Brazen Trump, protest at Stanford and unrest in Kashmir — Weekend

The “big players” of the world stage gathered in France. The world’s most powerful countries discussed what they would change over the next year, whom they would support and whom they would undermine. However, the past three days were remembered not only for negotiations, but also for unexpected statements, awkward jokes by heads of state and the first steps toward ending long-standing hostilities. So, what happened at the G7 summit?

The Tashiyev case is continuing. People close to the former official are being arrested one after another. It would not be surprising if the turn soon reaches the elderly “jackal” himself. At a time when opposition to him within the government is growing, Kamchybek Tashiyev is trying to defend himself in the courtroom. So, will the former friend of Kyrgyzstan’s President be imprisoned or not?

There is unrest in Kashmir. In the Pakistan-controlled part of the region, people have taken to the streets because of internal political disputes. Dozens of people have died, and around a hundred participants have been seriously injured. The region has almost slipped out of control. We will discuss these and other important developments in this edition of QALAMPIR.UZ’s digest.

Graduates’ protest

On June 14 this year, graduates of Stanford University, one of the world’s top five higher education institutions, staged a protest while holding Palestinian flags.

The issue was that during the university’s graduation ceremony, when Google CEO Sundar Pichai took the stage to deliver a speech, about 200 students stood up and left the event. Some students held Palestinian flags, chanted “Free Palestine,” whistled loudly and expressed protest against Google’s cooperation with the Israeli government. In particular, they are said to have criticized Project Nimbus, a cloud technology project launched in 2021 and valued at $1.2 billion. The protest was reportedly organized by groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine and No Tech for Apartheid.

Mahmoud Khalil, who organized last year’s protests at Columbia University and was detained by ICE, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, in 2025, also spoke during the rally.

“A year ago, while my classmates were walking across the stage, I was sitting behind bars. My crime was literally opposing Israel’s genocide in Gaza. My crime was refusing to remain silent,” he said.

In fact, students are the most active part of society. A large part of uprisings in history were also carried out by students. Protests against the situation in Gaza have been held several times at various universities, including Harvard, Yale and Duke, since 2024.

Today, everyone understands how wrong the actions of the Israeli government are and that an entire people is being openly destroyed. However much ordinary people protest, governments remain silent. For this reason, the Israeli authorities led by Netanyahu continue their policy without taking any objections into account. May God give them conscience.

G7

The world’s largest economies gathered in Evian-les-Bains, France, on June 15-17. The Group of Seven countries — the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan — considered issues related to tensions in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, jointly countering China’s economic pressure and fighting the increasingly serious Ebola virus.

The main achievement of this summit was the memorandum of understanding signed on ending the war involving Iran. On June 17, the leaders of the United States and Iran agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz and end mutual military actions. Although no common position has yet been reached on the nuclear program, the fact that the parties reached an agreement is itself an achievement. It should be noted that this is not yet a full peace agreement. A number of issues still need to be discussed in the future.

Another noteworthy point is that Trump is being forced to oppose his own “ally” in order to stop the war in the Middle East. Israel’s bombing of residential buildings in Beirut to eliminate Hezbollah fighters, which resulted in the deaths of several people who had nothing to do with the war, was criticized. It was also said that these attacks had been obstructing the establishment of a peace agreement with Iran.

Based on Trump’s position, it can be said that if Netanyahu continues acting as he sees fit, relations between the United States and Israel will certainly be damaged.

“Without us, without the United States of America, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel either, because no other president was ready to do what I did,” Trump said.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the Israel Defense Forces will not be withdrawn from southern Lebanon. According to him, Israel is a close friend and partner of the United States, but it is not dependent on it. Such actions by Israel will naturally slow down the fragile peace process that is barely being achieved.

In addition, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was invited to the event as a guest, also achieved his goals. Today, Ukraine is not only a country at war with Russia, but also a geopolitical border between Moscow and the West. Just as NATO’s approach toward Ukraine is viewed as dangerous for Russia, Kyiv’s falling under Moscow’s control is considered an equally major threat to Europe. That is why the G7 countries continue to help Ukraine avoid defeat.

Another key decision of the summit was to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense. The G7 countries agreed to continue supplying Kyiv with modern air defense systems, missile interceptors and other military equipment. U.S. President Donald Trump also supported the program to supply weapons to Ukraine and mentioned the possibility of restoring sanctions against Russian oil exports.

“We may do this soon, because oil is currently being supplied from the Persian Gulf. We had lifted the sanctions because we did not want to obstruct oil supplies. So the opportunity may arise soon,” Trump said.

It is noteworthy that, in the international arena, calls to arm Ukraine are being heard more often than initiatives to end the war through negotiations. As a result, the war in Ukraine has long since gone beyond the boundaries of a conflict between two states and is turning into the next stage of the historical confrontation between Russia and the global West.

The Covid-19 pandemic naturally taught the world a serious lesson. For this reason, this year’s summit also paid special attention to the Ebola epidemic spreading in Africa.

