Presidential elections in South Ossetia declared valid.

Ria Novosti - Presidential elections in South Ossetia saw the turnout beat 50%, making the polls in the Georgian breakaway republic valid, an election official said on Sunday.
"The turnout has reached 50.1%. The elections are valid," said Irina Gassiyeva, a secretary of the South Ossetian election commission.
Over 30,000 citizens of the republic are electing president on Sunday after the previous elections were annulled and a possible winner barred from the polls.
South Ossetia, whose independence has been recognized by Russia and few other countries, opted to hold new elections after the republic's Supreme Court annulled the November 27 polls' results, citing violations.
The November elections saw opposition leader Alla Dzhioyeva beat Kremlin-backed Anatoly Bibilov. Dzhioyeva was accused of violations, banned from rejoining the race in March and sent to a hospital for a month and a half.
The presidential post in the Sunday elections is being contested by Dmitry Medoyev, the South Ossetian ambassador to Russia; David Sanakoyev, the presidential human rights ombudsman; Leonid Tibilov, former chair of the State Security Committee; and Communist leader Stanislav Kochiyev.
The winner must gain more than 50% of the vote.
Almost 50 international observers are monitoring the elections, Foreign Minister Murat Dzhioyev said.
“There are 47 observers representing parliaments, public and political and non-governmental organizations from Russia, Israel, Italy, France and other countries,” Dzhioyev told a news conference in Tskhinvali on Sunday.
Meanwhile, former presidential candidate and ex-education minister Dzhioyeva was released from hospital, where she had stayed in custody, on Saturday. However, her guards would not let her speak to the press, the Russian Kommersant daily reported.