WORLD - The African Mirror

Jan

31

2026

Actor Theo James witnesses Syria’s humanitarian crisis as millions require aid despite mass returns

WORLD

DAMASCUS – British actor and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Theo James delivered a sobering assessment of Syria's humanitarian situation this week, warning that the crisis persists despite political changes, as he observed widespread destruction and struggling communities during visits to Damascus, Zabadani and Eastern Ghouta. "I am hopeful for the future after meeting with Syrians who chose to return to their homes – though for many people, not much is left of their homes," James said following his visit to meet refugees who have returned since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government. "At the same time, I have seen that…

Jan

30

2026

By AMANDA BECKER

Fear, faith and preparation as ICE closes in on an Ohio community

WORLD

CHURCH-SUPERVISED hubs to house and care for children separated from their parents. Phone chains to activate citizen networks if federal immigration agents are spotted in the community. Volunteers to deliver food to hungry neighbours from their own cars instead of food pantry trucks. Training on what to do if agents breach one of the churches planning to provide sanctuary to immigrant families. This story was originally reported by

Jan

30

2026

By RASHA ABOU JALAL

In Gaza today, death does not need a missile. Rain alone is enough

WORLD

SINCE the last time I wrote for The New Humanitarian in November, the world has been busy with Christmas and New Year's celebrations, and a news cycle jolting from one crisis to another. But in Gaza, there were no lights, no decorated trees, no festive tables, and no distraction from our daily struggles. There is only a heavy winter, an exhausted city, and people trying to survive atop layers of rubble. Our lives are completely occupied with basic questions: How do we get through the coming night? How do we protect our children from the cold? And how do we…

Jan

30

2026

By AMIN SAIKAL

With Iran weakened, Trump’s end goal may now be regime change. It’s an incredibly risky gamble

WORLD

THE United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran are once again on the brink of a major confrontation. This would have terrible ramifications for both countries, the region and the world. All signs point in this direction, but the two sides also have an off-ramp: the possibility of reaching an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program and other disputed issues. The Iranian regime has never been so besieged both internally and externally. It has just faced yet another widespread protest movement demanding the government’s ouster, while dealing with the threat of military action by the US, supported by its ally,…

Jan

29

2026

By The African Mirror

From Chanel bags to prison bars: South Korea’s uncompromising stand against corruption

WORLD

THE20-month prison sentence handed down to former South Korean first lady Kim Keon Hee on Wednesday represents far more than the fall of one woman from grace. It marks another decisive chapter in South Korea's relentless campaign to prove that power—no matter how elevated—offers no immunity from justice. As Kim sat quietly in Seoul Central District Court, wearing a dark suit and face mask, the symbolism was unmistakable. The woman who once inhabited the Blue House, accepting luxury Chanel handbags and diamond jewellery, now faces the stark reality of a prison cell. The court's message rang clear: in modern South…

Jan

29

2026

By JESSIE WILLIAMS

Fear and uncertainty for Yazidis and Kurds in Syria amid government advances

WORLD

LAST week, as snow fell on Kobani, a Kurdish-majority town on the Syrian border with Türkiye, the distinctive thud of shelling emerged from the distance. Despite a four-day ceasefire agreed on 20 January between the Syrian transitional government and the Kurdish-led SDF, Damascus-affiliated factions continued to attack the surrounding countryside. “We are really afraid they will attack the city soon,” said Mohamed on 22 January. The Kurdish man has lived in Kobani since 2013, and was speaking to The New Humanitarian via a Turkish network, as he said the Syrian government was blocking the internet in the city. “We are…

Jan

28

2026

By SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Gaza war decimates education system, leaving generation at risk

WORLD

NEARLY two and a half years of conflict in Gaza have obliterated one of the region's greatest achievements - its education system - leaving 60 percent of school-aged children without access to in-person learning, the UN Children's Fund has warned. More than 90 percent of Gaza's schools have been damaged or destroyed in what UNICEF spokesperson James Elder called "an assault on the future itself." "Before this war on children, Palestinians in Gaza had some of the highest literacy rates in the world," Elder said. "Today, that legacy is very much under attack." The devastation has erased years of educational…

Jan

28

2026

By MARK SHANAHAN

Why the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis is so significant – expert Q&A

WORLD

FEDERAL immigration agents in the city of Minneapolis are accused of having wrestled a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, Alex Pretti, to the ground and then shooting him dead. The killing took place just over a mile from where another American citizen, Renee Good, was allegedly fatally shot by federal agents weeks earlier. The latest incident prompted angry protests from people in Minneapolis who want the immigration enforcement operation in their city to end. We spoke to Mark Shanahan, an associate professor of political engagement at the University of Surrey, to address several key issues. Why has sending in federal immigration…

Jan

28

2026

By ALI M. LATIFI

Q&A: Sanctions, oil, and what Iranians really want

WORLD

OVER the last month, hundreds of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets in cities across the country to protest rising costs, plummeting currency values, and high inflation. As the demonstrations grew, they were appropriated by the Islamic Republic’s opponents in the United States, Europe, and Israel, who rushed to cast the gatherings as a mass uprising against the theocratic government in Tehran. A statement run by Iranian state media on 21 January put the death toll at 3,117, but a US-based rights watchdog says it has confirmed almost double that number, while other reports put the real fatality…

Jan

27

2026

By The African Mirror

Video evidence contradicts federal claims in Minneapolis shooting as former presidents issue rare rebukes

WORLD

IN an extraordinary escalation of political tensions, former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton issued rare public condemnations of the Trump administration's handling of fatal shootings by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, with both leaders directly challenging official accounts they say are contradicted by video evidence. The statements, among the most forceful rebukes issued by either former president since leaving office, came as multiple verified videos contradicted federal officials' characterisation of Saturday's fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse. "Rather than trying to impose some semblance of discipline and accountability over the agents they've deployed, the President…