Protesters rallied in Georgia’s capital for a fourth straight night on Sunday and there were signs that opposition was spreading across the country to the government’s decision to suspend talks on joining the European Union.

The country of 3.7 million people has seen months of rising tension between the ruling Georgian Dream party and opponents who accuse it of pursuing increasingly authoritarian, anti-Western and pro-Russian policies.

The crisis has deepened since Thursday’s announcement that the government would freeze EU talks for four years, with thousands of pro-EU demonstrators facing off against police armed with tear gas and water cannon.

Protesters gathered again in Tbilisi on Sunday night on the central Rustaveli Avenue. Beyond the capital, Georgian news agency Interpress said demonstrators had blocked an access road into the country’s main commercial port in the Black Sea city of Poti.

Georgian media reported protests in at least eight cities and towns. Opposition TV channel Formula showed footage of people in Khashuri, a town of 20,000 in central Georgia, throwing eggs at the local Georgian Dream office and tearing down the party’s flag.

The EU and the United States are alarmed by what they see as Georgia’s shift away from a pro-Western path and back towards Russia’s orbit. Georgian Dream says it is acting to defend the country’s sovereignty against outside interference.

‘Dark abyss’

Russia is following developments closely. Security official Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president, said an attempted revolution was taking place and wrote on Telegram that Georgia was “moving rapidly along the Ukrainian path, into the dark abyss. Usually this sort of thing ends very badly.”

The Kremlin itself has yet to comment on the latest events in Georgia, but it has long accused the West of fomenting revolutions in post-Soviet countries that Moscow still regards as part of its sphere of influence.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze dismissed criticism by the United States, which has condemned the use of “excessive force” against demonstrators.

“Despite the heaviest systematic violence applied yesterday by the violent groups and their foreign instructors, the police acted at a higher standard than the American and European ones and successfully protected the state from another attempt to violate the constitutional order,” he told a press conference, without providing evidence of foreign involvement.

Kobakhidze also shrugged off Washington’s announcement on Saturday that it was suspending a strategic partnership with Georgia. He said this was a “temporary event”, and Georgia would talk to the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump when it takes office in January.

Deepening the constitutional crisis in the country, outgoing President Salome Zourabichvili – a critic of the government and a strong advocate of Georgian membership of the EU – said on Saturday that she would refuse to step down when her term ends later this month.

Zourabichvili said she would stay in office because the new parliament – chosen in October in elections that the opposition says were rigged – was illegitimate and had no authority to name her successor.

Kobakhidze said he understood Zourabichvili’s “emotional state”.

“But of course on December 29 she will have to leave her residence and surrender this building to a legitimately elected president,” he said.

‘Foreign agents’

Hundreds of diplomats and civil servants have signed open letters protesting that the suspension of EU talks is unlawful because the goal of joining the bloc is enshrined in Georgia’s constitution. Kobakhidze confirmed that the ambassador to Washington was among a number of senior diplomats who had resigned.

Georgia’s foreign ministry said in a statement that foreign states were trying to “interfere in the functioning of the institutions of a sovereign state”, and that this was unacceptable.

For much of the period since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia has leaned strongly towards the West and tried to loosen the influence of Russia, to which it lost a brief war in 2008. It has been promised eventual NATO membership, and became an official candidate for EU entry last year.

But domestic opponents and Western governments have become increasingly concerned that Georgian Dream is intent – despite its denials – on abandoning that course. In June, it enacted a law obliging NGOs to register as “foreign agents” if they received more than 20% of their funding from abroad. In September, parliament approved a law curbing LGBT rights.

The government says it is defending the country’s sovereignty and trying to prevent it from suffering the fate of Ukraine by being dragged into a new war with Russia.

The EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who took office on Sunday, voiced solidarity with the demonstrators.

“We stand with the Georgian people and their choice for a European future,” she posted on X.

“We condemn the violence against protesters & regret signals from ruling party not to pursue Georgia’s path to EU and democratic backsliding of the country. This will have direct consequences from EU side.”

At least 200 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on northern Gaza Saturday, according to local health officials, as the United Nations said it would pause aid deliveries through the enclave’s main crossing after more of its trucks were stolen.

The developments underscore the worsening humanitarian situation in the enclave, where tens of thousands of people have been killed by the Israeli military, and chronic hunger threatens the remaining civilian population. On Friday, two children and a woman were crushed to death while attempting to buy food from a bakery in central Gaza.

