Exile+

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mohammad Dahlan, the exiled Fatah strongman long sidelined from Palestinian politics, is being described as suddenly central to discussions over who will govern Gaza after the war. The Jerusalem Post examines why the former Gaza security chief, now based in the UAE and backed by Arab patrons, is back in play as rival factions and regional powers weigh postwar arrangements.

Nicaragua's government has announced it will leave the Central American Parliament, the regional legislative body it helped found. The move comes as the country remains increasingly isolated in Latin America over its crackdown on human rights, including the imprisonment and exile of opposition figures and the revocation of citizenship for critics of President Daniel Ortega's administration.

A group of exiled academics has opened an exhibition in Winchester highlighting executions and human rights abuses in Iran. The event aims to draw public attention to repression under Iran's authorities and to amplify the voices of those forced to flee the country. Visitors are being shown material documenting executions and rights violations.

A New York Times opinion essay explores the experience of Belarusian exile through the idea of returning home every day despite displacement. The author, forced out of Belarus, uses the concept of 'portals' to describe how exiles remain emotionally connected to a country they cannot physically re-enter. The piece reflects on the wider condition of Belarusians displaced by the political situation and questions what exile and belonging mean when home remains out of reach.

Carles Puigdemont, the exiled separatist leader who led Catalonia's unilateral independence push in 2017, is expected to return to Spain after years abroad, most recently in Belgium. The Guardian reports he would come back to a Catalonia transformed politically, with independence support waning and a new generation of regional leaders in place. Observers are weighing what legal and political reception awaits him.

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 new 2026 survey ranking celebrities whose origins in Aomori Prefecture surprise people is drawing attention. Dancer ELLY of EXILE lands at number two, while the number one spot went to another well-known figure whose Aomori birthplace many fans did not know. The list highlights how some Japanese entertainers' regional roots remain little known despite their fame.

Reports describe the aftermath of a strike on the Kaluga Radiolamp Plant, JSC Voskhod, in Russia. The facility is described as part of Russia's military-industrial complex, producing electronic components used in missile weapons. Images and claims about the damage are circulating, with the plant's role in missile supply chains drawing attention to the strike's potential impact on Russian arms production.

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 new MediaPost column titled 'I'm Out Of Exile: What Getting Burned By AI Taught Me' reflects on a costly experience with artificial intelligence and the lessons drawn from it. The piece is drawing attention among marketing and media professionals weighing the risks of relying on AI tools.

Exiled Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev, who left Russia after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, has made a new film titled 'Minotaur' that takes on Putin's war. The project, reported by Reuters, marks the director's return to feature filmmaking from exile and directly addresses Russia's war against Ukraine. It draws attention as one of the most prominent artistic statements on the conflict by a major Russian director.

Andrey Zvyagintsev, the acclaimed Russian director who left his homeland after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has entered the Oscar race with a film that sharply criticizes Vladimir Putin's war. Now living in exile in Europe, Zvyagintsev has become one of the most prominent artistic voices condemning the conflict, and his awards campaign is drawing attention as a symbol of dissent among Russian cultural figures abroad.

Hong Kong pro-democracy defenders addressed the UN Human Rights Council's 63rd session, highlighting what they describe as transnational repression by Beijing, including pressure and intimidation extended beyond Hong Kong's borders. The intervention came as a number of states renewed their concerns over China's human rights record, keeping Hong Kong on the council's agenda amid ongoing crackdowns on civil society and exile activists.

Filmmaker and writer Josh Greenbaum has a new book, Exiled From Main Street, with a preview now circulating ahead of release. The early look has drawn attention among readers of his work, though details about the plot, publication date and publisher have not yet been made public.

Posts are marking the anniversary of the assassination of Carlos Prats, a minister and army commander under Chilean president Salvador Allende. After the US-backed coup of September 1973, Prats went into exile in Argentina, where he and his wife Sofía Cuthbert were killed by a car bomb on this day in 1974, an attack widely attributed to agents of the Pinochet regime.