Hurricane Melissa has strengthened to a Category 5 storm as it approaches Jamaica, posing the threat of widespread damage, catastrophic flooding and landslides, which some towns are already experiencing. The International Federation of the Red Cross anticipates the storm will directly impact as many as 1.5 million people, while Prime Minister Andrew Holness has warned the island nation will see heavy damage. "There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5," he says.

Sudan's Rapid Support Forces have taken control of El-Fasher, the army's last stronghold in Darfur, after intense fighting that resulted in numerous civilian casualties, medical groups report. The RSF's advance, confirmed by satellite imagery and military sources, marks a significant shift in the balance of power in Darfur and raises concerns about further fragmentation in Sudan. Footage and eyewitness accounts describe RSF fighters beating, shooting and detaining civilians attempting to flee, while international organizations warn of ongoing war crimes and mass violations.

As the number of trucks entering Gaza each day increases, humanitarian organizations warn that aid supplies are still falling far short of need. Some trucks are carrying products for Gaza markets -- the Norwegian Refugee Council warns that, while reviving the territory's private sector is important, commercial products must not come "at the expense of aid or in lieu of aid."

Iranian women increasingly defy the law requiring hijabs and modest dress, as authorities reduce enforcement to avoid unrest amid economic challenges and international sanctions. While women report fewer encounters with police, the government continues to promote modesty through business closures and warnings.

About 1,300 Afghans evacuated by the US are stranded at Camp As Sayliyah, a former US military base in Qatar, under President Donald Trump's stricter migration policies. Many of these evacuees, who worked with US forces and face Taliban retribution, are awaiting resettlement. Residents are confined to crowded hangars, with rooms separated by chicken wire and limited privacy. The desert heat restricts outdoor activity, and adults have no employment or structured activities, while children attend limited classes.

Unaccompanied refugee minors are making up an increasing share of those attempting the dangerous Mediterranean crossing from Libya and Tunisia to Europe, SOS Humanity reports. Many of these children travel alone in overcrowded, unsafe boats -- recent rescues have included entire vessels filled only with minors, many of them suffering physical ailments, dehydration and emotional exhaustion from experiences of violence and exploitation in Libyan detention camps.

Cholera outbreaks were reported in 32 countries this year, resulting in over 6,800 deaths, write World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema. Despite being a preventable disease, cholera continues to thrive in areas lacking access to clean water and sanitation, particularly among impoverished and displaced communities, the experts write, calling for substantial investment in water and sanitation infrastructure to eliminate outbreaks.

The Giving Pledge, launched in 2010 by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates and Warren Buffett, has seen 256 signatories commit to giving away at least half their wealth. However, a report from the Institute for Policy Studies shows that only $206 billion has been donated, with most funds going to foundations rather than directly to nonprofits. The voluntary nature of the pledge and the increasing wealth of signatories are seen as limiting its impact.

Women in Senegal are facing increased challenges due to aid cuts that threaten access to contraception. MSI Reproductive Choices provides vital reproductive health services, but recent and potential future aid reductions jeopardize this support. Women in coastal towns rely on contraception to manage health and economic stability amid declining fishing yields and increasing poverty. The Senegalese government aims to boost contraception use and reduce maternal mortality, but continued international support is crucial.

As authoritarianism rises and civic spaces shrink, international aid bodies must maintain a presence in countries led by repressive regimes to observe and support democratic systems, speakers at last week's Trust Conference in London emphasized. Tactics once exclusive to lower-income countries -- silencing opposition through legal and bureaucratic means, restricting civic space and intimidating journalists and activists -- are now appearing in established democracies, underscoring that this resurgence of authoritarianism is a widespread phenomenon requiring urgent attention.