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Preliminary results from Georgia’s Central Election Commission show the ruling Georgian Dream party leading in the 4 October municipal elections, including in the Tbilisi mayoral race.
According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), Georgian Dream has received 80.78% of the nationwide proportional vote, while the main opposition parties, Lelo/Strong Georgia and Gakharia – For Georgia, have secured 6.78% and 3.87% respectively. Smaller parties, including Girchi and Conservatives for Georgia, remain below 4%.
The results are based on data from 2,279 of 3,061 precincts where votes were counted electronically. Overall, 12 parties participated in the 2025 municipal elections, compared to 43 in 2021. Only two major opposition groups took part, as others boycotted the vote, citing the arrests of several political leaders.
The CEC reported that voter turnout reached 40.93%, lower than in 2021 (51.92%) and 2017 (45.65%). The lowest participation was recorded in Tbilisi at 31.08%.
In the capital, Georgian Dream candidate Kakha Kaladze holds a strong lead in the mayoral race with 71.56% of the vote, followed by Irakli Kacharava with 12.46% and Irakli Chikhladze with 7.53%.
The elections were held amid a tense political climate and large-scale protests in Tbilisi. Thousands gathered on Liberty Square, calling for political change and questioning the fairness of the process. Later in the evening, police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters attempting to move toward the presidential palace. The Interior Ministry urged demonstrators to comply with police instructions, while government officials said voting proceeded according to regulations.
Traffic restrictions remain in parts of central Tbilisi following the overnight unrest.
Pakistan is confident it can bring Iran to talks with the United States, a senior official said, citing “positive signals” from Tehran, as JD Vance is reportedly set to visit Islamabad on Tuesday for peace talks, according to Axios.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
A gunman who killed seven people in a mass shooting in Kyiv on Saturday (18 April) had quarrelled with his neighbour before he opened fire on passersby, public broadcaster Suspilne cited Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as saying on Tuesday.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday, exclusively to Reuters.
United Nations experts have urged the Indian authorities to release Jagtar Singh Johal, who was arrested in Punjab in late 2017 and has remained in prison since. Allegations have been made that he was tortured and threatened with death in custody.
Central Asian leaders have warned that worsening water shortages now pose a direct threat to regional stability, urging coordinated action and stronger international engagement.
The European Union says its envoy Gilles Bertrand raised concerns over women’s rights, regional security and cross-border tensions during a visit to Kabul, while Afghan officials urged more development aid, trade access and continued dialogue.
Russia has confirmed the suspension of Kazakh oil shipments to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline, citing technical reasons, in a move that could disrupt refinery supplies in eastern Germany.
Georgia has assumed the rotating chairmanship of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), formally taking over on 22 April in Vienna and placing it at the centre of key security discussions at a time of rising geopolitical tension and declining trust between states.
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