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Georgian Teen Jailed Over EU Protests as Prosecutor Vacations in Spain
A 19-year-old Georgian student, Saba Jikia, has been sentenced to four years and six months in prison for assaulting a police officer during protests in December 2024. The demonstrations were sparked by the ruling Georgian Dream party’s announcement that it was suspending efforts toward European Union integration. Jikia was convicted of kicking a Special Task…
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Dalai Lama Outlines Succession Plan, Rejects Chinese Plan
As he turns 90 on July 6, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has outlined plans for the continuation of his spiritual office. In a mid-February memoir, A Voice for Those Who Have None, the Dalai Lama affirms that his successor will be born outside China, “in the free world,” and that the institution will…
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Russia to Deploy Oreshnik Missile Systems to Belarus
On July 1, during a speech ahead of Belarus’ Independence Day, President Aleksandr Lukashenko announced plans to deploy several Oreshnik Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) systems to Belarus by the end of 2025, citing national defense and the prevention of internal unrest. This announcement confirmed an earlier statement by Belarus Security Council Secretary Alexander Volfovich on…
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Russia-Azerbaijan: Tensions Rise Amid Criminal Probe
JAMnews reported that Baku has launched a criminal investigation against Russian security agencies following the deaths of two Azerbaijani citizens, Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov, during a police operation in Yekaterinburg, Russia on June 27. Azerbaijani officials allege that the brothers died due to torture inflicted by Russian law enforcement. Forensic reports indicated severe trauma, including…
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Deadly Flash Floods Underscore Pakistan’s Climate Vulnerability
On June 27, 13 members of a single family were swept away by a sudden flash flood in Swat Valley, Pakistan, after becoming stranded on a small riverbank island during a rise in water levels. The Swat River, fed by glacial melt from the Hindu Kush mountains, surged rapidly following intense rainfall, according to officials.…
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Armenian PM Offers Physical Proof to Refute Circumcision Allegation
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stated he is willing to show his genitals to Catholicos Karekin II, head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, to refute a claim made by a priest regarding his circumcision. The statement came in response to a Facebook post by Father Zareh Ashuryan, who alleged that Pashinyan was circumcised, comparing…
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Georgia Demands Sensible Data from Civil Society Groups
The Anti-Corruption Bureau of Georgia has requested extensive documentation from seven civil society organisations, citing financial transparency and potential political activity. The latest court orders, directed at the Media Development Foundation (MDF) and the Social Justice Center (SJC), follow similar demands made to five other groups: the Civil Society Foundation, Safari, Transparency International — Georgia,…
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Conflict in Sudan Drives Massive Displacement Into Chad
According to UNICEF, more than 856,000 Sudanese refugees and over 273,000 Chadian returnees have entered Chad since the conflict erupted in Sudan in April 2023, as of 8 June 2025. A sharp rise in arrivals followed Rapid Support Forces attacks on Internally Displaced Persons camps in Zamzam and Abou Shouk in mid-April 2025. Alongside Uganda,…
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Catatumbo: Humanitarian Crisis Worsens as Peace Talks Stall
The Catatumbo region, located on Colombia’s northeastern border with Venezuela, continues to face escalating violence and humanitarian deterioration, as armed confrontations persist between the National Liberation Army (ELN, guerrilla group inspired by the liberation theology) and dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, Marxist guerrilla movement). United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)…
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Russia Enters Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine Disputes
Russian forces have reportedly approached the administrative border of Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, raising concerns over a possible advance westward. Moscow claims its troops have entered the area, while Ukrainian military officials deny any such incursion has occurred. In recent days, the Russian Ministry of Defense released videos suggesting that its units have crossed into the…