标签： Asia

Iranian state media confirmed on Thursday the death of a security force member during nationwide protests that have entered their sixth consecutive day. The casualty was identified as a 21-year-old Basij paramilitary force member from Kouhdasht city, reportedly killed while “defending public order” during Wednesday night’s demonstrations in Lorestan Province.

The unrest, initially sparked by economic grievances, has escalated significantly since Sunday’s spontaneous protests began in Tehran’s major mobile phone market. Shopkeepers initiated the movement by shuttering their businesses in response to Iran’s prolonged economic stagnation, with the demonstrations subsequently spreading to student populations across multiple regions.

In a concerning development, authorities reported an attack on a government building in southern Iran on Wednesday. The incident prompted Iran’s top prosecutor to issue a stern warning of a “decisive response” to any attempts at creating instability within the country.

The Basij force, a volunteer militia operating under Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, has frequently been deployed for domestic security operations during periods of civil unrest. The current protests represent the most significant challenge to Iranian authorities since previous waves of anti-government demonstrations.

International observers are monitoring the situation closely as economic pressures continue to mount in Iran, with inflation and unemployment rates remaining persistently high despite government assurances of economic reforms. The participation of students in recent days suggests the protests may be evolving beyond purely economic demands.

In a significant intelligence disclosure, Reuters has reported that the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) successfully cultivated and operated a high-level informant embedded within the inner circle of the Venezuelan government. This clandestine asset provided the U.S. with critical intelligence, playing a pivotal role in tracking the activities and movements of President Nicolás Maduro. The revelation offers a rare glimpse into the sophisticated espionage tactics employed by U.S. agencies against the socialist regime, which has been a long-standing adversary. The operation underscores the intense geopolitical rivalry in the region and the lengths to which intelligence services will go to monitor leaders of state deemed strategic threats. The report does not specify the exact timeframe of the operation or the ultimate fate of the informant, but it highlights the persistent and covert efforts to gather information on the Caracas administration.

In a separate and unrelated incident in Switzerland, a tragic nightclub fire has triggered a criminal investigation. Following a deadly blaze at a bar, local judicial authorities have formally placed the establishment’s managers under investigation for allegations of killing by negligence. The probe will seek to determine whether managerial oversights or failures to adhere to safety protocols contributed to the fatalities. This legal action reflects a standard procedure in many jurisdictions where serious accidents result in loss of life, aiming to establish accountability and ascertain if preventable errors led to the catastrophe.

KABUL, Afghanistan — The arrival of the season’s first substantial precipitation has brought both relief and tragedy to Afghanistan, as heavy rains and snowfall ended a prolonged drought but triggered devastating flash floods across multiple regions. Official reports confirm at least 17 fatalities and 11 injuries, with infrastructure suffering significant damage.

Mohammad Yousaf Hammad, spokesman for Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority, detailed the widespread impact of the severe weather that began Monday. The flooding has particularly affected central, northern, southern, and western regions, disrupting daily life and causing substantial damage to property and livestock.

In one tragic incident in Kabkan district of Herat province, five members of a single family perished when their roof collapsed under the weight of the rainfall. According to Mohammad Yousaf Saeedi, spokesman for the Herat governor, two children were among the victims in this devastating event.

The disaster has affected approximately 1,800 families, exacerbating conditions in already vulnerable urban and rural communities. Assessment teams have been deployed to the most severely impacted areas to evaluate the full extent of the damage and determine immediate needs for assistance.

Afghanistan remains particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events due to decades of conflict, inadequate infrastructure, widespread deforestation, and the escalating effects of climate change. Many homes in remote areas are constructed from mud-based materials that offer minimal protection against sudden flooding.

The United Nations and other humanitarian organizations have classified Afghanistan as one of the world’s most severe ongoing humanitarian crises. Earlier this week, the UN launched a $1.7 billion appeal to provide essential assistance to nearly 18 million people in urgent need throughout the country in 2026.

A coalition of ten nations has issued a stark warning regarding the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip. The foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom collectively expressed grave concerns about the catastrophic situation unfolding in the region.

According to the joint statement released through the British Foreign Office, civilians in Gaza are enduring appalling living conditions exacerbated by harsh winter weather. Heavy rainfall and dropping temperatures have created additional hardships for a population already suffering from severe shortages of food and inadequate access to healthcare facilities.

The ministerial coalition called upon the Israeli government to ensure sustained and predictable operations for international non-governmental organizations working in Gaza. They emphasized the critical need for the United Nations and its partner agencies to maintain uninterrupted aid delivery throughout the territory. Specific demands included lifting restrictions on dual-use imports and opening additional border crossings to facilitate humanitarian assistance.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian government has urgently appealed to international organizations and UN agencies to implement immediate protective measures for Gaza residents facing successive winter storms and extreme weather conditions. Officials in Ramallah specifically requested the entry of mobile homes and emergency shelter supplies into the territory.

In a separate development, medical charity Doctors Without Borders faces potential expulsion from Gaza for non-compliance with new Israeli registration requirements for relief agencies. The organization, which provided medical care to approximately 500,000 people during the two-year Gaza conflict, warns that deregistration would eliminate life-saving medical assistance for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

The Israeli military agency COGAT, which coordinates aid operations, stated that the charity refused to provide employee lists to Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism. The ministry claims individuals affiliated with the organization have links to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, allegations that Doctors Without Borders vehemently denies as unsubstantiated.

The Gaza situation reflects broader global concerns expressed by outgoing UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi, who warned that increasing geopolitical fragmentation is fueling conflicts worldwide and exacerbating hostility toward refugees. Grandi noted that the world has become ‘totally unable to make peace,’ creating dangerous repercussions for vulnerable populations fleeing violence.