International
The EU urges Georgia to withdraw the law on foreign agents that harms its rapprochement with the EU
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign and Security Affairs, Josep Borrell, with the support of the European Commission, urged Georgia on Wednesday to withdraw its controversial law on foreign agents, considering that it harms its progress towards the EU.
After the approval of this law on Tuesday in the Georgian Parliament, the EU issued a statement by Borrell that could not be on behalf of the Twenty-seven due to the veto of Hungary and Slovakia, European sources told EFE.
Brussels issued a first statement signed by Borrell and the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, the Hungarian Olivér Várhelyi, and later published a second with the only rubric of the head of European diplomacy, supported by the whole of the college of commissioners.
European sources assured that the publication of the first text was due to an error.
“The approval of this law has a negative impact on Georgia’s progress on the EU path. The decision on the way forward is in the hands of Georgia,” the statement emphasized.
In that context, the Georgian authorities were urged “to withdraw the law, maintain their commitment to the EU path and move forward in the necessary detailed reforms.”
The statement also assured that the EU is willing to continue supporting Georgians who work for a European future.
“The EU is on the side of the Georgian people and their election in favor of democracy and the European future of Georgia,” the text stressed.
The statement states that “intimidation, threats and physical aggressions of civil society representatives, political leaders and journalists, as well as their families, are unacceptable” and calls on the Georgian authorities to investigate these “documented acts.”
He recalls that the European Council granted Georgia the status of candidate for accession, understanding that the country would adopt the nine relevant measures that the European Commission established last November.
These steps require that human rights be protected and that civil society and the media can operate freely, they added.
The measures also refer to the need for depolarization and the fight against disinformation.
However, and “despite the great protests and the unequivocal appeals of the international community,” the ruling majority of the Georgian Government has approved the law in Parliament, in third reading, the statement said.
“The EU has clearly and repeatedly declared that the spirit and content of the law do not conform to the fundamental rules and values of the EU.”
In his opinion, that legislation will undermine the work of civil society and the independent media, while freedom of association and freedom of expression are fundamental rights at the core of Georgia’s commitments as part of the association agreement with the EU and any way of joining the community club.
The Georgian Parliament approved the law on foreign agents on Tuesday despite the protests of the opposition and the West, which compare it to the Russian regulations that the Kremlin uses to silence the opposition, in a new twist of tensions in this Caucasian country.
The controversial legislation, promoted by the Georgian Dream government party and whose official name is “On the transparency of foreign influence,” was approved with 84 votes in favor and 30 votes against.
The president of Georgia, Salomé Zurabishvili, announced on Wednesday that she has created and will soon present a “European platform” to prevent the country from returning to the past.
“I have formed a European platform of common solutions that will mobilize Georgia for the parliamentary elections,” the president said at a press conference, alluding to the elections on October 26.
Zurabishvili made this announcement in a joint appearance with the heads of the diplomacies of Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, who arrived in Tbilisi today on a working visit as representatives of the European Union, who harshly criticized the “Russian law” approved the day before by Parliament.
“This platform will allow us to win the elections and finally put Georgia on the path of peace and stability,” said the president, who stressed her initiative to “save the country from returning to the past.”
Zurabishvili stressed that “between 80 and 85 percent of Georgian society supports the European future (of the country), as can be seen in the protests against the law ‘On the transparency of foreign influence’.”
“It’s about saving Georgia. The approval of this law is an attempt to return Georgia to the past. The authorities don’t listen to their people, they don’t listen to the advice of their Western partners,” he stressed.
The president confirmed that she will veto the regulation, which the opposition calls “Russian law” because of its similarity to that applied in Russia to persecute and silence the opposition.
NATO said on Wednesday that the approval in the Parliament of Georgia of the controversial law on foreign agents keeps the country away from integration into the European Union and the transatlantic area, and urged it to change course.
“The decision of the Georgian Government to approve legislation on the so-called ‘foreign agents’ is a step in the wrong direction and moves Georgia away from European and Euro-Atlantic integration,” said the spokeswoman of the Atlantic Alliance, Farah Dakhlallah through social network X.
In that context, the Allied spokeswoman urged Georgia to “change course and respect the right to peaceful protest.”
The Georgian Parliament approved the law on foreign agents on Tuesday despite the protests of the opposition and the West, which compare it to the Russian regulations that the Kremlin uses to silence the opposition, in a new twist of tensions in this Caucasian country.
The controversial legislation, promoted by the Georgian Dream government party and whose official name is “On the transparency of foreign influence,” was approved with 84 votes in favor and 30 votes against.
Georgia has aspirations to join the European Union and NATO.
In 2008, the leaders of the Alliance agreed at their summit in Bucharest that Georgia, like Ukraine, will be members of NATO when they are prepared for it.
International
FBI Says It Disrupted Alleged Plot Targeting White House During UFC Event
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced Tuesday that it had disrupted an alleged plot to attack the White House during a major Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event held in Washington over the weekend.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the threat was identified on June 10 through a joint investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. According to Patel, swift action by authorities led to the arrest of several suspects before the alleged plan could be carried out.
