Russia has been rocked by the sudden death of transport minister Roman Starovoit, who was found dead from a gunshot wound just hours after being dismissed by Vladimir Putin. With the presumption that he took his own life, this rare occurrence has sparked shock and speculation across Russian media. He had previously served as governor of the Kursk region, where he oversaw the construction of costly but ultimately ineffective defensive fortifications along the Ukrainian border. His former deputy and successor have since been arrested on fraud charges, and some believe Starovoit feared imminent prosecution himself. Analysts have drawn parallels to Soviet-era purges, suggesting the growing sense of fear and repression within Russia’s political elite. State media has downplayed the event, with only brief mention on national television. But for Russia’s governors and ministers, Starovoit’s death sends a chilling signal: in today’s political climate, even stepping down can come with grave consequences.
Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer are engaged in critical talks aimed at curbing illegal Channel crossings in small boats. During Macron’s historic state visit to the UK, the first by a French president since 2008, the two leaders are negotiating enhanced border enforcement, including a ‘one in, one out’ migrant returns deal. The plan would allow the UK to return asylum seekers to France in exchange for accepting migrants with family ties in Britain. Macron stressed the importance of EU-level cooperation and reaffirmed the shared responsibility to combat irregular migration with humanity and fairness. Talks also include expanding French police powers to stop boats in shallow waters - a shift already showing signs of implementation. Despite optimism, challenges remain, including opposition from some EU countries. Small boat arrivals in the UK reached a record high in the first half of 2025, which underscores the urgency of finding ways of curbing the flow. Both nations hope for tangible progress in their joint response to people-smuggling networks.
A deepening rift between prime minister Nikol Pashinyan and the Apostolic Church, is threatening to polarise the nation of three million. Tensions erupted after Pashinyan accused Catholicos Karekin II, the Church’s spiritual head, of fathering a child and supporting a coup plot, allegations Karekin denies. The conflict, rooted partly in fallout from Armenia’s 2020 defeat in the Nagorno-Karabakh war, has escalated with arrests of senior clergy and opposition figures, sparking alarms over religious freedom and national unity. Church bells rang an alarm at St Echmiadzin, historically reserved for invasions, signalling the detention of Archbishop Mikael Adjapakhyan, who was later arrested alongside others accused of plotting a coup. The dispute intertwines personal grievances, political rivalries, and historical tensions linked to the powerful 'Karabakh clan'. The World Council of Churches has voiced deep concern, calling for wisdom and justice to prevail. Meanwhile, Armenians fear the confrontation may fracture their society further, both politically and spiritually. See
In the wake of the catastrophic flash floods in Texas on 4 July, governor Greg Abbott has said that at least 109 people are confirmed dead and 161 are still missing. Among the missing are five children and a counsellor from Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian girls’ summer camp, where 27 lives were lost. Torrential rains caused the Guadalupe River to rise by eight metres in under an hour, turning areas like Kerrville and nearby counties into disaster zones. The devastation at Camp Mystic was profound, with personal belongings strewn across muddy grounds. Survivors recounted harrowing rescues, including airlifts and children escaping through cabin windows. Ten-year-old Lucy Kennedy recalled sensing danger before the flooding began and was later reunited with her mother, who also lost their home in the disaster. Amidst political disputes over emergency preparedness and federal weather service funding, Texas communities are grieving, searching, and beginning the long road to recovery from one of the deadliest flash floods in recent memory. For more information about Camp Mystic, see
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for two senior Taliban figures - supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani - accusing them of crimes against humanity through systematic gender-based persecution. Since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, girls have been banned from education beyond sixth grade, women forced into veiling and isolation, and LGBTQ individuals have also been targeted. This is the first time an international tribunal has legally recognised LGBTQ people as victims of gender-based crimes against humanity. Though the Taliban dismissed the warrants as fuelled by ‘enmity and hatred for the pure religion of Islam’, international rights groups have praised the move as a historic and necessary step toward accountability and justice for the victims of ongoing gender-based oppression in Afghanistan. The decision came the day after the UN General Assembly expressed ‘serious concern about the widespread and systematic oppression of all women and girls in Afghanistan’, and called for the Taliban to ‘swiftly reverse these policies’.
A full year has passed since Guinean activists Oumar Sylla (known as Foniké Menguè) and Mamadou Billo Bah were forcibly disappeared on 9 July 2024, with no word on their whereabouts. Arrested by armed men in Conakry and reportedly taken to the Loos archipelago, the two members of the now-banned National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC) are believed to have endured torture and secret detention. Their case reflects a troubling rise in forced disappearances under Guinea’s ruling junta, which human rights organisations describe as a ‘climate of terror.’ Other victims include civil society leader Abdoul Sacko - abducted, tortured, and abandoned in the bush - and lawyer Mohamed Traoré, also abducted and abused. Despite initial promises of investigations, authorities have remained silent. Amnesty International has called for immediate and transparent inquiries, but families continue to wait in anguish. As hope fades, the international community is urged to demand accountability for Guinea’s growing list of enforced disappearances.
Suriname: first woman president faces challenges
10 Jul 2025
Jennifer Geerlings-Simons has made history as Suriname’s first female president, elected amid political and economic turmoil. The 71-year-old physician and lawmaker was backed by a two-thirds parliamentary vote after inconclusive May elections and growing dissatisfaction with outgoing president Chandrikapersad Santokhi’s austerity measures; his administration has also faced corruption allegations. Geerlings-Simons, who ran unopposed, will assume office on 16 July along with her running mate Gregory Rusland. She inherits a nation burdened by debt, economic instability, and public frustration, but one with the hopeful prospect of offshore oil production starting in 2028. Her administration has pledged to stabilise state finances through stricter tax enforcement, but economists warn of a difficult path ahead, with debt repayments nearing $400 million annually. As Suriname approaches its 50th year of independence, the country (which is one of the continent’s poorest nations, with a rich ethnic tapestry) looks to Geerlings-Simons for leadership in a time of fragile transition and high expectations.
A leaked audio recording verified by BBC Eye reveals that former prime minister Sheikh Hasina authorised lethal force against student-led protesters during last year’s deadly unrest. In the recording, Hasina is heard instructing security forces to use lethal weapons and to shoot wherever protesters are found. The protests, initially sparked by opposition to civil service job quotas, escalated into a mass movement that led to Hasina's ousting in July 2024, after fifteen years in power. According to UN investigators, up to 1,400 people were killed in what became Bangladesh’s deadliest violence since its 1971 independence war. The leaked call, which has been authenticated by audio forensics experts, occurred on 18 July, as outrage grew over video evidence of police killings. Hasina, now in exile in India, faces charges of crimes against humanity in a special tribunal. The recording is considered a key piece of evidence in the proceedings.