International news

The article examines how thousands of Georgians have been participating in leaderless, self-organized pro-EU protests in Tbilisi since November 2024. Despite high levels of informal civic engagement across Georgia, with 74% of citizens helping friends with household chores and 52% donating to charity, formal participation in democratic organizations remains surprisingly low at just 8%. This disconnect stems from an institutional mismatch between how Georgians traditionally cooperate through informal networks based on personal trust and how formal civil society organizations operate. The article contrasts today's situation with earlier Georgian civic movements and highlights examples like the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association that have successfully bridged this gap by addressing concrete problems affecting everyday citizens.

Mzia Amaghlobeli, a respected investigative journalist and founder of independent news outlets in Georgia, has been sentenced to two years in prison for slapping a police chief during anti-government protests in January 2025. Although initially facing charges that could have resulted in up to seven years imprisonment, she was convicted on lesser charges of resisting and using violence against law enforcement. The verdict has triggered widespread condemnation from 24 diplomatic missions, including the European Union, who issued a joint statement through the Media Freedom Coalition describing the sentence as "disproportionate and politically motivated." This case occurs amid growing tensions in Georgia, where the ruling Georgian Dream party has been accused of moving away from EU integration toward Russia and implementing increasing repression against journalists and civil society.

Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif was killed on August 10, 2025, along with five other journalists in Gaza, in what the author describes as a targeted assassination by Israel. Israel claimed al-Sharif was a Hamas member, a justification the author characterizes as false and part of a pattern of targeting journalists. The article criticizes Western media outlets like the BBC and Reuters for uncritically repeating Israel's claims without proper journalistic scrutiny. The author argues that racial dynamics influence Western media's response, suggesting Palestinian journalists' deaths receive less outrage than would be expected if Western journalists were similarly targeted.

In April 2025, Angika language speakers and supporters gathered in Bhagalpur, India for a two-day Language-Digital Activism Workshop organized by Angika Wikimedians and Rising Voices to strengthen the language's online presence. The workshop, attended by 22 selected participants and five veteran Angika writers, focused on eight key strategies for digital language revitalization and included discussions about language rights, community bonds, and digital initiatives. Participants created personal roadmaps for supporting Angika digitally through various means including music, apps, children's books, and Wikimedia projects. Following strong interest, organizers held a follow-up online workshop in July 2025 focused specifically on Wikipedia editing to further enhance Angika's digital visibility.

A group of language advocates, led by Kambai Akau, is working to preserve and revitalize the Tyap language of Nigeria through Wikimedia platforms launched in 2020. The Tyap language, spoken in Nigeria's Middle-Belt region, faces extinction threats due to Hausa language dominance and declining usage among younger generations. Despite challenges including limited educational resources, lack of standardized documentation, and low literacy rates in the language, the Tyap Wikimedians Organization has successfully established Wikipedia and Wiktionary pages in Tyap, making it the seventh language-specific Wikipedia approved in Nigeria. The organization is also working on publishing a Tyap dictionary in partnership with Wikitongues while battling technical constraints, funding limitations, and the perception of Tyap as inferior to English and Hausa.

The Israeli military destroyed the only seed bank in the West Bank on July 31, 2025, bulldozing the Union of Agricultural Work Committees' (UAWC) seed-multiplication unit in Hebron without warning. This facility had preserved over 70 varieties of indigenous heirloom seeds, many unique to Palestine, representing both agricultural biodiversity and cultural heritage accumulated through generations of Palestinian seed saving. The destruction is part of a documented pattern where Palestinian agricultural resources, including farmland, olive groves, and seed repositories, have been systematically targeted. International organizations and civil society groups have condemned the act, with some framing it as part of broader cultural genocide and potential war crimes under international law.

After launching the Women in Afghanistan (WIA) program in 2014, agriculture professor Sophia Wilcox connected with numerous Afghan women whose lives have been devastated by the Taliban's return to power in 2021. The article profiles three women affected by the regime change: Fatima, an education activist now in hiding with her family; Dr. Zahra, a midwife restricted from properly practicing her profession; and Dr. Maryam, a former polio vaccination advocate who managed to escape to the US. Their stories illustrate the severe regression of women's rights in Afghanistan, where education for girls is banned and healthcare workers face extreme restrictions, compounded by the freezing of refugee admissions programs that might have offered escape routes.

Veteran Macau democrat and former lawmaker Au Kam San was arrested on July 30, 2024, for allegedly endangering national security through foreign ties and spreading false information. This marks the first national security case since Macau enacted its national security law in 2009, with police claiming Au had connections with overseas anti-China organizations since 2022 and provided seditious information to foreign entities. Au, who served as a city council member from 1993-2001 and legislator from 2001-2021, has remained a vocal critic of government policies and recently commented on the 2024 Chief Executive election and candidate disqualifications. The European Union condemned the arrest as eroding political pluralism in Macau, while the Macau government responded that it would handle the case "strictly according to law."

