Former soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili has become president of Georgia as the ruling party tightens its grip in what the opposition calls a blow to the country’s EU aspirations and a victory for Russia.

The Biden administration and its allies are taking an unusually proactive approach to publicizing intelligence findings and trying to defuse influence campaigns by Russia as they raise alarms about a possible new Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The White House says President Joe Biden has conferred with Ukraine’s leader over the Russian troop buildup near its border, promising that the U.S. and allies will act “decisively” if Russia further invades Ukraine.

The imprisoned former president of ex-Soviet republic Georgia has appeared in court on charges of abuse of office, proceedings that triggered scuffles between his supporters and police.

Several thousand people have rallied in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, demanding that authorities in the ex-Soviet nation transfer the jailed ex-president to a civilian hospital amid reports that his health is deteriorating after weeks of being on a hunger strike.

Thousands of protesters are rallying in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi to demand the release of the country’s jailed former President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Hundreds of protesters are rallying outside a prison in Georgia to demand that the country's incarcerated former President Mikheil Saakashvili be transferred to a private clinic because he is weakening while on a hunger strike.

Georgia’s ruling party and the main opposition party are both claiming victory in elections for mayors of the country’s largest cities.

Near-final results from nationwide municipal elections in Georgia show the ruling party well ahead of challengers, but the mayoral contests in the country's five largest cities likely will need runoffs.

Georgians voted in municipal elections across the country that were seen as a test of strength for the ruling party and which opposition parties hope could lead to an early national election.

The prime minister of Georgia says former President Mikheil Saakashvili has been arrested after he had returned to the country.

Several thousand people have protested in front of the Georgian parliament, demanding the ex-Soviet nation’s prime minister resign over the death of a journalist who was attacked and beaten earlier this week by anti-LGBT protesters.

A protest against a planned LGBT march in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi turned violent as demonstrators attacked and injured about 20 journalists covering the event.

President Joe Biden frequently talks about what he sees as central in executing effective foreign policy: building personal relationships.

Preliminary election results show that Georgia's ruling party won the country's highly contested parliamentary election, but the opposition have refused to recognize Sunday's results. With more than 99% of ballots counted, the Georgian Dream party had received 48.1% of the vote in Saturday's election, according to the website of Georgia’s Central Election Commission. The biggest opposition alliance, led by the United National Movement party, got 27.1%. Irakli Kobahidze, Georgian Dream's executive secretary, said the party won enough seats in the 150-seat parliament to form a government. That’s where the consensus is right now,” European Georgia party leader Giga Bokeria, whose party won 3.8% of the vote, told The Associated Press.

In this handout photo released by Georgian Dream Party Press office, Georgian businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili, who created Georgian Dream party, wearing a face mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, speaks to the media after voting at a polling station during the parliamentary elections in Tbilisi, Georgia, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020. Ivanishvili quickly congratulated his supporters on winning the vote after several exit polls showed his party with a strong lead. After the polls closed, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili quickly claimed victory for his ruling Georgian Dream party, but it wasn't immediately clear if it won enough votes to stay at the helm. “It needs to be emphasized that the Georgian Dream wins the elections for the third time," he said. “This is practically a great triumph of the Georgian opposition, despite the harassment, intimidation and pressure,” he said in televised remarks from Ukraine.