The deadly strikes also come with an uneasy truce underway between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said would allow his forces to focus on Gaza.

“They were calling for help, and anyone who tried to assist was bombed. Unfortunately, the cries for help have disappeared; they were killed,” Dr. Abu Safiya said. The strike in Tel Al Zaatar left more than 100 people under the rubble, with only one person pulled out.

“This scene has become a daily occurrence, and no one is held accountable; no one can stop the killing of innocent people.”

The spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense said that more than 40 people belonging to the “Al-Araj” family were killed in a single strike on a building in the Tel Al Zaatar neighborhood.

According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, at least 44,429 people have been killed and more than 105,000 injured in the enclave since the war began last year. The figure is thought to be an underestimate, as much of northern Gaza is inaccessible and many casualties never arrive at a hospital to be counted.

UN pauses aid deliveries

The deadly strikes coincided with the theft of trucks carrying food and other supplies into the besieged strip, prompting the UN agency for Palestinian refugees to halt aid deliveries through the main crossing point between Israel and Gaza.

The “difficult decision” to stop deliveries through Kerem Shalom comes at a time when “hunger is rapidly deepening,” UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini warned Sunday.

“The road out of this crossing has not been safe for months,” Lazzarini noted in his post, referring to an incident on November 16 when almost 100 aid trucks were stolen by armed gangs in what UNRWA described as “one of the worst” incidents of its kind.

The humanitarian operation in Gaza had become “unnecessarily impossible,” he added, citing hurdles from Israeli authorities and political decisions to restrict the amounts of aid as compounding factors in the breakdown of law and order in the enclave.

Lazzarini stressed that Israel, as the occupying power, was responsible for the protection of aid workers and supplies. Israeli authorities “must ensure aid flows into Gaza safely and must refrain from attacks on humanitarian workers,” he said.

Countries negotiating a global treaty to curb plastic pollution have failed to reach agreement, with more than 100 nations wanting to cap production while a handful of oil-producers were prepared only to target plastic waste.

The fifth UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting intended to yield a legally binding global treaty in Busan, South Korea, was meant to be the final one.

However, countries remained far apart on the basic scope of a treaty and could agree only to postpone key decisions and resume talks, dubbed INC 5.2, to a later date.

“It is clear that there is still persisting divergence,” said Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Programme.

The most divisive issues included capping plastic production, managing plastic products and chemicals of concern, and financing to help developing countries implement the treaty.

An option proposed by Panama, backed by more than 100 countries, would have created a path for a global plastic production reduction target, while another proposal did not include production caps.

The fault lines were apparent in a revised document released on Sunday by the meeting’s chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso, which may form the basis of a treaty, but remained riddled with options on the most sensitive issues.

“A treaty that … only relies on voluntary measures would not be acceptable,” said Juliet Kabera, director general of Rwanda’s Environment Management Authority.

“It is time we take it seriously and negotiate a treaty that is fit for purpose and not built to fail.”

A small number of petrochemical-producing nations, such as Saudi Arabia, have strongly opposed efforts to reduce plastic production and have tried to use procedural tactics to delay negotiations.

“There was never any consensus,” said Saudi Arabian delegate Abdulrahman Al Gwaiz. “There are a couple of articles that somehow seem to make it (into the document) despite our continued insistence that they are not within the scope.”

China, the United States, India, South Korea and Saudi Arabia were the top five primary polymer-producing nations in 2023, according to data provider Eunomia.

Entrenched divisions

Had such divisions been overcome, the treaty would have been one of the most significant deals relating to environmental protection since the 2015 Paris Agreement.

The postponement comes just days after the turbulent conclusion of the COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan.

At Baku, countries set a new global target for mobilizing $300 billion annually in climate finance, a deal deemed woefully insufficient by small island states and many developing countries.

The climate talks were also slowed by procedural maneuvers by Saudi Arabia – who objected to the inclusion of language that reaffirmed a previous commitment to transition away from fossil fuels.

Some negotiators said a few countries held the proceedings hostage, avoiding compromises needed by using the UN’s consensus process.

Senegal’s National Delegate Cheikh Ndiaye Sylla called it “a big mistake” to exclude voting during the entire negotiations, an agreement made last year during the second round of talks in Paris.

