Saudi Crown Prince launches ‘King Salman Gate’ project to add 900,000 praying spaces in Mecca
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has unveiled a major development project near Mecca’s Grand Mosque that will add approximately 900,000 new in...
Georgian police arrested several prominent opposition leaders on Sunday, February 2, 2025, during a large pro-European Union protest in Tbilisi, escalating tensions over the country's stalled EU accession process.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered near a shopping complex on the northern edge of the capital and briefly blocked a major motorway.
Among those detained were Nika Melia, leader of the opposition Coalition for Change, and former Tbilisi Mayor Giorgi Ugulava. Melia was later released on bail after being charged with an administrative offense. Authorities cited a January 31 legislative amendment that classifies blocking highways as a criminal offense, punishable by up to two years in prison under Article 222 of the Criminal Code.
The protest is the latest in a wave of demonstrations that began in November 2024, after the ruling Georgian Dream party announced a suspension of EU accession talks until 2028. The decision has sparked widespread outrage, with opposition groups alleging that the October elections were rigged and accusing the government of steering Georgia back into Russia's sphere of influence.
International condemnation followed swiftly. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas criticized the crackdown, stating, “The brutal repression of peaceful protesters, journalists, and politicians is unacceptable. Georgia falls short of expectations for an EU candidate country.” The U.S. State Department also denounced the excessive use of force, suspending a partnership program with Georgian police.
Unverified videos shared on social media showed police in balaclavas beating protesters, while several demonstrators were seen being carried into ambulances. Protesters chanted slogans like “Fire to the oligarchy” and “No justice, no peace” as they called for new parliamentary elections and the resignation of the government.
The crackdown comes just weeks after the inauguration of President Mikheil Kavelashvili, whose election the opposition claims was illegitimate. The government's shift toward authoritarianism and its decision to freeze EU talks have fueled ongoing unrest in a country where 80% of the population supports European integration.
The arrests and increasing police violence highlight the deepening political crisis in Georgia, a nation caught between its European aspirations and the shadow of Russian influence. The situation remains volatile, with more protests expected in the coming weeks.
Video from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) showed on Friday (19 September) the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting and spewing lava.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
Authorities in California have identified the dismembered body discovered in a Tesla registered to singer D4vd as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been missing from Lake Elsinore since April 2024.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A planned meeting between Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, was abruptly cancelled this week.
The world's largest inland body of water is experiencing an unprecedented environmental catastrophe that threatens to reshape the geopolitical and ecological landscape of Central Asia.
Gold has smashed through the $4,000 mark — a level few thought possible this year. But what’s behind the surge? Is it a sign investors are losing faith in markets, or simply hedging against uncertainty?
Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt is set to reopen for Palestinian movement, though no date has been announced as tensions flare and both sides accuse each other of breaching the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, Israel said on Thursday.
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