Russia and revoked accreditations for German journalists.
Similar restrictions have been imposed on other foreign correspondents, reflecting a tit-for-tat approach.
The German government has not publicly detailed the reasons behind its decision, but the move underscores the increasing focus on disinformation as a national security threat. Channel One claimed its journalists had complied with German laws and accused the authorities of using vague accusations to stifle alternative narratives.
Germany has a large number of residents who have emigrated from the former Soviet Union, who are mostly ethnic Germans from Kazakhstan and Russia.
With reporting by TASS, AFP, Channel One, and RIA Novosti
2 Wounded In Russian Attack On Kyiv, Klitschko Says
A Russian drone strike on Kyiv early on November 27 wounded two people and damaged a nonresidential building, the mayor of Ukraine's capital, Vitali Klitschko, said on his Telegram channel. Ukraine's air force, meanwhile, said that Russia launched 89 drones at eight regions -- Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskiy, and Mykolayiv. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 36 of the attacking drones, while 48 were lost due to the jamming of their navigation systems by electronic means, the air force said on Telegram. Five other drones left the territory of Ukraine in the direction of Belarus and back to Russia, it said. Russia's Defense Ministry said separately that its air defenses shot down 10 Ukrainian drones over the Rostov region and two off the Black Sea port of Sevastopol. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.
Nearly 1,000 Khan Supporters Arrested As Police Break Up Islamabad Protest
Police arrested nearly 1,000 supporters of Imran Khan as security forces cracked down on a massive protest in Islamabad demanding the release of the jailed former Pakistani prime minister, police said on November 27.
Islamabad police chief Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi told a news conference that 19 Afghan citizens were among the 954 protesters arrested by Pakistani security forces over the past three days.
The protesters, who had marched for days toward Islamabad from Khan's stronghold of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in the northwest, were dispersed and the capital cleared during a sweeping midnight raid by Pakistani security forces.
Rizvi said police used only nonlethal means during the overnight raid.
Khan's Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI) party issued a statement on X on November 27 saying the protest, during which at least six people -- four members of the security forces and two protesters -- had been killed, was being suspended "for the time being" and accused the government of brutality.
PTI spokesman Sheikh Waqas Akram confirmed the suspension of the protest.
Party officials said Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, a key Khan ally, had returned "safely" to the province from Islamabad following the security forces' crackdown.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told journalists in Islamabad at the late-night briefing that the protesters, some of whom were armed with sticks and slingshots, had been successfully dispersed after the Pakistani military deployed to the capital earlier on November 26.
He announced that schools would reopen on November 27 and all roads would be cleared.
The minister also said that details regarding the involvement of Afghan nationals in the protest would be shared with the media on November 27, adding that "an important decision has been taken about Afghan nationals," which would be announced in the next few days.
PTI claimed on X that the police in Islamabad fired directly at protesters. The capital had been locked down since late on November 23 and mobile Internet services were sporadically cut.
The Islamabad city administration last week announced a two-month ban on public gatherings, but convoys of Khan supporters traveled from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province on November 25 determined to enter the city.
PTI's chief demand is the release of Khan, who served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.
The 72-year-old former cricket superstar-turned-politician has been in jail for more than a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases, although he enjoys huge popularity among Pakistanis. PTI has said the cases are politically motivated.
PTI has defied a government crackdown since Khan was barred from running in elections in February with regular demonstrations aiming to seize public spaces in Islamabad and other large cities.
Before the raids, security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at Khan supporters after thousands defied roadblocks to march some 150 kilometers from the northwest toward Islamabad despite a lockdown and a ban on public gatherings.
The party is also protesting alleged tampering in the February polls and a recent government-backed constitutional amendment giving it more power over the courts, where Khan is tangled in dozens of cases.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government has come under increasing criticism for deploying heavy-handed measures to quash PTI's protests, which have largely cut off Islamabad from the rest of the country, with travel to other parts of Pakistan almost at a standstill.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
- By RFE/RL
Civilians Begin Returning To South Lebanon After Start Of Israeli-Hezbollah Cease-Fire
A cease-fire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah has come into effect in southern Lebanon after almost 14 months of fighting that triggered concerns of a wider conflict in the region.
After the cease-fire kicked off at 4 a.m. local time, the Israeli military warned civilians not to return to their homes in south Lebanon yet and not to approach Israeli positions.
However, convoys of civilians crossed into southern Lebanon, defying the both the Israeli warning and appeal by the Lebanese Army, which is set to deploy to the area to replace the Israeli forces.
Hezbollah is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and its military wing is blacklisted by the European Union.
The cease-fire was overwhelmingly approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, Netanyahu’s office said on November 26, marking a major development toward peace between Israel and Hezbollah militants.
The move was immediately welcomed by U.S. President Joe Biden, who said it represents a fresh start for Lebanon and shows that peace is possible after nearly 14 months of cross-border fighting that forced tens of thousands of Israelis to flee and killed thousands of Lebanese.
Netanyahu’s office said the plan was approved by a 10-1 margin. Earlier, Netanyahu defended the cease-fire agreement as he recommended his security cabinet adopt the plan, vowing to strike Hezbollah hard if it violates the deal.
In the hours leading up to the meeting, Israel carried out its most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs and issued a record number of evacuation warnings, while Hezbollah said it launched drones toward Israel amid cross-border fire.
In a televised address, Netanyahu did not say how long the truce would last but noted that the length of the cease-fire "depends on what happens in Lebanon."
He added: "If Hezbollah violates the agreement and attempts to rearm, we will strike. If they try to renew terror activities near the border, we will strike. If they launch a rocket, dig a tunnel, or bring in a truck with missiles, we will strike."
The cease-fire marks the first major step toward ending the violence triggered by the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, by Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.
However, the truce will not apply directly to Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Shortly after the cease-fire took effect, Hamas said it was also "ready" for a truce.
Earlier, Netanyahu said on November 26 that Israel would now focus its efforts on Hamas and releasing the hostages seized by the militants on October 7.
"From Day 2 of the war, Hamas was counting on Hezbollah to fight by its side. With Hezbollah out of the picture, Hamas is left on its own," he said.
"We will increase our pressure on Hamas and that will help us in our sacred mission of releasing our hostages."
Biden said that Israel reserved the right to resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce.
"This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities," Biden said at the White House shortly after Netanyahu announced the security cabinet approval of the truce. If any party breaks the terms of the deal, "Israel retains the right to self-defense."
He said that over the next 60 days civilians on both sides will be able to safely return to their own communities. The deal requires Israeli troops to withdraw from south Lebanon and Lebanon's army to deploy some 5,000 troops in the region, while Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the border south of the Litani River.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the cease-fire and said it was a "fundamental step towards establishing calm and stability in Lebanon."
The war has killed at least 3,799 people in Lebanon since October 2023, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
On the Israeli side, the hostilities have killed at least 82 soldiers and 47 civilians, authorities say.
The war in Lebanon escalated after nearly a year of limited cross-border exchanges of fire initiated by Hezbollah.
Separately, Syria's Defense Ministry said six people were killed in Israeli strikes on border crossings with Lebanon just after midnight on November 27, hours before the cease-fire took effect.
With reporting by AP and Reuters
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