The Gaza Media Office reports that generators at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza have shut off, putting ICU and nursery patients at risk due to the lack of fuel.

Foreign volunteers in the Ukrainian Foreign Legion, such as Polish carpenter Adam and Vietnamese-American Hieu Le, have shared their harrowing experiences of death and chaos during their service in Ukraine. The Yavoriv training base near the Polish border, a site for drills between NATO and Ukrainian forces, was struck by Russian missiles, resulting in casualties among Ukrainian forces and foreign recruits. The volunteers recounted the lack of structure and leadership, the threat of violence from within, and the psychological toll of their experiences. Despite the challenges, some like Adam consider returning to support the Ukrainian resistance with equipment, while others like Le plan to process their experiences before resuming civilian life.

In Myanmar, following the military coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi and her government on February 1, urban youth like Jack, a former cellphone store worker from Yangon, have joined the People's Defense Force (PDF) to resist the junta. The PDF, announced by the National Unity Government, has grown to potentially 20,000 fighters, many former civilians. These volunteer soldiers, trained by ethnic armed groups like the Karen National Liberation Army, face a brutal military known for its inhumane tactics, including against the Rohingya minority. Despite the risks and homesickness, fighters like Jack and Ko Aung, a musician turned PDF unit leader, remain committed to the pro-democracy cause, with the support of activists like Thinzar Shunlei Yi. The military's violence has escalated, with airstrikes displacing civilians and committing atrocities, such as a Christmas Eve massacre. The PDF has seen some success, but the challenge of overcoming the military's dominance since 1962 is daunting.

Two staff members from the international non-profit Save the Children were confirmed to be among at least 35 people killed in a Christmas Eve massacre by Myanmar’s military junta in Kayah State. The victims were forced from their cars, arrested, killed, and their bodies burned. The US Embassy in Myanmar condemned the act as barbaric, and the U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs expressed horror. Save the Children has called for the UN Security Council to hold the military accountable, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has encouraged an arms embargo. The violence follows a coup d'etat on February 1, leading to over 1,300 deaths amid anti-coup protests and a crackdown by security forces.

Shui-Meng's husband, Sombath Somphone, was likely abducted by police in Vientiane, Laos, in 2012, with the Lao People's Revolutionary Party suspected to be behind his disappearance. Despite clear CCTV footage and international pressure from figures like Hillary Clinton and Desmond Tutu, Laotian authorities have not provided answers. Shui-Meng, who still runs her craft shop in Vientiane, published a book on Sombath's life and abduction, finding the writing process cathartic yet traumatic. As time passes, the likelihood of Sombath's return diminishes, and Shui-Meng struggles with the loss of normalcy in her life.

Alastair McCready discusses the historical significance of aerial photography in French Indochina, highlighting its role in the colonial administration's efforts to map, survey, and tax populations during the 1920s and 1930s. The article features aerial photos from 1953 taken by Francois-Xavier Moussus, a French Air Force pilot, showcasing landmarks in Cambodia and Vietnam. The images offer a glimpse into the region just before Cambodia's independence and as the First Indochina War was reaching its peak.

In Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the African continent, residents experience a dichotomy of extreme anxiety over immigration and a sense of normality in daily life. The town has seen violent attempts by migrants to scale the border fence, causing concern among local business leaders and government officials. Despite the tensions, there is a level of harmony between locals and migrants, with informal economic interactions taking place. The political landscape is shifting, with Spain becoming the leading destination for migrants by sea and the new Spanish government adopting a more sympathetic stance towards immigration. Overcrowding at the local migrant center, CETI, is an issue, but migrants are not detained and seek work in the town. The situation in Ceuta reflects broader challenges and changing attitudes towards immigration in Europe.

The article discusses the dire conditions faced by refugees and asylum seekers in Bangkok, Thailand, focusing on the story of RK, a 19-year-old Somali refugee. Despite being home to a significant refugee community, Thailand does not recognize the distinction between refugees, asylum seekers, and illegal immigrants under its law, leading to indefinite detention and lack of access to basic services. The UNHCR in Bangkok is constrained by financial shortfalls, and many refugees are forced into illegal employment and exploitation. The article also highlights the plight of children in detention, a practice that violates international law. Efforts by the Thai government to reform immigration practices have been slow, and the future for refugees in Bangkok remains uncertain.

The Ducor Palace Hotel in Monrovia, once a symbol of opulence in West Africa, now stands as a dilapidated relic following years of political instability and civil war in Liberia. Opened in 1960, it was a hub for the elite and political leaders until its decline began with the 1989 coup led by Charles Taylor. Despite attempts at renovation, including a failed initiative by Muammar Gadhafi's regime, the hotel remains a shell of its former glory, with its modernist brutalist architecture now housing squatters and serving as a cautionary site for urban explorers.