Asia
Syria / Türkiye: one year after the earthquakes
6 February was the anniversary of two earthquakes that brought mass destruction to south Türkiye and northwest Syria, with over 50,000 lives lost. There were 1.7 million people in Hatay province, home to…
Gaza: Netanyahu vows to attack Rafah despite international pressure
Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted his troops will advance on the Gazan city of Rafah, defying international pleas to reconsider. He has ordered his army to prepare for a ground assault on the city,…
India: two mosques demolished
The recent demolition of two mosques has accentuated religious divisions as India prepares for elections in April / May, expected to secure prime minister Narendra Modi a third term. The demolitions, in Uttarakhand…
Malaysia: fifty years since revival
In 1973, Solomon Bulan resigned as a secondary school advisor in Bario, Malaysia, confessing his lack of personal conviction. His emotional confession triggered a community-wide revival marked by repentance and reconciliation. The movement,…
Russia: villagers’ lives threatened by landfill
Novaya Urada, a village in the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, has deep roots in livestock farming and each year draws tourists hoping to photograph a vibrant poppy field nearby. However, responding to…
Gaza: Israel rejects Hamas’ peace proposals
On 7 February Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Hamas's proposed ceasefire deal, describing their demands as ‘bizarre’. Talks persist, but Israeli officials are vehemently opposed to Hamas's attempt to end the conflict on their terms.…
Philippines: peace talks falter as conflict continues
Efforts to restart peace talks between the Philippine government and the communist New People’s Army have faltered as clashes continue. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr surprised many when he initiated talks, facilitated by the…
Indonesia: one year since New Zealand pilot’s kidnapping
In Indonesia's West Papua, rebel leader Eganius Koyega's group kidnapped New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens on 7 February 2023, demanding impossible conditions for his release. Koyega is a member of the West Papuan…
Iran / USA: warnings of retaliation following soldiers’ deaths
On 28 January a drone strike on a military outpost in Jordan led to the deaths of three US soldiers and injuries to many others. Joe Biden, attributing the attack to radical Iran-backed…
Pakistan: not one but two jail sentences for Imran Khan
On 31 January Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 14 years in prison for illegally profiting from state gifts. The court also imposed a fine of approximately £4.2 million…
