There were fistfights in the parliament in the Republic of Georgia as tempers frayed during a debate about a "foreign agents" law. Critics of the legislation say it mirrors a similar draconian law in neighboring Russia.

Chinese students with scholarships are bound by contracts with gagging clauses, but that contravenes the academic freedom guaranteed by Germany's constitution. An investigation by DW and CORRECTIV.

The Georgian government has withdrawn its "foreign agent" bill following massive pressure from the streets. But does that mean the country's a step closer to its long-awaited EU candidacy?

US President Joe Biden has approved a massive oil and gas drilling project in Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve. ConocoPhillips, the company behind the Willow Project, says it will create local investment and thousands of jobs. But the move has sparked significant backlash from environmental groups. We take a closer look.

FRANCE 24 spoke to the former head of Saudi intelligence, Turki al-Faisal, following the announcement that Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations.

Germany's foreign minister says the door to EU candidate status is "wide open" for Georgia. But she stressed the Caucasus country would first need to implement reforms to address concerns over democracy.

Russian forces occupy some 20 percent of Georgia's territory, a consequence of two wars. Officially, Georgia wants to join NATO and the EU; these ambitions are even written into its constitution. But behind the scenes, the country's de facto ruler – oligarch Bidzina Ivanizhvili – is suspected of sabotaging the reforms demanded by Brussels.

The construction of the futuristic green Saudi city of Neom requires the resettlement of tribal people. Those who do not comply with the plans are sentenced to very long prison terms or to death.

Russia's Vladimir Putin has lifted the ban on direct flights with Georgia and introduced a visa-free regime for Georgian nationals. Georgian authorities welcome the initiative; critics see it as "provocation" by Moscow.

The biggest war in Europe since 1945 has prompted several countries to try to speed up their integration with the West. Those include Ukraine itself but also nations in the western Balkans, as well as Moldova and Georgia, which has been knocking on NATO's door for many years. The former Soviet Republic applied for EU membership in March 2022, although it has not yet been given candidate status.

The EU wants to import green electricity from Georgia as part of a move to make the country less dependent on Russia and help the bloc meet its climate targets.

The populist party stopped short of calling for Germany to leave the EU. Instead, the AfD proposed a "federation of European nations" that preserves the members' sovereignty.