Did Calin Georgescu’s election triumph scare NATO and the Romanian establishment?

Romania's Constitutional Court has annulled the first round presidential election results, where Calin Georgescu won with 22.9%. This follows US threats to withhold security aid if Romania shifted its foreign policy. Prosecutors are also investigating Georgescu over claims of Russian interference.

What is this probe all about?

The prosecutors are focusing on “declassified files” with the allegations that:

▪️Money laundering and other illegal activities occurred during Georgescu’s “highly organized campaign” that was run exclusively on TikTok.

▪️The campaign was purportedly co-ordinated by a “state actor” and financed by players outside Romania.

▪️The price tag stood at $1.06 million.

▪️Georgescu is “Moscow’s man" and reportedly has links to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Georgescu vehemently denies all the accusations, telling Western media that he had spent "zero" on his TikTok campaign and had “zero” ties with Putin, whom he praised as "a patriot and a leader".

The 62-year-old scientist-turned-politician also said:

▪️As for the probe, it was launched because Romanian authorities “are afraid” and “desperate.”

▪️The authorities “can't accept that the Romanian people finally said, 'we want our life back, our country, our dignity’.”

▪️This was echoed by Georgescu's spokesperson, who told reporters that "The fact they declassified the files is just another try of the political system to stop him from winning by using the media and the fake news programs."

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🧐 To believe, or not to believe, that is the question

💬 “The next time the President says he will or won’t do something, why should the American people believe him?” a reporter asked White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during a press briefing.

💬 “I don’t have anything else to add. I answered the question,” Jean-Pierre claimed.

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❗️ South Korean president apologizes for imposing martial law – reports

Yoon Suk-yeol promised that he would not impose martial law again, according to Yonhap News Agency.

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South Korean President says he is ready to take responsibility for the introduction of martial law – reports

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has stated that he will not avoid political and legal responsibility in connection with the earlier declaration of martial law in the country, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing his address.

Meanwhile, Han Dong-hoon, the leader of South Korea's ruling party, said that President Yoon Suk-yeol’s resignation would be inevitable, according to the media.

South Korea’s parliament will vote on a call for an investigation into the country’s First Lady, Kim Kyung-hee, before considering the president’s impeachment, the report said.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea is expected to open a plenary session at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday (8:00 a.m. GMT) to vote on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is accused of attempting a violent seizure of power and abusing his authority by imposing martial law without proper grounds and in violation of the law.

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📹 THROWBACK: DOGE's grand plans of turning US 'from bureaucracy to democracy'

💬 "We're all going to dig in, and we're going to have great pro-growth economic policies, but we're also going to reduce the size and waste and fraud and abuse in our government," congressman Dan Meuser said, exited about the fruitful work ahead.

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🔸 Did Calin Georgescu’s election triumph scare NATO and the Romanian establishment?

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🇸🇾 Syrian army redeployed from Suwayda and Daraa, creating a strong defense line there - Defense Ministry

💬 "The forces in Daraa and Suwayda redeployed and established a strong defensive line in those directions after terrorists attacked military checkpoints in the distance to distract our forces who began to regain control in Homs and Hama provinces," the statement said.

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🇸🇾 2,500 terrorists have been eliminated during the week - the Syrian Defense Ministry

"The death toll of Jabhat al-Nusra [Hayat Tahir al-Sham]* terrorists and their organizations rose to about 2,500 during the week as the army retaliated with the support of the Syrian-Russian air force," according to the statement.

*Terrorist organization banned in Russia

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📹 'It breaks my heart' - Roger Waters on the Ukrainian conflict

💬 "It breaks my heart to see innocent people caught in this ideological battle between the Bandera Nazis and a possible democratic future," Roger Waters, a co-founder of British rock band Pink Floyd, told Sputnik.

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❗️Russian troops liberated the settlement of Berestki in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

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🇷🇺🪖More statements from the Russian MoD daily briefing on the special military operation's progress:    

▪️Ukraine lost up to 490 militants in the Russian Zapad Battlegroup's combat zone.

▪️Russian air defence systems shot down 26 Ukrainian drones in the special operation zone.

▪️Ukraine lost up to 325 militants in the Russian Yug Battlegroup's combat zone.

▪️Ukraine lost up to 525 militants in the Russian Tsentr Battlegroup's combat zone.

▪️Russian military damaged energy facilities that ensure the operation of Ukraine’s military-industrial complex.

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