EXILE

Crowds of Venezuelans have taken to the streets demanding the return of an exiled opposition leader and fresh presidential elections. Demonstrators are calling for an end to the current government's hold on power and for the results of the disputed 2024 presidential vote to be respected. The rallies reflect continued public anger over the political and economic crisis, with opposition figures urging supporters to keep pressure on authorities despite the risk of arrest and repression.

Demonstrations have broken out in Venezuela, with crowds demanding the return of an exiled opposition leader and calling for presidential elections. Protesters are voicing frustration with the country's political leadership and pushing for a democratic transition, according to regional coverage of the rallies.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office met with human rights defenders to discuss the safety of Belarusians and the accountability of Alexander Lukashenko's regime for ongoing repression. The talks focused on documenting abuses and protecting those targeted inside Belarus and in exile. Rights groups have long pressed for international accountability mechanisms over political persecution in the country.

Nicaraguan journalists forced out of the country are rebuilding their newsrooms from abroad, finding new ways to keep reporting under a government that has shut down independent media at home. Outlets operating in exile are experimenting with new formats and funding models to continue covering Nicaragua. The story highlights both the repression facing press freedom and the resilience of reporters determined not to stop working.

Spain's Supreme Court is consulting parties on whether it must amnesty the embezzlement charges against Carles Puigdemont and other Catalan independence leaders, following a Constitutional Court ruling. The decision could affect the long-running legal case over the 2017 'procés' and Puigdemont's status while in exile. Spanish media are closely tracking what the ruling means for the separatist leader and the amnesty law.

Brazilian senator Flávio Bolsonaro publicly voiced support for federal deputy Rebeca Ramagem, framing her situation as that of a politically persecuted figure forced into exile, away from her home and family. He said the fight is for Brazil and for all the politically persecuted, promising to 'rescue democracy' and declaring that, with faith and strength, Brazil will prevail.

Spain's governing parties are proceeding with a so-called 'intrusive amendment' to the 'ley de nietos', the law restoring Spanish citizenship for descendants of exiles, despite opposition from the Congress's legal advisers. The move, reported by El Confidencial, has drawn criticism over whether the amendment properly fits the bill and over the government pushing it through against parliamentary counsel's objections.

Spain's Supreme Court has given the parties 48 hours to submit arguments before ruling on the appeal concerning the 'Ley de nietos', the law restoring Spanish citizenship to descendants of exiles. Meanwhile, the Association of Diplomats has denounced the government's lack of planning over the law's implementation, adding to criticism as the deadline for applications approaches.

A Spanish Supreme Court judge has lifted the arrest warrant against former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, following a ruling by Spain's Constitutional Court. Puigdemont, who led Catalonia's failed 2017 independence bid and has lived abroad to avoid prosecution, now faces a changed legal landscape in Spain, reigniting debate over the handling of the separatist case.

A widely shared post lists a series of medieval expulsions of Jews from European countries: England in 1290, France in 1306, Germany in 1430, then Spain and Portugal, followed by boycotts in Italy and repeated removals from major European cities. It ends by noting that in 1492, alongside the Spanish expulsion of Jews, Muslims were also expelled. The dates broadly match documented history, and the post is drawing heavy engagement.

Koh-Lanta All Stars is drawing attention in France, with host Denis Brogniart speaking out in defence of the 'island of the banished' used in the show's new all-star edition. The host argued the controversial twist gives eliminated contestants a second chance, telling Télé 7 Jours: 'It's beautiful to have a second chance.' Fans of the long-running survival competition are debating the format change.

Utopia 56, a French association helping migrants and exiles, was targeted by a cyberattack on Thursday evening. The news is circulating among solidarity and migration networks, with supporters sharing the report and expressing concern for the organisation's work and the security of its data.

Emperor Juntoku, the 84th emperor of Japan, died on this day in 1242. He reigned during the Kamakura period and was exiled after the Jokyu Rebellion of 1221, spending his later years on Sado Island. The anniversary is being noted in history and travel circles discussing Japan's imperial past and Shinto heritage sites.

A Thai activist's message that human rights cross borders is drawing attention in Thailand, where rights groups and foreign observers continue to raise concerns about harassment of dissidents and regional cooperation on returning exiles. The statement has become a rallying phrase for those calling on governments across Southeast Asia to protect activists rather than send them back to persecution.

