Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (or RSF) claims it has captured the western city of el-Fasher, marking a turning point in the nation’s civil war. The loss would be a huge blow to the Sudanese army as el-Fasher is its last remaining foothold in the Darfur region, leaving the RSF effectively in control of the area.
(“Rebel Group Claims Capture of Key City in Sudan” BBC News, Oct. 26, 2025; “Thousands Trapped in El-Fasher Siege on ‘Edge of Survival,’” Guardian, Oct. 15, 2025)
For years, Iraqi Kurdistan was an island of stability in the often volatile nation. Now factions within Kurdistan are fighting each other as the unity of earlier times has vanished. In August street battles erupted in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan’s second largest city, between forces loyal to Bafel Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and his cousin Lahur Sheikh Jangi—former PUK co-leader and now head of the opposition People’s Front. The recent violence was triggered after security forces loyal to Bafel attempted to arrest Lahur under a “judicial order.”
(“Hatred Among Cousins,” Economist, Oct. 2, 2025; “Kurdistan: The Specter of Civil War,” Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Sept. 4, 2025)
For decades, seasonal work H-2A visas have failed to protect farm workers from wage theft, fraud, forced labor and violence. A federal investigation found that many workers in the program have had their wages stolen, and been threatened with deportation by employers if they complain about unsafe working conditions. In the worst instances, others have been assaulted or raped or even died.
(“Employers Have Exploited and Abused H-2A Farm Workers for Years.” ProPublica, Sept. 16, 2025)
