This investigation provides an in-depth examination of Israel’s high-impact weaponry used in Gaza since the October 7th Hamas attacks. Israel’s escalating aerial and land offensive, marked by over 10,000 airstrikes, has been shaped by a range of advanced munitions—from bombs like the GBU-39 to loitering drones and AI-targeting systems. Utilising open-source intelligence from databases such as the Open Source Munitions Panel (OSMP) and corroborative findings from other NGOs, AOAV’s investigation highlights the ethical, legal, and humanitarian impacts of these weapons.

The events in Lebanon since last week, known as Operation Northern Arrow, mark the beginning of what appears to be a meticulously planned Israeli offensive. While media attention has shifted to the ongoing aerial bombardment, questions remain about how Israel executed last Tuesday and Wednesday’s devastating attacks. The blasts, which targeted communication devices, including pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah, have claimed at least 32 lives, including two children, and injured thousands.

The Republic of Myanmar is one of Southeast Asia’s largest and most diverse countries. Despite this, Myanmar has been devastated by perpetual conflict since the end of World War II. The most recent conflict began on May 5, 2021, when the military junta successfully carried out a coup. Unlike previous military takeovers, this time, the people would not be silenced, having experienced democracy. Since then, atrocity after atrocity has been witnessed without successful international interventions.

Amidst European political institutions lies a web of foreign spies, which has been exposed through a series of investigations in recent months. The latest clearly shows evidence of Latvian MEP Tatjana Ždanoka’s communications with her Russian handlers, which has led to an investigation into acts of espionage over a decade. Now ‘Russiagate’ is flooding the halls of the European Parliament as members call for stricter measures to limit the ability of spies and prosecute those caught.

Norway has become the first country to approve the mass exploitation and destruction of its marine ecosystem after approving deep-sea mining within its territorial waters, in an area of 1,081,086 square miles, an area bigger than the United Kingdom. The world watches as International lobbying battles to decide the future of our deep oceans.

Why is the international agency responsible for nearly 70% of our planet based in Kingston, Jamaica, and operates with little public oversight or media insight? The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is responsible for simultaneously protecting and exploiting the world’s oceans. If that sounds like a conflict of interest, that’s because it is.

The story of Africa’s mineral wealth is not new, but the narrative is changing. Long viewed by Western and Eastern powers as a vast trove to be pillaged, Africa is now at the forefront, demanding recognition as an equal partner in the global resource market. This seismic shift is spurred by the continent’s centrality to the high-tech economy.

The demise of Yevgeny Prigozhin in August, the long-standing face and leader of the Wagner Group, following an unsuccessful coup against Russia’s military elite, has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the future direction and leadership of this powerful mercenary group in Africa. Now, the global community faces a pivotal moment: it must act decisively to curb potential proxy warfare in the region, avoiding a bleak geopolitical landscape.

Although there is still no definitive answer for what caused the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems clear that poor wildlife practices were a contributing factor in the disease spreading from animals to humans. We can hope the worst of that disaster is behind us, but unless we modernise our methods, more global pandemics are in our future.

The world breathed a sigh of relief when Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director of the World Health Organisation (WHO), declared recently that the COVID-19 and Monkeypox global emergencies had ended. But the story isn’t over quite yet. The WHO may no longer categorise these diseases as emergencies, but the world’s lack of effective prevention measures means it won't be long before we face another global public health emergency.

The Russian Wagner Group has gained consistent media attention for their participation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While constant reporting of their activities is vital to hold them accountable for their crimes, the emphasis on Ukraine has overshadowed the even greater threat that Wagner poses to the global south, especially in Africa.

What are Bill Gates’, Jeff Bezos’, and Jack Ma’s new year’s resolutions? To reduce global warming by curbing cow burps. Three of the richest men alive joined investors to raise $12 million for Rumin8, an Australian startup that is shaking up cattle diets using supplements that reduce their methane emissions. Yet is this a solution for everyone or just multi national agriculture companies.

In December 2020, I traded my frontline placements for practising in an austere low resource environment. I lived and worked alongside a group of Syrian doctors, all refugees themselves, in running a mobile clinic in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley just a few miles from the Syrian border.