The Sankofa Foundation Incorporated is hosting the inaugural KidzAFest Cultural Exchange from August 17-31, featuring performances by South Africa's Mzansi Youth Choir and Uganda's Ghetto Kids dance team. This two-week event aims to preserve African storytelling traditions through music and dance performances across the D.C. area, culminating in a special Kidz Theater Production at the Kennedy Center's Concert Hall on August 30. The program showcases African folktales and cultural expressions while promoting values like humility, love, and empathy to inspire young audiences. Founders of both performing groups share a commitment to using arts to transform the lives of underprivileged youth, creating opportunities for them to develop their talents while maintaining cultural pride and identity.

Mauritania's fishing industry, once vibrant and sustainable, now faces severe threats from large-scale foreign industrial fishing vessels, with Chinese trawlers comprising approximately 80 percent of industrial ships in Mauritanian waters. This dominance stems from a 2010 agreement granting China 25-year fishing rights in exchange for a $100 million investment in a fish processing plant in Nouadhibou. The resulting unchecked fishing has devastated local fish stocks, particularly affecting traditional fishermen who cannot compete with technologically advanced Chinese vessels. While fishing accounts for 10 percent of Mauritania's GDP and up to 50 percent of exports, providing hundreds of thousands of jobs, the current situation has created unfavorable conditions for local development, with traditional fishermen experiencing sharp declines in their catches and income.

A ten-day internet and mobile phone service shutdown in North Waziristan, Pakistan from July 7-17, 2025 severely disrupted the local economy, government operations, education, and journalism. The blackout, which followed a June 28 suicide attack on security forces, caused significant financial losses to thousands of local traders and businesses, with daily losses estimated at 200,000-300,000 Pakistani Rupees per trader. Though services were restored after tribal elders met with government officials on July 11, connectivity remains poor in many areas, particularly affecting the region's approximately 693,300 residents who already experience lower internet penetration rates compared to Pakistan's national average of 45.7 percent.

Greek protesters gathered at Piraeus port on July 16th to block the loading of suspected military cargo bound for Israel, reflecting growing anger over Greece's perceived complicity in Israel's Gaza offensive. The demonstration, organized by trade unions, leftist groups, anarchists, and communist collectives, targeted the "Ever Golden" cargo ship believed to be carrying steel for Israeli military use. The dockworkers union (ENEDEP) played a key role, refusing to allow the unloading of five containers of suspected military-grade steel while the ship remained docked. Protesters condemned both Greek and Israeli governments, framing their actions as rejection of Greece's role as a logistical enabler of foreign wars and expressing solidarity with Palestine through flags, keffiyehs, and chants.

A global surge in technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) is silencing women across Africa and beyond, with a recent survey showing over half of women entrepreneurs in developing countries face online harassment. This digital abuse ranges from deepfakes to doxxing and has led four in ten women to withdraw from public life, with even higher rates among female journalists. In response, a "Safety by Design" approach is gaining traction, emphasizing built-in protections in digital platforms rather than after-the-fact remediation. Across Africa, organizations like Safe Sisters, GRIT, and Pollicy are developing innovative solutions while countries such as Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya implement stronger legal frameworks to combat these digital threats.

Black Americans seeking refuge from racism in the United States by relocating to African countries like Ghana are sometimes bringing problematic Western privilege with them. The article highlights how Ghana's "Year of Return" and "Beyond the Return" campaigns, which invited diasporans to reconnect with their African roots, have revealed negative impacts including land disputes, gentrification, and economic disruption. In one case, diasporans threatened local Ghanaian landowners with guns over disputed farmland, while in other instances, their presence has driven up property values, forcing locals to relocate. The author urges Black Americans moving to African countries to recognize their Western privilege, understand local laws and cultures, and avoid reproducing the same oppressive dynamics they seek to escape.

Grigory Skvortsov, a Russian musician and urban explorer from Perm, was sentenced to 16 years in a high-security penal colony for state treason after emailing publicly available archives about Soviet bunkers to an American journalist. The materials in question came from historian Dmitry Yurkov's book "Soviet 'Secret Bunkers'" and its supplementary archive pack, which had been publicly sold and remained accessible online even after Skvortsov's arrest. Despite the information being previously declassified and widely available, Russian authorities claimed Skvortsov had shared sensitive military infrastructure information with a foreign national. His case highlights a troubling pattern in Russia where publicly available information can be retroactively classified as secret, leading to severe treason charges.