At the end of the summit, G7 leaders adopted a statement on strengthening coordinated international measures against the Ebola virus and expanding scientific cooperation in the fight against cancer. They emphasized that the epidemic risks spreading beyond borders and noted the need to direct more resources toward surveillance systems, laboratories, diagnostic tools and the development of new vaccines.

Cancer was also one of the important topics of the summit. The G7 countries agreed to improve early detection of the disease, use the capabilities of artificial intelligence, develop new treatment methods and strengthen the exchange of scientific data.

Many other issues were also discussed during the summit. This G7 summit once again proved that the decisions of powerful states determine many things.

Trump joked a lot

The G7 summit is usually seen as a platform for discussing cooperation among the world’s largest economies and important global issues. However, at this year’s meeting, in addition to geopolitical problems, the statements and behavior of the U.S. President — or, to put it bluntly, his “awkward” jokes — also attracted special attention and criticism.

In recent years, Europe’s growing dependence on the United States in matters of security and defense has strengthened Washington’s political influence. Especially against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, many European countries need U.S. military and financial support. According to some observers, Trump is trying to use this advantage as a tool of political pressure.

On June 17, Trump arrived late to one of the G7 summit sessions devoted to development issues and, as he entered the room, jokingly said, “I’m the boss here.” The phrase was widely discussed in international media within a short time. Not all the antics of this man, who is far from diplomatic etiquette, are being well received by the public. On social media, some laughed at the U.S. leader’s “clowning,” while others interpreted it as unethical behavior.

However, the biggest scandal around the summit emerged after remarks related to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. In an interview with Italy’s La7 television channel, Trump said Meloni had very much wanted to take a photo with him and had begged him for it. The U.S. President even claimed that he had initially refused to take the photo, but later agreed because he felt sorry for Meloni.

“Meloni was probably happy to talk to me. I did not have to talk to her. She really wanted to take a photo with me and asked for it. Actually, I would not have taken the photo, but I felt sorry for her,” the U.S. leader said.

These remarks were met with strong dissatisfaction in Rome. Giorgia Meloni issued a special statement, calling Trump’s words a “complete fabrication.” She said she did not understand why the U.S. President was treating his allies in this way. Meloni also criticized Trump for pursuing a softer policy toward the West’s rivals.

As a result of the scandal, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled his planned visit to the United States. According to him, the insulting remarks directed at Meloni were not only disrespectful to the Prime Minister, but to all of Italy.

One of Meloni’s close associates, Giovambattista Fazzolari, also strongly condemned Trump’s words, saying such remarks were damaging the historic alliance between the United States and Europe.

Interestingly, Giorgia Meloni had long been considered one of Trump’s closest political allies in Europe. She was even the only European head of government to attend Trump’s 2025 inauguration. However, disagreements over Iran and some foreign policy issues began to undermine relations between the two leaders. Against the backdrop of these events, it would not be surprising if the coldness between them deepens further.

“Hitler” arrested

In Russia, an ordinary joke or careless action led to serious legal consequences. A student living in Nizhny Tagil, Sverdlovsk region, was detained by police after placing a pizza order under the name Adolf Hitler.

According to RIA Novosti, the young man introduced himself as “Adolf Hitler” while ordering pizza at one of the city’s shopping centers. After information about the order reached law enforcement agencies, police and officers from the anti-extremism unit became involved in the case. The person behind the order was soon identified and detained.

It became known that the suspect was a construction college student named Timofey, and he was detained at the educational institution itself. According to police, the young man expressed regret during questioning. He apologized while unable to hold back tears and emphasized that he was not a Nazi and did not support fascist ideas. An administrative case related to the promotion of fascism has now been opened against him. If found guilty, the student may be sentenced to up to 15 days of administrative arrest.

Indeed, mentioning Adolf Hitler’s name in public places or on social media often causes a number of problems. In many countries, especially Germany and Austria, Hitler, Nazism, the swastika, the Nazi symbol, and glorifying them are legally prohibited. Under Paragraph 86a of the German Criminal Code, distributing or publicly displaying symbols, slogans and images of leaders of unconstitutional organizations can lead to criminal liability. This is because Hitler’s name is still associated with Nazism, racism and the Holocaust. Since this ideology is still promoted by some groups today, many countries and platforms pursue strict policies toward it. Therefore, do not make a mistake when choosing your idol.

Tashiyev case continues

Recent events in Kyrgyzstan’s political arena show once again the contradictions within the country’s government. Kamchybek Tashiyev, former head of the State Committee for National Security, who was once seen as one of President Sadyr Japarov’s closest allies and one of the most powerful officials in the country, is now participating in court proceedings as part of the case known as the “letter of 75.” At the same time, the detention of his son-in-law Azamat Dyikanboyev and the harsh statements of former deputy Emil Jamgyrchiyev have put the former official in a difficult position.

Last week, the secrecy classification was removed from the materials of the “letter of 75” case, and the case was heard openly for the first time. In court, parliamentary staff and witnesses testified about how the document reached the Jogorku Kenesh. According to them, the document was received and registered by parliament on February 11. Witnesses said the letter contained proposals to terminate presidential powers ahead of schedule and hold early elections.

