World
The Take: What’s behind Georgia’s ‘foreign agents’ protests?
PodcastPodcast, The Take
Police in Tbilisi crack down on protesters as tens of thousands rally to oppose a controversial ‘foreign influence’ bill.
Protesters are calling it the “Russian law” – a bill in Georgia’s parliament that, if passed, would label any organisation with more than 20 percent foreign funding as a foreign agent. The bill has sparked widespread protests. Supporters say it protects Georgian sovereignty. How will it affect whether this small former Soviet republic leans towards Russia or towards the EU?
In this episode:
- Yulia Shapovalova (@Yulisha), Al Jazeera correspondent
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan and Sarí el-Khalili with our host Kevin Hirten, in for Malika Bilal. Tabish Talib and Manahil Naveed fact-checked this episode.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.
Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.
Connect with us:
@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube
new video loaded: First Round of U.S.-Iran Talks End, Mediators Say
transcript
transcript
First Round of U.S.-Iran Talks End, Mediators Say
The first round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran in Switzerland ended with a “roadmap” to reach a final deal within 60 days, Pakistani and Qatari mediators said.
-
Can we turn over a new leaf? Can we change relations in the Middle East permanently? Or, do we go back to doing things the old way, which is not our preference, but is certainly very much something that can happen. Thank you all for being here.
By Jiwoong Hong
June 22, 2026
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The U.S. military on Sunday announced a lethal strike on another vessel in the Caribbean carrying alleged narco-traffickers, killing two people.
The U.S. Southern Command said it conducted a “lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” at the direction of the leader of the Southern Command, Gen. Francis L. Donovan of the Marine Corps.
The military claimed, citing intelligence, that the vessel “was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.”
ALLEGED NARCO-TERRORISTS KILLED AS US FORCES STRIKE SUSPECTED DRUG-TRAFFICKING VESSEL IN CARIBBEAN
A U.S. military strike on a vessel in the Caribbean on June 21, 2026. (U.S. Southern Command)
There were six male survivors in addition to the two men killed in the strike.
“Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors,” the military said.
This is the latest attack that the Trump administration has said was launched in an attempt to eliminate alleged narco-terrorists, with the death toll in these strikes carried out since September sitting at more than 200.
The military claimed, citing intelligence, that the vessel “was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.” (U.S. Southern Command)
The Pentagon has refused to release the identities of those killed in the strikes since last fall or provide evidence of drugs on board.
The administration has been scrutinized in recent months over the strikes by Democrats and even some Republicans, including Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has raised concerns about killing people without due process and the possibility of killing innocent people.
RAND PAUL SAYS GOP COLLEAGUES ‘DON’T GIVE A S‑‑T ABOUT THESE PEOPLE IN THE BOATS’: THEY ‘SAY THEY’RE PRO-LIFE’
The Pentagon has refused to release the identities of those killed in the strikes since last fall or provide evidence of drugs on board. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
“I look at my colleagues who say they’re pro-life, and they value God’s inspiration in life, but they don’t give a s‑‑- about these people in the boats,” Paul said in January. “Are they terrible people in the boats? I don’t know. They’re probably poor people in Venezuela and Colombia.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The senator previously cited Coast Guard statistics that show a significant percentage of boats boarded on suspicion of drug trafficking are innocent.
The attacks have also been denounced by human rights groups as “extrajudicial killings.”
In this newsletter: A high-ranking EU official visits Jerusalem on Monday, exposing a vacuum of information about the trip; UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to lay-out how he will vacate Number 10 Downing Street; plus, the EU-Moldova summit gets underway in the Belgian capital.
-
North Dakota1 minute ago‘North Dakota 250 Road Trip’ exhibit opens July 1
-
Ohio7 minutes agoCentral Ohio lakes offer strong fishing for summer anglers
-
Oklahoma14 minutes agoWhat channel is Oklahoma vs North Carolina on today? Time, TV schedule for CWS finals
-
Oregon16 minutes ago
Oregon Lottery Pick 4 results for June 21
-
Pennsylvania22 minutes agoRestaurant inspections from Monroe County, June 8-14
-
Rhode Island29 minutes ago‘Wallace the Brave’ creator draws on R.I. roots for beloved comic strip – The Boston Globe
-
South-Carolina31 minutes agoShane Beamer gets the hot seat talk at South Carolina but won’t let it change him
-
South Dakota37 minutes agoArgus Leader Starting 9: South Dakota’s best softball players
