Global upheavals overnight: Protests, floods, strikes, and high-level talks

While the world was asleep, several significant events unfolded from Wednesday to Thursday, as reported by international news agencies.

• Protests escalate in Tbilisi over "foreign influence" legislation. On Wednesday evening, around 20,000 individuals demonstrated in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital. The protest was aimed against the proposed transparency law regarding foreign influence, dubbed by critics as the foreign agents' law. This legislation received preliminary approval in the Georgian parliament the previous day. Protesters converged on the parliamentary building before marching towards the prime minister's office, demanding an audience. "No to Russian law!" was the rallying cry among attendees. Interpress news agency additionally noted that similar protests were staged in various cities across Georgia, including the sizable city of Batumi, marking the third consecutive day of demonstrations. Over the preceding days, these protests saw arrests, police deploying tear gas, and reports of assaults on journalists and protesters.

• Dubai battles ongoing flood crisis; stranded passengers face shortages. The aftermath of severe rainstorms continues challenging the United Arab Emirates, leading to substantial flooding. Dubai International Airport, in particular, faces operational disruptions, reports Reuters. Flooding of the airport's runway on Tuesday caused numerous flight cancellations and delays. Despite Terminal 1 — mainly serving international flights — being reopened Thursday morning, delays persist. Emirates, the region's largest airline, announced the resumption of check-ins in Dubai on Thursday morning. However, Reuters highlighted difficulties in managing food supplies for passengers stranded due to roads blocked by the floodwaters.

• Ukrainian forces strike military airport in occupied Crimea, announces Zelensky. A precision strike targeted the military airport in Dzhankoy, Crimea – territory under Russian control – as disclosed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a Wednesday evening video address. "I would also like to thank everyone in our Armed Forces of Ukraine who is preparing special operations - especially important operations, extremely important operations that destroy the equipment of the Russian army, their combat infrastructure," Zelensky stated. He lauded the precision of the attack on Dzhankoy airport and expressed his appreciation to Commander-in-Chief Syrsky for orchestrating the operation. "The occupier has to lose, and each of their losses - is Ukraine's strength," he affirmed.

• EU leaders pledge collective support for Ukraine. In an extraordinary summit in Brussels, 27 European Union leaders concurred on the imperative need to supply Ukraine with air defence capabilities expediently. According to the summit's conclusions, the European Council highlighted the urgency of bolstering military assistance to Ukraine, including the provision of artillery ammunition and missile projectiles. This commitment, however, comes with the stipulation that such support respects individual EU Member States' security and defence policies and the collective security interests of the Union.