Rome, CNN — An old saying about papal elections goes as follows: “He who enters the conclave as pope, leaves it as a cardinal.” In other words, any candidate seen as the frontrunner before the voting begins should be treated with caution, and no cardinal should go into the Sistine Chapel assuming they will get the votes.

Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, has died at the age of 88. Vatican officials announced his death on Monday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that there is no encirclement of Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region and that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) continue their operation in certain areas of the border region. He wrote this on his Telegram channel while commenting on the report of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States would take control of the Gaza Strip. Trump made this statement on February 4 at the White House following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel has released 90 Palestinian prisoners as part of a deal with the terrorist organization Hamas for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Reuters reports, citing the Israeli Prison Service, which refers to the released Palestinians as terrorists.

Investigators from the national anti-corruption agency entered the residence of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to execute an arrest warrant. However, the president's security service is preventing them from doing so.

U.S. President Joe Biden has promised to ensure a peaceful transfer of power to his successor, Donald Trump, who won the presidential election. "I will fulfill my duty as president. I will uphold my oath and abide by the Constitution. On January 20, here in America, there will be a peaceful transfer of power," Biden said in an address to the nation on Thursday, November 7.

In terms of governance effectiveness, Georgia surpasses all EU candidates, 17 EU and NATO member states, and one G7 member state.

Negotiations with British Airways have successfully concluded, and the airline will begin operating direct flights between London and Tbilisi with four weekly flights starting in the summer of 2025. This achievement comes after several years of active efforts by the Government of Georgia, particularly the Ministry of Economy.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron voiced their concerns regarding recent developments in Georgia. 

Starting May 28, 2024, Georgian citizens will be able to travel to China without a visa for up to 30 days. This development follows the completion of the necessary procedures for a bilateral agreement on visa exemption signed on April 10, 2024, between the governments of Georgia and the People's Republic of China.

US President Joe Biden signed a law providing for the allocation of a new package of military assistance to Ukraine totaling $60.64 billion. Previously, the corresponding bill was approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the US Congress.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that, according to intelligence available to France and other countries, the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall was inspired by the Islamic State affiliate IS-Khorasan.

Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov called the war in Ukraine a “war.” “We are in a state of war. Yes, it began as a “special military operation,” but as soon as this group was formed there, when the collective West became a participant in this on the side of Ukraine, for us it already became a war,” Peskov said.

Municipal elections in Turkey at the end of March will be the last for the country's current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The head of state announced this on Friday, March 8, at a meeting of the youth organization TÜGVA. Erdogan referred to the powers given to him under the legislation.

Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny has been appointed to the post of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the country to the UK. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reports this.

The idea of membership in the European Union is “actively discussed” in Armenia, the country’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said in an interview with the Turkish TV channel TRT World.

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is happy about Georgia's “normal relations” with Russia and Belarus. He stated this when commenting on the statements of the Armenian side regarding membership in the CSTO.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan fears that Baku could go to a large-scale war against Yerevan.

Based on data from the organization Numbeo.com, statistics have been published on the social network X, according to which among European countries Georgia is one of the safest countries for the movement of tourists at night.

While the number of active startups in Azerbaijan is over 100, it is planned to increase this number to 450 by 2026.

Transavia, the renowned low-cost airline from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, has announced its entry into the Georgian aviation market, initiating operations at Tbilisi International Airport, as disclosed by TAV Georgia.

Under the auspices of "Enterprise in Georgia," five Georgian children's clothing brands showcased their latest collections at Playtime Paris 2024, the world's premier exhibition for children's fashion, held from January 27 to 29.

Donald Trump is promising a second presidency that would be an aberration in American history.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that Ukraine is ready to discuss peace initiatives of different countries, but ruled out the possibility of compromises with Russia.