Activism – War Watch

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Why an up-and-coming indie developer is returning Microsoft’s money
ByKeza MacDonald March 18, 2026

In this week’s newsletter: the creators of All Will Rise on standing up to the tech giant – and joining the No Games for Genocide movement• Don’t get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereVideo games are in a funding crisis. Investor mon…

Read More Why an up-and-coming indie developer is returning Microsoft’s money
Activism | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Berlin film festival | Berlin film festival 2026 | Culture | Documentary films | Donald Trump | Film | Gaza | Human rights | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Protest | World news

‘It’s a protest movement behind windows’: tribute to the Iranians risking their lives to film dissent
ByDeborah Cole February 17, 2026

Inspired by the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising that gripped Iran in 2022, two film students created a documentary, Memories of a Window, about onlookers who anonymously record footage as proof of state violenceFootage that went viral from Iran in late 2…

Read More ‘It’s a protest movement behind windows’: tribute to the Iranians risking their lives to film dissent
Activism | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Film | Gaza | Human rights | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Protest | World news

Film-makers condemn Iran’s internet blackout as ‘blatant tool of repression’
ByDonna Ferguson January 10, 2026

Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof’s intervention comes amid outpouring of solidarity from cultural figures in Iranian diasporaThe Iranian film-makers Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof have slammed the internet blackout in their country as a “blatant …

Read More Film-makers condemn Iran’s internet blackout as ‘blatant tool of repression’
Activism | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Gaza | Greta Thunberg | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestine | Palestine Action | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Protest | UK news | World news

Greta Thunberg came to stay – and my kid may have inadvertently helped her get arrested | Arwa Mahdawi
ByArwa Mahdawi January 6, 2026

The activist had held a sign written with my daughter’s crayon. Try explaining that to a four-year-oldIt was 6am. London. A few days before Christmas. My four-year-old is singing at the top of her lungs and charging around my parents’ house on a hunt f…

Read More Greta Thunberg came to stay – and my kid may have inadvertently helped her get arrested | Arwa Mahdawi
Activism | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Egypt | Emily Thornberry | Gaza | Home Office | Human rights | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices

UK ministers accused of ‘embarrassing failures’ in Abd el-Fattah case
ByHarriet Sherwood December 31, 2025

Government should have appointed an envoy to carry out checks on activist in citizenship row, says Emily ThornberryThe government could have avoided “embarrassing failures” in the case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah by having a special envoy deal with complex c…

Read More UK ministers accused of ‘embarrassing failures’ in Abd el-Fattah case
Activism | Africa | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Gaza | Global development | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Kenya | Madagascar | Middle East and north Africa | Morocco | Nepal | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Protest | South and central Asia | Togo | World news | Young people | Youth unemployment

What drove gen Z protests that brought down governments and called out corruption? Five activists explain
ByKaamil Ahmed December 30, 2025

We spoke to protesters in Togo, Kenya, Nepal, Madagascar and Morocco about how their actions helped shape the world in 2025Mass protests in Nepal and Madagascar toppled both governments this year, even when the young people at the forefront of the demo…

Read More What drove gen Z protests that brought down governments and called out corruption? Five activists explain
Activism | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Egypt | Gaza | Human rights | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Politics | UK news | World news

What are Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s past social media posts and why is there a backlash?
ByEmine Sinmaz December 29, 2025

Dissident human rights campaigner has apologised after calling for violence against Zionists and police in 2010-2012The human rights campaigner Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s past social media posts have led to a widespread backlash since his return from detenti…

Read More What are Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s past social media posts and why is there a backlash?
Activism | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Gaza | Human rights | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nobel peace prize | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | World news

Nobel peace prize laureate Narges Mohammadi arrested in Iran
ByStaff and agencies December 12, 2025December 12, 2025

Mohammadi ‘violently’ detained along with other activists at memorial event in Mashhad, her foundation saysThere are fears for the wellbeing of the 2023 Nobel peace prize winner, Narges Mohammadi, after she was detained by Iranian security forces at a …

Read More Nobel peace prize laureate Narges Mohammadi arrested in Iran
Activism | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Protest | World news

Death of Iranian activist who burned picture of supreme leader causes outcry
ByDeepa Parent November 8, 2025

Iran’s police say Omid Sarlak, 22, shot himself, but fellow activists suspect he may have been killed for his viewsThe death of a young Iranian man who had filmed himself burning a photograph of the country’s supreme leader has sparked a war of words b…

Read More Death of Iranian activist who burned picture of supreme leader causes outcry
Activism | Africa | Asia Pacific | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | China | Donald Trump | Europe | Gaza | Global development | Human rights | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Islam | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Morocco | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Religion | Transnational repression | Turkey | Uyghurs | World news | Xinjiang

‘They told me not to speak out’: the woman who took on China – and won her husband’s freedom
ByTom Levitt October 23, 2025

After fleeing Chinese repression, Uyghurs Idris and Zeynure Hasan thought their family would be safe. But Beijing’s growing influence led to Idris’s arrest and a long battle to be reunitedZeynure Hasan was at home in Istanbul in July 2021 when her husb…

Read More ‘They told me not to speak out’: the woman who took on China – and won her husband’s freedom