Nigeria continues to face significant security challenges despite efforts by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration to combat them. According to the 2024 Global Peace Index, Nigeria ranks 147th out of 163 nations globally, reflecting persistent violence and instability that undermine national development. While the government has reported some success in neutralizing criminals, recovering weapons, and improving security in previously terrorized regions, Nigeria still ranks high in global crime and terrorism indices. Ongoing threats include Boko Haram insurgency, farmer-herder conflicts, separatist movements, kidnapping, and banditry, all of which severely impact the economy and everyday life of Nigerians.

The BJP-led Assam government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has intensified eviction drives targeting Bengali-speaking Muslim communities, known locally as "Miyas." Since coming to power in 2021, Sarma has consistently framed these communities as illegal encroachers and threats to Assam's culture, accusing them of various forms of "jihad" including land encroachment, excessive fertilizer use, and causing floods. These eviction operations have displaced thousands of families, with recent drives in 2025 affecting areas in Nalbari, Dhubri, and Goalpara districts, demolishing homes, mosques, and other structures. Opposition parties and organizations, including the All Assam Minority Students Union and All India United Democratic Front, have condemned these actions as discriminatory and inhumane, while the government maintains it is reclaiming illegally occupied land.

Pan-African Women's Day (PAWD), commemorated on July 31, celebrates the founding of the Pan-African Women's Organization (PAWO) and promotes global solidarity among women in the diaspora fighting against colonialism. The All-African Women's Revolutionary Union (AAWRU) and the All-African People's Revolutionary Party (AAPRP) recently hosted a webinar featuring activists discussing the 2025 theme "Advancing Social and Economic Justice for African Women Reparations." Speakers from Niger, South Sudan, and Kenya highlighted challenges including violence against women, educational inequality, and femicide, while emphasizing the importance of women leading in liberation struggles. The participants advocated for global solidarity, grassroots movements, and equal access to educational and economic resources as essential steps toward women's liberation.

Ghanaian lawmakers are attempting to pass the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Act, 2024, an anti-LGBTQ+ bill that would criminalize LGBTQ+ activities and disband queer organizations in the country. Solomon Joskine Kwashie Atsuvia, a queer Ghanaian activist working in human rights and HIV advocacy, shared his experiences of facing online abuse, threats, and blackmail due to his sexuality. In a comprehensive interview, Atsuvia described specific incidents where he was doxed and received death threats, forcing him to relocate temporarily, while noting that reporting mechanisms often provide inadequate protection for LGBTQ+ individuals in Ghana. He emphasized that both stronger digital safety protections and fundamental legal reforms are needed to protect LGBTQ+ Ghanaians both online and offline.

Investigative journalists imprisoned in Azerbaijan are facing severe conditions and retaliation for reporting on prison system corruption. Several Abzas Media journalists, including Sevinc Vagifgizi who was sentenced to nine years, have documented deplorable living conditions within facilities, where basic amenities like fans, refrigerators, and clean water are scarce despite the government allocating approximately USD 115 million to the penitentiary service in 2025. When the journalists began a hunger strike to protest these conditions and demand compliance with a court order, prison authorities responded by transferring them to worse cells, physically assaulting at least one journalist, and restricting water access for all inmates. The situation highlights how Azerbaijan's prison system weaponizes basic human rights while simultaneously receiving significant funding from both the government and European organizations.

Arzu Geybulla reflects on her experiences as an exile who left Azerbaijan and now lives in Istanbul, Turkey. She describes the disorientation of constant movement, the sensory memories of her homeland, and the feeling of not truly belonging anywhere. As a journalist scheduled to speak at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe about human rights in Azerbaijan, she struggles with her identity and relationship to her birthplace. Geybulla ultimately rejects rigid notions of national identity, embracing instead a nomadic existence defined by lived experiences rather than nationality or ethnicity.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a devastating conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), creating one of the world's most overlooked humanitarian crises. According to various organizations including the IOM and NRC, between 10-15 million people have been internally displaced, with an additional 11 million fleeing to neighboring countries like Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia. The conflict has destroyed civilian infrastructure, targeted hospitals, and created severe food insecurity, with UNICEF reporting over 14 million children in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, including 4 million suffering from acute malnutrition. Despite the catastrophic scale of this crisis, international attention remains limited due to global attention fatigue from other conflicts and a lack of Western geopolitical interests in Sudan, while diplomatic efforts to establish ceasefires have repeatedly failed.

