Asia
South Korea: president arrested
South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol has been arrested, ending weeks of standoff at his fortified residence. Yoon recorded a video before being taken to a detention centre, criticising the ‘collapse of the…
Tibet: devastating earthquake
A devastating 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Tibet on 6 January, claiming at least 126 lives and injuring 188, according to Chinese state media. Centred near the Nepalese border, the quake caused widespread destruction across…
Japan: atomic bomb survivors receive Nobel Peace Prize
The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots Japanese organisation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors, for its tireless efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons. It was formed…
Syria: head of HTS meets Christian leaders
Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s new leader and head of HTS, has met senior Christian leaders in Damascus to reassure minorities about their safety under his administration. The meeting follows protests over attacks on Christian…
Gaza: closer to a ceasefire deal?
After months of deadlock, there are new signs that Israel and Hamas could be moving closer to a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. The USA, Qatar, and Egypt are reporting greater willingness…
Myanmar: bloody battle ends army control of western border
The Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic insurgent group, has captured the Myanmar military’s border guard base in northern Rakhine State, marking a significant victory in the country’s civil war. After months of intense…
Syria: the role other nations played in Assad’s overthrow
On 8 December, Syrian rebels overthrew Bashar al-Assad, ending his 24-year rule and his family’s half-century grip on power. Their victory caps a devastating 13-year civil war which killed over 500,000 people, displaced…
Syria: Israel launches airstrikes on military targets
Israel has launched a series of airstrikes and naval operations in Syria, targeting military assets and creating a buffer zone near the Golan Heights. Defence minister Israel Katz stated the actions aim to…
Nepal: activists trying to halt mass slaughter of animals
Animal rights activists are urging the Nepali government to halt the mass slaughter of animals during the Gadhimai festival, a tradition held every five years in a village near the Nepal-India border. Despite…
Iran: released from death sentence
Marziyeh Amirizadeh spent her first 33 years under a restrictive regime that curtailed freedoms following the 1979 revolution. Raised as a Muslim, she experienced a profound spiritual transformation after encountering God in a…
