Al Mayadeen English
Civilian casualties from bombing or other explosive violence have reached a record high in 2024, with 61,353 civilians killed or injured; a 67% increase from 2023, according to Action on Armed Violence (AOAV). Israeli wars accounted for 55% of these casualties (33,910), followed by the war in Ukraine at 19% (11,693). Gaza was the hardest-hit region, comprising 39% of all casualties, with over 23,600 deaths reported. The report highlighted that AOAV's findings undercount the true toll, as it based its study on English-language reports only.
Chagos deal: Decolonization in name, exploitation in practice
While many celebrated Britain's "historic" return of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in May 2025, the devil remains in the details. This isn't the decolonization victory headlines proclaimed, it's a masterclass in modern imperial rebranding that maintains Western military dominance while appearing progressive on paper. The real story lies in what the treaty doesn't change: 10,000 Chagossians still can't return home, Diego Garcia remains America's most strategic military outpost, and Britain just paid £9 billion for a 99-year lease to continue what began as ethnic cleansing in the 1970s. It seems that the most effective colonialism is the kind that gets branded as its opposite.