“This outcome underscores the complexity of addressing plastic pollution on a global scale and the need for further deliberations to achieve an effective, inclusive and workable treaty,” said Chris Jahn, council secretary of the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), representing plastic makers.

“There is little assurance that the next INC will succeed where INC-5 did not,” environmental group GAIA said.

Plastic production is on track to triple by 2050, and microplastics have been found in the air, fresh produce and even human breast milk.

Chemicals found to be of concern in plastics include more than 3,200 according to a 2023 UN Environment Programme report, which said women and children were particularly susceptible to their toxicity.

Despite the postponement, several negotiators expressed urgency to get back into talks.

“Every day of delay is a day against humanity. Postponing negotiations does not postpone the crisis,” said Panama’s delegation head Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez on Sunday.

“When we reconvene, the stakes will be higher.”

Romanians cast ballots Sunday in a parliamentary election sandwiched between a two-round presidential race, the first of which has plunged the European Union and NATO member into unprecedented turmoil following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference.

Sunday’s vote will elect a new government and prime minister and determine the formation of the 466-seat legislature. Romanians living abroad have been able to vote since Saturday. By 5 p.m., about 7.5 million people – about 42% of eligible voters – had cast ballots, according to the Central Election Bureau.

The legislative vote comes a week after the first round of a presidential race that saw a controversial far-right populist who was polling in single digits win the most votes. Calin Georgescu, 62, is due to face reformist Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union party, or USR, in a Dec. 8 runoff.

TikTok exposure raises questions

Georgescu’s success, which many have attributed to his rapid rise in popularity on the social media platform TikTok, has triggered nightly protests throughout Romania by those who oppose his past remarks praising Romanian fascist leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin and view him as a threat to democracy.

Many observers believe the presidential outcome indicates a sharp shift from Romania’s mainstream parties to more populist anti-establishment parties, whose voices have found fertile ground amid high inflation, high cost of living and a sluggish economy.

Alexandru Rizescu, a 24-year-old medical student, says he was surprised by the result in the first-round presidential ballot and that it’s an “obvious sign” Europe at large is shifting toward far-right populism.

“Most of us are sick of these big parties, but now we have to think about the … lesser evil,” he said. “If Georgescu becomes president, with a favorable parliament, it’s going to be wild.”

According to a report by Expert Forum, a Bucharest-based think tank, Georgescu’s TikTok account before last week’s vote saw an explosion of engagement, which it said appeared “sudden and artificial, similar to his polling results.”

Without naming Georgescu, who declared zero campaign spending, Romania’s top defense body said Thursday that “a presidential candidate benefited from massive exposure due to preferential treatment” granted by TikTok. Romania has become a “priority target for hostile actions” by Russia, it added. The Kremlin denies it is meddling.

The same day, the Constitutional Court requested a recount of all 9.4 million votes after a presidential candidate who obtained 1% filed a complaint alleging the USR had violated electoral laws against campaign activities on polling day. The Central Election Bureau approved the request and said scanned reports were due to be sent in by Sunday night. On Friday, the court postponed a decision until Monday on whether to annul the vote.

Cristian Andrei, a political consultant based in Bucharest, predicted the general election could also be reshaped by Georgescu’s success, with far-right parties possibly obtaining record highs.

“The impact of the surprise in last Sunday’s presidential election will be significant, and we are going to wake up in a new political reality,” he told The Associated Press. “Georgescu voters will speak again and will reshape how we look at the political Romanian spectrum from now on and probably forever.”

“The most probable scenario will be a difficult-to-build majority in the parliament to support and endorse a new government,” he added.

High-stakes election

Despite historically being Romania’s two main opposition parties that have dominated post-communist politics, the Social Democratic Party, PSD, and the National Liberal Party, PNL, formed an unlikely coalition in 2021, which has become increasingly strained. A small ethnic Hungarian party exited the Cabinet last year after a power-sharing dispute.

After casting his ballot on Sunday, incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu told the media that Romanians “have to choose between stability and chaos.”

“Today is a very important day for all of us Romanians to stay on our European and North Atlantic path,” he said. “This is the most important choice we have to make today.”

Georgescu told the media Sunday that he voted “so the good prevails over evil.”

“I voted for peace, not for war, for respect, for total political responsibility, dedicated totally to Romanian people,” he said. “I voted for Romania, along with Romania, forever for Romania.”