“On June 10, the FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat targeting UFC America 250 in Washington. Thanks to the rapid response of the FBI and our partners, multiple individuals are now in custody, and the alleged attack plans were stopped before they could be executed,” Patel said.
He emphasized that the operation demonstrated the ability of security agencies to detect and prevent potential threats at large public gatherings. Patel added that the investigation remains ongoing and that additional details will be released as court proceedings move forward.
According to reports from U.S. media outlets, five individuals have been arrested so far. The suspects were identified as Tycen Proper of Ohio, Daniel Eskridge of Missouri, Abraham Hermosillo Álvarez of Nebraska, and Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas, both from California. Authorities are also investigating the possible involvement of 18 additional individuals.
Investigators allege that the plot involved the use of drones equipped with explosives to target buildings near the sporting event. The plan reportedly sought to trigger a mass evacuation and direct attendees toward areas where snipers were allegedly positioned. Authorities further claim that a second phase of the operation included an attempted assault on the White House.
The U.S. Secret Service confirmed that it worked closely with the FBI throughout the operation. Secret Service Director Sean Curran stated that security teams conducted extensive efforts to identify those involved and eliminate any threat to attendees and protected facilities.
The investigation reportedly uncovered communications conducted through the messaging application Signal, where several suspects allegedly discussed details related to the planned attack. A forensic analysis of one of the seized mobile phones revealed at least 23 users participating in conversations connected to the alleged planning activities.
Court documents also indicate that some of the suspects allegedly intended to target U.S. political figures. Among the reported targets were members of Congress who had received contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Investigators further stated that one of the primary suspects had posted antisemitic messages and expressions of support for Adolf Hitler on social media, evidence that is now part of the ongoing judicial investigation.
International
Brazil helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro kills six, including pilots and international figures
The Rio de Janeiro Civil Police confirmed on Monday the identities of three of the six victims killed in a helicopter collision that occurred the previous morning in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood.
All three identified victims are Brazilian nationals: the pilots of the aircraft, Charles Marsillac and Alexandre Souza, and music producer Lucas Brito.
The identities of the three foreign victims have not yet been officially confirmed. They include U.S. singer Oliver Tree, Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim—known online as “Gaspi”—and Argentine producer Lucas Vignale, all of whom were listed on the flight manifest.
According to police, forensic experts from the Legal Medical Institute have already collected DNA samples in order to identify the foreign victims, whose bodies were severely burned.
One of the helicopters crashed into a private parking lot, triggering a fire that destroyed around twenty electric vehicles. That aircraft was carrying the pilot and four passengers, including the three foreign nationals.
The second helicopter, which had only the pilot on board, crashed approximately 100 meters away from the first impact site.
Rio de Janeiro’s deputy mayor, Eduardo Cavaliere, stated that both helicopters were operating transport flights toward Angra dos Reis on the Rio coastline and toward the mountainous region of the state.
Oliver Tree, 32, was in Brazil as part of an international tour. The artist, known for songs such as “Life Goes On” and “Miss You,” had performed to a large audience in São Paulo a week earlier and was scheduled to continue his tour in Europe.
Argentine content creator Gaspar Prim, 23, had built a following of more than two million on social media platforms, gaining popularity for humorous and often controversial video productions that had occasionally been removed by hosting platforms.
International
Mexico and U.S. Launch New Bilateral Security Group to Combat Fentanyl and Organized Crime
The governments of Mexico and the United States officially launched the Bilateral Implementation Group (BIG) on Friday, a new initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation on security issues and enhancing joint efforts against transnational crime.
In a statement, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson announced that he and Deputy Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco addressed officials from both countries who will lead what he described as a “new phase of bilateral cooperation.” The initiative seeks to curb the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, illegal firearms, and human trafficking across the shared border.
Earlier this week, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had confirmed that senior security officials from both nations would meet in Mexico City on June 12 to review and advance existing cooperation agreements.
Through social media, Ambassador Johnson explained that the new bilateral group is designed to improve coordination between the two governments by placing greater emphasis on implementation, accountability, and measurable results. The effort will also focus on combating transnational criminal organizations operating across North America.
“The participation of 15 U.S. government agencies, working alongside their Mexican counterparts, reflects the seriousness of this effort and our shared commitment to delivering measurable results,” Johnson said.
The ambassador also highlighted several achievements that he attributed to ongoing bilateral cooperation. According to Johnson, maritime drug trafficking into the United States has declined by more than 95 percent, while overdose deaths have fallen by 35 percent.
He further noted that Mexican authorities have seized more than 400 metric tons of illegal drugs and dismantled over 2,300 clandestine laboratories as part of their efforts to combat organized crime and narcotics production.
The launch of the Bilateral Implementation Group marks the latest step in the security partnership between Mexico and the United States, as both countries seek to address shared challenges related to drug trafficking, arms smuggling, human trafficking, and the activities of criminal networks operating across the region.
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