Chris Doyle

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy was quizzed last week in front of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee of the House of Commons. At one stage, he opined: “There are no journalists in Gaza.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to Saudi Arabia should herald a step forward in the trading and business relationship between the two countries. Even historic relationships need renewal and updating. Fresh commercial ties will be welcomed by both governments, which will no doubt look to build on them. Bilateral trade has reached record levels, topping £17.3 billion ($22 billion).

The highs and lows of the last few weeks have proved overwhelming for many Syrians. The incredible scenes of celebration across Syrian cities on Friday were illustrative of the elation of being Assad-free for the first time in 53 years. Syrians have awaited eons to enjoy this moment and they should be allowed to, given all the horrors of those years.

Can one imagine a year passing nowadays when the number of refugees and internally displaced people declines? Sadly, these circumstances are hard to imagine. The trends are stark and terrifying. According to the UN, there are a jaw-dropping 120 million-plus in this category, 1.5 percent of the global population. If they formed a country, it would rank as the 13th most populous in the world. This is almost double the figure of a decade ago. Back in 2014, the figure was 60 million, an alarming figure in itself. If this pace continues, it will be 240 million by 2036.

Can one imagine a year passing nowadays when the number of refugees and internally displaced people declines? Sadly, these circumstances are hard to imagine. The trends are stark and terrifying.

Every year, at Christmas, much of the world turns its eyes to Bethlehem and the world of two millennia ago. Images of the baby Jesus in a manger surrounded by shepherds and wise men adorn Christian churches across the world.

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So 2025 will open with me planning lessons in a wrestling match between my conscience and the new reality of democracy imperiled.

One of the most disheartening trends of this century is showing no signs of diminishing. Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred courses through much of European and American society, but also elsewhere, not least India. For Muslims in these areas, hatred of them or anyone who might be perceived as Muslim has become a fact of life.

Northern Gaza is no more, at least not as a livable, populated area. This was not an asteroid strike or a tsunami. But such a fate might have been kinder to the nearly 3 million people who have been compelled to undergo deprivations most of us can barely understand.