Fighting in Syria’s northern metropolis between the army and YPG forces has entered its third day. The suburbs of Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsood have been declared "closed military areas”. The authorities imposed a curfew, with one resident calling the situation "terrible and awful”. Turkey offered support to al-Sharaa.
The 'Yesterday’ project, which reports from abroad on protests in China, selected the 10 most significant collective initiatives of the past year, offering a snapshot of activism in China. It features “unsung heroes” who together defend the rights of workers, parents, students, and small businesses, often challenging the agents of repression.
The 170 cardinals chose synodality and evangelisation as the main themes. There was no written document at the end, but listening and sharing are “the way” to follow. For Leo XIV, the Church can “offer a model of collegiality”. The relationship with local Churches must be boosted since it is harder to consult them. The College is called to be a “community of faith” rather than “a mere group of experts.”
Despite a ceasefire in effect since 27 December, tensions remain high along the border between Cambodia and Thailand. Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler slams the world's indifference to the violence affecting civilians, citing destruction, displacement, and the indiscriminate use of force. Cambodia accuses Thailand of illegally occupying parts of its territory, while Thailand complains of fresh Cambodian violations of the ceasefire and threatens retaliation.
A video that went viral has reignited the spotlight on the violence of Hindu nationalists who, in the name of protecting “sacred animals”, actually target people from marginalised communities. This highlights the contradiction of a country like India, which is one of the world's largest exporters of beef.
The general in charge of the Kawthoolei Army (KTLA), one of the militias fighting against the military junta, recently announced the birth of the ‘Republic of Kawthoolei’ on the border with Thailand. The move divides the Karen people and has been criticised because it risks weakening the anti-junta front in the civil war, at an already very delicate moment for the resistance.