Spain's Constitutional Court has ruled in favour of the leaders of the Catalan independence push, and Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena has lifted the European arrest warrant against Carles Puigdemont. The former Catalan president, who has lived in exile in Belgium since 2017, can now return to Spain without facing immediate arrest, a major development in the long-running 'procés' legal saga.

Former Russian prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov, speaking in Paris, said President Putin made a serious mistake by invading Ukraine and is now unable to admit it. Kasyanov, 68, said Putin relied on flawed reports from his security services that Ukraine was weak and would fall quickly. The remarks add to criticism from exiled Russian opposition figures about the Kremlin's miscalculations in the war.

Brazilian Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes has archived the criminal proceedings against bloggers Oswaldo Eustáquio and Allan dos Santos, citing a lack of evidence. Both men are allies of former president Jair Bolsonaro and had been targets of investigations into alleged disinformation. Dos Santos lives in self-imposed exile in the United States. The decision is drawing reactions across Brazil's political spectrum.

Readers are sharing an 1856 book that claims to identify where the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel ended up after their exile from ancient Assyria. The text, long dismissed by mainstream historians, argues the tribes settled in a specific modern country, and its argument is drawing fresh attention and debate online about the origins of the theory.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil's Supreme Court has closed the investigation into Allan dos Santos and Oswaldo Eustáquio, according to reports from Brazilian outlets. Dos Santos, a pro-Bolsonaro blogger living in exile, has long been a target of inquiries tied to the spread of disinformation. The archived case is drawing attention among supporters and critics of the court.

A French family featured by Le Figaro says it is leaving France for Ireland in what it calls an 'educational exile', citing dissatisfaction with the French school system. The story has drawn wide attention and debate about school conditions, teaching standards and whether families increasingly look abroad for better education options.

A car carrying a Russian serviceman was destroyed in an explosion in Tula Oblast on Monday morning. According to reports shared by the monitoring outlet Exilenova+ and relayed by the translation project WarTranslated, the serviceman was killed in the blast. The attack occurred deep inside Russia, far from the front lines in Ukraine, though no group has claimed responsibility and details about how the explosion was carried out remain unconfirmed.

Emperor Juntoku, the 84th emperor of Japan, died on this day in 1242. He reigned during the Kamakura period, when real power lay with the shogunate, and was exiled after the Jokyu Rebellion of 1221. History enthusiasts are marking the anniversary by revisiting Japan's imperial tombs and medieval history.

Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont is set to return to Spain after a court lifted the arrest warrant that had kept him in exile since the failed 2017 independence bid. The ruling opens the way for his homecoming after years in Belgium, a major development in Spain's long-running dispute over Catalonia's separatist movement.

A new book review in The New York Times covers 'This Cursed Beautiful Land' by Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was detained in Russia for over a year before being released in a 2024 prisoner swap. Attention centres on the book's reception, with readers discussing how the journalist's own experience of imprisonment shapes his writing about land, exile and belonging.

A blog review is drawing attention to the story of Steve Jobs' years after Apple fired him in 1985, when his pride led him to found NeXT. The piece frames NeXT as a company that nearly vindicated him, though it never matched Apple's success. Commenters appear to be revisiting the well-known episode of Jobs' exile and eventual return to Apple.

A Spanish court has ruled in favour of Carles Puigdemont, removing a key legal obstacle to the former Catalan separatist leader's return from years of self-imposed exile abroad. Puigdemont left Spain in 2017 after the failed Catalan independence bid and has faced arrest warrants. The decision is expected to reignite debate over amnesty and the handling of the Catalonia crisis.

Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah and a prominent opposition figure, is drawing renewed attention online. The name is circulating widely in political discussions, with commenters debating his role as a symbolic leader for Iranians calling for change in the country's leadership.

Jalila Haider, a Pakistani human rights lawyer known for defending the rights of the Hazara community in Balochistan, is drawing renewed attention. Haider, who was awarded the Right Livelihood Award in 2020 for her advocacy and was previously exiled after facing harassment for her work, remains a prominent figure in discussions on human rights and persecution of minorities in Pakistan.