India’s opposition parties protest against a controversial electoral roll revisionIndia’s opposition accuses the Election Commission of India of rushing through a mammoth electoral roll revision in eastern Bihar state, saying the exercise could render vast numbers of citizens unable to vote. The revision of nearly 80 million voters involves strict documentation requirements from citizens, triggering concerns it could lead to the exclusion of vulnerable groups, especially those who are unable to produce the paperwork required to prove their citizenship.
https://apnews.com/article/india-opposition-protest-electoral-roll-6aa2366999fde2598bb0603c3d1a69db Israeli Tourist Boom in Sri Lanka’s Arugam Bay Stirs Local Unease The opposition political parties criticized the government’s alleged tilt toward Israel, pointing to visa-free entry for Israeli tourists as proof that the traditionally pro-Palestinian National People’s Power (NPP) has changed its stance. But the same opposition would likely hit the streets if firm action on Israeli tourists sparked a U.S. tariff snapback or a slump in arrivals. The government is squeezed between values (nonalignment, empathy for Palestinians) and vulnerabilities (dollars, debt, and jobs). In that gap, symbolism often beats substance and enforcement gets deferred.
https://thediplomat.com/2025/08/israeli-tourist-boom-in-sri-lankas-arugam-bay-stirs-local-unease/https://archive.ph/iUOkTNearly 400 “voluntary redundancies” sought at Western Sydney UniversityManagement is now working with faculty and school deans to hand-pick the staff whose applications will be accepted, while still threatening forced redundancies as well. This is another warning of the scale of the job cuts and sweeping restructuring being demanded throughout Australia’s 39 public universities. So far, more than 3,500 job losses have been unveiled across the country during the past 10 months.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/08/11/ogfk-a11.htmlIsraeli forces accused of escalating intimidation campaign against journalists in Syria Multiple reporters told the Committee to Protect Journalists that troops have arrested, injured and fired live rounds at media workers in the southern province of Quneitra, much of which was seized by Israeli forces late last year. Israel invaded southern Syria following the ouster of the Assad regime in December, capturing hundreds of square-kilometres of Syrian land in what it says is an indefinite occupation.
https://www.newarab.com/news/israeli-forces-escalate-media-crackdown-south-syriaKurdish refugee camp to be evacuated under Turkey, Iraq dealAs part of the arrangement, of which the PKK is also a party, the camp is expected to be fully evacuated by September, regional sources said. Under the deal, some camp residents will be resettled within Iraq, while others will be relocated to Turkey. Individuals identified as close to the PKK but not implicated in criminal activity may be temporarily accommodated in Turkey.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/kurdish-refugee-camp-be-evacuated-under-turkey-iraq-deal Nationwide blackout hits Iraq amid record heatwave The Ministry of Electricity said the Mussayib–Babil 400 kV lines tripped under heavy loads driven by record temperatures above 50°C (122°F) and a surge of millions of pilgrims in Karbala. The outage wiped out more than 6,000 megawatts, triggering a chain reaction that shut down generating units nationwide. Power plants in Basra, Maysan, Dhi Qar, Baghdad, Diyala, and al-Anbar went offline. Southern and central provinces, including Basra and the mid-Euphrates region, were hit hardest despite not being the source of the fault.
https://shafaq.com/en/society/Nationwide-blackout-hits-Iraq-amid-record-heatwaveAssaulted charity walkers blame Palestine Action ban for emboldening far-right thugsTwo members of the Hastings-based Friends of Al-Mawasi group told of being viciously attacked by Israel supporters while waiting for fellow demonstrators to arrive for a fundraising walk. Richard Wistreich, who is Jewish and whose father escaped the Holocaust, was repeatedly called a Nazi by Israel supporters, while a woman was pushed to the ground and called a “f
** terrorist” for wearing a keffiyeh.
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/assaulted-charity-walkers-blame-palestine-action-ban-emboldening-far-right-thugsWikipedia operator loses court challenge to UK Online Safety Act regulationsThe foundation said if it was subject to so-called Category 1 duties – which would require Wikipedia's users and contributors' identities to be verified – it would need to drastically reduce the number of British users who can access the site. Judge Jeremy Johnson dismissed its case on Monday, but said the Wikimedia Foundation could bring a further challenge if regulator Ofcom "(impermissibly) concludes that Wikipedia is a Category 1 service".
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/society-equity/wikipedia-operator-loses-court-challenge-uk-online-safety-act-regulations-2025-08-11/Chad opposition leader, ex-PM sentenced to 20 years for inciting violenceThe Ngambaye ethnic group enjoys wide popularity among the predominantly Christian and animist populations of the south, whose members feel marginalised by the largely Muslim-dominated authorities in N’Djamena. Masra left Chad after a bloody crackdown on his followers in 2022, only returning under an amnesty agreed in 2024.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/9/chad-opposition-leader-ex-pm-sentenced-to-20-years-for-inciting-violencehttps://archive.ph/5nowyMali junta detains dozens of soldiers over alleged coup plotGeneral Abass Dembele, a famous military commander and former governor of the central Mopti district, was among those seized. …. A member of the National Transition Council, the junta-backed parliament, stated that “around 50 arrests” had occurred. “All are soldiers. Their objective was to overthrow the junta,” the legislator stated.
https://www.firstpost.com/world/mali-junta-coup-attempt-arrests-13923165.htmlColombia rallies against possible US military intervention in VenezuelaPetro’s initial response was an invitation to the US and Venezuela to work together and to coordinate actions against drug cartels. He emphasized that violence would not be the key to overcoming drug cartels. And that decriminalization efforts and economic integration of left-out groups, such as the peasantry and indigenous groups, would be more effective. The president also critiqued the bounty put on Maduro, saying that: “I don’t believe that the solution to Venezuela’s political problems lies in paying to kill or capture political leaders.”
https://colombiareports.com/colombia-rallies-against-possible-us-military-intervention-in-venezuela/Colombian senator and presidential hopeful dies 2 months after shootingJavier Garay, a political science professor at the Externado University of Colombia, said Uribe has already “become a symbol of the Colombian right.” However, he considered it premature to predict whether the senator’s death will strengthen the political faction, given the current lack of unity and diverse proposals from dozens of politicians vying to represent the bloc on next year’s ballot.
https://apnews.com/article/colombia-miguel-uribe-senator-shooting-dead-bogota-6c8f32b5e23bedec5f634dee5e334042