Rappler's latest stories on conflict
Duterte task force behind red-tagging is part of COVID-19 'strategic communications'
Task force spokesman Major General Antonio Parlade Jr says their job is to counter 'communist propaganda' supposedly exploiting government lapses in dealing with the pandemic


U.N. adopts resolution calling for pandemic-related halt to conflicts
It is the UN Security Council's first statement on the pandemic and its first real action since the outbreak started

Key dates in Israel since its creation in 1948
A chronology of important events in the history of Israel

The doctor healing the wounds of war in Basilan
In her clinic in the province's capital, Arlyn Jawad Jumao-As heals children, rebels, soldiers. She's played a critical role in keeping the peace.

Violence vs civilians reaching pre-pandemic levels in PH – report
The military and police are responsible for almost half of the violent incidents, according to international conflict monitoring group ACLED

1,300 civilians killed in DR Congo, over half million flee in months – U.N.
UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet warns that some of the massacres and attacks behind the killings and displacement 'may amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes'

U.N. chief deplores lack of ceasefire during virus
Conflicts have continued to rage in Libya, Yemen, and elsewhere

UPLB alliance calls on school officials to protect students from red-tagging
(UPDATED) UPLB Chancellor Fernando Sanchez Jr defends the students who participated in a demonstration in campus and were implicated in military propaganda against progressive organizations

Duterte's final gambit to end insurgency: task force vs communists
If the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict sees the ABS-CBN shutdown as a counterinsurgency issue, that's because the task force is meant to sniff out 'rebel influence' from anywhere

‘Let this be our final warning’: UP CMC slams red-tagging students during pandemic
‘An attack on our students is an attack on our college,’ the UP College of Mass Communication reminds the NTF-ELCAC

NTF-ELCAC 'black propaganda' vs Maria Ressa, ABS-CBN sparks outrage
(UPDATED) Following public backlash, the PCOO takes down the posts and says it's taking measures to 'uphold accountability' over the incident

Cebu sets guidelines for release of children in conflict with the law
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia says it is important to establish protocols for children in conflict with the law as they are different from adult prisoners

U.N. calls for '2 state' solution to be respected in Middle East
The UN reiterates its support for a solution 'where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders'

South Sudan rebels reject president's peace compromise
The main contention is the number of states in Sudan, which the rebels say can 'cause problems' as borders determine divisions of power in the country

3 rockets hit U.S. embassy in protest-hit Iraqi capital
One rocket hit an embassy cafeteria at dinner time while two others landed nearby, a security source says

[PODCAST] Tensiyon sa pagitan ng U.S. at Iran: Ano ang epekto sa Pilipinas at buong mundo?
Paano nagsimula ang tensiyon sa pagitan ng Iran at US? Paano kaya ito matatapos?

FALSE: Video of night sky flare shows ‘start of Iran vs U.S. World War 3’
The airstrike shown in the video has nothing to do with the conflict between the US and Iran. It shows the rocket attacks that involved Palestinians and Israel in November 2018.

1st batch of Filipinos from Iraq to arrive in Manila on January 15
The Department of Foreign Affairs says the 13 Filipinos are coming from Baghdad and Erbil

1st batch of Filipinos from Iraq to be flown to Qatar Monday night
The Department of National Defense says at least 12 Filipinos may return to the Philippines on January 14, though this will depend on the availability of flights

PH will no longer send military 'battalions' to accompany Iraq evacuees
Officials in charge of the repatriation effort realize 'it may not be wise to send uniformed servicemen to the Middle East due to the sensitivities of the countries there'

Indian police officer arrested for helping Kashmir militants
The arrested police officer is decorated, having worked for the police for decades and being a member of an elite counter-insurgency force in Kashmir, a disputed territory equally claimed by India and Pakistan

1st batch of Filipinos from Iraq to be flown to Manila on Sunday
Filipinos in and near Tripoli, Libya, must be mandatorily evacuated, too, says the defense department, as tensions escalate in the North African country

DFA downgrades alert levels in Iran, Lebanon
Though Filipinos in Iran and Lebanon are no longer covered by the Philippine government's mandatory repatriation order, the deployment ban to those countries remains in place

Cardinal Tagle prays for peace in Middle East during Traslacion 2020 mass
The Archbishop of Manila ties in the message of the devotion to the Black Nazarene with the crisis in the Middle East: Break the cycle of violence and vengeance through love that leads to life

Trump says Iran 'appears to be standing down'
President Donald Trump says the United States will immediately be imposing 'additional punishing sanctions' on Iran but makes no mention of military retaliation to the missile attacks

