World Briefing – ZEG Festival Tbilisi Edition: "The Ground Is Shifting Beneath Us"
From Russian aggression and creeping authoritarianism to the waning influence of Western democracies, the global balance is shifting — and Georgia, like many frontline states, sits at the crossroads
Reporting from Georgia, where I’m attending the ZEG Storytelling Festival — a gathering of truth-tellers, artists, and thinkers in a country where Russia still occupies at least 20% of the territory and steadily expands its influence.
Against this backdrop, it feels increasingly clear: the rules-based international order is in free fall. From Russian aggression and creeping authoritarianism to the waning influence of Western democracies, the global balance is shifting — and Georgia, like many frontline states, sits at the crossroads of that change.
Some main lines from Day One of the festival….
The handcuffing of a US Senator at a news conference could be a signal of the direction America is headed, renowned economist Joseph Stiglitz said (Democratic US Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a news conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles on Thursday and placed in handcuffs). He said the Republican Party “has given up on democracy.”
Incredibly life expectancy in the US is in decline, says Stiglitz. Just as the country is slammed with funding cuts for medical research and other preventative measures
Ukrainian philosopher Volodymyr Yermolenko: “The mistake was to take freedom for granted…..You have to go to the gym to train your body. You have to go to the gym to train your mind and muscles for freedom.”
American journalists needs to adopt a more militant approach to counter the daily assault of the Trump administration on media freedoms and the media’s reputation
Major media should investigate deeper story telling collaboration with aid organizations - particularly those which have access to conflict zones. Howevr standards and practices need to be established
We live in a time where AI is sold to us as the major revolution — and we need to challenge that narrative. It’s a narrative sold to us by the AI companies themselves and we can’t just take it at face value.” Clém Pouré, independent journalist
“Part of why we are in this polarized society is that journalism has been presenting one side, not showing nuance, and so the audience doesn’t have an understanding of the complexity of things.” - Claudia Milne, chief of standards at CBS
Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena: “Where there is disaster, there is opportunity. Use reconstruction as a moment to create a more resilient future. To change things that you would never usually have the chance to change.”
**Due to the heavy news cycle in the past 24 hours, World Briefing was not published yesterday but will be published in full over the weekend….
Families of the victims of India’s deadliest aviation disaster in decades lined up at the main hospital in the western city of Ahmedabad early Friday, ready to offer DNA samples that could help identify the bodies of loved ones they had seen off less than a day before. The cruel but necessary exercise, which began hours after the crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London on Thursday afternoon, continued overnight as a clearer sense of the devastation began to emerge. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ahmedabad, which is the capital of his home state of Gujarat, to survey the scene and visit those injured when the plane crashed into a building. Officials say that at least 269 people died in the crash of Flight AI171 and its aftermath, cautioning that the death toll could rise as emergency teams continue to comb through the site of the devastation. In addition to 241 passengers and crew, dozens perished as they were caught in the path of a plane that began descending on the dining hall of a nearby college seconds after takeoff from a nearby airport, before exploding into flames on the ground.
Watch my explainer video below, recorded at Istanbul Airport shortly after the crash of Flight AI171. It has had almost 100K views on TikTok
Israel has carried out strikes on nuclear sites in Iran, the IDF has said, with blasts heard in Tehran. The strikes were part of Operation Rising Lion, Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu says, adding Iran was a threat to "Israel's very survival" Israel has declared a state of emergency, saying the country expected counter-attacks "in the immediate future" Iranian state TV said residential areas in Tehran were hit and civilians were among those killed - including children - though this could not be independently verified Iran has accused the US of supporting Israel's attack, which US strongly denies. US President Trump told Fox News he was aware of the strikes beforehand but emphasised that the US played no part. International reaction has begun pouring in, with Australia saying it was "alarmed" by the escalation and the UN calling for both sides to show "maximum restraint" - BBC
U.S. President Trump’s first post on Truth Social since Israel’s strikes against Iran: “I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to “just do it,” but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done…”
Hossein Salami, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed in Israel's strikes early on Friday, the most senior Iranian leader to die in the attacks. Salami, who was 65, was known for taking a hardline stance against Iran's rivals, including Israel and the US. Just last month, he had warned that Tehran would "open the gates of hell" if attacked by either country - BBC
Airlines steered clear of much of the Middle East on Friday after Israeli attacks on Iranian sites forced carriers to cancel or divert thousands of flights in the latest upheaval to travel in the region. Proliferating conflict zones around the world are becoming an increasing burden on airline operations and profitability, and more of a safety concern. Detours add to airlines' fuel costs and lengthen journey times. Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport was closed and Israel's air defence units stood on high alert for possible retaliatory strikes from Iran. Israel's El Al Airlines (ELAL.TA), opens new tab said it had suspended flights to and from Israel as did Air France KLM (AIRF.PA), opens new tab and budget carriers Ryanair (RYA.I), opens new tab and Wizz (WIZZ.L), opens new tab. Wizz said it had re-routed flights affected by closed airspace in the region for the next 72 hours. Israeli airlines El Al, Israir (ISRG.TA), opens new tab and Arkia were moving planes out of the country - Reuters
A wave of drone attacks targeted several city districts in Kharkiv Ukraine overnight, damaging residential buildings and a schoolyard where a drone landed and shattering windows, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. At least 15 people were wounded, including children aged 2, 12, 16, and 17, and five of the wounded victims were hospitalized, police said. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military said it had struck an electronics factory outside Moscow. In a Telegram post, the Armed Forces General Staff said recorded explosions at the Rezonit plant, which it said manufactures electronics widely used in high-tech weapons and equipment production. The claims could not immediately be verified - BBC
China’s national security authorities in Hong Kong and the city’s police launched their first publicly known joint operation, raiding the homes of six people on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security. The police’s statement on late Thursday did not disclose the identity of the six people suspected of breaking the 2020 Beijing-imposed national security law between November 2020 and June 2024. Beyond their homes, officers searched the office of the organization involved and seized exhibits such as bank documents and devices for further investigation, according to the statement. The six people were required to surrender their travel documents. Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong also had requested assistance from the city’s national security police, including in arranging interviews with the people in the case, the police said. But the local force did not elaborate details of their accusations and which organization it was, saying the investigation was still underway. - AP
In a late-night order Thursday, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals paused a court order that would have required President Trump to return control of the thousands of California National Guard troops in Los Angeles to Gov. Gavin Newsom. The 9th Circuit’s emergency stay came hours after U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer of San Francisco ruled that Trump broke the law when he mobilized thousands of Guard members amid protests over immigration raids, and must return the troops to state control by noon Friday. Separately, Newsom said Trump “can’t push this state any longer” after a federal judge ruled the president must return control of the California National Guard. “Today’s order makes clear that he is not above or beyond constitutional constraints,” Newsom said in a press conference just minutes after the order was issued. “Today was really about a test of democracy and today, we passed that test.” - LA Times
Cambodia announced that it will cease importing electricity and internet from Thailand, confirming that Phnom Penh now has sufficient electricity and internet capacity to meet the needs of the country’s population. This announcement followed the implementation of control measures by the Royal Thai Army at Thai-Cambodian border crossings, which came in response to tensions in the Chong Bok area of Ubon Ratchathani province on May 28. Thailand’s measures, which range from moderate to severe in accordance with international standards, include the final step of cutting off electricity and internet supplies to Cambodia - The Nation
The journals…
