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Ex-diplomat Salome Zurabishvili elected as Georgia's first woman president

Salome Zurabishvili has won Georgia's presidential election, becoming the first woman to hold the office

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Independent candidate Salome Zurabishvili speaks in her campaign office after the end of voting in a second round of the 2018 Georgian presidential election

© Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

Former foreign minister of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili delivers a speech at the rally against her dismissal, 2005

© Alexander Klimchuk/TASS

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili signs a decree granting dual citizenship to Salome Zurabishvili, and appointing her to the post of Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, 2004

© The Eye of Georgia/TASS

Salome Zurabishvili is seen before a meeting with Georgian Patriarch Ilya II in Tbilisi, 2007

© AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov

Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, 2004

© Yuri Mashkov/TASS

A poster promoting presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili, 2018

© Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

Georgian presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili waves during an election campaign meeting with her supporters in Tbilisi, 2018

© EPA-EFE/ZURAB KURTSIKIDZE

Salome Zurabishvili walks out of a voting booth at a polling station during a second round of the 2018 Georgian presidential election

© Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

Salome Zurabishvili with her son Teimuraz Gorjestani and daughter Ketevan Gorjestani and supporters in Zurabishvili's campaign headquarters

© Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

Supporters of independent presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili, who is backed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, wave the party's flag and Georgian flag while riding a car as they celebrate after announcement of the exit polls following the presidential election in Tbilisi

© EPA-EFE/ZURAB KURTSIKIDZE

Salome Zurabishvili won Georgia’s runoff presidential election with 59.52% of votes. Zurabishvili, aged 66, was born in Paris to a family of Georgian emigrants, and she later graduated from the prestigious Paris Institute of Political Studies. Since 1974, she has worked in France’s Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, and in late 2003, she was appointed French Ambassador to Georgia. In March 2004, President Saakashvili appointed her Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, but in October 2005, she was removed from this position after Saakashvili had criticized her publicly. After that, she joined the opposition and took part in rallies demanding that Saakashvili step down. In 2016, she was elected to the Georgian parliament. Meet Georgia's first woman president in this photo gallery.

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The source said the move is an attempt to safeguard the supply of armaments to Ukraine from a potential shift in sentiment in Washington under incoming President Donald Trump

Trump announces ‘a little progress’ in efforts to settle Ukraine conflict

He didn’t elaborate

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Strategic Missile Forces’ mobile group’s missile systems fully modernized — commander

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South Korean president rejects insurrection charges — agency

The president’s lawyers could not say if he will appear for questioning by prosecutors on December 21

Russia to continue its military operation, as West only offers fake peace plans — UN envoy

The permanent representative added that Russia would respond to actions taken by the Ukrainian authorities appropriately

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Wang Yi said that countries will maintain a high level of strategic planning

Russia, Ukraine negotiating 'big exchange' of prisoners of war — human rights commissioner

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Senior Russian general, his aide killed in Moscow blast — investigators

According to Svetlana Petrenko, the Committee’s Moscow department has launched a criminal probe into the attack

Fall of Damascus and hopes for free Syria: Assad makes first statement after stepping down

Bashar Assad insists that he remained in Damascus until the early hours of December 8 and did not leave the country until late on that day

Trump once again refuses to say if he spoke with Putin after elections

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Analyst blames NATO special services for bomb attack on Russian general

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West seeks to open 'second front' against Russia in Central Asia — Russian diplomat

According to Mikhail Galuzin, this policy from the West is marked by "attempts to get Central Asian nations join sanctions and isolate Russia once and for all," and "restore their military and intelligence presence in the region"

Trump will never provide US security guarantees to Ukraine — The New York Times

It is reported that the US military will shift its priorities to the Asia Pacific Region in order to counter the growing influence of China under the Trump Administration

Drafting 14-year-olds won't help Kiev, Putin asserts

The Russian leader said that he has no doubt that the draft age in Ukraine will ultimately be lowered

Russia-China relations unaffected by external forces — Chinese MFA

Wang Yi stated that relations are grounded in the principles of non-affiliation to blocs

China firm in its objective position on Ukraine — Chinese MFA

According to Wang Yi, Beijing have always actively promoted peace talks

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AfG leader says supplying Kiev with Taurus to turn FRG into target in case of nuclear war

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Iranian supreme leader threatens Israel with destruction for incursion into Syria

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stressed that "Israel has invaded Syria to surround and destroy the Hezbollah forces"

Russia to display battle-tested Supercam drone at Vietnam show

The fixed-wing drone with protected communication channels and high jam-resistance confirmed effectiveness in Syria and Ukraine

Resistance movement in Kherson facilitates elimination of over 120 Ukrainian troops

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Execution of civilians in Selidovo a display of genocide — Human Rights Commissioner

