Worldwide
Global: elections in the first half of 2024
04 Jan 2024
2024 will see the most extensive year of elections ever, with 4.2 billion people in 76 countries set to vote. However, the state of democracy appears precarious; global reports show it contracting, accompanied by widespread disillusionment,…
Japan: devastating earthquake
04 Jan 2024
Scenes of devastation emerged along Japan’s western coast as rescuers raced to save residents trapped in the rubble of a 7.5 magnitude earthquake on 1 January which triggered multiple aftershocks and killed dozens of people. Buildings…
On 3 January two bomb explosions near the tomb of general Qasem Soleimani in the southern city of Kerman resulted in at least 84 deaths and many injuries. The blasts occurred during a procession near the…
Nigeria: ‘persistent, pervasive, proliferating, and growing’ persecution ignored by world
04 Jan 2024
A never-ending massacre of Christians being ‘killed for sport’ is reportedly happening in Nigeria, yet the world appears to be largely deaf to it. While much of the world was celebrating a beginning - Christmas, the…
Javier Milei, Argentina's new president, encountered a setback on 3 January when a court suspended labour rule changes he introduced in December. The decision came in response to a legal challenge from the largest labour union,…
An agreement on 1 January by breakaway Somaliland to allow Ethiopia to use the Red Sea port of Berbera has been condemned by Somalia as dangerous for regional stability. Since 1991, when Eritrea gained independence, Ethiopia…