“This document was received and registered by the Jogorku Kenesh on February 11. At that time, Speaker Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu was on a business trip. He did not give any instruction regarding the letter,” said parliament employee Maria Isanova.

At one of the court hearings, deputy Elvira Surabaldiyeva was questioned as a witness, and a dispute broke out between her and Kamchybek Tashiyev. The incident drew public attention and sparked political debate.

Meanwhile, Jogorku Kenesh Speaker Marlen Mamataliyev sharply criticized the initiators of the “letter of 75” from the parliamentary rostrum. The speaker called them “jackals and little jackals” and emphasized that attempts to rise against the state leadership would fail. In his view, the court must give the final assessment in this case.

Former deputy Emil Jamgyrchiyev also broke his long silence and issued a statement against Tashiyev. In his statement, he said he had previously filed complaints about Tashiyev’s activities, but his appeals had gone unanswered. Jamgyrchiyev particularly criticized the treatment of Elvira Surabaldiyeva in court and claimed that Tashiyev was still speaking in the language of pressure and threats.

“There is a Kyrgyz saying: ‘Do not kick a man when he is down.’ For this reason, I did not want to raise again the issue of illegal actions and fabricated charges against me. I lived my own life and did not interfere in anything. But now I must speak. During my time as a deputy, I complained to the President and members of the parliamentary commission about Tashiyev’s actions, but I was unable to secure a fair review of my appeals,” he said.

Jamgyrchiyev’s name is also well known to Uzbek audiences. Earlier, he was wanted in Kyrgyzstan in connection with a scandal involving Salim Abduvaliyev, known as “Salimboyvachcha,” and was accused of illegally crossing the border.

Against the backdrop of these events, Tashiyev’s son-in-law Azamat Dyikanboyev was also detained. The Military Prosecutor’s Office said he had been charged under an article related to fraud committed through abuse of office. The investigation is ongoing.

Speaker Marlen Mamataliyev also said the arrival of the “letter of 75” in parliament had been a pre-planned scenario. According to him, the document passed through the hands of several officials and former officials before being brought into parliament.

Against the backdrop of these events, supporters of the current president have also increased. On June 19, Kyrgyzstan’s first president, Askar Akayev, returned to the country for the first time in a long while and proposed giving Sadyr Japarov an additional presidential term. Kyrgyzstan’s first president arrived in the country and took part in the Issyk-Kul Jubilee International Forum.

“I believe that if the people of Kyrgyzstan give the incumbent president an additional mandate to implement the plan for a Kyrgyz economic miracle, they will act wisely, as always. You know very well that this requires at least eight to ten years,” he said.

Thus, a very tense but invisible war is unfolding between Sadyr Japarov and Kamchybek Tashiyev, who were once seen as the strongest tandem in Kyrgyz politics. The court proceedings, political statements and new arrests show that this conflict may continue for a long time.

Unrest in Kashmir again

Kashmir is restless again. This time, the conflict is not caused by the traditional confrontation between India and Pakistan, but by political disputes inside the Pakistan-controlled part of the region. As a result of mass protests that have been ongoing for nearly two weeks, at least 24 people have died and hundreds have been injured.

It became known that the recently banned Joint Awami Action Committee, or JAAC, is at the center of the protests. Supporters of the organization oppose the distribution of seats in the local parliamentary elections scheduled for July 27. In particular, they consider it unfair that 12 of the 45 seats in parliament have been allocated to refugees who moved from Indian-administered Kashmir and now live in Pakistan.

The protests began on June 6. As a result of clashes between protesters and security forces, at least 20 civilians were killed. According to regional police chief Liaqat Ali Malik, four more police officers died while on duty, and 97 law enforcement officers suffered injuries of varying severity. In connection with the unrest, 515 people were detained.

Today, the main center of the protest movement is the city of Rawalakot, located about 100 kilometers south of the regional capital Muzaffarabad. Thousands of protesters have gathered in this area. The government, in turn, has introduced a number of strict measures to prevent the situation from getting out of control. Main roads have been closed, internet and some communication services have been shut down, and restrictions have been imposed on media activity.

Muzaffarabad’s Upper Adda shopping area, usually crowded with people, has become almost empty. Many shops have closed their doors, while only some pharmacies and grocery stores are operating for short periods. The shutdown of internet and communication systems has also disrupted banking services. ATMs are not working, and electronic payments cannot be made. On government instructions, fuel stations have also been temporarily closed.

This situation is dealing a particularly heavy blow to people who live on daily earnings. According to 27-year-old laborer Ikhlaq Ahmad, he has not earned a single rupee since June 9. He said the suspension of economic activity is leaving thousands of families without a source of livelihood.

Motorcycle driver Asif Noz also described the situation as difficult. In his view, people with financial reserves may somehow get through the crisis, but for daily wage earners, the current situation is equivalent to being deprived of their means of survival.

“Those who have money may somehow overcome this. But for daily workers like us, this is the same as condemning ourselves to disaster,” he said.

The situation in Pakistan-administered Kashmir poses a serious threat not only to the region’s political stability, but also to its social and economic stability. As the elections approach, it remains unclear how the confrontation between the government and protesters will end.