Istanbul's mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has been convicted and sentenced to one year and seven months in prison for allegedly insulting and threatening Istanbul's Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek. This conviction represents part of what rights groups describe as a systematic campaign against Turkey's opposition, particularly targeting the Republican People's Party (CHP) members ahead of the 2028 elections. İmamoğlu's legal troubles began with an investigation launched in January, followed by his detention in March just as he was positioned to become the CHP's presidential candidate. The case is part of a broader pattern affecting numerous CHP mayors who have been suspended from office amid allegations of corruption, while the party itself faces an internal legal challenge that threatens its current leadership structure.

Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, is currently experiencing a severe wave of viral fevers affecting nearly every household, overwhelming hospitals and clinics. Social media platforms like Facebook showcase countless personal accounts of individuals suffering from extreme fever symptoms, including temperatures reaching 103-104 degrees Fahrenheit, severe headaches, and debilitating body aches. The current monsoon season with its erratic weather patterns has created ideal conditions for viral infections, with experts identifying multiple causes including mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya, COVID-19 variants, common influenza, respiratory infections, and waterborne diseases. Beyond the viral fever outbreak, dengue cases are also increasing significantly, with over 16,000 cases and 60 deaths reported in the first half of 2023, and experts predict the situation may worsen in the coming months.

Bangladesh's Constitution Reform Commission has proposed new reforms that notably omit the terms "socialism" and "secularism" from the preamble, suggesting "equality, human dignity, and social justice" as guiding principles instead. This debate parallels similar constitutional discussions in neighboring India, where the ruling BJP party has advocated for removing these same terms, reflecting broader tensions about religion's role in politics. Both countries share complex histories with these constitutional terms - in India, they were added during the controversial 1976 Emergency period, while in Bangladesh, "secularism" was removed in 1977, restored in 2011, yet Islam remains the state religion. The current reform proposals in Bangladesh appear to seek a middle ground while acknowledging the country's pluralistic character.

of "Inside Kenya's Blacked Out Protest" Kenya has experienced its deadliest protest period since demonstrations began in June 2024 against the controversial Finance Bill 2024, with at least 100 people killed across three major waves of violence. The "Gen Z Protests" erupted when young Kenyans, facing 67% unemployment rates, demonstrated against what they called "taxation without jobs," leading to police responding with tear gas, water cannons, and live ammunition. The most recent surge occurred during the July 7 "Saba Saba" anniversary marches, resulting in 38 deaths across seventeen counties, including two children. Government officials, including President Ruto, have characterized the protests as a "coup attempt" and authorized escalating force, while human rights organizations have condemned the killings as "extrajudicial" and demanded independent investigations.

In Senegal, the recent political transition to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko's administration has resulted in a significant regression in women's representation in government, with female ministers reduced from seven to just four (13.3% of positions). Adding to concerns, the government renamed the Ministry of Women, Family, and Child Protection to the Ministry of Family and Solidarities without consultation, sparking protests from feminist organizations. Despite Senegal's previous progress in gender equality, including the 2010 gender parity law, this backward step reflects a global trend where women's rights often regress during regime changes. Advocates argue that excluding qualified Senegalese women from decision-making positions hampers national development, with research showing gender inequality costs Africa 7.5% of its GDP.

The case of "Nanjing Sister Hong" has ignited widespread discussion across China about gender inequality and sexual exploitation in the digital age. Police in Nanjing arrested a 38-year-old man named Chao who had posed as a woman, offering free sexual encounters to men while secretly recording these interactions with hidden cameras and selling the videos online for profit. At least 237 male victims have been identified, though the actual number may exceed 1,000 based on video sales records. Rather than receiving sympathy, victims have faced public shaming and doxxing on social media, highlighting complex social issues around sexual repression, masculinity expectations, and China's significant gender imbalance of 34.9 million more men than women.

Nigeria faces a troubling rise in jungle justice incidents, with Amnesty International documenting at least 555 cases between 2012 and 2023. This form of extrajudicial punishment carried out by mobs involves public shaming, beatings, torture, or killings based on mere suspicion without evidence or trial. Despite the brutality, some Nigerians justify it as a necessary response to police corruption, delayed justice, and perceived impunity in the legal system. Experts attribute the persistence of jungle justice to crowd psychology, poverty, ignorance, and an inadequate police force of fewer than 400,000 personnel serving over 200 million people, making reform of the justice system and stronger accountability crucial to addressing this issue.

Myanmar's military junta recently hosted a "Peace Forum" and is preparing for elections in late 2025 or early 2026, despite widespread distrust among citizens. The three-day forum in Naypyitaw excluded resistance forces and ethnic armed organizations actively fighting the regime, while continuing military airstrikes in various regions. The junta claims it will hold elections in 267 townships, though it only controls 32% of Myanmar's townships according to the civilian National Unity Government. Many citizens, including internally displaced persons and those who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement, believe neither genuine peace nor fair elections are possible under military rule.