On Jan. 29, Goma, a city of two million people on the eastern edge of the Democratic Republic of Congo, or DRC, fell to the M-23 rebel army, backed by Rwanda. The streets were filled with dead bodies, 400,000 people fled their homes and basic services have been cut off.
(“What is the Fighting in the DR Congo All About?” BBC News, Jan. 30, 2025; “Fall of Goma Heralds More Bloodshed in Eastern Congo,” Economist, Jan. 30, 2025)
For over two weeks, some 48 Uyghur detainees in Thailand have been on a hunger strike to stop their possible deportation to western China. The Uyghurs are Turkic-speaking Muslims from western China, who face intense repression. In Xinjiang province, Uyghur men face risk of torture, imprisonment or disappearance.
(“Fearing Deportation, Uyghurs Held in Thailand Go On Hunger Strike,” New York Times, Jan. 19, 2025)
As the wildfires in greater Los Angeles were still raging, tenant organizers gathered to figure out the extent of rent price gouging when over 100,000 people were displaced, and over 16,000 homes and other structures were destroyed. California Gov. Gavin Newsom imposed emergency regulations against price gouging and rent hikes, but housing activists were concerned that these protections wouldn’t be enforced.
(“LA Activists Put Rent Gouging Landlords on Notice,” In These Times, Jan. 14, 2025