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Special op's 'pivotal' year, nuclear deterrence: what Putin said at Defense Ministry

The Russian president stressed that the military and political situation in the world remains "uneasy and unstable"

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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov noted that the association does not "pressure anyone towards anything," treating any choice with respect

Lessons learned in military op should be integrated into training of new troops — Putin

The Russian leader stressed that the special military operation "should be taken into account while outlining priorities for the development of domestic weapons and hardware, as well as the tactics of their use"

No place out of Russia’s ICBMs’ reach — Strategic Missile Forces commander

Colonel General Sergey Karakayev, the commander of Russia's Strategic Missile Forces also announced that missile launches at maximum range are planned as part of state flight tests of advanced missile systems

Russian forces clear some seven hectares of forest near Kremennaya of Ukrainian troops

Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov announced on Monday that 99.3% of the LPR territory had been liberated

Russian troops advance toward Storozhevoye village in Donbass region — official

On December 13, the Russian Defense Ministry reported the liberation of the village of Blagodatnoye in the DPR

Russia’s Medvedev threatens punishment over attack on senior general Kirillov

The politician condemned the attack by what he called the collapsing Kiev regime

Serbian leader wants to contact Putin over gas contract with Russia, US sanctions

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Russian cancer vaccine to be free of charge — top oncologist

It is planned to launch it in general circulation in early 2025

Germany’s Chancellor Scholz asks President Steinmeier to dissolve Bundestag — DPA

Support for the current head of the Cabinet was expressed by 207 members of the Bundestag out of the 717 present, while 116 abstained

FACTBOX: EU’s 15th package of sanctions against Russia

The EU Council also imposed separate restrictions on 52 tankers from third countries carrying Russian oil, despite the so-called "price caps" that the G7 tried to introduce

Survival rate of wounded in Russian army up significantly — defense minister

Andrey Belousov thanked all medical workers who were saving soldiers’ lives on the frontline and in district and central military-medical and civilian hospitals

IN BRIEF: Russian defense minister speaks out on confrontation with West, Ukrainian losses

According to the minister, Ukrainian losses exceeded 560,000 servicemen killed and wounded in 2024

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On December 15, the Ukrainian General Staff described the Kurakhovo area as one of the hottest spots in the entire battlefield

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Russian nuclear defense chief's aide Ilya Polikarpov killed in Moscow explosion

Ilya Polikarpov had been involved in humanitarian activities with TASS and the Russian Heritage Foundation

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Trump says Zelensky should be ready to agree to end Ukraine conflict

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Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said it at the 22nd United Russia party congress.

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"This is quite possible," Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman said

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The construction of a new Carribean port is already underway, Laureano Ortega Murillo said

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The large-scale attack hit the movement's military facilities

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Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, December 17th

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It is requested by the West

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One residential building burned down and some infrastructure was crippled

Ukrainian army’s losses exceed 41,660 troops: Situation in Russia’s Kursk Region

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Top Ukrainian diplomat rejects Christmas Day truce at EU meeting in Brussels

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US plans for medium-range high accuracy weapons cause concern — Putin

The Russian leader noted that "the relocation and deployment of these missile systems in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region is already being practiced"

Patriarch Kirill, Russian UN envoy avoid EU sanctions thanks to Hungary

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Investigators open criminal case into Moscow blast that kills two

Investigators and criminalists are currently working at the scene

Russian troops liberate Annovka community in Donbass region over past day

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Trump blasts Biden’s permission to use US weapons for strikes inside Russia as 'stupid'

The US President-elect said that nobody asked him to weigh in on the decision

Court sentences Jehovah’s Witness to five years behind bars for funding organization

During the searches, foreign passports, electronic devices, flash drives, hard disks, laptops and other material evidence relevant to the preliminary investigation were seized

BRICS ready to explain to Trump it doesn’t seek to undercut dollar — Russian diplomat

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Use of several Oreshnik missiles comparable to nuclear weapons — Putin

It is reported that the Oreshnik system, which has already proven itself well, is very powerful

Normalization in Syria can be achieved via inclusive intra-Syrian dialogue — ministry

Russian foreign ministry said in a statement that that Muslims and Christians have been living side by side in Syria for centuries

BRICS countries actively put forward ideas on Ukrainian settlement — senior diplomat

Sergey Ryabkov pointed out that the influence of the global majority on events in the world goes beyond the Ukrainian conflict

Serial production of Oreshnik missiles to begin shortly — Putin

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Assad allegedly hands list of military targets over to Israel before leaving Syria — media

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Bomb that killed senior Russian general had capacity of 300 grams in TNT equivalent

Bomb experts and detector dog handlers have inspected the surrounding area

Captured Ukrainian soldier tells about orders to shoot civilians in Russia’s Kursk Region

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Loss of Krasnoarmeysk to mark 'largest setback' for Ukraine in months — TV channel

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