Asia
Qatar: Israeli airstrike on Hamas leaders
The dramatic airstrike by Israel on Hamas leaders in Qatar on 9 October marks a new twist in a war already destabilising the wider Middle East. Qatar, long considered Hamas’ political base and…
Nepal: violent protests against corruption and ban on social media
Nepal has been rocked by its most intense unrest in decades, with corruption and nepotism at the heart of nationwide protests. The turmoil escalated dramatically after the government’s controversial ban on social media…
Philippines: Marcos an unlikely anti-corruption crusader
The Philippines once again finds itself grappling with the enduring scourge of corruption, an issue that has haunted the last three presidents: Ferdinand Marcos Sr, Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III, and now Ferdinand Marcos…
Afghanistan: hundreds dead after powerful earthquake
A powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake has devastated Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, killing 1,400 and injuring at least 3,000. Striking late at night near Jalalabad, the quake was felt as far away…
China: huge military parade watched by Putin, Kim, and other leaders
Beijing has hosted a grand military parade marking eighty years since the end of WW2, with Xi Jinping standing alongside Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un in a rare joint appearance. Xi framed…
Pakistan: nearly half a million displaced by floods
Catastrophic flooding has displaced nearly half a million people in Pakistan’s Punjab province after days of torrential monsoon rain swelled three major rivers. More than 2,300 villages have been inundated, affecting over 1.5…
Israel / Gaza: attack on hospital condemned, famine officially declared, Pope’s plea
A deadly double strike on a hospital in Gaza has drawn sharp international condemnation. At least twenty people were killed, including five journalists and four health workers, when two consecutive strikes targeted the…
Iran: nuclear negotiations resume, executions mount, radicals battle reformists
Iran’s nuclear negotiations with the E3 countries (Germany, France, and the UK) have resumed in Geneva. With a packed agenda, the focus is on lifting sanctions, which have caused severe damage to the…
Iran: ‘unimaginable joy’ for an undercover believer
Bita’s life in Iran was marked by abandonment, abuse, and despair. Raised in hardship, forced into servitude, and married at 14 to an unfaithful addict, she endured decades of rejection and loneliness. Broken…
Pakistan: devastation and deaths caused by monsoon floods
The village of Bishnoi in northern Pakistan has been devastated by a sudden flash flood, leaving entire homes buried beneath rocks and debris. On 15 August, torrential rains triggered a surge of water…