World leaders condemn Iran attack targeting U.S. troops
(UPDATED) Western powers urge an end to the escalating confrontation between Tehran and Washington

Airlines avoid Iran and Iraq airspace
(UPDATED) Shortly after the missile attacks, the US Federal Aviation Administration says it is banning US-registered carriers from flying over Iraq, Iran, and the Gulf

Cimatu to fly to Middle East to start evacuating Filipinos from Iraq
'We will do everything to bring out Filipinos there,' says the environment chief who's been appointed special envoy to oversee repatriations from the Middle East

Military to send ships, planes to evacuate Filipinos from Iraq 'ASAP'
Army and Marine troops will be deployed to secure and assist Filipinos to be repatriated from Iraq, says Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana

Zarif says informed by U.N. that U.S. has denied him visa
So far there has been no official confirmation from Washington that it has rejected Mohammad Javad Zarif's visa application

2020 with a big bang: This week's outlook
What’s at stake and what can we expect this week in the aftermath of the assassination of the general who had shaped the battlefield in the Middle East and helped direct Assad’s war in Syria?


Prospect of U.S.-Iran conflict threatens Gulf economies
Saudi economist Fadhl al-Bouenain says a US-Iran war would further dampen economic growth in Gulf Cooperation Council states, just as many of them are attempting to diversify towards a post-oil future

TUCP pushes for 'early escape plan' for 1.2M OFWs in Middle East
'There is no harm in being prepared, identifying contingency measures, and taking due diligence in anticipation of a worst-case scenario in the Middle East,' says the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines

Libya war leaves thousands homeless in Tripoli
The Libyan government is unable to find shelter for all the displaced, leaving many at the mercy of avaricious lenders

Myanmar child nuns dream of conflict-free lives
Myanmar has a growing number of child nuns who seek refuge from conflict in the country

Wanting to be home for Christmas, 6 minors escape Cebu City facility
At least 3 of them are now back at Operation Second Chance, and will be given visitation time with their families on Christmas Eve

40 years on, veterans still grapple with Soviet-Afghan war
This month marks the 40th anniversary of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan, the beginning of a decade-long guerilla war that killed up to 2 million Afghans

Russia, China veto U.N. extending Syria cross-border aid
Humanitarian aid currently flows into Syria through UN-designated checkpoints without the formal permission of the regime in Damascus, but that authority is due to expire on January 10
In new pro-Israel shift, U.S. no longer calls settlements illegal
US State secretary Mike Pompeo tells reporters, the US has concluded that 'the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not, per se, inconsistent with international law'

How art could help solve social and political conflicts
Art could inspire that sense of awe that moves us to step into the world – the real world with a more robust inner life

Gov't treating Marawi residents ‘like we don't matter’ – civic group
'We feel that we, the youth, are only being used for photo opportunities,' says a member of the Marawi Reconstruction Conflict Watch, citing a mismatch in government action and what residents need

At least 15 dead in Syria clashes between pro-Turkish forces, Kurds
9 pro-Turkish fighters and 6 members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces are killed in a zone between the towns of Tal Tamr and Ras al-Ain
Turkey assault could displace 400,000 in Syria, says U.N.
Thousands are forced to flee their homes since the beginning of Turkey's military incursion after US President Donald Trump ordered American troops to pull back from the border

Rakhine rebels abduct dozens after storming Myanmar bus – army
State-backed Global New Light of Myanmar says a bus was flagged down by a man before 18 rebels in sportswear emerged from the forest and ordered passengers off at gunpoint

Yemen to become world's poorest country if war continues – U.N.
'If fighting continues through 2022, Yemen will rank the poorest country in the world,' according to a United Nations Development Programme report

United Nations chief hopes to maintain 'momentum' in Western Sahara talks
Antonio Guterres praises the progress made by the UN's former special envoy, Horst Kohler, who left the position in May for health reasons

NCR task force formed to counter 'front organizations'
While there is no armed conflict in Metro Manila, the task force deems the capital region to be the hotbed of recruitment and fund generation

North Korea again tests 'super-large' rocket launcher – state media
North Korea's state media says its leader Kim Jong Un supervised a fresh test of a 'super-large multiple rocket launcher' system

North Korea fires 'projectiles' after offering talks with U.S.
No further details are immediately available but these are the latest to be fired since July. Previous launches have been identified as short-range missiles.

Martial law led to 2018 drop in violence in Muslim Mindanao – study
Any plan to lift martial law must come with an agreement among Mindanao leaders to control loose firearms, a major contributing factor to violence in the southern region, says International Alert Philippines