While the presidential role in Romania has significant decision-making powers in areas such as national security and foreign policy, the prime minister is the head of the nation’s government.

Recent surveys have suggested the top three parties in Sunday’s race will be the PSD, the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians and the PNL. After rising to the political scene eight years ago on an anti-corruption ticket, the USR’s popularity has diminished in recent years, but could garner the next most votes.

More minor parties that may not pass the 5% threshold to enter parliament include the pro-EU reformist REPER party and the liberal-conservative Force of the Right. Some have predicted that the far-right nationalist S.O.S Romania party, and the little-known Party of Young People, which has backed Georgescu, could pass the threshold.

Sens, a progressive grassroots party founded last year that advocates for improvements in sustainability and transparency, could also garner enough votes to enter parliament.

Silviu Safta, a 30-year-old retail manager in Bucharest, said that Georgescu topping the polls was “a surprise for everyone, except for the 2 million people that voted for him,” and that he’s skeptical whether Sunday’s parliamentary vote will follow the same populist tilt.

“I think Romanians will be more informed about their elections and … their candidates,” he said. “I’m a little bit skeptical about the results, but I hope that democracy will win.”

Sectarian violence has killed at least 130 people and wounded 200 others in Pakistan’s northwest in the last 10 days, officials said Sunday.

Violence flared in Kurram district on November 21 when gunmen ambushed a vehicle convoy and killed 52 people, mostly Shiite Muslims. Nobody claimed responsibility for the assault, which triggered retaliatory firing and arson by rival groups in several areas.

Over the past 24 hours alone, 14 people have died and 27 have been injured in fighting. Government officials brokered a seven-day ceasefire on November 24 but it didn’t hold.

Shiite Muslims dominate parts of the district, although they are a minority in the rest of the country. They generally live peacefully alongside Sunni Muslims, who are the majority in Pakistan.

But dozens from both sides have been killed in Kurram since July, when a land dispute turned into general sectarian violence.

The deputy commissioner of Kurram, Javed Ullah Mehsud, said talks were underway with tribal elders to negotiate a ceasefire and that security personnel had been deployed to enforce the peace.

Mehsud also said that authorities have restored internet and mobile services in the area.

But the main highway linking the city of Parachinar with the provincial capital Peshawar remains closed to all traffic, leading to shortages of food, fuel and medicine. Trade and movement at the Kharlachi border with Afghanistan has stopped.

Kurram elder Mir Afzal Khan said the violence had affected all aspects of life. People were unable to travel and the scarcity of food and medicine was causing significant hardship, he added.

Kurram is in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where armed groups like the Pakistani Taliban operate. The Pakistani army said Sunday that eight militants had died in separate operations in the province.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a record-breaking defense budget, setting aside a staggering third of the government’s total spending as the war in Ukraine drains resources from both sides nearly three years on.

The budget for 2025, which was published Sunday, allocates about $126 billion (13.5 trillion rubles) to national defense – amounting to 32.5% of government spending.

The defense budget is about $28 billion (three trillion rubles) higher than the previous record set this year.

The new three-year budget forecasts a slight reduction in military spending for 2026 and 2027. Lawmakers in both houses of the Russian parliament approved the budget.

Russia’s war in Ukraine is the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II. Moscow is currently making gains at key spots along the frontlines and fighting a counteroffensive in Kursk region – the site of Kyiv’s only major military success this year.

But the slow, grinding war – often called a war of attrition, where both sides are trying to wear down the other – has drained both countries’ resources.

Ukraine has always been on the back foot when it comes to both material and manpower, though it has received billions of dollars in help from its Western allies. How much aid will continue to come from the United States once President-elect Donald Trump takes office remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, Russia has more weapons, more ammunition and more people – but the strain on its economy and population is growing.

Russia has massively increased its military spending over the past two years and its economy is now showing signs of overheating: inflation is running high, and companies are facing labor shortages. Trying to control the situation, the Russian Central Bank has raised interest rates to 21% in October, the highest in decades.

And while Russia has many more people than Ukraine, it is suffering significant battlefield losses and recruitment of new troops is already a problem – the last time the Russian military introduced a partial mobilization, hundreds of thousands of men fled the country.

North Korea recently sent an influx of soldiers to help Russia fight on the frontlines – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in November that about 11,000 North Korean soldiers were in Kursk.

The North Korean troops may help Russia’s efforts for some time – but the material losses could be harder to make up for.