Asia
Iran: Trump steps back from threats of military action over protests
Donald Trump has stepped back, at least temporarily, from threats of US military action against Iran, saying he has been assured that the killing of protesters has stopped and that no executions are…
Syria: government tells Kurdish forces to leave Aleppo after deadly clashes
Syria’s army has moved reinforcements to areas east of Aleppo after ordering Kurdish forces to withdraw, following deadly clashes which have killed over 100 and displaced as many as 150,000. The Islamist-led government…
Japan: search for alternative rare earth sources to avoid reliance on China
Japan has launched a bold effort to secure its future supply of critical minerals by sending a research vessel to mine rare earth elements from the deep seabed near Minamitori Island. The month-long…
Thailand: at least 31 dead after crane collapses on train
A devastating rail disaster in northeast Thailand has left at least 31 people dead after a construction crane collapsed onto a speeding passenger train, causing it to derail and burst into flames. The…
Colombia: Trump will meet Petro ‘in the near future’ despite recent threats
Donald Trump has said he will meet Colombian president Gustavo Petro at the White House in the near future, amid days of rising regional tensions. The announcement followed the US operation in Venezuela…
India: opposition party lambasts Modi after Trump raises tariffs
India’s opposition Congress party has criticised Narendra Modi after renewed US warnings linking higher tariffs on Indian exports to continued purchases of Russian oil. Jairam Ramesh argued that a personality-driven foreign policy has…
Gaza: infant dies of hypothermia in terrible weather
A humanitarian tragedy is unfolding in Gaza as a Palestinian infant has died from hypothermia amid severe winter conditions and ongoing restrictions on aid. Local health officials reported that two-week-old Mohammed Khalil Abu…
Afghanistan: hunger crisis deepens as aid funding falls short
Afghanistan is facing an escalating humanitarian emergency, as the World Food Programme has warned it cannot mount an effective winter response for the first time in decades. International aid has sharply declined since…
Thailand: life in limbo for Myanmar refugees as aid dries up
Refugees living in camps along the Thai–Myanmar border are facing a deepening humanitarian crisis as food and medical aid is sharply reduced, even as they gain the long-denied right to work legally outside…
Thailand / Cambodia: more than half a million displaced by renewed fighting
Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia has escalated into a third consecutive day of violence, forcing more than half a million civilians to flee their homes. Both governments accuse each other of reigniting the…
